Ian Marcus Corbin is an essayist and a philosopher at Harvard Medical School who works on loneliness in society. During our conversation, Ian defines loneliness, discusses Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone, the importance of close social relationships, the decline in civic participation in America, the risk of isolation to human beings and society, and the recent assassination attempt of Donald Trump.

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00:00 Intro

00:38 Defining loneliness

05:29 Growing evidence of modern loneliness

07:29 Robert Putnam's work in "Bowling Alone"

19:17 Advice for combating loneliness

22:48 What causes loneliness?

27:30 The Harvard study on happiness - good relationships are most important

31:37 How to prioritize a wise, flourishing life

38:38 Trade-offs between working for money and having meaningful work

44:22 Loneliness and the threat of totalitarianism

46:17 The assassination attempt of Donald Trump

51:52 Loneliness and modern men

58:22 The lack of a script for men today

1:00:31 What communities or societies are flourishing today?

Joe Henrich is a professor and the author of multiple best-selling books, including The Secret of Our Success and The WEIRDest People in the World. During our conversation, Joe talks about the interplay of genes and culture in human evolution, the importance of our "collective brains," what we misunderstand about human nature, what he's learned from visiting other indigenous cultures, how culture influences testosterone levels in men, how we might help modern, struggling western men, what we've learned about menopause from grandmother killer whales, the frontier of knowledge in human nature, and more.

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00:00 Intro

00:37 We're not individually intelligent

02:49 The reason for green and blue eye color in humans

06:01 A unique psychological aspect of status and prestige in humans

08:55 Human's competitive superpower: our ability to sweat

11:53 A story from Joe's experience with the Machiguenga in the Amazon

16:37 The variability and stability of human nature

18:37 What Westerners misunderstand about human nature

21:23 The link between prestige, good information, and human survival

23:41 Ideas to help modern men

28:21 Where Joe thinks our culture is heading with dating and mating

32:18 We have far more female ancestors as male ancestors

34:07 Testosterone in men in monogamous and non-monogamous cultures

37:02 Big 5 personality traits are not found in non-WEIRD cultures

40:53 Gerontocracy mating cultures in Africa

43:56 What we learn about menopause from grandmother killer whales

46:39 Joe's views on cultural relativism

51:23 Why Joe is so interested in human nature

56:19 What is our best understanding of what it means to be human?

59:10 Joe's forthcoming new book

David Blankenhorn is an author, an activist, a community organizer, and the co-founder and President of Braver Angels. During our conversation, David talks about polarization in the United States, the workshops that Braver Angels puts together to bring together politically opposed Americans for conversation and common ground, the threat of division to the future of the country, the receding of a "civil religion" in the U.S., the importance of approaching disagreements with a sense of goodwill, and having hope in this dark time.

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00:00 Intro

00:37 The state of civic friendship in America

04:27 The growth of Braver Angels

11:22 What motivates Braver Angels' members?

16:46 The work and mission of Braver Angels

23:29 We're less polarized than we've been told

27:34 Who is benefiting from social division?

33:12 Habits to maintain one's humanity

40:23 Politics replacing civic virtues in modern times

49:37 George Kennan's threat of internal division

55:34 The example of Daryl Davis

Robert Glover is a therapist, a speaker, and the author of multiple books, including his best-seller, No More Mr. Nice Guy. During our conversation, Robert talks about choosing a woman who chooses you, the importance of male tribe for men, being open-hearted, and his newest venture: integration nation.

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00:00 Intro

00:37 "Choose a woman who chooses you"

20:39 Marriage, relationships, and male purpose

25:12 Being open-hearted as a man and red pill

34:12 The importance of male tribe to men

53:12 Integration nation and Robert's legacy

Shawn T. Smith is a clinical psychologist and the author of various books, including his best-seller, The Tactical Guide to Woman. During our conversation, Shawn talks about green flags in women, depression as a symptom rather than an illness, advice for men who are depressed, shame and love, the importance of tribe and purpose in a man's life, and the lack of scripts for healthy men in modern culture.

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00:00 Intro

01:22 Green flags in women

03:53 Prioritizing the long-term over the short-term

05:57 The importance of habits

08:31 Love and shame in a man's life

17:08 The importance of having a male tribe

20:48 Men's hunger for talking honestly about relationships

23:29 Depression in men

26:28 Causes of depression in men

29:37 Depression is like a fever - a symptom, not the cause

33:19 Vetting women with no optionality

36:52 Purpose in a man's life

43:51 The role of men and fathers in society

50:40 Dealing with pushback while striving toward goals

53;00 Advice Shawn would give to his young daughter

Dr. William Davis is the author of many best-selling books, including Wheat Belly and Super Gut. During his second appearance on this podcast, Bill talks about the potential benefits of adding probiotics like lactobacillus reuteri to one's microbiome, the benefits of fermented foods, the many negative side effects of wheat, how modern diets seem to contribute to various mental illnesses, and a diet that he would recommend to live a healthy life in modern times.

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00:00 Intro

00:42 What Bill has learned in the past two years

07:55 Lactobacillus reuteri

15:14 How to improve one's microbiome

20:07 Fermented foods

23:50 "Diseases of civilization"

27:40 The modern diet and antibiotics

31:33 Bill's views on a healthy diet and lifestyle

47:52 The link between mental illness and diet

55:14 Habits and supplements to increase health

Bill Wasik is the editorial director for the New York Times Magazine and the author of a variety of books, including his newest - co-written with his wife Monica Murphy - Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals. During our conversation, Bill talks about the dawn of the animal rights movement in post-Civil War America, the lives and work of Henry Bergh and George Angell, and the creation and mission of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals.

Bill also talks about the industrialization of meat production, the invisibility of animal suffering today, and his own lifestyle related to animal rights.

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00:00 Intro

00:37 How Americans treated animals in the mid-19th century

03:54 Animal blood sport in the 19th century

07:28 Religious and philosophical outlooks on animals in the 19th century

12:25 Who was Henry Burgh?

16:16 The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

22:22 The legal power of the ASPCA 28:21 Who was George Angell?

33:10 The goal: reduce suffering, not eliminate meat consumption

38:55 Industrializing meat production, and the invisibility of animals today

47:20 How this book has influenced Bill and his lifestyle

Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and an author of multiple books, including his bestseller, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. During our conversation, Oliver talks about being an insecure overachiever, his historic obsession with productivity, learning to say no to things you want to do, the 80/20 principle, and how modern life rewards winners with an unending, lifetime supply of intense work.

He also discusses getting clear on what matters to you in life, the work and ideas of James Hollis, and, when facing a big life decision, asking the question, "does this choice diminish or englargen me?"

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00:00 Intro

00:49 Oliver's struggles with time management

03:58 "The mistaken belief that it can be cured"

06:53 How Oliver has addressed his productivity addiction

12:29 The importance of saying no

16:57 Insecure overachievers and people pleasers

21:52 Today, the reward for winning is a lifetime of intense work

28:25 Human's concept of time over time

32:15 Time management in other cultures

37:33 When deciding, ask: "Does this choice englargen or diminish me?"

45:03 Quotes from James Hollis and Carl Jung

51:14 Closing comments about "Four Thousand Weeks"