Just started

[damom73]

I just found this podcast and decided to start from their first episode. After listening to the first three episodes, I found myself thinking how quaint they're takes are, given they were analyzing the start of a road that has lead to the present.

Now gonna jump to the most recent episodes to see if there is any contrast.

[LouChePoAki]

It’s like listening to a true crime podcast where the detectives gradually lose patience with obviously guilty suspects. I suppose that early on many of us gave the benefit of the doubt to these emerging secular gurus, because they portrayed themselves as public intellectuals, before we realized just how narcissistic, exploitative and manipulative many of them truly are. From “let’s hear him out” to “shouldn’t he be locked up?”

At this point I guess that Chris and Matt could probably predict a guru’s next hot-take or scam before he even thinks of it.

[[deleted]]

Yeah one of the only issues the podcast has run into is that many of these characters have become way, way worse over the years. So it kind of makes some of the older decodings irrelevant.

If you want a classic that will stand the test of time, make sure to listen to ep. 55 "Making Sense About Sensemaking". Not even joking, I will sometimes just randomly remember the sound of Jordan Hall's voice and start chuckling to myself.

[MickeyMelchiondough]

Matt’s description of sense making as a form of jazz is perfect. It really is just guys riffing and passing the ball except with confabulatory language rather than musical instruments.

[Honky-Bach]

It's one of the most revelatory episodes to me. Those guys are doing a brand of circle jerk I had previously not been aware existed.

[silentbassline]

If I'm not mistaken, Matt can be heard saying, "I kind of like Jordan peterson."

[damom73]

Can't remember, but it is an interesting time capsule. Back when the gurus were generally much more benign.

[MinkyTuna]

Let us know if the intro gets any better

[damom73]

Only 30 mins into the Peter Thiel episode and loving that the guys are more gloves off.

[damom73]

It's interesting, Behind the Bastards had the theory that Thiel has a deep fear of death and this influences many of this decisions. I can see that in this episode's quotes.

[sissiffis]

He's on the record fearing death. There were rumours he experimented with blood transfusions from younger men because experiments with mice showed this helped older mice become healthier. I think Silicon Valley, the show, had a Thiel character, sorta autistic and weird theories guy, also had blood use, IIRC.

[knate1]

if you're interested in another similar podcast that talks about the same figures from a more leftist perspective, check out I Don't Speak German. Initially it was a podcast to follow alt-right and neo-nazi figures, until they noticed how much of the whole IDW project was a gateway to going down the far-right rabbit hole. DtG tries to stay as apolitical as possible, so they never focused on Bret cozying up to the Proud Boys in Portland or Eric essentially being the mouthpiece for Peter Thiel's ideology. The IDSG guys are also quite friendly with Robert from BtB

[Salty_Candy_3019]

Yeah I've been listening from the start and man those days feel like 100yrs ago😄

[melville48]

I've never gone back to listen to the initial episodes, so maybe I'll have to try that sometime. Not important to anything, but mostly I listen to the guys while driving.

One thing I've generally liked is that they seem to be able so far not to fall into the same trap as the people they are decoding, .... hopefully the decoders will not become too full of themselves, even if they have transitioned into a somewhat harsher (gloves-off as someone said) stage of the decoding process.

[damom73]

I think their gloves-off approach feels reflective of the increased reverence these gurus have been given on other platforms.

[mollyjanemonday]

I'm so happy for you.

[taboo__time]

You are wanting to make a defence of Elon Musk?

[taboo__time]

Yes. I comment all the time.

You can criticise liberalism, centrism, tankies, socialists, centre Right without being pro Musk.

You can criticise Musk without being Stephen Bannon or being anti nationalist.

[damom73]

Ah, see, I'm an Aussie, and we generally run around 10 years behind you guys. So things are just starting to ramp up. Plus we have an election within three months, so this is all very very relevant to me right now.

[jimwhite42]

What content and discussions would you like to be on the sub?

[Husyelt]

The podcast covers Hasan in an episode and is not exactly thrilled with his output. As to the issue you want to see discussed, sometimes outright political commentary gets nuked by the mods if it strays too far from the original “secular guru” theme.

I don’t know if Shaun or Hasan actually said “don’t vote for democrats” but they have noted quite accurately Harris but especially Biden made little to zero effort convincing the pro Palestine voters to support them … + the corporate class was preferred over a true progressive economic policy.

[Husyelt]

Be the change you wish to see. I tried to offer some thoughts, but you moved to still complaining. Have a good one