Delve into the chaos of modern politics and its overwhelming presence in our lives. Discover how TikTok is shaping not just political opinions but also dating dynamics, creating surprising gender gaps. The conversation reflects on the desensitization to global tragedies influenced by media narratives, urging a deeper connection to local issues. With a historical lens, they provide strategies for navigating news anxiety. Despite the cynicism, there's a glimmer of hope for better engagement and understanding in these turbulent times.
47:52
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Political Focus
Care about politics, but don't overemphasize individual politicians.
Focus on parties, policies, and local issues instead.
insights INSIGHT
Good News Bias
Bad news dominates; seek good news actively.
The world is improving, but that's underreported.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Historical Context
Read history for context; nothing is unprecedented.
Focus on demographics and economic trends over personalities.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'Washington: A Life', Ron Chernow provides a richly detailed and engaging portrait of George Washington. The book covers his adventurous early years, his heroic exploits during the Revolutionary War, his role in the Constitutional Convention, and his significant contributions as the first president of the United States. Chernow challenges the stereotype of Washington as a stolid, unemotional figure, instead revealing a man of fiery opinions, many moods, and a fiercely guarded emotional life. The biography delves into Washington's personal relationships, his complex feelings about slavery, and his meticulous management of Mount Vernon. It also highlights his political genius and his role in shaping the new federal government and the office of the presidency[2][3][4].
The end of men
And the Rise of Women
Hanna Rosin
In 'The End of Men', Hanna Rosin presents a compelling argument that women have pulled decisively ahead of men by almost every measure. The book explores how changes in the American economy, such as the loss of traditionally male-led jobs during the recession, have contributed to this shift. Rosin also discusses rising college graduation rates, steady employment, and increased presence in male-dominated fields like politics and business. The book examines the profound implications of these changes on marriage, sex, children, work, and other aspects of society, suggesting that the traditional patriarchal structure is giving way to a new paradigm where women are gaining the upper hand[2][3][4].
The better angels of our nature
Why Violence Has Declined
Steven Pinker
In this book, Steven Pinker presents a detailed argument that violence has significantly decreased over the course of human history. He uses extensive data and statistical analysis to demonstrate this decline in various domains, including military conflict, homicide, genocide, torture, and the treatment of children, homosexuals, animals, and racial and ethnic minorities. Pinker identifies four key human motivations – empathy, self-control, the moral sense, and reason – as the 'better angels' that have oriented humans away from violence and towards cooperation and altruism. He also discusses historical forces such as the rise of the state (which he terms 'Leviathan'), the spread of commerce, the growth of feminist values, and the expansion of cosmopolitanism, which have contributed to this decline in violence[1][4][5].
How many f*cks should we give about politics? What’s driving the widening ideological gap between young men and women? And is the world truly and utterly f*cked beyond all recognition?
In this episode, we talk politics without really talking politics. We cover how to stay up-to-date on current events without going insane, what history can teach us about the present, the real downside to TikTok’s invasion of—well, everything—and why there is still reason to hold out hope, even when it seems like the world is going straight to hell.
Check it out.
Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person.
Chapters
01:17 The F*ck of the Week: Politics
16:24 Brilliant or Bullsh*t: Is TikTok Ruining Politics AND Dating?
32:24 Q&A: Is Everything Just F*cked?
Theme song: Icarus Lives by Periphery, used with permission from Periphery.