In this episode of Love & Understanding, I sit down with philosopher Jeremy Shearmur, who worked closely with Karl Popper for nearly a decade, to explore what it means to live in an “open society.”

We begin with Popper’s central insight: that knowledge is always provisional, and that progress depends on our willingness to be wrong, to receive criticism, and to revise our beliefs. From there, we examine how these ideas extend beyond philosophy into politics, institutions, and everyday life.

Together, we explore:

-The tension between certainty and fallibility

-The moral and epistemological foundations of an open society

-The rise of polarization, populism, and distrust in institutions

-How social media shapes (and distorts) our search for truth

-The role of criticism, pluralism, and intellectual humility in a functioning democracy

Shearmur also offers a rare, personal look into Popper as a human being—brilliant, driven, and deeply imperfect—and reflects on the challenges of embodying philosophical ideals in real life.

This is a conversation about truth, error, and the fragile conditions required for a society to remain open, self-correcting, and free.