How was Charlie Kirk the same as the people who hated him most? What’s the dangerous appeal of simplicity and clarity in a complex world? Can/should we tolerate intolerance? The trick of valuing the things we DON’T have or need. All this and more!

What happens to famous people who get lost in their own show and gradually start playing themselves in the movie of their lives?

Dan Blumstein and I explore the multifaceted nature of fear, its evolutionary significance, and its impact on both human and animal behavior. The conversation also delves into existential fears, the manipulation of fear by society, and the importance of understanding and managing fear in a complex world. Dan’s book is The Nature of Fear.

Alan Collinge is the founder of StudentLoanJustice.Org, author of The Student Loan Scam: The Most Oppressive Debt in U.S. History and How We Can Fight Back.

Are we (am I) “stuck in honoring the context of the social media platform,” that is podcasting? Is there a way not to be trapped in playing the commercial game? Did Joe and Duncan sell out, or did their platforms just capture them? I discuss some of the accusations leveled in “Comedy Jonestown” and Marc Maron’s recent appearance on Pod Save America.

Mike just finished his stint in the army and is celebrating by riding a bicycle from El Paso to Canada. He passed by Crestone recently, and we sat down to get to know each other. Pull up a chair and join us!

More blathering. This time, talking about:

— Epstein and how fame/power/money distort one’s sense of the possible/permissible;

— The joys of watching the Little League playoffs;

— A friend’s hard fall. Here’s the link to give Charles some love.

My friend Riley Morton and I sat down for about six hours over two days and he picked my brain about who I am, who I’ve been, and the experiences and ideas that formed the foundation for what eventually became a book called Sex at Dawn. This is the second of a four-part series.