

Gerontocracy as a Supernormal Stimulus
Sep 13, 2025
The podcast delves into the rising tide of gerontocracy in politics, questioning the health and effectiveness of aging leaders like Donald Trump. It critically examines the implications of electing older individuals, suggesting that this trend may be a supernormal stimulus that challenges governance. The discussion highlights the societal risks linked to having a significant population of elderly in power and raises important concerns about the future of leadership and its impact on society.
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Age As A Supernormal Signal
- Gerontocracy functions as a supernormal stimulus because age signals wisdom and accumulated power.
- Modern medicine and longevity produced an abundance of old leaders that our instincts weren't designed to handle.
Kay Granger Example
- Jeremiah cites Kay Granger spending her final days in assisted living with dementia as an illustrative example.
- He notes she at least stopped casting votes, highlighting a real-world failure point.
Age Is A Proxy For Wisdom
- Evolution favored proxies like age for wisdom, making societies prefer older leaders as a shortcut to competence.
- Cultural evolution and power accumulation amplify this bias beyond ancestral contexts.