Curious Apes

Human Summary: Narcissism researcher Keith Campbell joins me for a very candid discussion on narcissism and the latest findings on the subject. We also explore its connections with anti-fragility and the ways in which technology and academia are failing us. AI Summary: The conversation explores the topic of narcissism, discussing its definition, different forms, causes, and cultural influences. The guest, Keith, explains that narcissism can be understood as a personality trait or a clinical disorder. He distinguishes between grandiose narcissism, characterized by self-centeredness and a need for admiration, and vulnerable narcissism, which combines a sense of entitlement with insecurity. Keith suggests that genetics and early experiences, such as trauma, can contribute to the development of narcissistic traits. The conversation also touches on the cultural factors that may promote or discourage narcissism, including social media and societal values. The conversation explores the concept of communal narcissism and its distinction from grandiose narcissism. It delves into the idea that communal narcissism is more insidious and indirect in its expression, often shaming or ostracizing others. The discussion also touches on the limitations of studying narcissism in niche samples and the challenges of capturing cultural nuances. The conversation then transitions to the topic of the great fantasy migration, which suggests that high narcissism and low trust in the real world are driving people to seek validation and meaning in virtual spaces. The collapse of trusted institutions and the lack of clear societal standards contribute to this phenomenon. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the importance of cultivating meaning and resilience in youth to navigate the complexities of the modern world. In this conversation, Keith and Steven discuss the challenges of raising children in a risk-averse society and the potential connection between exposure to risk and narcissism. They also explore the collapse of institutions and the rise of individualism in the digital age. Keith expresses concern about the impact of technology on young people and suggests that building one's own reality through entrepreneurship and risk-taking may be a path forward. They emphasize the importance of engaging with the world and learning from failure. ** Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week my guest is Jean Twenge, a renowned psychologist, professor, and author who has been one of the world’s leading researchers investigating generational differences and the impacts of technology. This includes her books The Narcissism Epidemic, Generation Me, and my personal favorite iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. In this episode we explore Jean’s wonderful collection of work through the lens of her newest book, Generations, where we investigate how Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z have been shaped by technology and the implications this holds for the future. This takes us on a tour of discussions around the animosity between generations, mental health, personality traits like narcissism, regulations for social media platforms, and more. Follow her at ⁠twitter.com/jean_twenge⁠ ** Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, who has authored several of my personal favorite books including the Happiness Hypothesis, The Righteous Mind, and the Coddling of the American Mind. We're lucky enough to have Jon join us to discuss his just released Atlantic article entitled, '⁠Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid⁠,' which explores his upcoming book about social media. In this episode we discuss the key points of this article, exploring what dynamics shifted in American life as a result of social media and the resulting impacts on our children’s mental health, on our politics, and on the fabric of society itself.  Visit ⁠TheCoddling.com⁠ or⁠ LetGrow.org⁠ for more information on raising and mentoring Gen-Z kids to be less anxious and depressed. And if you wish to learn more about viewpoint diversity in academia, visit ⁠Heterodoxacademy.org⁠ ** Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is Stanford neuroscientist, Robert Sapolsky. You may know Dr. Sapolsky from his incredible 25-part lecture series on Youtube, his triumphant book, Behave, or his guest appearances on the Joe Rogan and Huberman Lab podcasts. And if you know him from any of these things, you may also know that Sapolsky isn’t a big fan of free will. In fact, he wrote an entire book about it, Determined. And it is this very book we will explore in this episode, in no small part because understanding how we make choices will drastically alter how we shape our future societies. ** Hosted by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** Today we have one of my favorite comedians, Duncan Trussell, who many of you might recognize from his frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, on Drunk History, or his latest Netflix show, The Midnight Gospel. He also has his own podcast, the ⁠Duncan Trussell Family Hour⁠, which provides a steady stream of humor and thought-provoking conversation. On this episode, we take a wide exploration of humanity's relationship with technology and how it's impacting our behavior.  **  Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guests are evolutionary biologists, Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying, who many of you might recognize from their frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, or from their very own show, the⁠ Darkhorse Podcast⁠, where they explore current affairs through an evolutionary lens. They’ve recently released a brand new book, ⁠A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life⁠, where they combine their decades of expertise into a comprehensive overview of the many lessons evolution can teach us, including concepts like the precautionary principle, Sucker’s Folly, Chesterton's Fence, and more. This was a wonderfully expansive conversation exploring many of the ways in which technology and capitalism is being driven by our ancient genetic wiring. This includes exploring the impacts of social media, of technological infrastructure, of capitalism and its incentives, the biological influences of complacency due to technological comfort, and far much more than I can even begin to summarize here. ** Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist currently working as the Chief of Addiction Medicine at Stanford’s Dual Diagnosis clinic. She was recently interviewed for the Social Dilemma, the amazing Netflix documentary exploring the dangers of social media.  On this episode, we really dive deep into the heart of addiction--how it starts, how it controls our behavior, and how to escape its magnetic pull. But more specifically, we explore the role of social media and smartphones, and how these tools are hijacking our evolutionary drive for novelty, pleasure, exploration, and connection with other human beings. Her latest book, ⁠Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence⁠, just released last week. ** Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** Today we are joined by actor, comedian, and musician, Reggie Watts, who many of you might recognize from the Late Late Show with James Corden, where he leads the house band, or from one of his many amazing performances, including TedTalks and music videos that have garnered tens of millions of views. In this episode, Reggie and I talk about creating content with technology, the failures of the digital advertising model, how to escape the attention economy, the benefits of basic income, and how to bring out the best in people when their needs aren’t being met. One great example of challenging the current advertising and creator model is Reggie's very own app, WattsApp, which you can find on ⁠Apple⁠ & on ⁠Android ⁠phones. ** Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is businessman and entrepreneur, Jim Rutt, who you may know as the former chairman of the Sante Fe Institute or from his own podcast, The Jim Rutt show. Jim is also arguably the founding spearhead for a movement known as “Game B,” which we’ll discuss much more deeply in the episode but which could quickly be described here as an alternative to the destabilizing, exploitative, and zero-sum approach to society we currently have. Beyond detailing the specifics of Game B, this episode also explores Jim’s thoughts on technology, including online communities, social media moderation, digital IDs, and the ways in which Game B principles can be utilized to improve technology. Jim’s article on Game B: ⁠https://medium.com/@memetic007/a-journey-to-gameb-4fb13772bcf3⁠ Join the game B movement: ⁠https://www.game-b.org/⁠ Listen to Jim’s podcast: ⁠https://www.jimruttshow.com/⁠ ** Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ - ⁠LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is cognitive scientist, Scott Barry Kaufman, who has an impressive resume that includes teaching at NYU and Columbia, writing for Scientific American, hosting a podcast on psychology that is so definitive it’s actually called The Psychology Podcast, and is the author of several books including his latest, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. In this episode we take a very psychology-centric approach to technology, looking very specifically at how we can navigate the negative aspects of technology that threaten our ability to be ourselves and to be happy. Follow Scott at ⁠Twitter.com/sbkaufman⁠ or look into more of his work at ⁠scottbarrykaufman.com⁠ ** Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week we have Douglas Rushkoff, a no-bullshit media theorist who is undeniably one of the most influential thinkers who has been steering digital culture. We touch on many topics in this episode, but without a doubt the biggest focus throughout is how capitalism and digital culture are negatively impacting the ways in which we interact with one another and how we build our communities. We also briefly touch on topics like basic income, NFTs, cryptocurrency, and climate change. Find Douglas' wonderful podcast at ⁠www.teamhuman.fm⁠  ** Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week we sit down with cognitive psychologist and long-time professor at UC Irvine, Donald Hoffman. Hoffman has a long history working with some of the greatest minds in the history of humanity, including Francis Crick who was part of the team that discovered the double helix of DNA. His own endeavors are no less revolutionary, as he's currently spearheading a new theory that argues humans evolved a perception of reality that looks drastically different from the true appearance of objective reality. It seems a hard argument to make, but once you hear his ideas you'll understand how insightful and profound his work is. In addition to an in-depth exploration of this theory, we also discuss the evolutionary impacts of online dating, the future of artificial intelligence, and a whole bunch more. ** Hosted:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is William Von Hippel, a social psychologist who teaches at the University of Queensland in Australia, and author of the 2018 novel, the ⁠Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy⁠. We explore how the challenges of our evolutionary past shaped many of the most fundamental aspects of our behavior in the modern day, traversing a journey from several million years ago to the present day. Along the way we touch heavily on many topics, including, but certainly not limited to, our evolutionary mismatch with the modern environment, why humans innovate the way we do, and different leadership styles that are rooted in evolutionary responses to hierarchy. ** Host: ⁠Steven Parton⁠ // Music by: Amine el Filali --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is Meghan O'Gieblyn, who has written regularly for entities such as Wired, The New York Times, and The Guardian, in addition to authoring books such as Interior States and her latest book: God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning. Interestingly, much of Meghan’s work pulls on her experience losing her faith in religion while simultaneously being drawn into transhumanism from reading the Age of Spiritual Machines by Singularity’s very own Ray Kurzweil. This exploration of Meghan's background and her latest book takes us on a journey through the ways in which technology and spirituality have historically woven together, the current ways in which they are conflicting, and the future philosophical questions we’re going to be forced to reconcile. For those of you interested in this subject, I highly recommend going and listening to episode 52 with Micah Redding, which lays a lot of the foundation that we build on her in this episode.  Find out more about Meghan through her website ⁠meghanogieblyn.com⁠, or find her book on ⁠Amazon⁠. **  Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ -⁠ LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ Music by: Amine el Filali --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠** This week my guest is professor of neuroscience at University College London, Karl Friston. Viewed by many as one of the world’s most influential neuroscientists, Friston rose to prominence when he pioneered one of the key techniques that allows neuroscientists to analyze brain activity. And as if that wasn’t enough, he has since developed the Free Energy Principle, which some see as monumental to the field as Darwin’s theory of evolution was for biology and genetics.  It’s this work on the Free Energy principle that will be the bulk of our conversation in this episode, and I warn you that this is probably one of the most intellectually challenging conversations we’ve had on the show. To help you navigate this, I want to offer just a quick overview that may aid in understanding the ideas. In essence, Friston’s work roughly states that entities that exist must track information from the world around them, create an internal model of that information, and then use that model to navigate the world in a way that reduces the difference (the error) between what was actually experienced and what one’s model predicted.  While this concept may seem simple on the surface, the actual science behind it is detailed, complex, and holds immense influence for how we develop artificial intelligence. Learn more about Friston and his work at ⁠fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/~karl/⁠ ** Host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: Amine el Filali --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with Singularity ** Chris Ryan is well known for exploring the evolution of human society and behavior through his books, Sex at Dawn and Civilized to Death.  In this episode, we take a candid tour through the many misconceptions and misunderstandings of early hunter-gatherer lifestyles and how an alternative view could benefit us in modernity. This includes topics such as cooperation vs competition, resource control, capitalism, mental health issues, the current ways technologies like energy production and social media alter our lifestyles, and much more. Find out more about Chris at ⁠⁠chrisryanphd.com⁠⁠ or follow him at ⁠⁠twitter.com/ThatChrisRyan⁠⁠ ** Hosted:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Steven Parton⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ /⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

Lasana is an associate professor of experimental psychology at the University College London where he runs the boundaries of social cognition lab. In addition to exploring the content of his 2017 book, Invisible Mind: Flexible Social Cognition and Dehumanization, we also explore how these concepts are in play in modern society, especially as it relates to the culture wars and societal issues.  ** Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

Pixel describes herself as "a reformed childhood spy, ex ballet dancer, Neopets millionare and forensic psychology degree holder" who makes "average opinionated political/current event/educational content."  In this episode, we dive into Pixel's opinions are and what it's like to be one of the small percentage of people in the world who make their living on Twitch (and even more remarkable, does it by having difficult conversations!).  ** Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

Today my guest is Vaush, a self-described left-wing Youtuber known for his advocacy for libertarian market socialism and debates with other YouTubers. Our discussion centers heavily around 3 keys topics: the culture wars, our current political discourse, and capitalism--its failures, its strengths, and its alternatives (eg: anarcho-syndicalism).  Vaush has an incredibly popular Youtube that can be found at youtube.com/c/Vaush, and he can be found on twitter at twitter.com/VaushV ** Watch this conversation on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn5TDacKCXY ** Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message

I recently wrote an essay exploring "How Ideological Extremists Are Undermining Their Own Goals" and I thought for this episode I would try something a little different, exploring this essay as a solo podcast.  The main focus of that essay (and therefore this episode) is dedicated to showcasing how the hostility of the "us" vs "them" dynamic that is currently dominating the culture wars, both in the streets and online, is neurobiologically counter-productive. I explore how the stress, fear, anxiety, and sense of social rejection brought about by this approach actually makes people incapable of empathizing with, learning about, and being supportive of your movement, and instead increases radicalism in a way that worsens society for everyone.  ** Hosted & Produced by: Steven Parton - Twitter - Instagram --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/curiousapes/message