Episode
#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
1:16:25
Published: Thu Jun 24 2021
Description
Robert Wright is President of the Nonzero Foundation, an author and Visiting Professor of Science and Religion at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Bob's book The Moral Animal has changed my thinking more than pretty much any other over the last few years, so naturally I wanted to bring him on to discuss whether aliens are real and how we can avoid existential risks. For real though, expect to learn the role that evolutionary psychology plays in mindfulness practice, why Bob thinks that aliens are probably enlightened, how global coordination can be improved by everyone meditating, whether we're doomed for civilisational collapse and much more... Sponsors: Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours at https://www.drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get 83% discount & 3 months free from Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MODERNWISDOM (use code MODERNWISDOM) Extra Stuff: Follow Robert on Substack - https://nonzero.substack.com/ Follow Robert on Twitter - https://twitter.com/robertwrighter Buy The Moral Animal - https://amzn.to/2Sco8Vd Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/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
Bob Wright discusses the role that evolutionary psychology plays in mindfulness practice, the possibility of alien enlightenment, global coordination through meditation, and the potential for civilizational collapse.
00:00 - 01:58 (01:58)
Summary
Bob Wright discusses the role that evolutionary psychology plays in mindfulness practice, the possibility of alien enlightenment, global coordination through meditation, and the potential for civilizational collapse.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
The Buddhist meditative practice and prescription for dealing with the human predicament offer a smart response to the problem posed by human nature, which is an obstacle to forming a global community to solve the world's problems.
01:58 - 07:02 (05:03)
Summary
The Buddhist meditative practice and prescription for dealing with the human predicament offer a smart response to the problem posed by human nature, which is an obstacle to forming a global community to solve the world's problems. Mindfulness helps in dealing with anxiety and other problems with being human.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
Sam Harris explains that practicing mindfulness can help individuals become a better citizen by promoting positivity and appreciation for others and the world around them.
07:02 - 14:06 (07:03)
Summary
Sam Harris explains that practicing mindfulness can help individuals become a better citizen by promoting positivity and appreciation for others and the world around them. It does not necessarily require rigorous meditation practice and can be helpful in reducing anxiety and becoming more stable.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
Sam Harris and Lex Fridman discuss the potential of emotional set points acting as a glass ceiling for humanity, hindering us from reaching our full potential, and explore the Fermi Paradox, questioning why haven't we been contacted by aliens.
14:06 - 22:27 (08:21)
Summary
Sam Harris and Lex Fridman discuss the potential of emotional set points acting as a glass ceiling for humanity, hindering us from reaching our full potential, and explore the Fermi Paradox, questioning why haven't we been contacted by aliens.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast explores the possibility of extraterrestrial communication and the lack of conclusive evidence of such communication despite the vast scope of potential worlds.
22:27 - 28:39 (06:11)
Summary
This podcast explores the possibility of extraterrestrial communication and the lack of conclusive evidence of such communication despite the vast scope of potential worlds.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
The host discusses how mindfulness meditation without an understanding of evolutionary psychology and cognitive biases may not provide a complete picture, given his own experience with attention deficit disorder.
28:39 - 37:53 (09:13)
Summary
The host discusses how mindfulness meditation without an understanding of evolutionary psychology and cognitive biases may not provide a complete picture, given his own experience with attention deficit disorder.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
Our desire for affirmation and constant checking of social media metrics can become pathological in the age of social media, leading to a fear of negative judgment from strangers online.
37:53 - 45:02 (07:09)
Summary
Our desire for affirmation and constant checking of social media metrics can become pathological in the age of social media, leading to a fear of negative judgment from strangers online.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
The rules for censorship by companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google seem to be discriminately enforced.
45:02 - 49:43 (04:40)
Summary
The rules for censorship by companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google seem to be discriminately enforced. This creates frustration and a lack of trust for many who use these platforms.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
The pressure to constantly evaluate ourselves and strive for improvement can sometimes hinder our ability to focus and be mindful, making it harder to pursue our goals effectively.
49:43 - 58:38 (08:54)
Summary
The pressure to constantly evaluate ourselves and strive for improvement can sometimes hinder our ability to focus and be mindful, making it harder to pursue our goals effectively.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
The speaker suggests that if you miss your morning meditation session, it's okay to meditate later in the day.
58:37 - 1:03:30 (04:52)
Summary
The speaker suggests that if you miss your morning meditation session, it's okay to meditate later in the day. He explains that there are different things to meditate on and the practice should not be limited to only one time of day.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
The article explores the current state and potential future of Substack and the creator economy, noting the challenges of subscription fatigue and content moderation.
1:03:31 - 1:14:59 (11:28)
Summary
The article explores the current state and potential future of Substack and the creator economy, noting the challenges of subscription fatigue and content moderation. The author highlights successful creators like Jack Butcher and Glenn Greenwald and discusses the departure of Matthew Iglesias from Vox.
Episode#338 - Robert Wright - Psychology, Aliens & Averting The Apocalypse
PodcastModern Wisdom
In this podcast, the host talks about his podcast channels - Bloggingheads.tv and MeaningOfLife.tv, and also mentions his books.
1:14:59 - 1:16:24 (01:24)
Summary
In this podcast, the host talks about his podcast channels - Bloggingheads.tv and MeaningOfLife.tv, and also mentions his books. The podcast ends with two calls to action for Drink LMNT and Surfshark.