I really enjoyed this conversation with Sheldon. Here's the outline: 0:00 - Introduction 5:34 - Role of death in life 22:57 - Jordan Peterson 53:02 - Humans are both selfish and cooperative 56:57 - Civilization collapse 1:10:07 - Meditating on your mortality 1:16:10 - Kierkegaard and Heidegger 1:33:25 - Elon Musk 1:36:56 - Thinking deeply about death 1:45:53 - Religion 1:56:59 - Consciousness 2:03:39 - Why is Ernest Becker not better known 2:07:09 - AI and mortality 2:21:07 - Academia should welcome renegade thinkers 2:36:33 - Book recommendations 2:43:23 - Advice for young people 2:48:17 - Meaning of life
u inspired me to chase my dreams in music, ive been holding off my whole life but my perspective on life has drastically changed this year. Im 19 and I hope to have many years of improvement all around. Thanks for everything Lex, you have no clue how crazy the information you give is for an aspiring technology scientist! (ill tell you its life changing;) )
I love your intro about not being left or right and thinking for yourself. I completely agree with that. Seems like everyone claims to be open minded, but with such strong views, how could you be?
Lex, I would love to discuss my thoughts on a big part of "theory of everything" on a show or something sometime, but sadly I am a poor hermit who doesn't do much but think, so I will explain the big pieces here. If nothing else, I am sure it will entertain the mind for more than a moment. For ascension to happen we need the earth to be full if people.. As we are meant to ascend together or possibly one could ascend alone if they knew what true love means. It should be obvious and easy, but explaining it in words is our only option. I hope I have your curiosity peeked. To understand the basics, there is a video on "the effects if conciousness on water" and "the Love/Hate rice experiment" on youtube. You will find it seems positive/negative outward expressions or even silent heart felt expressions have an effect on all water, people, plants, animals. The earth creates the perfect frequency on its own, and all of our hearts magnetic fields are 100 times stronger than of the human brain. As in the Love/Hate rice experiment, the rice with negative energy decays faster than the one with positive energy. You can notice easily under a microscope, the structures difference under the effects of positive and negative. We are living, so we regenerate easily, but that rate could be sped up, or slowed down, simply by positive/negative thoughts being what a magnetic field would be to trillions of xenobots performing commands.. Except it would be our own bodies natural functions, propelled by the intense magnification of selfless love for mankind. This my friend is the theory of everything as far as we are to understand. Tesla claimed if we removed man made wireless frequencies we would get rid of nearly all diseases. That statement and your work helped lead me to my understandings. If the frequencies pass through grounded cables that is fine. Later finding the internet version of the cloud Is only a replication of the original design of our bodies. Just as a computer collects data so do we. No one is tuned correctly, so it is impossible for us to use our senses correctly. We are to be as *one* in meaning we are to only benefit each other as we benefit ourselves. Feeding ourselves, nurturing our wounds, making sure everything is ok. We should do this for everyone. Not letting anyone suffer, and if they are we come together and stop the suffering, because it is part of our suffering, for who in a state of suffering is exuding positive/helpful energies. Any constant man made wireless frequencies, and negative energies or selfish actions and motives are holding us back. We can only convert to a positive or negative.. That is it.. The world is very far from ascension in my belief.. So they are accepting a augmented ascension instead of the original. Just as the robots we create live and will never ascend for they cannot regenerate.. Of course they can self repair, it is NOT the same thing. My only question is.. If this is provable by doing tests on anything around you, which it is, why doesn't everyone know? Sad but true, my love for science is strumbling drunk before me.. But as I am the way I am.. I do love to learn more so I will be watching your work. You truly are an inspiration to whatever existence this is. I wish you many more years of doing what you love to do. P.s. I would like to apologize for the grammer, I hope it was understandable enough to grasp the concept. Once you do it really is that easy. Much love and blessings to you and your crew.
Fucking brilliant conversation! Ancient Theravadan Buddhist monks were taught a form of death contemplation called "maranasati" when they would spend hours sitting quietly in the charnel grounds watching bodies rot and dissipate.
Lex comes across as putting his own understanding/comprehension of the subject /issue first, the gist of the conversation, with all it's ebbs &flows, sidetracks & counter points are put over showmanship. empty talent or substance -less showmanship gets old & leaves a junk food hangover.
Love how lex can create an environment where true intellectual conversation can happen where the speaker can respectfully disagree without being biased.. this is what civilization should be.
1. The Birth and Death of Meaning - Ernest Becker 2. The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker 3. Escape From Evil - Ernest Becker 4. Escape From Freedom - Erich Fromm 5. The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements - Eric Hoffer 6. The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness - Erich Fromm 7. The Worm at the Core - Solomon, Greenberg, Pyszczynski 8. Toys and Reasons: Stages in the Ritualization of Experience - Erik Erickson 9. The Trauma of Birth - Otto Rank 10. The Divided Self - R.D. Laing I'll add more as I remember them
Its one of the worst things about the internet; convincing kids that we don't need to memorize verbatim. Its great to internalize an idea by memorization, something happens when an idea is 'automatized'
@@Kobe29261that's why i love good quotes, they're quotable. & reading or memorizing or quoting a perfectly turned phrase does something beyond beneath & over what language is "supposed" to be limited to. does the word "hint" hint at more than what it contains....
What a beautiful, profound, and meaningful conversation. With that overall sprinkle of classical and contemporary Philosophy that I adore. Thank you so much Lex, and thank to Prof. Solomon, a sage man who truly lives up his surname.
New adventure posted this morning at 7:15 pst (about 30 min from now) I will be live in the premier chat. Come say "Hi"! th-cam.com/video/rxk4vPCkY1M/w-d-xo.html
I go back to this conversation often. Since its posting, I've read all the books mentioned throughout. Listening now, I realize even more how brilliant Sheldon is. He wasn't being polite or patronizing when complimenting your contributions to this conversation either Lex! This is one of the best and most important episodes you've ever done imho. I hope more people read the background and come back to it. You'll find an even more insightful treasure than your first listening. I hope Sheldon comes back on for a round 2 sometime. Thank you for everything you do Lex.
Such a great combo of people. Both Lex and Sheldon are the perfectly balanced amount of academic in conversation - Neither are too heavy on obscure vocabulary (which I appreciate but can be tiring and also excluding for some people) and both really excellent at summarizing points and observations.
@@nursery_rhymes_songs so, ur impulse was to call out someone u think needs to be taken down a peg, ya?what does that say about you?& what does my comment say about me? the human mind-ego motives & agendas are intricately complicated & layered, yes? i think it is way helpful when i question my own motives/agendas at least as much as i judge up on others. just saying that observing our own minds is educational, & no need for instructors books for this course, then again, tuition is kinda steep, what with it being so life & death & all
@@curtstevenson2285 Beckers theories are based on a load of discredited Freudian mumbo-jumbo. His theories are unfalsifiable. You either agree that everything you do is because you’re terrified of death, in which case Becker is apparently correct. Or you challenge his theory, in which case he would claim that this is proof of your denial, and therefore he is right. I’m sure that if Becker were reading this comment he could claim that it’s just evidence that I’m in denial. This is an intellectually dishonest position to hold. Becker didn’t come up with anything remotely original. Philosophers have been pondering the impact of mortality since ancient times. Becker just took these ancient ideas and retrofitted them to a load of debunked psychoanalytical pseudo-science. The chapters in the Denial of Death which cover mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia are hilariously bad. No serious psychiatrist or psychologist would give his ideas on mental illness even a passing thought. Becker also repeatedly commits the basic fallacy of claiming that eternal oblivion and the subsequent permanent cessation of consciousness is what happens to us when we die and yet also claims that this a horrifying position to be in. He rambles on about how man is “food for worms” and how he “goes in the ground” as if these are negative states to be in, despite the fact that if permanent individual annihilation is what happens when we die then being eaten by worms is completely irrelevant to us. I also find the argument that knowing we will be forgotten in a hundreds years time terrifies us is completely nonsense as well. For most people billions of people don’t know who we are when we are alive, and that doesn’t bother us in the slightest. Why would the fact that billions of people in the future not knowing who we were suddenly be such a problem?
Honestly Lex, this interview resonated so heavily with me. Like Sheldon, I also realized around my 8th year that I would die one day, and that horrifying thought, which left me crying for an hour, nested into me and has guided me till my 32nd year now. The lack of meaningful thought about death is exactly a thing I'm witnessing as well, It is so hard to find conversation partners to look into the abyss with me. Eventhough it is scary at first, it definitely is one of the most energizing motivators in my life. Also, what an incredible conversation this was. Such good chemistry between the two of you. I also love the mutual admiration which grows only stronger during this interview. One of the best things I've seen in a long time.
For the first time in my life I have a witness I can't believe you said what you said about when you realize that we will die and you cried the same thing happened to me it was too much I couldn't even imagine Infinity or me not being here it just was so heavy I carried that for all my life I still do is lifted a little but the mysteriousness of it is undescribable I don't know whether to cry or to laugh or to smile knowing I have a shared friend witness to this eye opening and stomach aching fact helps soothes my soul I can't type anymore I'm in tears thank you
I remember having first meltdown about dying at 16. I was so worried about how I'd take care of myself once I turned 18 and all the things that go with it. My mother and I always had deep conversations as to why we're here,what will happen etc. My grandmother died when I was 33, and it devastated me to the point I thought why get up,go to work, we're just going to die. About 7 mos of terrible emotions and thoughts. To this day if I sit and really think about infinity and I will be gone one day, I cry and freak out. Other times I feel ok. I miss having those convos with my mom. Not many people around me are deep thinkers that way.
It demonstrated Lex's wit and intelligence as well. I do not always agree with his political point of view but he is a wonderful thoughtful interviewer.
Same, I was 8 when my Uncle's partner passed away from HIV and it really was the first time I can remember having to contend with my own mortality. I even distinctly remember being at the funeral thinking that I hope my memory would be wiped just before I die because it was so unfair that we should have to remember all the beautiful moments of our lives before disappearing. I remember thinking that was the most tragic part of all of it. Looking back at 36, I'm honestly baffled by how existentially I was thinking at that age and how much that one event shaped my thinking.
I don't think anyone could doubt listening to your podcasts that you have a great curiosity about life and knowledge. I feel better knowing people like you exist. Thank you
I’ve known about this Sheldon Solomon fellow for years and years, but always assumed he’s too obscure for anyone to know of him. I’m so glad Lex brought him into the spotlight, did not disappoint!
It was fun to hear, but his argument seems to have a critical flaw, as he asserts repeatedly that individuals need groups. In reality, individuals are not dependent on groups. Individuals can, and have, survived in isolation, but choose to be part of functional groups because they can thrive better
@@elliotsmith9930 Just because a few people here and there can thrive in isolation doesn't mean the vast majority of people don't need groups. Most people would go insane from a month of isolation. There's a reason people that fear for their safety in prisons still elect to stay in the group rather than solitary. It's considered the worst of the worst of punishments.
@Amusis Well you can incentivise critical thought - its a hard skill to teach but you can try to instill it / nudge people in that direktion. Socrates would have had something to say about it.
It's also important to note that you can identify as either left or right leaning and still be a person who "thinks for themselves". I really don't think he meant that to be taken literally, as no doubt some people will do. The important thing is to constantly and honestly evaluate and test your own opinions and beliefs, and if you've truly done your homework and still end up on one side well fair enough I guess.
@Amusis Dude you are literally partisan on tons of issues. Or at least I'm guessing that I'm correct that you're not exactly on the fence regarding pedophilia, murder, a right of personal self defense, the right of free speech and so on. So unless you're some opinionless blob going through life and never standing up for what you believe thats an incredibly naive thing to claim.
Amusis Personally I think all people are stupid lol 😂 - for example - Yes there’s a lot of suffering. How is it beneficial though? Who is it beneficial for? Ohhh “future generations” ??? What future generations? You mean the ones that don’t exist? So you are solving problems that don’t exist? Are we causing pain and suffering and death and disease and war for problems that don’t exist? Ohhh I see - “But they WILL exist” you say? Why? We could just spay and neuter the world like a bunch of stray cats and then they wouldn’t exist. Ohhh “But we WANT to have kids” you say? So you are saying that you WANT to cause problems to exist - that don’t exist - just so you can fix these problems and then call yourself a hero? Like a fire man who is also an arsonist??? That’s some plan...
@@Ydigisek I think there are several ways one can take this apart. For one, even if your personal views either align with the left or right camp, its about not becoming part of a tribal group or identifying with a movement but standing for yourself with your own beliefs - even if they should coincide with others. Not mixing your identitity with a cluster of concepts that necessitate who you are and tie you to a rigid structure that one can confide in for psychological refuge and safety. Being a true individualist demands a lot. I also wouldnt bet on it not being meant literally.
@@jong9787 hey thanks I'll do that I wanna be cool.. so i'm gonna learn what Ha is... just cause you said so .... I say ha ha ha when I laugh. it's the sound of a laugh .. but I've been wrong b4 .. haha
One of my favorite parts of reading J.R.R Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" was when the god entity, Eru, told the Elves that a new race was coming and that it would be a race of beings that had his gift. When this new race finally arrived it was revealed that it was the race of man and that this gift was death. This gift gave them a level of detachment from reality and the physical that fostered a fiery passion in their souls. It made me think then about what that meant. I came to this realization that indeed death is a gift of life. It gives us all a full scale of reference from which to derive joy and meaning. Without death all things would be meaningless. All achievements, goals, identities, families, love, and all things that make us human would mean nothing if there where never an end to our lives.
i love his lucid exposition of these compelling ideas - I hope I can remain this articulate at 71 years of age - amazing mind - such a repository of the history of thought on what are crucial issues facing us today
Incredible how he's managed to do it - to hold on to all the key ideas shaping an epoch whilst pursuing one narrow field to its utmost. I almost despair at the endeavor.
I always love that you end the conversation with the meaning of life, and the new two questions about book and advice are a really nice addition. I hope every interview will have those questions! Thx for the amazing content Lex!
1:56:11 he went full woodstock "and i say to the students well what's wrong with that? And they're like 'nothing, that's like awesome' and then I'm like 'yo dudes, you outta the cave but how do you know you're not in another cave?" Great episode! Really like the way Sheldon explains things
I'm currently reading "The Worm at the Core" because of this interview, and the book is just as captivating as Sheldon Solomon himself! Thanks for doing this interview, Lex!
Lex you are going to be a big part of our future. Your open mindedness combined with your intelligent conversations with your guests is brain food for so many people. 🤘
If you get digital ID. Lex well have to just to put this out. I am not doing it. Gd bye platforms. I dont even own a phone. I borrow it, I refuse to pay for something that the government uses. They sell phones with fakebook as a part of the phone. Chips from china. No thanks,
As someone who cries themself to sleep 4 times a week overthinking about death, I'm glad this podcast exists and I hope that by the time I'm done with it I will have some sense of relief. I need some relief from this terror.
I hope you’ve been feeling well! I’ve been in that boat for the last week. The feeling seemingly hit me out of nowhere. I was happy and loving life, then BAM! Existential thoughts, and dread. I know it’s not the healthy or enjoyable way to think about things, but my thoughts are somewhat obsessive. Have you found any remedies since then?
@@landenx hi, I recently found myself an old person living the last chapters of my life. You look young, please don't get anxious with these thoughts at this time of your life. I am trying to deal with it at 69 and it is difficult. I believe in an afterlife, that helps some but the main thing is we just have to acknowledge that it's going to happen and "there's nothing we can do about it". Nothing. I encourage you to live life with gratitude and make your journey one that you can always be at peace with. Sending you love, have a beautiful life.
I think this is the best conversation I've watched on TH-cam and I've watched a lot. Just discovered your channel and love it. Thanks so much for all your content.
This is one of the best podcast episodes I've ever heard. Absolutely blown away. My only criticism is your statement at the beginning about close-minded individuals, telling them to unsubscribe and to not listen. These are exactly the people you should be trying to reach! Open up their minds. Anyway, amazing chat. Perfect interviewer and perfect interviewee.
Your opening is precisely why I listen to you and follow your work. It breaks my heart that your way of being and seeking is so rare.Listening is a lost art and giving someone the benefit of the doubt seems like an old practice from a time gone by.
@@miyamotoyamazaki1760 You don't give Joe enough credit. He is (mostly) capable of shutting up and letting his guest do the talking when necessary. For this, he should probably be very high...
@@FallLineJP pre alien red studio joe probably. Texas joe I disagree. He couldn't even shut up and listen when his favorite doctor dr. Rhona patrick wanted to talk about covid.
Dr. Solomon is a radical academic (intellectually strong, creative, challenging, disruptive, non-conventional) Great conversationalist packed with coherent brilliant ideas...
Sheldon was my adviser when I was a student at Skidmore in 1984. My Senior project as a Psychology Major combined my dance minor with Ernest Becker's Denial of Death. I choreographed a duet called "Romantic Illusion" based a section of Becker's book with the same title. Sheldon was a rock star when I was an undergraduate at Skidmore from 1980-1984. There was always a waiting list for his extremely popular classes!
Yes!! I know ahead of time that this one gonna be a banger, as Sheldon is my favourite popularizer of Ernest Becker's work. Bonus: He's also hilarious.
Idk why people can’t just except that both podcasts exist and both are ran by very capable hosts and both have their flaws and could be better. This is not a competition. Without JRE the chances that this podcast would exist are slim. Be thankful for both.
I remember hearing Sheldon Solomon many years ago on CBC radio. His ideas have stuck with me for a long time. I was very excited to see this interview! Such an interesting person. :D
One of the most balanced conversations I’ve ever had the privilege to watch and listen to. Brilliance and gallantry that helps the world to think and feel.
Rescue me from the mire, Do not let me sink; Deliver me from those who hate me, From the deep waters. Do not let the floodwaters engulf me Or the depths swallow me up Or the pit close its mouth over me. - Psalm 69
Listened twice and yes, If I ever decide to do tatu it will be this long 😊 “Turning away from a flight from death, you see a horizon of opportunity that puts you in state of anticipatory resoluteness with solicitous regard for others that makes your life seem like an adventure perfused with unshakable joy” this is beautiful ❤️
The way Sheldon talks about his first experience reading "Denial of Death" is exactly the same sentiments I had my first time watching "Flight from Death...". I was 22 years old and it completely and utterly changed my world. I obsessed over this concept of death anxiety and in a lot of ways, things that I didn't understand before started clicking into place and making sense in a genuinely satisfying way; which was an incredible departure from my fundamentalist religious background where nothing ever seemed to quite make sense no matter how much I tried to understand and rationalize it. That film not only introduced me to the ideas of Ernest Becker, but it also lead me toward great thinkers like Robert Sapolsky: who was amazing enough to upload, for free, entire classes he'd taught at Stanford; made accessible to people like me who were born into poverty and had little chance of ever being exposed to material like that. It's the gift that keeps on giving LOL
‘“…not left nor right, I think for myself .”’ EXACTLY why I listen to Lex, and his guests. And love Is the answer, if we’d just pause and try an understand, and/or agree to disagree w/people . KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Lex.
Do you do any sort of death meditation? Lama Zopa said that about it being a wasted day...? I saw him speak once in a conference he gave and he is difficult to understand. And then he thundered -- DO NOT GET ANGRY!!! and I try always to remember what a self-destructive emotion that is.
@@daysjours Lama Zopa rules. He is hard to understand when listening to, but you gotta love his demeanor. You can read a lot of his works too. I do meditate on death - the main focus is impermanence and the transitory nature of things. The idea is to experience those things in an honest, visceral way - rather than just contemplating them philosophically. Meditation on death is a very common practice in Mahayana Buddhism, as I'm sure it is in every branch of Buddhism, so you can research a lot on it.
@@carrito1981 Have you seen Lama Zopa recently on his TH-cam channel? His alter has lots of Teddy Bears and stuffed toys, some wearing Covid masks. Very cute. I wish his English were better :-( I also wish I knew a formal Buddhist death meditation. I know what you mean that it must not be philosophical. The Buddhist formal meditations I find more cerebral than not oddly enough.
I've known about Dr. Solomon for years now. Stumbling onto his work has changed my life. I've immediately thought, "the world should know this man." So, it makes my heart so frickin happy to see all of the people who discovered and love him. 🌎
The title seemed a little grim, but this was honestly a thoughtful, educational, and in some ways quite up-lifting conversation. Great job as always Lex.
@Amusis The point is thinking and being "cheered up" are not mutually exclusive, a term you seem to be referring to as some sort of pejorative -and I did not say "cheered up" I said "uplifting"
So great Lex. I vote for more philosophical content although you always intersperse it gently/cleverly into all discussions, I loved every second of this one. Keep up the good work!
In the intro when you said about fanatics "if you see anyone who disagrees with you as delusional, I ask that you please unsubscribe", my already high esteems for you were reaffirmed. There's an integrity to your respect for intellectual debate and discourse, and I think it's one of the many things that draws your listeners to you Lex. Thanks for being authentic and open minded.
I remember fearing death before sleep at age 8, I would intensely focus on my heart beat & have panic attacks knowing that it’s this beating organ that’s keeping me alive and because my heart is feeling like it’s about to explode what if it stops while I’m sleeping & I won’t even know that I’m dead.
I'm personally scared of silence because of that reason you mentioned right there. Worried I'll have a heart attack and that can make a person very impaired in some sense freaks me out just thinking about it 😂
55:08 - the question that Sheldon asks himself is - "What kind of political institutions and economic organisations can we think about to hit that sweet spot?" The answer he gives is another question - "How do we maximise individual autonomy in a way that fosters creativity and innovation, and the self regard that comes from creative expression, while engaging our more cooperative and reciprocal tendencies in order to come up with a system that's potentially stable over time?" Is this a kind of academic cop out/tautology? - What kind of systems? - Systems that are stable over time and do a bunch of good things that celebrate both the individual and their ability to help each other. The fact is at the point of hearing the initial question, and having resonated with his ideas about the redundancies of right and left thinking ( a book which he should definitely write - my view is the world could do with such an investigation) - I was really really hoping for something concrete, instead I got a kind of slippery eel of a response - maybe he's saving it for the book or I'm expecting too much? Liked him though - straight forward and coherent (most of the time) - just wish the interview had focussed more on possible solutions than the apocalyptic collapse predictions. Isn't it time that intellectuals/academics stepped out of the comfort zone of commenting about the way things were and are, and then speculating about how they will be: and started coming up with some antidotes/answers/suggestions for a better way for humanity to proceed.
I wholly agree. I felt like this interview while compelling and insightful was just criticism of a system that certainly has flaws, but what do we do to improve it? Surely it can be improved, studied, etc. I wish Jordan Peterson was in the room, as I agree with his general statements that crony capitalism is terrible; capitalism as system has huge flaws, but compared to what? Which other economic system has lifted more out of poverty globally? I share Jordan's view that people have more attitude, than gratitude for what we inherited. Its fair to criticize and improve but its important to know the history and the sacrifices made that got us here. Its easy to armchair, or Monday morning quarterback. I think those are the correct terms. America is a young country, the West is young relative to human history. I wish the populous would appreciate how "rich" we are (Americans) compared to the rest of the world and come together as Americans. No other identities or sexes, etc., that divide, but just accept our History (Show me an Empire that doesn't have blood on its hands) and collect ourselves and improve. Use the 1st amendment and lets address the issues as best we can. Perfect Utopia shouldn't be the goal but it certainly can be the direction. It takes time, work, and collaboration. We won't prosper with poison from the past that none of us had to do with. The sins of our fathers are not our own.
Lex is someone to look to because he is the type of person we need right now. He also however carries the audacity of someone that had been burned by their own convictions without ever having had to test them.
I cannot put into words how exciting this talk made me.. I just had to say how great this podcast was.. I love delving into mortality and what people really think/feel, but as you said, most won't.. Thank you for having this talk 😊
Lex Fridman's intro brought tears to my eyes. You can mistrust emotions, but I see it as a sign that he is speaking to something deeply human. We can only get to the truth by empathetic listening. Few people think rigorously. Challenge accepted, Lex.
Thank you for introducing me to these wonderful ideas and books. I have added them all to my reading list. Great conversation; please invite Sheldon back for round two!
Death always was a big part of my thinking. Probably because my godfather died of a heart-attack right in front of me when I was 7. A strange day. I've never seen my mother so confused and not knowing what to do, she always had a plan. And it was the first time I've seen my father cry. I didn't knew he was able to do that until then. I didn't understand why everybody was so sad, not even after the cemetery. When I got older I started to get also sad when people died but mostly only for a few minutes and then it was gone. It is also the reason why I don't like funerals. I already cried my eyes out, nothing left and everybody looks at me as if something is wrong (at least that stupid play is shown in my head over and over again). This distance but still fascination with death led me to a part time job for a funeral institute. I can handle it was my thinking. Night shift and weekends, some people die in strange places (or multiple on train tracks) and have to be moved quickly. Still, you have to keep calm and not loose the head. The coroner would be so angry. It was an interesting time but I would lie if I'd say it didn't leave a dent. My humor was dark but know it's darker then the abyss for sure. It's not death that makes me sad, it's the people that have to life with it.
Sheldon Solomon is a excellent academic and intellectual , is a shame he is not well known in our media, perhaps because his thoughts can be an eye opener for multitudes , he is certainly out of the box.
The smartest thing that ever came out of Egoraptor's mouth was something to the effect of "Childhood ends when you realize you're gonna die, but adulthood begins when you're finally alright with that" then I think he screamed at Silver the Hedgehog or something.
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I really enjoyed this conversation with Sheldon. Here's the outline:
0:00 - Introduction
5:34 - Role of death in life
22:57 - Jordan Peterson
53:02 - Humans are both selfish and cooperative
56:57 - Civilization collapse
1:10:07 - Meditating on your mortality
1:16:10 - Kierkegaard and Heidegger
1:33:25 - Elon Musk
1:36:56 - Thinking deeply about death
1:45:53 - Religion
1:56:59 - Consciousness
2:03:39 - Why is Ernest Becker not better known
2:07:09 - AI and mortality
2:21:07 - Academia should welcome renegade thinkers
2:36:33 - Book recommendations
2:43:23 - Advice for young people
2:48:17 - Meaning of life
u inspired me to chase my dreams in music, ive been holding off my whole life but my perspective on life has drastically changed this year. Im 19 and I hope to have many years of improvement all around. Thanks for everything Lex, you have no clue how crazy the information you give is for an aspiring technology scientist! (ill tell you its life changing;) )
I love your intro about not being left or right and thinking for yourself. I completely agree with that. Seems like everyone claims to be open minded, but with such strong views, how could you be?
Lex, I would love to discuss my thoughts on a big part of "theory of everything" on a show or something sometime, but sadly I am a poor hermit who doesn't do much but think, so I will explain the big pieces here. If nothing else, I am sure it will entertain the mind for more than a moment.
For ascension to happen we need the earth to be full if people.. As we are meant to ascend together or possibly one could ascend alone if they knew what true love means. It should be obvious and easy, but explaining it in words is our only option. I hope I have your curiosity peeked.
To understand the basics, there is a video on "the effects if conciousness on water" and "the Love/Hate rice experiment" on youtube. You will find it seems positive/negative outward expressions or even silent heart felt expressions have an effect on all water, people, plants, animals. The earth creates the perfect frequency on its own, and all of our hearts magnetic fields are 100 times stronger than of the human brain. As in the Love/Hate rice experiment, the rice with negative energy decays faster than the one with positive energy. You can notice easily under a microscope, the structures difference under the effects of positive and negative. We are living, so we regenerate easily, but that rate could be sped up, or slowed down, simply by positive/negative thoughts being what a magnetic field would be to trillions of xenobots performing commands.. Except it would be our own bodies natural functions, propelled by the intense magnification of selfless love for mankind. This my friend is the theory of everything as far as we are to understand.
Tesla claimed if we removed man made wireless frequencies we would get rid of nearly all diseases. That statement and your work helped lead me to my understandings. If the frequencies pass through grounded cables that is fine. Later finding the internet version of the cloud Is only a replication of the original design of our bodies. Just as a computer collects data so do we. No one is tuned correctly, so it is impossible for us to use our senses correctly. We are to be as *one* in meaning we are to only benefit each other as we benefit ourselves. Feeding ourselves, nurturing our wounds, making sure everything is ok. We should do this for everyone. Not letting anyone suffer, and if they are we come together and stop the suffering, because it is part of our suffering, for who in a state of suffering is exuding positive/helpful energies. Any constant man made wireless frequencies, and negative energies or selfish actions and motives are holding us back. We can only convert to a positive or negative.. That is it..
The world is very far from ascension in my belief.. So they are accepting a augmented ascension instead of the original. Just as the robots we create live and will never ascend for they cannot regenerate.. Of course they can self repair, it is NOT the same thing. My only question is.. If this is provable by doing tests on anything around you, which it is, why doesn't everyone know?
Sad but true, my love for science is strumbling drunk before me.. But as I am the way I am.. I do love to learn more so I will be watching your work. You truly are an inspiration to whatever existence this is. I wish you many more years of doing what you love to do.
P.s. I would like to apologize for the grammer, I hope it was understandable enough to grasp the concept. Once you do it really is that easy. Much love and blessings to you and your crew.
Lo
Fucking brilliant conversation!
Ancient Theravadan Buddhist monks were taught a form of death contemplation called "maranasati" when they would spend hours sitting quietly in the charnel grounds watching bodies rot and dissipate.
Discovering Lex is one of the rare things in 2020 that I am grateful for. Truly humbled by your work, keep dropping wisdom bombs. Big Fanboi here.
Same! Cute animal vids and that kinda stuff can be nice but I gotta feed my brain a bit, too.
Yes, he is a great conversation partner.
@@pimwiersinga8822 I totally agree....I also like him in conversation with Joe Rogan.....Rogan and his pursuit of wisdom
This speaks for a lot of people. I think the likes on this post support this claim. Sending all the Love I can muster to Lex!
SAME!
Lex, this is your most impressive interview to date. No one has touched this topic nearly as well as you have here with Sheldon. Congratulations
Amazing!
Lex comes across as putting his own understanding/comprehension of the subject /issue first, the gist of the conversation, with all it's ebbs &flows, sidetracks & counter points are put over showmanship. empty talent or substance -less showmanship gets old & leaves a junk food hangover.
Love how lex can create an environment where true intellectual conversation can happen where the speaker can respectfully disagree without being biased.. this is what civilization should be.
Well put
yep, Lex is a antidote to hypey click baity traffic noise
This is civilization. Thank you Socrates
What would be a great addition is having a list of books at the end of each podcast that were mentioned in the conversation
I was just thinking I need to re-watch this with a notebook to record all their recommendations and references I want to check out!
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1. The Birth and Death of Meaning - Ernest Becker
2. The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker
3. Escape From Evil - Ernest Becker
4. Escape From Freedom - Erich Fromm
5. The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements - Eric Hoffer
6. The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness - Erich Fromm
7. The Worm at the Core - Solomon, Greenberg, Pyszczynski
8. Toys and Reasons: Stages in the Ritualization of Experience - Erik Erickson
9. The Trauma of Birth - Otto Rank
10. The Divided Self - R.D. Laing
I'll add more as I remember them
yes Great Idea!!
@@waelesmair6250 that's impressive you remembered so many ! Nice job thank u 🙏
Sheldon Salomon is so genuinely humble and insightful - I could listen to him speak forever.. 🙏
he's extremely likable, reasonable and spot on.
yes yes
I like Lex / his suit / his mug/ with coffee... anyway lets learn from SS how the fuck we deal with mortal terror
and that's even better than he is now
Really like Solomon, he was my professor in school. If he had a youtube presence he would obtain a huge following, like Peterson.
100% agreed! He just needs to lose the hippie t shirt, hehe
@@Outplayedqt I like the hippie t-shirt!
Hopefully more than Peterson...
For sure! I took intro Psych with him in ~2005. Phenomenal guy
@@Sealed_Chamber - needs to be tie-dyed.
This guys ability to recall information is incredible.
and he calls himself “senile” lol
humble man.
Making stoners look GOOD 😎
Its one of the worst things about the internet; convincing kids that we don't need to memorize verbatim. Its great to internalize an idea by memorization, something happens when an idea is 'automatized'
@@Kobe29261that's why i love good quotes, they're quotable. & reading or memorizing or quoting a perfectly turned phrase does something beyond beneath & over what language is "supposed" to be limited to. does the word "hint" hint at more than what it contains....
@@dadman9799 love it
What a beautiful, profound, and meaningful conversation. With that overall sprinkle of classical and contemporary Philosophy that I adore. Thank you so much Lex, and thank to Prof. Solomon, a sage man who truly lives up his surname.
New adventure posted this morning at 7:15 pst (about 30 min from now) I will be live in the premier chat. Come say "Hi"!
th-cam.com/video/rxk4vPCkY1M/w-d-xo.html
I go back to this conversation often. Since its posting, I've read all the books mentioned throughout. Listening now, I realize even more how brilliant Sheldon is. He wasn't being polite or patronizing when complimenting your contributions to this conversation either Lex! This is one of the best and most important episodes you've ever done imho. I hope more people read the background and come back to it. You'll find an even more insightful treasure than your first listening.
I hope Sheldon comes back on for a round 2 sometime. Thank you for everything you do Lex.
Professor Solomon Sheldon is so humble and brilliant in such an authentic way, it's an amazing pleasure to listen to him.
damn straight
don't laugh cause ill know... don't ask me how but I will...I listen to Sheldon at bedtime to really absorb his genius
You pleasure yourself when listening to him?.
How did I not know about this guy? He's awesome.
Such a great combo of people. Both Lex and Sheldon are the perfectly balanced amount of academic in conversation - Neither are too heavy on obscure vocabulary (which I appreciate but can be tiring and also excluding for some people) and both really excellent at summarizing points and observations.
same here...
@CHELSKI9 The algorithm seems to love Lex. I'm not complaining.
I feel the same way... such a profound episode... of anything.. period. These two are truly special human beings
Right!!
I go to Skidmore where he teaches. Had 2 classes with him last semester and just talked to him on zoom. Coolest dude ever.
Oh, so you're +1 with your selfesteem? That's what you're saying by mentioning this? ;)
@@nursery_rhymes_songs so, ur impulse was to call out someone u think needs to be taken down a peg, ya?what does that say about you?& what does my comment say about me? the human mind-ego motives & agendas are intricately complicated & layered, yes? i think it is way helpful when i question my own motives/agendas at least as much as i judge up on others. just saying that observing our own minds is educational, & no need for instructors books for this course, then again, tuition is kinda steep, what with it being so life & death & all
I wrote him an email as I want to go to anywhere I can to speak with him.. his and beckers' theories are so right on...
@@curtstevenson2285 Beckers theories are based on a load of discredited Freudian mumbo-jumbo. His theories are unfalsifiable. You either agree that everything you do is because you’re terrified of death, in which case Becker is apparently correct. Or you challenge his theory, in which case he would claim that this is proof of your denial, and therefore he is right. I’m sure that if Becker were reading this comment he could claim that it’s just evidence that I’m in denial. This is an intellectually dishonest position to hold.
Becker didn’t come up with anything remotely original. Philosophers have been pondering the impact of mortality since ancient times. Becker just took these ancient ideas and retrofitted them to a load of debunked psychoanalytical pseudo-science. The chapters in the Denial of Death which cover mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia are hilariously bad. No serious psychiatrist or psychologist would give his ideas on mental illness even a passing thought.
Becker also repeatedly commits the basic fallacy of claiming that eternal oblivion and the subsequent permanent cessation of consciousness is what happens to us when we die and yet also claims that this a horrifying position to be in. He rambles on about how man is “food for worms” and how he “goes in the ground” as if these are negative states to be in, despite the fact that if permanent individual annihilation is what happens when we die then being eaten by worms is completely irrelevant to us. I also find the argument that knowing we will be forgotten in a hundreds years time terrifies us is completely nonsense as well. For most people billions of people don’t know who we are when we are alive, and that doesn’t bother us in the slightest. Why would the fact that billions of people in the future not knowing who we were suddenly be such a problem?
Honestly Lex, this interview resonated so heavily with me. Like Sheldon, I also realized around my 8th year that I would die one day, and that horrifying thought, which left me crying for an hour, nested into me and has guided me till my 32nd year now. The lack of meaningful thought about death is exactly a thing I'm witnessing as well, It is so hard to find conversation partners to look into the abyss with me. Eventhough it is scary at first, it definitely is one of the most energizing motivators in my life.
Also, what an incredible conversation this was. Such good chemistry between the two of you. I also love the mutual admiration which grows only stronger during this interview.
One of the best things I've seen in a long time.
For the first time in my life I have a witness I can't believe you said what you said about when you realize that we will die and you cried the same thing happened to me it was too much I couldn't even imagine Infinity or me not being here it just was so heavy I carried that for all my life I still do is lifted a little but the mysteriousness of it is undescribable I don't know whether to cry or to laugh or to smile knowing I have a shared friend witness to this eye opening and stomach aching fact
helps soothes my soul I can't type anymore I'm in tears thank you
I remember having first meltdown about dying at 16. I was so worried about how I'd take care of myself once I turned 18 and all the things that go with it. My mother and I always had deep conversations as to why we're here,what will happen etc. My grandmother died when I was 33, and it devastated me to the point I thought why get up,go to work, we're just going to die. About 7 mos of terrible emotions and thoughts. To this day if I sit and really think about infinity and I will be gone one day, I cry and freak out. Other times I feel ok. I miss having those convos with my mom. Not many people around me are deep thinkers that way.
It demonstrated Lex's wit and intelligence as well. I do not always agree with his political point of view but he is a wonderful thoughtful interviewer.
Same, I was 8 when my Uncle's partner passed away from HIV and it really was the first time I can remember having to contend with my own mortality. I even distinctly remember being at the funeral thinking that I hope my memory would be wiped just before I die because it was so unfair that we should have to remember all the beautiful moments of our lives before disappearing. I remember thinking that was the most tragic part of all of it. Looking back at 36, I'm honestly baffled by how existentially I was thinking at that age and how much that one event shaped my thinking.
Nope, not going to die.
I don't think anyone could doubt listening to your podcasts that you have a great curiosity about life and knowledge. I feel better knowing people like you exist. Thank you
I’ve known about this Sheldon Solomon fellow for years and years, but always assumed he’s too obscure for anyone to know of him. I’m so glad Lex brought him into the spotlight, did not disappoint!
This man, Professor Solomon, is one sharp cat.
Yes, indeed. I like this guy. He resonates with me.
Very smart, indeed.
What an amazing vocabulary too
It was fun to hear, but his argument seems to have a critical flaw, as he asserts repeatedly that individuals need groups. In reality, individuals are not dependent on groups. Individuals can, and have, survived in isolation, but choose to be part of functional groups because they can thrive better
@@elliotsmith9930 Just because a few people here and there can thrive in isolation doesn't mean the vast majority of people don't need groups. Most people would go insane from a month of isolation. There's a reason people that fear for their safety in prisons still elect to stay in the group rather than solitary. It's considered the worst of the worst of punishments.
*slow claps in respect and awe* man ... I mean "I'm not left nor right, I think for myself" should be taught in schools!
@Amusis Well you can incentivise critical thought - its a hard skill to teach but you can try to instill it / nudge people in that direktion. Socrates would have had something to say about it.
It's also important to note that you can identify as either left or right leaning and still be a person who "thinks for themselves". I really don't think he meant that to be taken literally, as no doubt some people will do. The important thing is to constantly and honestly evaluate and test your own opinions and beliefs, and if you've truly done your homework and still end up on one side well fair enough I guess.
@Amusis Dude you are literally partisan on tons of issues. Or at least I'm guessing that I'm correct that you're not exactly on the fence regarding pedophilia, murder, a right of personal self defense, the right of free speech and so on. So unless you're some opinionless blob going through life and never standing up for what you believe thats an incredibly naive thing to claim.
Amusis Personally I think all people are stupid lol 😂 - for example - Yes there’s a lot of suffering. How is it beneficial though? Who is it beneficial for? Ohhh “future generations” ??? What future generations? You mean the ones that don’t exist? So you are solving problems that don’t exist? Are we causing pain and suffering and death and disease and war for problems that don’t exist? Ohhh I see - “But they WILL exist” you say? Why? We could just spay and neuter the world like a bunch of stray cats and then they wouldn’t exist. Ohhh “But we WANT to have kids” you say? So you are saying that you WANT to cause problems to exist - that don’t exist - just so you can fix these problems and then call yourself a hero? Like a fire man who is also an arsonist???
That’s some plan...
@@Ydigisek I think there are several ways one can take this apart. For one, even if your personal views either align with the left or right camp, its about not becoming part of a tribal group or identifying with a movement but standing for yourself with your own beliefs - even if they should coincide with others. Not mixing your identitity with a cluster of concepts that necessitate who you are and tie you to a rigid structure that one can confide in for psychological refuge and safety.
Being a true individualist demands a lot.
I also wouldnt bet on it not being meant literally.
"If I could answer that I would be chugging rum out of a coconut with my Nobel Prize." - Sheldon Solomon, 2020 (1:57:35)
thank you
hahahahahah. genius
@@jong9787 hey thanks I'll do that I wanna be cool.. so i'm gonna learn what Ha is... just cause you said so .... I say ha ha ha when I laugh. it's the sound of a laugh .. but I've been wrong b4 .. haha
@@jong9787 right on man
@@jong9787 hells angel // "it's a club" thanks !!
One of my favorite parts of reading J.R.R Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" was when the god entity, Eru, told the Elves that a new race was coming and that it would be a race of beings that had his gift. When this new race finally arrived it was revealed that it was the race of man and that this gift was death. This gift gave them a level of detachment from reality and the physical that fostered a fiery passion in their souls. It made me think then about what that meant. I came to this realization that indeed death is a gift of life. It gives us all a full scale of reference from which to derive joy and meaning. Without death all things would be meaningless. All achievements, goals, identities, families, love, and all things that make us human would mean nothing if there where never an end to our lives.
i love his lucid exposition of these compelling ideas - I hope I can remain this articulate at 71 years of age - amazing mind - such a repository of the history of thought on what are crucial issues facing us today
Incredible how he's managed to do it - to hold on to all the key ideas shaping an epoch whilst pursuing one narrow field to its utmost. I almost despair at the endeavor.
I do not know why so many of these brilliant people are Jews. Including Lex. Now I know why for millennia they are called the people of the book.
This episode is so goddamn great.
ive been in and out of the shop working on guitars ,and as soon as this is over im going to sit and ;isten to it again
Just realized, I’ve been putting off watching this episode in full because - ironically - I was sad it had to end.
A year late to the party here but holyshit this is a party!!!!
"And I'm like, 'Yo dudes! You're out of the cave, but how do you know you're not in another cave?'"
We landed in mars ...
Yep, you dont know. That's what makes the game so good!
...standing on the shoulders of giants
I always love that you end the conversation with the meaning of life, and the new two questions about book and advice are a really nice addition. I hope every interview will have those questions! Thx for the amazing content Lex!
This is one of your best podcasts lex. I was really surprised by how much I liked Sheldon
I hope with all my heart that he has Sheldon on again. I agree with you that this is one of the best - it’s my favorite!
What an inspiring human. Solomon is so very sharp. I hope he has the opportunity to record many, many more hours of his thoughts and conversations.
I am so glad you brought in Sheldon Solomon. He’s a voice that should be listened to during these times.
1:56:11 he went full woodstock
"and i say to the students well what's wrong with that? And they're like 'nothing, that's like awesome' and then I'm like 'yo dudes, you outta the cave but how do you know you're not in another cave?"
Great episode! Really like the way Sheldon explains things
Please please please have him on the show again. This was an amazing episode.
With Jordan Peterson.
I 2nd that!
I'm currently reading "The Worm at the Core" because of this interview, and the book is just as captivating as Sheldon Solomon himself!
Thanks for doing this interview, Lex!
This is how I imagine a really smart marijuana plant’s voice would sound like.
Most underrated comment
That's what I think about Joscha Bach!
thank you for making me laugh, happy new year
That tickled me soo
Can confirm
I have never felt so obligated to sit through and pay attention to the ads....
The intro format is brilliant. Nice one Lex 👌
Me too. I listened to the ads..I never do that.
Lex you are going to be a big part of our future. Your open mindedness combined with your intelligent conversations with your guests is brain food for so many people. 🤘
If you get digital ID. Lex well have to just to put this out. I am not doing it. Gd bye platforms. I dont even own a phone. I borrow it, I refuse to pay for something that the government uses. They sell phones with fakebook as a part of the phone. Chips from china. No thanks,
As someone who cries themself to sleep 4 times a week overthinking about death, I'm glad this podcast exists and I hope that by the time I'm done with it I will have some sense of relief. I need some relief from this terror.
I hope you’ve been feeling well!
I’ve been in that boat for the last week. The feeling seemingly hit me out of nowhere. I was happy and loving life, then BAM! Existential thoughts, and dread. I know it’s not the healthy or enjoyable way to think about things, but my thoughts are somewhat obsessive.
Have you found any remedies since then?
@@landenx hi, I recently found myself an old person living the last chapters of my life. You look young, please don't get anxious with these thoughts at this time of your life. I am trying to deal with it at 69 and it is difficult. I believe in an afterlife, that helps some but the main thing is we just have to acknowledge that it's going to happen and "there's nothing we can do about it". Nothing. I encourage you to live life with gratitude and make your journey one that you can always be at peace with. Sending you love, have a beautiful life.
Try reading Meditations
I keep coming back to this interview. It is a gift that keeps on giving.
I think this is the best conversation I've watched on TH-cam and I've watched a lot. Just discovered your channel and love it. Thanks so much for all your content.
this interview is so fire, never heard of this guy until this. Thank you.
This is one of the best podcast episodes I've ever heard. Absolutely blown away.
My only criticism is your statement at the beginning about close-minded individuals, telling them to unsubscribe and to not listen. These are exactly the people you should be trying to reach! Open up their minds.
Anyway, amazing chat. Perfect interviewer and perfect interviewee.
The tragedy of life isn't death it's what dies inside you while you're still alive
Truth.
Deep.
Holy shit ouch
Your opening is precisely why I listen to you and follow your work. It breaks my heart that your way of being and seeking is so rare.Listening is a lost art and giving someone the benefit of the doubt seems like an old practice from a time gone by.
Please introduce this man to Joe. Having him as a guest on JRE would blow so many people's minds.
Too good for jre.. this is a better home for him
@@miyamotoyamazaki1760 You don't give Joe enough credit. He is (mostly) capable of shutting up and letting his guest do the talking when necessary. For this, he should probably be very high...
@@FallLineJP ugh
@@FallLineJP ha id watch, im sure it would be fine..
@@FallLineJP pre alien red studio joe probably. Texas joe I disagree. He couldn't even shut up and listen when his favorite doctor dr. Rhona patrick wanted to talk about covid.
Probably my favorite episode, been listening since the beginning. Keep going in this direction and you'll never reach the ground.
Oh maaaan!!! So so many amazing thoughts in these 3 hours! I could not stop listening...
The day we get Lex, Sheldon Solomon, and Jordan Peterson together on the same podcast, will be a good day indeed.
Dr. Solomon is a radical academic (intellectually strong, creative, challenging, disruptive, non-conventional) Great conversationalist packed with coherent brilliant ideas...
Sheldon was my adviser when I was a student at Skidmore in 1984. My Senior project as a Psychology Major combined my dance minor with Ernest Becker's Denial of Death. I choreographed a duet called "Romantic Illusion" based a section of Becker's book with the same title. Sheldon was a rock star when I was an undergraduate at Skidmore from 1980-1984. There was always a waiting list for his extremely popular classes!
Lex, your channel is superb and one of my very favorites!
Yes!! I know ahead of time that this one gonna be a banger, as Sheldon is my favourite popularizer of Ernest Becker's work. Bonus: He's also hilarious.
Damn this is like JRE but only interesting topics/guests
Idk why people can’t just except that both podcasts exist and both are ran by very capable hosts and both have their flaws and could be better. This is not a competition. Without JRE the chances that this podcast would exist are slim. Be thankful for both.
Joe is definitely Lex's mentor. The student should surpass the teacher in a proper world.
I subscribe to Lex but I came across this video by accident and now Sheldon Solomon will be a name I remember for the rest of my life.
Your podcast has introduced me to people and ideas that I never would have otherwise come into contact with. Thank you Lex.
As a bona fide leftist, I found this conversation fantastic. Lex, thanks! Could you try to bring on Slavoj Zizek some day?
I remember hearing Sheldon Solomon many years ago on CBC radio. His ideas have stuck with me for a long time. I was very excited to see this interview! Such an interesting person. :D
What a great interview. One of my top favorites. Sheldon is awesome.
he needs to be on PBS or mainstream interviews as well
One of the most balanced conversations I’ve ever had the privilege to watch and listen to. Brilliance and gallantry that helps the world to think and feel.
bring this man back lex... would love to hear more of his ideas
Rescue me from the mire,
Do not let me sink;
Deliver me from those who hate me,
From the deep waters.
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
Or the depths swallow me up
Or the pit close its mouth over me.
- Psalm 69
I like how he points his hands at Lex when he explains. Great man!
Wow, i've never had a podcast change my perspective on life so drastically, great conversation Lex!
Listened twice and yes, If I ever decide to do tatu it will be this long 😊 “Turning away from a flight from death, you see a horizon of opportunity that puts you in state of anticipatory resoluteness with solicitous regard for others that makes your life seem like an adventure perfused with unshakable joy” this is beautiful ❤️
The way Sheldon talks about his first experience reading "Denial of Death" is exactly the same sentiments I had my first time watching "Flight from Death...". I was 22 years old and it completely and utterly changed my world. I obsessed over this concept of death anxiety and in a lot of ways, things that I didn't understand before started clicking into place and making sense in a genuinely satisfying way; which was an incredible departure from my fundamentalist religious background where nothing ever seemed to quite make sense no matter how much I tried to understand and rationalize it. That film not only introduced me to the ideas of Ernest Becker, but it also lead me toward great thinkers like Robert Sapolsky: who was amazing enough to upload, for free, entire classes he'd taught at Stanford; made accessible to people like me who were born into poverty and had little chance of ever being exposed to material like that. It's the gift that keeps on giving LOL
Thank you for introducing me to Dr. Solomon, Lex! Another great talk.
One of the best conversations on here, really fun with sprinkles of clarified insights. Thanks, as always, Lex.
Amazing guy........one of the best podcasts i ever listened to. Lex, you are such a humble and smart person, thanks for doing all that
I love Sheldon Solomon so friggin much. He’s amazing.
‘“…not left nor right, I think for myself .”’ EXACTLY why I listen to Lex, and his guests.
And love Is the answer, if we’d just pause and try an understand, and/or agree to disagree w/people .
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Lex.
"How to Enjoy Death" is a great book by Lama Zopa. Always keep in mind.. a day without thinking about death is a day wasted.
Do you do any sort of death meditation? Lama Zopa said that about it being a wasted day...? I saw him speak once in a conference he gave and he is difficult to understand. And then he thundered -- DO NOT GET ANGRY!!! and I try always to remember what a self-destructive emotion that is.
@@daysjours Lama Zopa rules. He is hard to understand when listening to, but you gotta love his demeanor. You can read a lot of his works too. I do meditate on death - the main focus is impermanence and the transitory nature of things. The idea is to experience those things in an honest, visceral way - rather than just contemplating them philosophically. Meditation on death is a very common practice in Mahayana Buddhism, as I'm sure it is in every branch of Buddhism, so you can research a lot on it.
@@carrito1981 Have you seen Lama Zopa recently on his TH-cam channel? His alter has lots of Teddy Bears and stuffed toys, some wearing Covid masks. Very cute. I wish his English were better :-( I also wish I knew a formal Buddhist death meditation. I know what you mean that it must not be philosophical. The Buddhist formal meditations I find more cerebral than not oddly enough.
Feels good to back listening to Lex.
Lex you've really outdone yourself with this amazingly interesting episode. Cheers!
Lex plus Sheldon Solomon - second time listening to this and will again. What a mix of profound thinking with humble and hysterical moments …
I've known about Dr. Solomon for years now. Stumbling onto his work has changed my life. I've immediately thought, "the world should know this man." So, it makes my heart so frickin happy to see all of the people who discovered and love him. 🌎
This interview is mind-blowing! Thank you, Lex! I feel blessed to have watched it.
The title seemed a little grim, but this was honestly a thoughtful, educational, and in some ways quite up-lifting conversation. Great job as always Lex.
@@Garcia-elf "Culturally constructed meat puppet" lol! :D
@Amusis The point is thinking and being "cheered up" are not mutually exclusive, a term you seem to be referring to as some sort of pejorative -and I did not say "cheered up" I said "uplifting"
So great Lex. I vote for more philosophical content although you always intersperse it gently/cleverly into all discussions, I loved every second of this one. Keep up the good work!
In the intro when you said about fanatics "if you see anyone who disagrees with you as delusional, I ask that you please unsubscribe", my already high esteems for you were reaffirmed. There's an integrity to your respect for intellectual debate and discourse, and I think it's one of the many things that draws your listeners to you Lex. Thanks for being authentic and open minded.
Of all the great people you've had on your show, Sheldon Solomon has been my favorite. What an intelligent, thoughtful, humble dude.
Lex podcast? First pressing the like button, then watching.
your comment is useless,I'm sorry.It's utterly annoying.Deserves a million thumbs down.
I remember fearing death before sleep at age 8, I would intensely focus on my heart beat & have panic attacks knowing that it’s this beating organ that’s keeping me alive and because my heart is feeling like it’s about to explode what if it stops while I’m sleeping & I won’t even know that I’m dead.
I'm personally scared of silence because of that reason you mentioned right there. Worried I'll have a heart attack and that can make a person very impaired in some sense freaks me out just thinking about it 😂
“The problem is not to find the answer, it’s to face the answer.” Terence Mckenna- . Think about this sentence in the context of 'what is death.'
Terrance McKenna? You mean the burned out hippy mushroom head? 🤔
55:08 - the question that Sheldon asks himself is - "What kind of political institutions and economic organisations can we think about to hit that sweet spot?" The answer he gives is another question - "How do we maximise individual autonomy in a way that fosters creativity and innovation, and the self regard that comes from creative expression, while engaging our more cooperative and reciprocal tendencies in order to come up with a system that's potentially stable over time?" Is this a kind of academic cop out/tautology? - What kind of systems? - Systems that are stable over time and do a bunch of good things that celebrate both the individual and their ability to help each other.
The fact is at the point of hearing the initial question, and having resonated with his ideas about the redundancies of right and left thinking ( a book which he should definitely write - my view is the world could do with such an investigation) - I was really really hoping for something concrete, instead I got a kind of slippery eel of a response - maybe he's saving it for the book or I'm expecting too much? Liked him though - straight forward and coherent (most of the time) - just wish the interview had focussed more on possible solutions than the apocalyptic collapse predictions.
Isn't it time that intellectuals/academics stepped out of the comfort zone of commenting about the way things were and are, and then speculating about how they will be: and started coming up with some antidotes/answers/suggestions for a better way for humanity to proceed.
I wholly agree. I felt like this interview while compelling and insightful was just criticism of a system that certainly has flaws, but what do we do to improve it? Surely it can be improved, studied, etc. I wish Jordan Peterson was in the room, as I agree with his general statements that crony capitalism is terrible; capitalism as system has huge flaws, but compared to what? Which other economic system has lifted more out of poverty globally? I share Jordan's view that people have more attitude, than gratitude for what we inherited. Its fair to criticize and improve but its important to know the history and the sacrifices made that got us here. Its easy to armchair, or Monday morning quarterback. I think those are the correct terms. America is a young country, the West is young relative to human history. I wish the populous would appreciate how "rich" we are (Americans) compared to the rest of the world and come together as Americans. No other identities or sexes, etc., that divide, but just accept our History (Show me an Empire that doesn't have blood on its hands) and collect ourselves and improve. Use the 1st amendment and lets address the issues as best we can. Perfect Utopia shouldn't be the goal but it certainly can be the direction. It takes time, work, and collaboration. We won't prosper with poison from the past that none of us had to do with. The sins of our fathers are not our own.
Lex is someone to look to because he is the type of person we need right now. He also however carries the audacity of someone that had been burned by their own convictions without ever having had to test them.
What a cool guy. I'd like to buy him a beer. Another great guest, Lex. Loving this channel.
I cannot put into words how exciting this talk made me.. I just had to say how great this podcast was.. I love delving into mortality and what people really think/feel, but as you said, most won't.. Thank you for having this talk 😊
I have a question for you. How do you personally delve into these topics, while maintaining positivity?
Best regards
this is my netflix....
Same, Netflix is shit most of the time, only offers a few good shows. This offers so much more substance. Brain food..
Lex Fridman's intro brought tears to my eyes. You can mistrust emotions, but I see it as a sign that he is speaking to something deeply human. We can only get to the truth by empathetic listening. Few people think rigorously. Challenge accepted, Lex.
Your best interview to date for two reasons: content and guest.
Wild that you spend the first hour talking to this man about Jordan Peterson..
This is my favorite podcast you’ve done to date. Thanks you two.
Really good guest and conversation. Keep making us think brother! Also, where can I get that coffee mug?
I'd really enjoy just listening to these two talk all day every day. My new favorite podcast. Thanks Lex!
Thank you for introducing me to these wonderful ideas and books. I have added them all to my reading list. Great conversation; please invite Sheldon back for round two!
I would absolutely love to see an interview with Richard Wolff
Death always was a big part of my thinking. Probably because my godfather died of a heart-attack right in front of me when I was 7. A strange day. I've never seen my mother so confused and not knowing what to do, she always had a plan. And it was the first time I've seen my father cry. I didn't knew he was able to do that until then.
I didn't understand why everybody was so sad, not even after the cemetery. When I got older I started to get also sad when people died but mostly only for a few minutes and then it was gone. It is also the reason why I don't like funerals. I already cried my eyes out, nothing left and everybody looks at me as if something is wrong (at least that stupid play is shown in my head over and over again).
This distance but still fascination with death led me to a part time job for a funeral institute. I can handle it was my thinking. Night shift and weekends, some people die in strange places (or multiple on train tracks) and have to be moved quickly. Still, you have to keep calm and not loose the head. The coroner would be so angry.
It was an interesting time but I would lie if I'd say it didn't leave a dent. My humor was dark but know it's darker then the abyss for sure. It's not death that makes me sad, it's the people that have to life with it.
This is one of my favorite episodes ever. Я благодарю тебя.
Sheldon Solomon is a excellent academic and intellectual , is a shame he is not well known in our media, perhaps because his thoughts can be an eye opener for multitudes , he is certainly out of the box.
Thank you Lex for the intelligent enlightening conversations. Much needed in today’s world. Much Love ❤️
As much as I love having Joey Diaz's voice in my head throughout my life... I'm gonna have to throw this guy's voice in there now, too.
love this guy. so original. the tie dye intellectual. i will certainly be reading Ernest Becker.
Loved this talk! Thank you! Hope to see you and JP together!
The smartest thing that ever came out of Egoraptor's mouth was something to the effect of "Childhood ends when you realize you're gonna die, but adulthood begins when you're finally alright with that" then I think he screamed at Silver the Hedgehog or something.