Love, like Western society in general, is in the midst of a meaning crisis. Online dating has contributed to the commodification of relationships, singledom is on the rise, and marriage just doesn't seem to mean what it used to. Romanticism, it seems, has failed us as a philosophy of love.

Dr. John Vervaeke, cognitive scientist at the University of Toronto and creator of the series 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis,' joins The Multiversity Project (three single Millennials) to break down Romanticism and build up a concept of enduring, meaningful love.

Along the way, we draw parallels to society at large-- as it seems the political left and right are experiencing a communication breakdown. Can cognitive science and the wisdom of love apply to US politics, and save the Democrats and the Republicans from a messy breakup?

Plus: online dating tips from Dr. John Vervaeke 😜

Part I: The State of Love in the Meaning Crisis Today

0:00:00 Introduction 0:02:56 Philosophy's quest to connect us with reality 0:08:22 The Romantics, romantic love, and romantic comedies 0:16:23 Can we salvage the bankrupt epistemology of romance? 0:20:18 'Love' and idolotry 0:23:50 Realism and rationality- how cognitive science can reconnect rationality and love 0:31:38 Collective intelligence 0:35:56 Casual sex and the de-romanticization of love 0:48:54 Polyamory and nonmonogamy 0:57:38 The politicization of love, Jordan Peterson, and the rise of the manosphere 1:05:33 Opponent processing vs. adversarial processing in politics. 1:15:18 Agape love, meaning-making, and the insanity of having children. 1:21:44 Online dating and modal confusion 1:33:56 Vervaeke's online dating tips

Part II: Connecting Love to What it Means to be Human, and Finding Our Way

1:37:38 Attachment theory, agape, and parenting 1:50:17 Cognitive dissonance and the sunk cost fallacy in relationships 1:55:15 Cultivating the three loves to form true, lasting relationships. 2:04:01 Tantra, icons, transcendence, and the machinery of love 2:09:43 Opponent processing and masculinity and femininity 2:12:50 Battling cancer in the body politic, and the importance of the process 2:24:34 Love is a process, not a product 2:28:19 Is the United States political system in for a rough 'breakup?' 2:35:17 Polarity and balance in romantic relationships 2:38:24 Why our society is stuck, and how 'religion' can get us out 2:44:25 Conclusion

AWAKENING FROM THE MEANING CRISIS BY JOHN VERVAEKE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54l8_ewcOlY&list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ

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