logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2017
1h 47m

Episode 120: Clap Your Hand for Robert W...

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro
About this episode

Special guest Robert Wright joins the podcast to discuss his latest book "Why Buddhism is True." What is the Buddhist conception of not-self? When we become aware that the boundaries between us and the world are fluid, what is the “we” that arrives at this insight? Can daily meditation make you less of a dick? How does evolutionary psychology bear on these questions? Plus, Dave horrifies Tamler with his new hipster habit.

Special Guest: Robert Wright.

Support Very Bad Wizards

Links:

Up next
Sep 30
Episode 317: For Shame
What is the psychology of shame? Is the experience of shame a human universal? How can we investigate the nature of shame across cultures? David and Tamler dive into Richard Shweder’s “Towards a Deep Cultural Psychology of Shame.” We talk about the methodological challenges of st ... Show More
1h 23m
Sep 16
Episode 316: A Four-Letter Man (Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber")
David and Tamler go big game hunting and explore their first Hemingway short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” We dig into his characteristic themes of courage, cowardice, shifting power dynamics in marriages, and what it truly means to live a happy life. Plus, ne ... Show More
1h 33m
Sep 2
Episode 315: Ceaseless Striving (Schopenhauer’s Pessimism)
David and Tamler tackle the topic chosen by our beloved Patreon supporters in the first VBW madness tournament – Schopenhauer. We discuss his essays “On the Sufferings of the World” and “The Vanity of Existence,” their strikingly modern perspectives on human life and behavior and ... Show More
1h 30m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2017
#102 — Is Buddhism True?
Sam Harris speaks with Robert Wright about his book Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. 
55m 37s
Jan 2022
Are You Willing to Challenge Your Own Tribe? | Robert Wright
Why, from an evolutionary perspective, is it so terrifying for many of us to contemplate challenging our own tribe? How comfortable would you be hopping on social media and questioning the deeply held convictions of your closest friends and colleagues? Even if you don’t want to b ... Show More
54m 47s
May 2018
Robert Wright on Why Buddhism is True
Robert Wright believes that there are a number of key tenets of Buddhism which are both compatible with present day evolutionary theory, and accurate about our relationship with the world and with our own minds. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses Buddhis ... Show More
19m 56s
Mar 2024
[UNLOCKED] Buddhist Perspectives: Self-Immolation and Political Struggle
This unlocked patreon episode was originally released Feb. 27th 2024 To get access to more bonus episodes like this every month, and support the show, join our patreon at patreon.com/revleftradio --------------------------------------------- In this patreon exclusive, Breht reads ... Show More
1h 34m
Jul 2019
Releasing Anger as an Act of Self-Compassion | Sharon Salzberg and Robert Thurman
The last episode of season two. Robert Thurman and Sharon Salzberg are icons of American Buddhism, and they are joyful, longtime friends. They challenge us to reframe our anger by seeing love for our enemies as an act of self-compassion. “It’s very hard to see love as a force, as ... Show More
7m 45s
Feb 2021
Buddhist Enlightenment: Impermanence, No Self, and the Dark Night of the Soul
Breht is joined by Dr. Daniel M. Ingram, author of "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha", to discuss what Enlightenment is in the Buddhist tradition, what it feels like from the inside, what it can and cannot offer the individual and society, spirituality and mysticism on ... Show More
1h 37m
May 2022
507: Roger Jackson
Roger Jackson, wonderful author of a new book on reincarnation, joins the DTFH! Be sure to check out Roger's new book, Rebirth: A Guide to Mind, Karma, and Cosmos in the Buddhist World, available wherever you get your books! Roger has also authored Buddhist Theology: Critical Ref ... Show More
1h 17m
Jan 2022
Episode 37: Neil Webster
In this episode, Rupert talks to Neil Webster about his new book 'Being Myself', the love we feel for others and the search for happiness. Neil Webster is one half of the duo who host the 'I Can't Believe It's Not Buddha' podcast. In which Neil, and comedian Lee Mack, explore Bud ... Show More
1h 26m
May 2024
Special Edition: The 10th Anniversary Podcast
Join host Cliff Dunning and Jenn Deyo as they reminisce through10 years of guests and programming. Hear from an eclectic group of best-selling authors and renown personalities from around the world. Features: John Anthony West Dr. Ardy Sixkiller Clark Dr. Milton Wainwright Dr. Ro ... Show More
1h 49m