America was already facing an epidemic of loneliness before this pandemic hit, and now everyone is just in the shitter now that we have to be stuck in inside. But on this episode we go a step farther and talk about the people on the very end of the loneliness spectrum. Incels, or involuntary celibates, are a radical internet hate group that finds its roots in a desire for sex, intimacy, and love. While we don't condone or identify with this group, we use this extreme example as a frame to talk about how harmful a lack of intimacy can be and the negative effects our increasingly socially alienated society can have, both romantically and platonically. We also delve into the sexual marketplace, talking about how technology may be exacerbating the differences between the high market value 'Chads' and the low market value 'Virgins' and how different genders react to scarcity of intimacy differently.

We are joined by Luke Phillips, our first repeat guest, who you may remember from the Patriotism Episode. Among other things, he does work for David Brook's Weave: The Social Fabric Project, which is working to end loneliness and isolation across America by creating intentional communities, and Braver Angels, a group doing work to depolarize America.

Articles that informed this episode:

Music is The Beauty of Maths by Meydän.