Are we fighting against our own biology? Dr Bill von Hippel reveals how evolutionary psychology impacts love, success, and happiness.

Dr Bill von Hippel is a renowned social psychologist, evolutionary specialist, and Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland. He is the author of books such as, ‘The Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy’.

In this conversation, Dr Bill and Steven discuss topics such as, why high-achieving women struggle to find love, the top trait that makes you more attractive, the link between your wealth and social skills, and the future impact of falling birth rates.

00:00 Intro

02:21 What Does Dr. Von Hippel Do?

05:35 What Are We Getting Wrong as a Species?

09:01 Were Our Ancestors Happier Than Us?

12:45 Are We Forgetting to Be Grateful?

15:10 What Is the Price We Pay for Living in Cities?

17:07 Does Money Make You Happy?

18:03 What Is the Perfect Combination to Achieve Happiness?

20:56 How to Be Attractive

23:08 Why Is Humor an Attractive Trait?

24:11 Do Nice Guys Finish Last?

24:55 What Makes a Woman Attractive?

26:10 Is Attraction an Evolutionary or Social Construct?

27:22 Do Men Care If Women Are Rich?

29:09 Evolution and Homosexuality

31:40 The Economic Mismatch in Finding a Partner

34:52 What Tinder Tells Us About Matchmaking

37:06 What Are Dating Apps Like for Women?

39:59 What Is Pornography Doing to Us?

43:19 Are Populations Declining?

46:24 Are We at Risk of Extinction Due to Lack of Sex?

46:56 How Bill Would Encourage People to Have Children Again

49:11 Robots Raising Our Kids

52:44 Robot Experiments on Monkeys

53:27 Marriage and Happiness

56:33 Ads

57:28 Is There an Evolutionary Basis for ADHD and Neurodivergence?

59:57 Will There Be Less Neurodivergence With AI Development?

1:00:17 Will We Merge With Technology?

1:01:19 What Is the Evolutionary Basis for Depression and Anxiety?

1:02:53 Religion and Its Effect on Happiness

1:05:56 Why Do We Want to Believe in Something?

1:06:58 What Is the Meaning of Life?

1:10:07 How We Band Together in Tough Times Against Others

1:11:54 What Bill Knows About Power in Evolutionary Terms

1:12:53 What Is Powerful Body Language?

1:14:29 What Designer Brands Say About You

1:15:18 What Bill Learned About the Hadza Tribe and Living a Happy Life

1:17:06 Who Needs Each Other More, Men or Women?

1:19:06 Are We Meant to Be Monogamous?

1:20:22 Is Cheating Natural?

1:26:12 Ads

1:28:12 What's the Problem With Money?

1:30:53 The Benefits of Doing These 5 Things

1:34:04 What Is the Cost?

1:38:38 New Findings on Exercise and Unhealthy Habits

1:43:45 Do We All Need the Same Amount of Sleep?

1:48:44 Coffee's Impact on Our Bodies

1:49:12 How Can We Be More Social?

1:51:43 How Would You Save Humanity?

Follow Dr Bill:

Instagram - https://g2ul0.app.link/aLJcqJMR0Qb

Twitter - https://x.com/BillvonHippel

Research document:

https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DOAC-Bill-Von-Hippel-Independent-research-further-reading.pdf

You can pre-order Dr Bill’s book, ‘The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness’, here: https://g2ul0.app.link/pRZgxqRR0Qb

Watch the episodes on Youtube - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACEpisodes

My new book! 'The 33 Laws Of Business & Life' is out now - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACBook

You can purchase the The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards: Second Edition, here: https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb

Follow me:

https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb

Sponsors:

Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett

WHOOP - https://JOIN.WHOOP.COM/CEO

PerfectTed - https://www.perfectted.com with code DIARY40 for 40% off

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BONUS: WBUR's The Common: A vibe check on Boston nightlife