Michael Malice is an anarchist. Yaron Brook is an objectivist. Both are podcasters and authors. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Ground News: https://ground.news/lex - Public Goods: https://publicgoods.com/lex and use code LEX to get $15 off - Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex and use code LEX to get 1 month of fish oil - Brave: https://brave.com/lex - Four Sigmatic: https://foursigmatic.com/lex and use code LexPod to get up to 60% off EPISODE LINKS: Michael's Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelmalice Michael's Community: https://malice.locals.com/ Michael's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5tj5QCpJKIl-KIa4Gib5Xw Michael's Website: http://michaelmalice.com/about/ Yaron's Twitter: https://twitter.com/yaronbrook Yaron's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ybrook Yaron's Website: https://yaronbrookshow.com/ PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (09:43) - Desert island thought experiment (15:00) - Communism (18:30) - Immanuel Kant (19:39) - Donald Hoffman (30:10) - DMT elves (38:52) - Humility (55:45) - Jordan Peterson and religion (1:05:23) - Ben Shapiro: facts don't care about your feelings (1:19:23) - Why Ayn Rand is controversial (1:41:01) - Selfishness (1:44:43) - Communism and fascism (2:11:42) - Authoritarianism (2:20:02) - Bitcoin (2:46:13) - Anarchy debate (3:44:08) - Dangers of communism (3:49:47) - Favorite character in Ayn Rand s Atlas Shrugged (3:58:25) - Advice for young people (4:15:24) - Does love require sacrifice? (4:23:12) - Back to the island
The podcast host mentions the quality of the brisket and admits to drinking too much whiskey. He then introduces Ground News as an apolitical news website.
The speaker discusses finding the beauty in both JavaScript and PHP, and recommends checking out Cal Newport's podcast for productivity advice and coffee recommendations.
Rational people with shared goals could easily survive and thrive on a deserted island, even in the face of bad people and ideas. As long as there is space to separate and deal with bad individuals, cooperation and intelligence are key to survival.
The inability of some individuals to communicate with the mystical world, and others using pseudo explanations to control and manipulate people, can lead to devastating consequences. It is crucial to have the right ideas, not exclusive to certain individuals, to prevent them from exerting their power over us, and avoiding the wrong ideas that mislead us.
This segment critiques the idea that evolution favors not being in touch with reality as being completely wrong and anti-life, anti-mind, and anti-evolution. The argument made is that what we perceive is very far from actual physical reality.
The dichotomy between fitness and reality in evolutionary biology is a misguided linguistic wordplay that does not accurately represent the underlying abstractions of biology, which are ultimately grounded in quantum mechanics.
This podcast discusses how drugs can change perception, and how they can affect our ability to see things that have always been there.
The existence of "machine elves" or other creatures that can only be seen with psychedelics does not contradict the idea that they have always been there and our current resolution is not fine enough to observe them without the use of psychedelics.
The virtue of humility is crucial in academia and life to avoid developing a know-it-all mentality and to appreciate the genius and success achieved by individuals and as a culture. While pride is also important, one should not think too much of oneself just because of their intellect or achievements.
The speaker discusses how job satisfaction is not always directly related to pay, and how cultural upbringing can contribute to expectations around success and self-worth in a career.
The more you know, the more aware you are of the areas you don't know, making it easier to learn from others. Embracing humility and recognizing your own limitations can be essential in personal and professional growth.
This podcast discusses the dangers of telling others how to live their life without humility.
As we expand our knowledge and understanding of the world, the need for a "god bucket" to explain the unknown becomes less necessary. However, there may still be value in common myths and religion as a way to unify and connect people.
The inspirational stories of people, who embody concepts such as persistence, achievement and success, can offer hope and motivate those who may be struggling with depression, anxiety or unemployment to believe in the possibility of happiness and accomplishment.
The key to aligning your emotions with your reason involves ensuring that your emotions are based on explicit knowledge, rather than on implicit beliefs that may not reflect your current values or opinions.
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the rationality behind being afraid of dogs and how psychology can help individuals overcome their fear and align their emotions with their thoughts.
Emotions fundamentally integrate into trying to understand the world and connect oneself to reality, based on analyzing conversations with other people and observing their perspectives. Whether it's sensing their emotions or experiencing one's own, emotions play a role in understanding reality.
The speaker explains how an abusive boss or negative work environment can trigger childhood emotions and lead to radical behavior in the workplace.
The podcast discusses Ayn Rand's Objectivism philosophy, and how it critiques altruism, socialism, and other beliefs, but provides no alternative.
A discussion on Objectivism and Ayn Rand's ideas and how they can be made prevalent in the culture to deprogram people and change their minds about it. Also, the wrong reasons why people are drawn to her and being respectful to someone's wishes.
The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are two of Ayn Rand's most popular novels with different messages that cater to different age groups. For the younger and intellectually talented readers, Fountainhead carries a message of being a societal pariah, whereas Atlas Shrugged is more fitting to those who have made sacrifices in the workplace and seek to live a moral life with integrity.
Instead of mimicking Ayn Rand's language and style, young people who want to argue for objectivism and Rand's views should articulate their own ideas in a way that demonstrates understanding; otherwise, the portrayal of Rand as a caricature reinforces off-putting stereotypes.
The speaker discusses a conversation that he had with Libertarians where he compared treating a member of the Nazi party with indifference to treating a Communist with indifference, highlighting the problematic response of Libertarians to the former.
The speaker argues that the essence of evil is evasion and ignoring the facts of reality, and that if Ayn Rand's ideological opponent remained a leftist to an extreme extent, she would be considered immoral due to her dishonesty.
The speaker argues that communism is evil because it goes against reality, human nature, and individualism. He also notes that mass murder and killing are not new to communism and that Marx's ultimate goal is to return to a Garden of Eden-like state.
The conversation touches on the appeal of religion, the separation of morality from religion, and the implementation of ideas. The speaker also expresses frustration with discussions about wrong ideas rather than positive ones.
The speaker believes that while Nazism may no longer be a prevalent threat, fascism still looms and poses a great danger due to a lack of understanding about its nature. He argues that the "cliches of Nazism" are largely rejected even by some on the far right in America.
In this episode, the conversation delves into the philosophies behind fascism and the nature of reality, including Kant's ideas of the phenomenal and the nominal world, and Schopenhauer's concept of the universe as will.
The danger of group morality is that somebody is going to dominate that committee and rule over it, because the individual doesn’t matter. As long as the standard of morality is the group, others, the standard of value is what other people want, what other people think, we will always drift towards some form of authoritarianism.
The ability to access knowledge has the power to challenge authority and diminish power structures. In the past, limited access to information led to periods of time when all of human knowledge disappeared.
The podcast speaker discusses the use of Bitcoin as an alternative to traditional currency, as a result of inflation and possible future currency devaluation.
This podcast episode talks about the financial crisis and how it wasn't really a bailout, as every bank received money, regardless of having problems or not. The discussion focuses on how centralizing power played a crucial role in the crisis.
The speaker believes that currently, cryptocurrency is unable to function as money. Furthermore, gold has a unique value beyond its use as a currency, which is linked to the human attraction to shiny things.
The value of gold is not necessarily based on its physical properties, but on its historical and cultural significance. With technology advancing, the production of gold is becoming cheaper, potentially affecting its value.
The government's ability to regulate and potentially crush cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin is a fear for some, including the speaker who acknowledges the potential for Bitcoin exchange to be done without government surveillance but anticipates intervention to prevent such activity.
The guest argues that the idea of attaining liberty and freedom without government is flawed and undermines the efforts towards achieving it. They believe that the only way to achieve a better world is through a well-functioning government that is not driven by greed.
Michael Malice discusses the pros of anarchism and the faults of government. He and the guest debate on whether anarchism ultimately leads to authoritarianism or if government systems are inherently anti-freedom.
Anarchism is often criticized for advocating legalized violence. However, the reality is that violence is inherent in any system of governance, including those with a government, and resolving disputes ultimately requires the use of force. This also means that the possibility of creating a government-free society is not impossible, nor does it necessarily lead to more violence.
In this excerpt, the speaker discusses the accountability that governments have in their use of power, and why anarchism is not necessarily the solution to achieving collective goals.
The system of laws that govern our relationship with stores and the protection of property rights.
The existence of competing legal systems with differing views and enforcement mechanisms can lead to conflicts and challenges. In theory, competing legal systems can work on new issues with some competition, but it can also lead to differences in opinion and interpretation.
The percentage of people killed in war in historical eras were higher than in World War I and II, and these periods were filled with much more violence and less freedom compared to today's society, making the current state preferable.
In this podcast, the speaker discusses a judge's view on ideology in their work as in some cases, it may be necessary. They also talk about the implications when big money and power become involved in the security business and how politicians may see this as an opportunity to gain power over people.
Law plays a crucial role in transactions, providing a certain level of protection and incentive for individuals and organizations to engage in these agreements. Whether it is enforced by private agencies or by the government, law is vital for the functioning of markets and economies.
The clarity and definition of property rights are crucial for a functioning society, as it allows for good behavior and relationships. Failure to do so can lead to violence and warfare.
In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the concept of resolving conflicts through non-violent arm wrestling, and how disliking someone's ideology or philosophy does not mean dismissing everything they say.
In this podcast episode, the speaker argues that the idea that Ayn Rand was, "against government" or an anarchist is an arbitrary statement. The speaker believes that Ayn Rand recognized the role of government in human society and the need for laws in order to be free.
In this podcast, the speakers discuss the importance of a government that respects individual rights and allows citizens to live their lives as they see fit. They touch upon the idea that as long as people are not hurting each other, there can be room for different rules and innovation even in the area of law enforcement.
The podcast episode talks about the ignorance of people in the West about the horrors of Stalinism and communism, and also how many people were complicit in hiding the truth. It also discusses how this lack of knowledge has persisted to this day.
The portrayal of soulless female characters is often more chilling and effective than male characters. The speaker draws comparisons between characters in literature and real-life individuals.
The podcast hosts discuss the characterization in Rand's novels, praising the way she portrays her characters as individuals with depth and complexity, and admiring her ability to capture moments of beauty in her writing.
The speaker reflects on what drives people to leave the world a better place and emphasizes the importance of living a fulfilling life.
In this podcast, the speaker discusses their admiration for Elon Musk and how he represents someone who lives unapologetically to their potential, compared to the many who compromise their integrity in subtle ways.
The guest encourages young people to work hard and take advantage of opportunities, and emphasizes that one does not need to be a CEO to live a great life with integrity.
In this transcript snippet, the speaker explains how using humor can be an effective way to connect with people and deliver the truth directly to them.
Jordan Peterson advises people to figure out the kind of life they want to live, the people they want to be with, and the kind of relationship they desire to have in order to take control of their own lives and create the necessary moral character for success.
Lex Fridman and guest discuss the balance between pursuing one's passions and maintaining fulfilling relationships, including advice on how to manage time when raising a family.
The speaker discusses how making decisions based on love is different from sacrifice, and when it comes to choosing between staying with the kids or going to the movies, love should be the guiding factor. The speaker also talks about the different meanings of the word sacrifice, which can lead to confusion in certain contexts.
In this podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes the importance of self-love and valuing oneself in building a healthy and equal relationship with others. They also mention that self-deprecating humor can undermine one's worth and cause their loved ones to love them less.
The host expresses his admiration for Austin's people and Yaron Brook's new articulated way of bringing value to the old school objectivism, stating that Yaron is offering a fresh perspective on objectivism, avoiding just repeating Rand's arguments.
The shared background between two people can often create a bond that allows for better understanding, even without explicit conversation, while maintaining an equal partnership is key to successful collaborations.