The rise of the public intellectual - confounding celebrity with expertise w/ Sam Vaknin

We often listen to the people in high positions, that aren't necessarily qualified to discuss the topics that they do.

In this conversation with Sam Vaknin, we explore the phenomena of the Public Intellectual, and the problems we're facing.

(0:00) What Is A Public Intellectual What Responsibilities Do They Have?

(4:20) Why Is It Hard To Find A Real Public Intellectual These Days?

(7:26) Expertise vs. Anti-Expertise

(12:14) The Problem Of Celebrities Overtaking Qualifications

(15:57) Fake It Till You Make It Philosophy

(18:25) Discussing the Incentive to Radicalize In Order To Get More Money

(21:13) Relativity of Ideas Is To Blame?

(25:13) Some Texts Should Never Be Deconstructed

(27:21) Talking About the Death of the Author

(31:46) The Outcomes Of Interpreting Everything

(33:12) Can A So-Called Public Intellectual Be Involved In Politics?

(35:52) The Role And Responsibilities Of Public Intellectuals

(39:16) Today’s Public Intellectuals Do The Opposite Of What They’re Supposed To Do Part 1

(42:49) Today’s Public Intellectuals Do The Opposite Of What They’re Supposed To Do Part 2

(45:00) Public Intellectuals Launching Their Own Ideology

(49:00) Presenting Ideology as a Science

(53:25) Would Psychology Benefit From Dropping The Pretense?

(56:58) Did Freud Write Controversial Things Just To Sell Books And Seminars?

(1:00:48) Do Sometimes Public Intellectuals Choose To Be Fake In Order To Get What They Want?

(1:03:28) Acquired Situational Narcissism and Today’s Public Intellectuals

(1:06:12) Sam Vaknin Talks About the Public Intellectuals He Admires

(1:10:36) Should Public Intellectuals Comfort People or Tell the Truth?

(1:13:22) Sam Vaknin Talks About Donald Trump