How to Be an Adult

Because this podcast is called How to Be an Adult, and we take our promises seriously, you will never see us release an episode titled “How to Never Disappoint Others” or “How to Avoid Criticism.” In this episode, Luke Chao talks about how to disappoint others in a principled manner: Disappointment results from an internal mental mismatch between a person’s expectations and reality; it does not exist in the external world. Living an authentic life and pursuing creative or entrepreneurial goals

“Just be yourself!” We’ve all heard this platitude, but without specific instruction in what it means, the advice is rather useless. In this solo episode, Luke breaks down how to be yourself, and six enemies of your authentic self: Being authentic as an adult means embracing your individuality rather than compromising your values, thoughts, or feelings to meet external standards or please others. Individuals like Rosa Parks, Einstein, and Gandhi are viewed as iconic because they trusted their

If you’ve ever heard the clichéd phrase, “take care of yourself,” you might have been flummoxed about how, especially if your needs were unmet in early life. Yet, as Luke will argue in this episode, taking care of yourself is a defining feature of adulthood: at last, you have a capable guardian. We shall use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a framework: As adults, we serve as our own primary caregivers, responsible for meeting our own needs rather than relying on parents, partners, or employers.

Good sex is not an accident: it happens deliberately. In this dual-hosted episode of How to Be an Adult with Luke and Kate, we strip away the cultural noise to look at the reality of physical intimacy. We break down what it actually means to be present with another person and how to engage in the unapologetic, shameless exchange of mutual pleasure: We define good sex as a mutually pleasurable, safe, and relaxing activity that aligns physical, emotional and mental wellness, characterized by mutu

In the second of this two-part episode about how to dress like an adult, pour homme, Luke shares what he has learned about outerwear, accessories and how to put together an outfit: For cold weather, invest in a quality wool overcoat such as a Chesterfield, polo coat, or balmacaan to wear over suits, and consider a trench coat or barbour coat for shoulder seasons. While often criticized, a high-quality fedora made of fur felt is considered appropriate headgear for suits, provided it is not pair

If you’ve been following our social media, you might have noticed that Luke has been dressing better in recent months. In the first of this two-part episode about how to dress like an adult, pour homme, he shares what he has learned about how to dress like a white-collar office professional in 2026 and beyond: Luke discusses how to curate a professional, intentional, and classic male work wardrobe, emphasizing that clothing is a form of self-expression. We recommend prioritizing quality over q