Episode
#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
1:18:13
Published: Mon Nov 02 2020
Description
Sheldon Solomon is a social psychologist at Skidmore College and an author. Humans are a unique animal in that we are aware of our own mortality. One day we will die, and we know it. This fact has a huge impact on how we live our lives, perhaps it's the most important fact we know. Expect to learn how Sheldon's experiments have proven that death anxiety is a crucial driver of behaviour, why we can hate somebody for the shape of their nose, how death anxiety causes people to be tribal, what would happen if a child grew up without any human contact and much more... Sponsor: Get a 21 Day Free Trial to a supercharged calendar at https://woven.com/podcast/wisdom (discount automatically applied) Extra Stuff: Buy The Worm At The Core - https://amzn.to/31VQtRn 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
The latest episode explores how death anxiety can affect our behavior, causing us to be more tribal and even leading to prejudice against those with physical differences.
00:00 - 03:30 (03:30)
Summary
The latest episode explores how death anxiety can affect our behavior, causing us to be more tribal and even leading to prejudice against those with physical differences. Sheldon's experiments on this topic are discussed, along with the impact of growing up without human contact.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
Humans experience awe and dread when they realize their mortality, which can be managed by embracing cultural worldviews that reduce death anxiety by giving life meaning and value.
03:30 - 14:12 (10:41)
Summary
Humans experience awe and dread when they realize their mortality, which can be managed by embracing cultural worldviews that reduce death anxiety by giving life meaning and value.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast delves into the connection between death anxiety and prejudice, explaining how reminders of mortality can lead to discriminatory behaviors towards different groups of people.
14:12 - 21:23 (07:11)
Summary
This podcast delves into the connection between death anxiety and prejudice, explaining how reminders of mortality can lead to discriminatory behaviors towards different groups of people.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
Death anxiety can lead to support for right-wing populist movements and behaviors that undermine the preservation of non-renewable resources.
21:23 - 29:55 (08:31)
Summary
Death anxiety can lead to support for right-wing populist movements and behaviors that undermine the preservation of non-renewable resources. Studies before the 2004 election showed that reminding people of death increased their support for President Bush.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
Coming to terms with the reality of death can lead to more positive outcomes.
29:55 - 37:25 (07:30)
Summary
Coming to terms with the reality of death can lead to more positive outcomes. By embracing this lifelong task, we can find a way to the better by taking a closer look at the worst.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This episode explores the idea that consciousness may have evolved in social settings to help us understand the emotions of others and at some point, there was a tipping point where we became explicitly aware of mortality and developed different mythological accounts of the world.
37:25 - 49:41 (12:15)
Summary
This episode explores the idea that consciousness may have evolved in social settings to help us understand the emotions of others and at some point, there was a tipping point where we became explicitly aware of mortality and developed different mythological accounts of the world.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This episode explores the mind-body problem and delves into the role of the mind in our physical selves.
49:41 - 57:55 (08:14)
Summary
This episode explores the mind-body problem and delves into the role of the mind in our physical selves. The speaker explains how viewing ourselves as physical beings with a kind of mindedness can enhance our lives and even make the world a better place.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
This podcast episode discusses how humans have the capabilities to appreciate beauty and be terrified by the fear of death at the same time.
57:55 - 1:06:52 (08:56)
Summary
This podcast episode discusses how humans have the capabilities to appreciate beauty and be terrified by the fear of death at the same time. It also includes a thought experiment where a robot is programmed to keep a human alive without any cultural influences.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The current self-development movement is just a modern version of religious speakers, appealing to people's need to fit into easily defined archetypal roles.
1:06:51 - 1:15:13 (08:21)
Summary
The current self-development movement is just a modern version of religious speakers, appealing to people's need to fit into easily defined archetypal roles. Embracing one's quirks as competitive advantages helps transcend discomfort and thrive.
Episode#240 - Sheldon Solomon - Does The Fear Of Death Drive Everything We Do?
PodcastModern Wisdom
The host shares personal insights, 3 lessons from the internet, previews upcoming episodes on Modern Wisdom and a life hack - all in under 3 minutes.
1:15:13 - 1:18:11 (02:58)
Summary
The host shares personal insights, 3 lessons from the internet, previews upcoming episodes on Modern Wisdom and a life hack - all in under 3 minutes. Additionally, the transcript includes contact information for those interested in obtaining a PDF of the host's book.