Curious Apes

On this episode I'm joined by psychology professor and researcher at the University of Missouri, Ken Sheldon. Ken focuses on a few of my favorite subjects in his research, namely that of personality, motivation, goals, happiness, and well-being. He’s also a leading researcher on the self-determination theory, arguably the world’s leading theory on motivation. Amongst other things, this theory posits that humans have three fundamental psychological needs: that of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In this episode we explore questions around this theory and others (like the Goal Breakthrough Theory) that Ken is working on, with an emphasis on how these models relate to happiness, AI, free will, modern society, and more.

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Join me on our brand new Discord Server for weekly conversation: ⁠https://discord.gg/Ek6pKcY8vz⁠

Rob Chavez, an associate professor at the University of Oregon, joins me to discuss his field of computational social neuroscience. In addition to exploring his unique field of study, we also take a look at the weaknesses and strengths of brain imaging, the current state of neuroscience, the future impacts of AI, the importance of remembering "the map isn't the territory", and much more. With a large part of my own personal research also falling within this field, it was a true pleasure to geek out with Rob on this endlessly fascinating subject.

Follow Rob at https://x.com/robchavez, check out his lab at https://csnl.uoregon.edu, or read his Substack "Academics Anonymous" at https://robchavez.substack.com

Join me on our brand new Discord Server for weekly conversation: https://discord.gg/Ek6pKcY8vz

First community discussion Sunday 3pm PST: https://discord.gg/nYwa9QmE?event=1242298301924249630

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Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Evolutionary psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams joins me for a discussion on common evolutionary myths and misunderstandings, how these misreadings of the literature often lead to destructive ideologies, ways in which our modern world is mismatched to our evolutionary wiring, speculative explorations into theories of complexity and consciousness, and much more.

Follow Steve at twitter.com/stevestuwill, or read his "Nature-Nurture-Nietzsche" newsletter at stevestewartwilliams.com

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Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Human Summary:

Narcissism researcher Keith Campbell joins me for a very candid discussion on narcissism and the latest findings on the subject. We also explore its connections with anti-fragility and the ways in which technology and academia are failing us.

AI Summary:

The conversation explores the topic of narcissism, discussing its definition, different forms, causes, and cultural influences. The guest, Keith, explains that narcissism can be understood as a personality trait or a clinical disorder. He distinguishes between grandiose narcissism, characterized by self-centeredness and a need for admiration, and vulnerable narcissism, which combines a sense of entitlement with insecurity. Keith suggests that genetics and early experiences, such as trauma, can contribute to the development of narcissistic traits. The conversation also touches on the cultural factors that may promote or discourage narcissism, including social media and societal values. The conversation explores the concept of communal narcissism and its distinction from grandiose narcissism. It delves into the idea that communal narcissism is more insidious and indirect in its expression, often shaming or ostracizing others. The discussion also touches on the limitations of studying narcissism in niche samples and the challenges of capturing cultural nuances. The conversation then transitions to the topic of the great fantasy migration, which suggests that high narcissism and low trust in the real world are driving people to seek validation and meaning in virtual spaces. The collapse of trusted institutions and the lack of clear societal standards contribute to this phenomenon. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the importance of cultivating meaning and resilience in youth to navigate the complexities of the modern world. In this conversation, Keith and Steven discuss the challenges of raising children in a risk-averse society and the potential connection between exposure to risk and narcissism. They also explore the collapse of institutions and the rise of individualism in the digital age. Keith expresses concern about the impact of technology on young people and suggests that building one's own reality through entrepreneurship and risk-taking may be a path forward. They emphasize the importance of engaging with the world and learning from failure.

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Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ **

This week my guest is Jean Twenge, a renowned psychologist, professor, and author who has been one of the world’s leading researchers investigating generational differences and the impacts of technology. This includes her books The Narcissism Epidemic, Generation Me, and my personal favorite iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood.

In this episode we explore Jean’s wonderful collection of work through the lens of her newest book, Generations, where we investigate how Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z have been shaped by technology and the implications this holds for the future. This takes us on a tour of discussions around the animosity between generations, mental health, personality traits like narcissism, regulations for social media platforms, and more.

Follow her at ⁠twitter.com/jean_twenge⁠

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Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ **

This week our guest is social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, who has authored several of my personal favorite books including the Happiness Hypothesis, The Righteous Mind, and the Coddling of the American Mind. We're lucky enough to have Jon join us to discuss his just released Atlantic article entitled, '⁠Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid⁠,' which explores his upcoming book about social media.

In this episode we discuss the key points of this article, exploring what dynamics shifted in American life as a result of social media and the resulting impacts on our children’s mental health, on our politics, and on the fabric of society itself. 

Visit ⁠TheCoddling.com⁠ or⁠ LetGrow.org⁠ for more information on raising and mentoring Gen-Z kids to be less anxious and depressed.

And if you wish to learn more about viewpoint diversity in academia, visit ⁠Heterodoxacademy.org⁠

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Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ **

This week our guest is Stanford neuroscientist, Robert Sapolsky. You may know Dr. Sapolsky from his incredible 25-part lecture series on Youtube, his triumphant book, Behave, or his guest appearances on the Joe Rogan and Huberman Lab podcasts.

And if you know him from any of these things, you may also know that Sapolsky isn’t a big fan of free will. In fact, he wrote an entire book about it, Determined. And it is this very book we will explore in this episode, in no small part because understanding how we make choices will drastically alter how we shape our future societies.

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Hosted by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ **

Today we have one of my favorite comedians, Duncan Trussell, who many of you might recognize from his frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, on Drunk History, or his latest Netflix show, The Midnight Gospel. He also has his own podcast, the ⁠Duncan Trussell Family Hour⁠, which provides a steady stream of humor and thought-provoking conversation.

On this episode, we take a wide exploration of humanity's relationship with technology and how it's impacting our behavior. 

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Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ **

This week our guests are evolutionary biologists, Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying, who many of you might recognize from their frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, or from their very own show, the⁠ Darkhorse Podcast⁠, where they explore current affairs through an evolutionary lens.

They’ve recently released a brand new book, ⁠A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life⁠, where they combine their decades of expertise into a comprehensive overview of the many lessons evolution can teach us, including concepts like the precautionary principle, Sucker’s Folly, Chesterton's Fence, and more.

This was a wonderfully expansive conversation exploring many of the ways in which technology and capitalism is being driven by our ancient genetic wiring. This includes exploring the impacts of social media, of technological infrastructure, of capitalism and its incentives, the biological influences of complacency due to technological comfort, and far much more than I can even begin to summarize here.

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Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ **

Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist currently working as the Chief of Addiction Medicine at Stanford’s Dual Diagnosis clinic. She was recently interviewed for the Social Dilemma, the amazing Netflix documentary exploring the dangers of social media. 

On this episode, we really dive deep into the heart of addiction--how it starts, how it controls our behavior, and how to escape its magnetic pull. But more specifically, we explore the role of social media and smartphones, and how these tools are hijacking our evolutionary drive for novelty, pleasure, exploration, and connection with other human beings.

Her latest book, ⁠Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence⁠, just released last week.

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Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠