The Neuroscience Behind the Culture War – Delia McCabe
I sat down with neuroscience PhD Delia McCabe to explore why our brains are struggling in the modern world and what that means for our kids, our politics, and how we handle the AI revolution. Delia has spent her career digging into the effects of nutrition on mental health—either optimizing cognitive function or sending our brains into disastrous feedback loops. We also discuss biological sex differences, the rise of gender confusion, and the cognitive biases that have deranged our public discourse._____________________________________Read Delia’s Substack: https://deliamccabe.substack.com/Learn more about Delia’s work: https://www.lighterbrighteryou.life/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] What’s wrong with clinical psychology?[7:13] The link between food, behavior, and mental health[19:36] How neuroplasticity actually works[28:24] Thinking burns more energy than physical labor[33:15] Does neuroscience disprove free will?[39:43] Emotions can literally change what we know[45:30] You can’t separate the mind from the body[55:49] Confirmation bias vs “the feeling of knowing”[1:03:20] When is it safe to “trust your gut”?[1:12:27] Why smart people believe dumb ideas[1:18:40] What happens to your brain in your mid-20s?[1:30:14] “Social-emotional learning” and the trauma obsession[1:45:26] The black mirror, the uncanny valley, and narcissism[1:55:33] Male and female brains are objectively different[2:08:05] What’s causing the explosion of gender confusion?[2:21:38] Is feminization destroying our society?[2:38:32] Confronting your ignorance is painful but necessary[2:43:14] How can we heal the gender divide?[2:49:47] How can you change someone’s mind?[3:01:35] Why our psychology leads to big government[3:12:54] The jobs that attract smart psychopaths[3:25:56] Stress, focus, and creativity[3:36:43] Understand the brain, save America_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/caiubV_hqCgMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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3:39:25
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3:39:25
Persuasion VS Manipulation: Why We Don’t Trust Slick-Talkers - Jay Heinrichs
I sat down with Jay Heinrichs, best-selling author of Thank You for Arguing, to explore the lost art of rhetoric and why Americans should relearn these skills. Most of us have forgotten how to persuade one another, and in an algorithmically optimized social media era, we’re increasingly vulnerable to constant manipulation. We dig into how, from Gavin Newsom to Donald Trump, our politicians use rhetorical tactics to greater and lesser effect. The ancient Greeks treated argument as a civic virtue—a tool for building relationships and solving problems. In the modern era, where political tribes talk past each other and rely on logical fallacies, elevating our public discourse is long overdue._____________________________________Learn more about Jay’s work: https://www.jayheinrichs.com/Read Jay’s work on Substack: https://substack.com/@jayheinrichs?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pagePurchase a copy of Jay’s latest book: https://a.co/d/5BV8IEF_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] What is “rhetoric” and why did we forget it?[8:17] The collapse and rebirth of public debate[17:28] Inoculate your kids against manipulation[24:59] Disinterest vs “lived experience” in debate[34:51] Arguing about the past, present, and future[42:51] How to apply these tactics in a job interview[50:01] Why we’re skeptical of slick-talkers[59:52] Can rhetoric help rebuild institutional trust?[1:07:02] Physical closeness, emotion, and human connection[1:17:58] Empathy, sympathy, and manipulative rhetoric[1:22:54] Greta Thunberg’s vs Al Gore’s climate change rhetoric[1:32:01] How to avoid logical fallacies[1:51:59] Why bipartisanship is so elusive today[2:01:31] Empower your kids to speak better_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store:https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LH6kG42n-T8Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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2:05:01
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2:05:01
My Soviet Parents Saw Cancel Culture Coming Before Anyone Else - Katherine Brodsky
I sat down with writer and free speech advocate Katherine Brodsky to explore how fear and conformity have paralyzed honest dialogue in the West. Drawing on her own experience as the target of a cancellation mob for what should have been an uncontroversial statement, she’s been grappling with how our culture can return to sanity and re-embrace free speech as a core value. We reflect on how social media algorithms have distorted public discourse, whether the right is now engaging in the same bad behavior that defined the left over the past decade, and why having hard conversations is a skill we need to practice more as a society._____________________________________Follow Katherine on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/mysteriouskat?s=20Read Katherine’s work on Substack: https://substack.com/@mysteriouskat_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Why Katherine called me out[6:33] How Katherine got cancelled[22:18] Her Soviet parents saw cancel culture coming[28:23] Why can’t we have reasonable conversations anymore?[36:03] Instinct, rationality, and algorithmic manipulation[43:20] Why some people stand up to the mob and others don’t[48:09] Where are the conservatives in academia and the arts?[1:00:06] Searching for truth in the Israel debate[1:09:22] Did the anti-woke backlash go to far?[1:19:07] Does Twitter represent the public’s actual opinions?[1:27:14] We’re still haunted by the atrocities of 2020[1:37:57] How hands-off should the government be?[1:48:54] Bodily autonomy and freedom of speech are non-negotiable[1:56:45] Is Muslim immigration compatible with the West?[2:13:51] Why has the left embraced anti-Americanism?[2:28:42] Free speech is a muscle_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bbncXIGIJaoMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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2:41:39
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2:41:39
Jonathan Haidt: Why Did Our Kids Starts To Go Crazy in 2012?
I sat down with social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt to examine how overprotective parenting and unfettered access to social media have stunted the development of Gen Z. A decades-long obsession with safety has replaced unsupervised outdoor play with online binging—and now we’re faced with a younger generation that’s more anxious, less confident, and robbed of the independence and resilience needed to grow into capable adults. What will it take for America to raise free, competent, and happy children again?_____________________________________Follow Jonathan on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JonHaidt_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Introduction[0:49] The origin of “The Coddling of the American Mind”[2:13] What does it mean to be an adult?[10:22] Why parents should avoid over-scheduling[12:24] Is Gen Z actually that unique?[16:30] Social media’s impact on kids’ mental health[20:09] Looking beyond depression and anxiety[22:15] Do fragile kids become failed adults?[24:12] How can people achieve happiness?[28:38] The bad ideas running our society[29:39] Why is anti-fragility so important?[33:29] Stick-and-stones vs mean words[37:51] What is “locus of control”?[41:00] Should we trust our feelings?[45:20] Measuring childhood success[47:18] Kids’ problems become society’s problems[49:13] Where is America headed if we don’t change course?_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dU-TA0O0lc0Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
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52:08
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52:08
How the Government Hijacked the Internet - Mike Benz
I sat down with Mike Benz, former State Department official and founder of the Foundation for Freedom Online, to uncover how government agencies, intelligence contractors, and Big Tech built the surveillance, propaganda, and censorship machine now reshaping the internet. Mike explains how child protection measures have evolved into weapons against free speech and online privacy, how the CIA influences the tech industry, and why you should still work to protect your personal data—even with so much already online._____________________________________Follow Mike on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/joelkotkinWatch Mike on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@mikebenzcyberofficial?si=x44aaPbJ4wGMExbELearn more about Mike’s organization: https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/_____________________________________Outline:[0:00] Texas app store age verification law[23:05] How the CIA gathers mass biometric data[29:02] What is a “limited hangout”?[34:06] The CIA doesn’t just target the villains[44:54] How surveillance is turned on Americans[55:45] Isn’t your personal data already online?[1:11:36] Larry Ellison’s surveillance “utopia”[1:19:02] The presumption of innocence is gone[1:26:14] Oracle is tied to all sorts of shady stuff[1:42:27] Does technology dehumanize us?[2:01:20] How elite stakeholders shape government[2:15:42] The public needs to know what’s going on_____________________________________Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g1B0YmNHxwQMake a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/ Get full access to Dad Saves America at www.dadsavesamerica.com/subscribe
Proud papa, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and arm-chair philosopher John Papola explores the biggest issues facing our kids, our communities, and our country through the lens of fatherhood. We produce powerful stories, exclusive interviews, mini-documentaries, and deep dives on a weekly basis. Our goal is to build a movement of dads and could-be dads who embrace our heroic calling to raise a new generation ready to thrive in a free society and be champions of civilization. We’ve had all sorts of experts in the studio, including Jonathan Haidt, Dr. Drew, Michael Shellenberger, Bret Weinstein, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Adam Carolla.
www.dadsavesamerica.com
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