We live in an age of exponential acceleration, from AI to social media. This creates a powerful expectation: that progress on diversity, inclusion, and equality will also happen faster than ever. But is it? This episode disproves that hypothesis, arguing we're living in an "Acceleration Paradox." We explore why technology is brilliant at changing attitudes (like marriage equality) but fails to move the needle on deep, structural issues like the racial wealth gap. We'll dive into the foundational "brakes" on progress—from our evolutionary tribalism to the power of accelerated political backlash—to explain why we're mistaking high-speed conflict for real change.