In this conversation, Jeremy Lent challenges the assumption that our global system is simply “broken.” Instead, he argues that it is functioning exactly as designed - optimizing for extraction, exploitation, and growth at all costs.

After building success within that system himself, he began to question its deeper consequences - and ultimately chose a different path.

From the historical roots of this worldview to the modern concentration of wealth and power, this episode reframes today’s crises as systemic outcomes rather than isolated failures, forcing a deeper reckoning with the structures we participate in.

00:00 Introductions
03:24 Is the World Actually Broken?
06:38 The Hidden System Shaping Everything
08:33  Why the System Works… and Why It Fails
12:04 The Invisible Forces Controlling Our Thinking
14:29 Why Awareness Isn’t Optional Anymore
17:28 How Do You Live Ethically in a Broken System?
19:17 The Personal Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
29:11 When Life Falls Apart (And Why It’s a Gift)
34:26 What Different Cultures Get Right About Meaning
40:59 A Radical Vision: Rethinking Civilization Itself
48:13 Why Change Feels Impossible (And What Stops Us)
52:12 Small Choices That Actually Create Change
53:17 Outro

Follow Jeremy Lent:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JeremyRLent/
Twitter - https://x.com/JeremyRLent
YouTube - @JeremyLent
Website - ⁠https://www.jeremylent.com/⁠

Inner Pioneers by Evolute Institute:
Instagram - @evolute_institute
YouTube - @evoluteinstitute
Website - https://evolute-institute.com/

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Find additional information, mentioned resources and more here: https://evolute-institute.com/inner-pioneers-podcast/jeremy-lent/