I really love the wild theory we explore in this episode. About 1500 years ago some obscure Catholic pope declared we probably shouldn’t marry our cousin. And from here the “West” was born. A psychologically peculiar subset of humanity then rose to dominate the planet, namely western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic folk. You know, WEIRD people. You and I. Joseph Henrich is a Harvard professor in evolutionary biology who took 10 years to research this truly Zeitgeist-shifting theory. Today he explains how the arrogant assumption that we are the “normal” ones has led to some very bizarre stuff – whether we pay parking tickets, how much testosterone we have and whether we feel shame or guilt when we do wrong.
Connect with Dr Henrich’s work here.
Get hold of his fun book The Weirdest People In The World
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ELISE BOHAN: Ah shit, transhumanism….
JOELLE GERGIS: How an IPCC lead author does climate grief
JOSH SZEPS: In which the Joe Rogan regular interviews ME!
A.C. GRAYLING: How to have your own life philosophy
ANDREW QUILTY: “I chose to live in a war zone” (possibly the most intimate pod chat so far)
MARK O’CONNELL: Meet the apocalypse preppers
WILLIAM MACASKILL: On “longtermism” and moral responsibility
ROB HENDERSON: Woke “luxury beliefs” are the new Birkins and Bentleys
Ask Me Anything: In which British National Treasure Melissa Hemsley fires your questions at me
KATHERINE MAY: The power of “Wintering”
DAVID FULLER: Sensemaking 101
DAVID WALLACE-WELLS: “The climate crisis might not be as bad as we thought” (a slight retraction)
KYLIE MOORE-GILBERT: How to survive 804 days captured and tortured by Iranian militants
LECH BLAINE: The death of "blokes" (strap in for this one!)
JULIA CAMERON: How to live the artist's way
PROF GEORGE PAXINOS: Are our brains "good" enough to save the planet?
SHEENA IYENGAR: How to choose the best option
THIS WILD ELECTION: EP 12, Last thoughts…with Betoota Advocate
THIS WILD ELECTION: EP 11, Why we must vote for a First Nations Voice, with Prof Megan Davis
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