April 19, 2025

The Myth of Automatic Progress | Samo Burja

1 hour 10 minutes

Today's episode is a conversation I had with Samo Burja in 2019 about why civilizations collapse, how functional institutions are built, and what makes some societies flourish while others decay. We explore his Great Founder Theory, the myth of egalitarianism, and why exceptional outliers drive innovation more than democratic processes.

This podcast originally aired on the Village Global podcast.

Make sure to subscribe to Samo Burja's Bismarck Brief and the Live Players podcast to read analyses and briefs like this one:

Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

Live Players: https://link.chtbl.com/liveplayers

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RECOMMENDED LINKS:

Functional Institutions are the Exception

https://www.samoburja.com/functional-institutions-are-the-exception/

Intellectual Dark Matter

https://samoburja.com/intellectual-dark-matter/

X / TWITTER:

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@eriktorenberg

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION:

Societies are artificial constructs built on cornerstone institutions and knowledge that require intentional renewal

Great Founder Theory: exceptional individuals like Steve Jobs create transformative changes that shape institutions

Singapore as an example of successful governance through visionary leadership and long-term thinking

Egalitarianism often functions as a control mechanism rather than a practical reality

Technology inherently drives centralization despite temporary decentralization phases

Future global order likely to be bipolar between US (innovation advantage) and China (different values)

Successful institutions require adaptability to changing circumstances

...more

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By Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez

4.1

8787 ratings