Decoding the Gurus

Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne

An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About? Join us, as we try to puzzle our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur? Join us and let's find out!

  1. PRED 1 DNEVOM · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 38: Toxic Mould Symbiosis, Mild Phrenology, and the Best People in the World

    We end the futile struggle, embrace the toxins, and become one with our mould brethren. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 38 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 38 00:00 Intro 02:54 Boomer Matt reacts to Twitter videos 07:31 Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the 9/11 Files 12:42 Eric's Google Ngram Investigations 17:08 Vindication on the Elephant Graveyard 22:00 Eric's ARC lecture goes viral 25:24 Andrew Huberman is NOT a phrenologist... 29:06 Eric Weinstein vs. Piers Morgan 33:44 Everyone knows Eric is a serious thinker 46:09 Peterson is taken out of the Gurusphere by Demons and Toxic Mould 52:09 Gurus and Bespoke Alternative Health 57:00 Social Contagion Hypocrisy 01:02:55 Toxic Mould Symbiosis? 01:04:46 Pewdiepie, Diogenes, and the Seeker Mindset 01:16:14 The Wisdom of the Ancients 01:21:01 The Meaning Crisis and Christian Pivots 01:22:29 Konstantin Kisin's surprising Christian pivot 01:25:17 The best person Konstantin ever met (not Francis) 01:30:22 The Fifth Column Agrees with Megyn Kelly 88% of the time 01:33:07 Megyn Kelly explains how the Democrats crossed the line and must pay 01:41:35 Intellectual Clerics for MAGA 01:43:16 Slightly Adversarial libertarians for hire 01:47:00 Drew Pavlou and Fluid Populism 01:50:17 Two Varieties of Online Derangement: Noah Smith's Hot Takes 01:53:57 Need for Attention = Desire for Virality 01:57:23 Status Seeking Networkers vs Paul Bloom 02:01:27 Reflecting on the Al Murray Interview 02:02:22 The struggle of podcasters 02:04:52 Paul Bloom: The best person in the world? 02:06:00 Mike Israetel's Thesis Controversy 02:10:30 What does a PhD mean? 02:16:55 David Deutsch visits Curt Jaimungal 02:22:32 The Dangers of Doubling Down: Pirate Software 02:23:32 Hasan Piker and Shock Collar-gate 02:27:15 Matt's Take on Shock Collars 02:33:51 Dystopia Update: Putin wants Trump to win the Nobel Prize 02:37:11 Outro Sources Shellenberger and Tucker discuss the CIA’s role in 9/11Grok pressing Eric to get specificThe Elephant GraveyardViral post about Eric’s ARC speech on scienceHuberman’s phrenology endorsementJordan Peterson’s Health Update from MikhailaChris Williamson: It’s time to talk about my health.Chang, C., & Gershwin, M. E. (2019). The myth of mycotoxins and mold injury. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 57(3), 449–455.Borchers, A. T., Chang, C., & Eric Gershwin, M. (2017). Mold and human health: A reality check. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, 52(3), 305–322.a...

    50 min

  2. 25. SEP.

    A Sense-Making Odyssey, Part 2: Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke & Jordan Hall

    Matt and Chris once again take up their oars and plunge deeper into the recursive whirlpools of contemporary sensemaking. Picking up where Part 1 left off, having grappled with conscience, touchstones, hierarchies, and normativity, we return to the sensemaking labyrinth to see just how many more words and concepts the combined powers of Peterson, Vervaeke, and Hall can stretch to breaking point. This second leg of the voyage allows us to chart more of the universal sensemaking grammar, with its biblical scaffolding, liberal use of metaphors, and frequent exhortations to ascend Jacob’s ladder. But alongside Peterson's predictable biblical musings, you can also thrill at unexpected treats like John Vervaeke unveiling how finite transcendence connects to inexhaustible intelligibility and Jordan Hall explaining that even silence can be a form of sensemaking. Expect symbolic snakes, dangling ropes, and ecological psychology refashioned for mystical ascent, Augustine rediscovered through Plato, and culture reframed as an alcoholic parent. Or if you prefer, enjoy detours into atheists and their Luciferian egos, the sacred role of play, and the profound revelations that can be drawn from childhood disappointments at McDonald’s and grandfathers complaining about Nixonian duplicity So join us for the final leg of the Sensemaking Odyssey. Sharpen your mind, get ready to traverse through 3D space, and prepare for an encounter with the Logos... in the context of listening to a podcast. Sources A Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532

    2 h 37 min

  3. 20. SEP. · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 37: Public Murder Discourse, Heterodox Psychodramas, and Generous Tit for Tat-ers

    Why are we never invited to these dinners? We wonder if it was something we said or if our invitation just got lost in the mail, as we endure the inevitable discourse wave that followed in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 21 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 37 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Cooking Gurus? 05:39 Sensemaking Overindulgence 07:19 Feedback on The Elephant Graveyard Segment 14:07 Gary is awarded an Honorary Doctorate by SOAS 19:15 On the Murder of Charlie Kirk 24:49 Murder is Bad & Charlie Kirk was a Polemicist 38:07 Hypocritical Calls for Violence: Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson 41:32 The Superficial Celebrations of Luigi Mangione 44:52 Michael Shermer is an entirely non-skeptical partisan 47:16 Eric Weinstein and the rush to post 49:48 Joe Rogan argues with his friend on vaccines 58:11 Predictable Pivot 01:05:30 Blocked and Reported discuss the Interpersonal Psychodramas of the Heterodox 01:07:07 The Thick Skin of Michael Shellenberger 01:11:41 Being Bret Weinstein's +1 01:13:39 Dave Rubin does not appreciate public criticism 01:16:29 A Heterodox DM encounter 01:21:01 Money and Macro's Video on Gary's Economics 01:27:56 The DTG approach vs Debunking 01:29:43 The Nature of Expertise and Criticism 01:31:17 Researching Guru Claims 01:36:37 Destiny invokes the Prisoner's Dilemma and Tit for Tat strategies 01:40:59 Generous Tit for Tat 01:46:28 Konstantin Kisin's warning about alternative media 01:54:26 Konstantin's "Consistency" 02:01:44 Next Gurus and Fake Outro 02:03:44 Decoding the Gamers: Caves of Qud and Two Point Museum 02:08:11 Retro School Games: Drug Wars, Beachhead and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? 02:11:53 Real Outro Sources SOAS honorary awardees for 2025What did Elon Musk say at far-right UK rally and did his remarks break the law?“We Either Fight Back or Die” – Elon Musk's Fierce Speech at London 'Unite The Kingdom' Rally | APTShermer's tweet after Charlie Kirk's murderJoe Rogan and Bryan Callen on vaccinesHe Had One Product, $80K in Funding, and One Influencer - And Unilever Just Acquired His Company for 9 FiguresMichael Shellenberger Mixed Up Two Guys With Sorta Similar Names And Falsely Told His Readers — And Congress — One Of Them Might Be A Spy As A ResultBlocked and Reported Premium: Taylor Lorenz And The Perils Of Journafluencing (Part...

    42 min

  4. 11. SEP.

    A Sense-Making Odyssey, Part 1: Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke & Jordan Hall

    Join Matt and Chris as they enter an intellectual labyrinth of recursive sensemaking featuring the combined insights of Jordan Peterson, John Vervaeke, and Jordan Hall. You will learn about many, many deep and complex concepts and puzzle over definitions of conscience, the vertical hierarchy, value, normativity, goals & ideals, quests, the ultimate unifying meta-narrative, self-sacrifice, and touchstones. With frequent excursions into a wild assortment of biblical stories, Platonic philosophy, Jungian psychology, Martial Art stances, and much, much more! This is a voyage through the refracted and refracting philosophical frameworks of three contemporary sensemaking powerhouses. So get your oars ready and prepare your mind to taste the Dialogos, vis-à-vis Moses... Sources A Dialogue So Dangerous, It Just Might Bring You Wisdom | John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall | EP 532

    2 h 15 min

  5. 29. AVG. · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 36: Comedy Cults, Toxic Mould, and WW2 Revisionism

    We risk contamination with toxic mould, endure distressing initiation rituals to a comedy cult, and ponder if the narratives we have received about the Nazis have enough nuance. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 21 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 36 00:00 Introduction and an Intervention 01:59 Tomatoes, Holidays, and Hollywood Remakes 06:15 AI x Indulgent People 06:41 AI Chatbots and Delusional Gurus 10:46 Sir Robert Edward Grant and the Architect  12:26 Critiquing the Critics 13:31 Eric Weinstein engages with Dialogos with his silicon friend Grok 22:25 Tim Nguyen details the Distributed Weinstein Suppression Complex 24:20 Sabine Hossenfelder's Google Doc 27:10 2+2 Discourse and a surprise appearance from Kareem Carr 29:34 Chris's 10 Tips for Sabine 34:39 Coffeezilla does more Anomaly Hunting on Epstein Videos 37:50 Conspiracy Chat 39:58  Ghislaine Maxwell's potential deal  42:29 Thoughts on the Elephant Graveyard's Video on the Joe Rogan Comedy Cult 49:45 Details vs Vibes 52:46 Rogan's Fact-Checking and Comedian Dynamics 54:54 The Rogan Anti-Human Tech Elite Conspiracy Theory 59:40 Master Geniuses vs. a bunch of dickheads who like the same stuff 01:03:55 Lex Friedman and the Role of Softball Interviews 01:06:28 Conspiracy Theories vs. Real Conspiracies 01:15:51 Overall thoughts on the Elephant Graveyard Video Essay 01:19:18 Ana Kasparian thinks the Jews knew about 9/11 01:22:21 Jordan Peterson's Health and Mould Toxicity 01:24:24 Good Fungus vs Bad Mould 01:26:08 Bespoke Medicine and American Individualism 01:29:57 Streamers saying Stupid Things: Taylor Lorenz on DSA Nazis 01:33:08 Populist anti-vaccine rhetoric in Japan! 01:35:58 Bill Maher and Andrew Huberman discuss the problems with medicine 01:38:40 Chris Rufo and Right Wing Outrage over the Cracker Barrel logo 01:42:31 The War on Christmas in Australia 01:44:35 Jonathan Pageau's revisionist World War II symbolism 01:48:29 Pageau's Postmodern Narratives 02:03:32 Finding the Balance between Nazism and Liberalism 02:14:02 Random Shoutout 02:15:45 Matt's Cognitive Decline and Professor Archetypes Sources Article on Sir Robert Edward Grant and The ArchitectEric talking with his silicon friend @grokEric waxing lyrical about Grok and praising Elon for his unique insightsTim Nguyen — Physics Grifters: Eric Weinstein, Sabine Hossenfelder, and a Crisis of CredibilitySabine vindicates herself in a Google DocKareem Carr thinks Sabine’s document is great!a href="https://x.com/skdh/status/1956285611255493013?utm_source=chatgpt.com"...

    46 min

  6. 19. AVG. · BONUS

    Supplementary Material 35: Cult Leaders, Gurus, and Evil Economists

    We face a disciplinary crisis as the twin pillars of Game Theory and Gurometry are called into question. The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 35 minutes). Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus Supplementary Material 35 00:05 Introduction   01:52 Matt's Apology 06:55 Just Life... 12:34 Matt's Foodie Corner  14:01 Dedunking Dan Richards finds Sabine 16:37 Sabine cultivates parasocial defenders 18:16 Ana Kasparian gets deeper into ZOG conspiracies 24:44 Gary vs Game Theory 40:26 Support the Channel to Save the World 47:10 Bryan Johnson and Methylene blue 51:52 Scientific Cosplay Online 53:51 Keith Rainiere and Sensemaking Parallels 54:57 High IQ YoungHoon Kim tweets about proof of God 56:19 Guru and Cult Leader Parallels 01:01:13 The Validity of the Gurometer in Question?!? 01:03:03 Hacking Social Heuristics 01:07:38 Cult Leaders vs Secular Gurus 01:12:33 Anti-Democratic moves by Trump 01:15:03 Dan Carlin on Trump 01:18:30 Streamers Talking Nonsense: Hasan on ISIS 01:21:24 Ideological Fixation and Motivated Conspiracism 01:27:22 Outro Sources The Cushendun Sea Caves from Game of ThronesKingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is Boosting TourismDeDunking: Eric Weinstein's Theory — Real Physicist vs Pseudo PoserAna Kasparian tweeting about the “Zionist Occupied Government”Gary’s Economics: Game Theory is BrokenCritical Reddit thread on Gary’s Game Theory videoHenrich, J., McElreath, R., Barr, A., Ensminger, J., Barrett, C., Bolyanatz, A., ... & Ziker, J. (2006). Costly punishment across human societies. Science, 312(5781), 1767–1770.The Selfish Gene, Chapter 12: Nice Guys Finish First (Richard Dawkins)High IQ YoungHoon Kim tweets about proof of GodI was Jordan Peterson’s strongest supporter. Now I think he’s dangerousDan Carlin’s tweet about TrumpBBC: National Guard troops appear in Washington DC as mayor rejects Trump's 'authoritarian push'Nathan Baker: Keith Raniere, Ringleader of NXIVM Sex Slave Cult, Interviewed by Allison Mack, Top Cult...

    30 min

  7. 18. AVG.

    Naval Ravikant: Predictable Polemics and Empty Aphorisms

    In this watery simulation of an episode, Matt and Chris uncover the true purpose of Scott Adams’ existence: not to shape reality, but to provide training data for future AIs working on plumbing-related problems. Somewhere in a cosmic server farm, Scott is endlessly confronted with blocked drains, dripping faucets, and municipal water conspiracies, while his “insights” fuel the next generation of household maintenance bots. Against this surreal backdrop, Naval Ravikant enters the scene — investor, tweeter, self-styled philosopher, and, in practice, just another discourse surfer riding the waves of online conspiracism. The conversation opens with a familiar chorus of right-wing talking points, drifts into feverish speculation about lawfare, censorship, and “imported voters,” and finally winds down in the dim light of dorm-room metaphysics, where slogans like “happiness is a choice” are served up as if they were profound insights. Naval presents himself as a detached sage, offering a boutique blend of political commentary and Daoist-tinged wisdom. In reality, he delivers little more than predictable polemics and recycled aphorisms. Imagining himself a great man of history dispensing lyrical truths in tweet-sized form, he produces nothing that rises above the usual culture-war debris. The posture is Buddha-with-a-smartphone; the reality is a credulous tech elite mistaking his own Twitter feed for a philosophy seminar. What follows is Elon-as-Ben-Franklin fanboying, Trump rebranded as a “bottom-up” leader of the people, and a level of self-congratulation so thick it could be used to terraform Mars. By the end, you may find yourself nostalgic for the leaky pipes in Scott’s simulation — at least they produce real water... Sources Modern Wisdom (Chris Williamson): 44 Harsh Truths About The Game Of Life - Naval Ravikant (4K)Real Coffee with Scott Adams: Conversation with Naval Ravikant

    3 h 9 min

  8. 9. AVG.

    Exploring the Manosphere with James Bloodworth

    In this episode, we immerse ourselves in the potent juices of the manosphere with British journalist and author James Bloodworth. James recently published Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere and takes us on a whirlwind tour of various misogynistic and anti-feminist subcultures, including pickup artists, incels, and the blue, red, and black pill communities. Drawing on his personal experiences and research, James discusses the appeal and dangers of the manosphere, touching on themes such as insecure masculinity and the commodification of social interactions. We also get into some joyful political implications and consider the role of social media in spreading these messages. One for all the family! Links Lost Boys - Journey into the ManosphereJames' SubstackThe Guardian – Journey into the Manosphere – Review of Lost BoysProspect Magazine – Matthew Goodwin, Reform and the politics of resentment – Bloodworth’s recent article on Matt Goodwin

    1 h 20 min
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Več informacij

An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About? Join us, as we try to puzzle our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur? Join us and let's find out!

Informacije

  • Ustvarjalec
    Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • Leta delovanja
    2020 - 2025
  • Epizode
    200
  • Ocena
    Nazorno
  • Avtorske pravice
    © Copyright 2025 Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • Spetna stran oddaje
    Decoding the Gurus

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