What if everything you’ve been told about finding meaning in life is only scratching the surface?

My guest in this episode is Jerry Pannone, a former philosophy teacher and author of the book "Survive: Why We Do What We Do." Jerry has spent a large portion of his life studying philosophy, the humanities, psychology, neuroscience, and more, and synthesizes that information into insights about the human condition.

Why does music stir our souls? What lies beyond self-actualization? In this conversation, Jerry Pannone unpacks the deep connections between music, identity, and the search for meaning. Jerry and I explore transcendence, our fundamental psychological drives, and how expanding your awareness can transform your life.

0:30 Why Jerry Agreed to Be on the Podcast

5:41 How Our Identities Form, and How Jerry Formed His

14:59 Why Does Music Speak to Us?

23:08 The Skill of Nonverbal Communication

27:22 The Two Worlds We Live In & Ego Development

32:34 Are Animals Sentient? Is It Ethical to Kill Them?

39:51 Why Assume Killing is Bad?

42:32 The Moment Jerry Quit Hunting

46:03 Why Leaving a Religion Is a Sin

50:14 When Rules Are Necessary

53:00 What All Humans Seek

57:40 Why What We Seek Is Not Enough

59:54 You Don’t Know Much About Anything

1:04:17 How Narcissism Affects Falling In Love and Other Social Aspects

1:09:30 Prejudice & Religious Intolerance

1:16:12 Your Genes & Upbringing Define You, No Free Will

1:20:15 Reaching True Transcendence

1:26:59 Why Assume Transcendence Is Real?

1:37:01 The Downside of Enlightenment

1:39:44 There Is No Free Will

1:43:34 Don’t Let Ego Alter Your Actions

1:48:26 When Jerry Taught Ethics

1:50:33 What Jerry Would Tell His Younger Self

1:55:35 Where You Can Find Jerry

1:56:34 Jerry’s Recommended Guests

Get Jerry's Book "Survive: Why We Do What We Do" - https://amzn.to/3Z9DwBm

Jerry's Website: https://jerrypannone.com/
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3DXj16IgiWU