Words are wind, but images and symbols are unforgettable. Create a spectacle, tell a story, or imbue yourself with the resonant power of a symbol and you're well on your way to capturing the hearts and minds of your audience.

Kings, charlatans, mistresses and maniacs – Law 37 unpacks the magical thinking which forms an intrinsic part of how humans operate across the spectrum of society. Even if we can turn down the volume of these superstitious thought patterns, we can never escape their influence completely. Symbols are at the very heart of communication – they're the shortcuts our brains take to understand an extremely complex world, and in this episode we dissect how they work and how we can make them work for us.

Dre unleashes his theory of mind and consciousness; we reflect on how shittily society treats women as they grow older; and we set about redesigning the American classroom pledge of allegiance. How does mind control play into such rituals? And what can psychedelics reveal to us about the unconscious connections we make between experiences, ideas, and images?

We also talk about how we choose what we wear in order to say something about ourselves (even if only to ourselves); Jon reflects on his attempts to buy into symbol structures to find a sense of belonging; and then we casually redesign the nature of government. Oh, and we also each choose our personal symbol and contemplate the infinite allure of booty. Join us!

This episode includes:

• The secrets of Trump's success
• The power of emojis and why they improve communication
• How faith-healing does and doesn't work
• How to keep a relationship alive well into old age
• The power of logos... or at least the power that we give them
• Why you should declare yourself to be whatever the hell you want to be
• Why having a sense of control over life can rapidly become a matter of life and death
• Writing or speaking as ways of playing the instrument of other people's minds
• Voting on the basis of value and intellectual kinship
• Is there a tyranny of experts in the modern world?
• Do you have a movement without a symbol?
• The disturbing reality of bodybuilding

Mentioned in the episode:

• Jon's Ayahuasca experiences, which you can read about here
• Picasso's famous painting, Guernica
• Joe Dispenza's book, You Are The Placebo
• Andrew Weil's book, The Marriage of the Sun and Moon
• Johan Huizinga's Homo Ludens
• The Stone of Destiny
• The hilarious and deeply insightful psychology book, Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
• The TV show Dre was in: The Audience
• CM Punk's logo

Challenge: Create your own symbol! How do you want to represent yourself to the world? Let us know what you choose (especially if it's rude).

Be silly. Be kind. Be weird.

Join us as we continue our 48 Laws of Power review, exploring Robert Greene’s provocative and compelling book, in which he lays bare the history, practice, psychology, and philosophies of power that ultimately shape all human relations. Often seen as a handbook for the ‘modern Machiavelli’, we take a closer look, beyond the hyperbole, and discuss how understanding and implementing these Laws can actually enrich your life personally, professionally and spiritually.

Jon and Dre aim to get to the heart of each of the Laws, grapple with their sometimes disturbingly amoral nature, and discuss what the Laws mean in everyday life (often revealing their own experiences – good and bad – when they’ve either observed or transgressed them).