The book explores how the ideas 'what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker,' 'always trust your feelings,' and 'life is a battle between good people and evil people' have become embedded in American culture. These 'Great Untruths' contradict basic psychological principles and ancient wisdom, leading to a culture of safetyism that interferes with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. The authors investigate various social trends, including fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised play, and the impact of social media, as well as changes on college campuses and the broader context of political polarization in America.
Published in 1859, 'Self-Help' by Samuel Smiles is a landmark in the self-help genre. The book advocates for personal responsibility and the virtues of hard work, industry, and character. It uses numerous biographical examples, including those of George Stephenson and Josiah Wedgwood, to illustrate how individuals can achieve success through their own efforts. The book was highly influential in Victorian Britain and beyond, selling over a quarter of a million copies by the time of Smiles' death in 1904. It has been translated into many languages and remains a significant text in the history of self-help literature.
In this book, Musa al-Gharbi argues that despite the rise of a new elite who identify as allies of progressive causes such as antiracism, feminism, and LGBTQ rights, social and economic inequalities have continued to grow. These symbolic capitalists, who work primarily with words, ideas, images, and data, genuinely believe in egalitarian principles but inadvertently contribute to and perpetuate the very inequalities they oppose. The book examines how their actions and narratives often provoke backlash against the social justice causes they champion and argues that challenging these self-serving narratives is crucial for addressing social and economic inequality effectively.
Published in 1859, 'On Liberty' is a seminal work by John Stuart Mill that argues for the protection of individual freedoms from the tyranny of the majority and government interference. Mill uses utilitarian philosophy to justify the value of liberty, emphasizing the importance of freedom of thought, discussion, and action. He introduces the 'harm principle,' which states that individuals should only be restrained from acting when their conduct may harm others. The essay is structured into five chapters, each addressing different aspects of liberty, including the liberty of thought and discussion, individual liberty, the limits of authority, and practical applications of his theories. Mill argues that protecting individual liberties is essential for societal progress and the avoidance of social stagnation[2][3][5].
In *How to Talk Dirty and Influence People*, Lenny Bruce recounts his life and career, using his characteristic wit and honesty to critique societal conventions and hypocrisy. The book, originally serialized in *Playboy* in 1964 and 1965, is a landmark work that continues to resonate with its commentary on politics, religion, and free speech.
The book explores how the ideas 'what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker,' 'always trust your feelings,' and 'life is a battle between good people and evil people' have become embedded in American culture. These 'Great Untruths' contradict basic psychological principles and ancient wisdom, leading to a culture of safetyism that interferes with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. The authors investigate various social trends, including fearful parenting, the decline of unsupervised play, and the impact of social media, as well as changes on college campuses and the broader context of political polarization in America.
The co-authors of “The Canceling of the American Mind” discuss its new paperback release and where cancel culture stands a year and a half after the book’s original publication.
- Greg Lukianoff —
- Rikki Schlott —
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
04:35 Origin of book
07:56 Definition of cancel culture
17:55 Mike Adams, canceled professor
23:51 Alexi McCammond, former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief
31:57 Echo chambers on social media
35:09 Trump administration ‘canceling’ law firms and higher ed institutions
44:02 Rikki’s libertarian political identity
51:02 Is cancel culture dead?
54:26 Outro
Read the transcript.
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Show notes:
So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast 
