PsycHacks Episode 577: Get better (advice for men)
36 snips
Dec 8, 2025 The discussion dives into the notion that telling men to "get better" often lacks clarity and reflects external expectations. Orion highlights the importance of strength, wealth, and attractiveness as inherent goods that can improve one's life. He critiques cultural narratives that undermine these qualities and emphasizes their role in enhancing social status and relationship stability. Listeners are encouraged to start investing in themselves now, noting that visible changes can happen in just a year or two.
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Vague Moralism Hides Unstated Values
- The phrase "get better" is vague and moralistic without an explicit value framework.
- Orion Taraban warns that such demands often mask gendered preferences presented as objective judgments.
Good And Bad Are Value-Dependent
- Good and bad are not objective properties of reality but relate to human goals and value systems.
- Taraban emphasizes naming your moral framework to avoid confusion and pain in judgments.
Strength, Wealth, And Attractiveness As Core Goods
- Some qualities (strength, wealth, attractiveness) function as near-universal goods because nobody prays to lose them.
- Taraban argues these are the closest we have to inherent goods across value systems.
