My guest is Man O Podcast veteran Joseph Wells. Joseph is a writer & podcaster focused on self-improvement, systems, and societal issues. He’s also fast-becoming the McMahon to my Carson. Or rather the Kimmel to my Carolla.
Joseph recently interviewed Peter Boghossian, who is best known for his involvement in the Grievance studies affair. Boghossian and co-authors, James Linsdsay & Helen Pluckrose, attempted to demonstrate the lack of scholarship in much of academia by publishing a bogus study. But their plan backfired.
Since the study’s authors claimed to have inspected 10,000 dog genitals to show the prevalence of doggy-rape in dog parks, Boghossian was ultimately fired for “fabricating data.” Joseph & I discuss Boghossian’s grievances and new book: How to Have Impossible Conversations.
Joseph also tests my intellectual humility. We share thoughts on liberals vs. conservatives, how to change someone’s mind, and get into Jonathan Haidt’s book: The Coddling of the American Mind.
As a thought exercise, I recommend reading Joseph Wells’ recent essay on Compulsory National Service, then decide whether you agree/disagree. Let me know your conclusion and I’ll send you a postcard.
Other topics discussed:
- Universities engaging in activism rather than scholarship
- Liberal biases
- What’s going on in the Universities?
- Lack of balance in right vs. left
- The Boomer Generation
- People being very confident in their opinions
- Best way to change somebody’s mind
- “The Unread Library Effect”
- Electoral college vs. popular vote
- Highly emotional people
- 2nd & 3rd order effects
- Marriage as a weapon against inequality
- Minimum wage debate
- Opinions based on facts vs. emotions
- Togetherness with family during a pandemic
- Generation Z is most depressed generation ever recorded
- Learning social behavior through unsupervised play
- People not being comfortable with their thoughts
- Resolving conflict on your own
- America’s Most Wanted
- Childhood experiences for 90s kids
- Feminization of America
- Bullying in schools
- Womens’ covert communication
- Ozark & Breaking Bad
Questions Asked:
- Do you have an opinion as to why people seem so confident in their opinions nowadays?
- Do you remember Jonathan Haidt’s TED Talk from 2013?
- Why do we have a minimum wage?
- What does a “living wage” even mean?
- Remember how much trouble Charles Murray got into for publishing studies on IQ in the 90s?
- Does compulsory national service violate the 13th amendment?
- If you had never heard someone strongly and forcefully give you that opinion … that compulsory service was bullshit … would you be able to wrestle with that opinion and not get emotional?
- Have you heard General Stanley McChrsytal’s argument on this [compulsory national service]?
- What is the difference between “legally mandatory” and “socially obligatory?”
Fun Questions:
- If you were gifted free use of a private jet for two vacations, and you could take those vacations at anytime . . . but you can’t leave them to your heirs . . . so you can do this at any age, when would you take those trips?
- If you had to double your income by the year 2023, how would you do it?
- Who do you think Joe Biden will choose as his VP?
- What is a podcast that you’ve discovered in the last 6 months that you are enjoying?
- How many books are you reading right now?
Listen here:
Books Mentioned:
- The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt
- How to Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Boghossian
- The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
- The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C. S. Lewis
