Ideas The best — and worst — ideas of the last six decades
Dec 5, 2025
In this engaging discussion, philosopher Joe Heath, lawyer Jamie Liu, and policy designer Vass Bednar tackle the best and worst ideas over the last six decades. They critique digital narcissism and the impact of tech culture on labor. Liu challenges the rigidity of borders and identification tech, while Bednar argues for a robust regulatory state amid corporate capture. They celebrate positive concepts like human rights expansion and the sharing economy, offering a thoughtful mix of critique and optimism for the future.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Fitbit Tossed: A Personal Rebellion
- Vass Bednar recounts tossing her Fitbit into the garbage after her boyfriend compared steps.
- She used it to illustrate how hyper-quantification of ourselves became performative and exhausting.
Nonconformity Became A Market
- Joe Heath argues countercultural nonconformity often became commodified and failed to change systems.
- He notes the rebellious impulse has shifted from left to right, reducing its political usefulness.
Declining Social Viscosity Fuels Canceling
- Joe Heath describes declining social viscosity as making it easier for distant people to interact and condemn behavior.
- He links that decline to the rise of cancel culture and mob-like online shaming.
