Episode

#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
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1:05:57
Published: Thu Nov 14 2019
Description

Paul Bloom is an author and a Professor of Psychology at Yale. Why is suffering a cause of pleasure for some people? What do BDSM, being robbed, extreme sports and meditation have in common? How does pleasure work? Why is empathy bad and what is the case for rational compassion? Why do we love people who have died? One of my favourite conversations this year, do not miss this. Extra Stuff: Follow Professor Bloom on Twitter - https://twitter.com/paulbloomatyale Buy Against Empathy - https://amzn.to/32G5SD3 Buy How Pleasure Works - https://amzn.to/2CHRteQ Starting Therapy Video - https://youtu.be/jK-mw8rXziY Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Chapters
In this episode, the host discusses with Professor Paul Bloom why empathy is not always good and the benefits of rational compassion.
00:00 - 02:20 (02:20)
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Psychology
Summary

In this episode, the host discusses with Professor Paul Bloom why empathy is not always good and the benefits of rational compassion. They also talk about how pleasure works and why we like what we like.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
Exploring empathy beyond just kindness and goodness, examining how it plays a crucial role in day-to-day professions such as firefighters, nurses, doctors, and ER workers.
02:21 - 09:37 (07:16)
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Empathy
Summary

Exploring empathy beyond just kindness and goodness, examining how it plays a crucial role in day-to-day professions such as firefighters, nurses, doctors, and ER workers. Challenging the common notion of what it means to be truly empathetic, and highlighting how it can be overlooked or taken for granted.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
The speaker explains how empathy can sometimes hinder moral decision-making and suggests ways to practice a less biased version of empathy.
09:39 - 14:38 (04:58)
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Empathy
Summary

The speaker explains how empathy can sometimes hinder moral decision-making and suggests ways to practice a less biased version of empathy.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
In an apocalyptic world where a person is left alone, self-empathy may not exist, but a person can find empathy in characters of books or stories, even if they are bad characters.
14:38 - 19:33 (04:54)
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Self-Empathy, Apocalyptic World
Summary

In an apocalyptic world where a person is left alone, self-empathy may not exist, but a person can find empathy in characters of books or stories, even if they are bad characters.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
Empathy and compassion are not the same thing, as they run on different brain circuitry, are connected to hormones in different ways, and have different effects on our behavior.
19:33 - 24:39 (05:06)
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Empathy
Summary

Empathy and compassion are not the same thing, as they run on different brain circuitry, are connected to hormones in different ways, and have different effects on our behavior.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
Our moral instincts to punish or reward based on us versus them thinking may not always be trustworthy, as they are based on psychological and brain processes that need reflection.
24:39 - 31:29 (06:50)
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Moral Instincts
Summary

Our moral instincts to punish or reward based on us versus them thinking may not always be trustworthy, as they are based on psychological and brain processes that need reflection. The suggestion that racism might be natural is inflammatory and may lead to a slope of bigotry.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
The discussion around pushing people to have consensual sex and the taboo of non-consensual sex is a recent development compared to human evolutionary history.
31:29 - 38:20 (06:50)
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Evolutionary History
Summary

The discussion around pushing people to have consensual sex and the taboo of non-consensual sex is a recent development compared to human evolutionary history. Although the world may have its problems, the last 30 years have seen significant progress and a better understanding of human nature and behavior.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
A discussion on the implications of evolutionary psychology in religion and the importance of compassion in spirituality is explored, referencing the movie Interstellar and the writings of a speaker in London.
38:20 - 42:57 (04:37)
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Religion, Evolutionary Psychology, Spirituality
Summary

A discussion on the implications of evolutionary psychology in religion and the importance of compassion in spirituality is explored, referencing the movie Interstellar and the writings of a speaker in London.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
This podcast episode discusses the prevalence of internal conversations with oneself, and how sometimes the mundanity of comfortable living can lead to an existential crisis.
42:57 - 48:11 (05:13)
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Psychology
Summary

This podcast episode discusses the prevalence of internal conversations with oneself, and how sometimes the mundanity of comfortable living can lead to an existential crisis.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
This podcast episode discusses the concept of power endurance workouts and how they push athletes to their physical limits.
48:11 - 53:58 (05:46)
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Fitness
Summary

This podcast episode discusses the concept of power endurance workouts and how they push athletes to their physical limits. The host also touches on the idea of using physical discomfort as a form of stress relief and meditation.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
The popularity of podcasts has increased due to the open battleground it provides for discussing ideas without immediate feedback from biased audiences.
54:00 - 1:05:04 (11:03)
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Podcasts
Summary

The popularity of podcasts has increased due to the open battleground it provides for discussing ideas without immediate feedback from biased audiences. Additionally, people enjoy hearing others talk about interesting ideas, even if it goes against the norm.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom
Professor Paul Bloom wraps up the discussion with the host, expressing his eagerness to return for future discussions regarding his next book.
1:05:04 - 1:05:43 (00:39)
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Paul Bloom
Summary

Professor Paul Bloom wraps up the discussion with the host, expressing his eagerness to return for future discussions regarding his next book.

Episode
#120 - Professor Paul Bloom - What Do BDSM & Meditation Have In Common?
Podcast
Modern Wisdom