logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2020
2h 56m

#117 – Sheldon Solomon: Death and Meanin...

LEX FRIDMAN
About this episode

Sheldon Solomon is a social psychologist, a philosopher, co-developer of Terror Management Theory, co-author of The Worm at the Core.

Please support this channel by supporting our sponsors:
– Blinkist: https://blinkist.com/lex
– ExpressVPN at https://www.expressvpn.com/lexpod
– Cash App: download app & use code “LexPodcast”

Episode links:
Sheldon’s Website: https://www.skidmore.edu/psychology/faculty/solomon.php
The Worm at the Core (book): https://amzn.to/31hQAXH
Denial of Death (book): https://amzn.to/329Zxl4

If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/podcast or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts, follow on Spotify, or support it on Patreon.

Here’s the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

OUTLINE:
00:00 – Introduction
05:34 – 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

Up next
Oct 1
#482 – Pavel Durov: Telegram, Freedom, Censorship, Money, Power & Human Nature
Pavel Durov is the founder and CEO of Telegram. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep482-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/pavel-duro ... Show More
4h 42m
Sep 19
#481 – Norman Ohler: Hitler, Nazis, Drugs, WW2, Blitzkrieg, LSD, MKUltra & CIA
Norman Ohler is a historian and author of "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich," a book that investigates the role of psychoactive drugs, particularly stimulants such as methamphetamine, in the military history of World War II. It is a book that two legendary historians Ian Kershaw ... Show More
4h 31m
Sep 4
#480 – Dave Hone: T-Rex, Dinosaurs, Extinction, Evolution, and Jurassic Park
Dave Hone is a paleontologist, expert on dinosaurs, co-host of the Terrible Lizards podcast, and author of numerous scientific papers and books on the behavior and ecology of dinosaurs. He lectures at Queen Mary University of London on topics of Ecology, Zoology, Biology, and Evo ... Show More
3h 41m
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
#295 — Philosophy and the Good Life
Sam Harris speaks to Kieran Setiya about the relevance of philosophy to living a good life. They discuss the existence of objective moral truths, being happy vs living well, our response to grief, the difference between "telic" and "atelic" activities, the power of reframing, FOM ... Show More
44m 17s
Nov 2022
#304 — Why I Left Twitter
Sam Harris explains why he deleted his Twitter account. He then speaks with Cal Newport about the fragmentation of modern life. They discuss the history of computer science, how information technology has changed our lives, the effects of social media, the business model of the I ... Show More
1h 9m
Sep 2022
#297 — Preparing for the End
Sam Harris speaks with BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger about preparing for death. They discuss the difference between palliative care and hospice, the tension between getting the most out of life and not clinging to experience, planning for death while still healthy, the importance ... Show More
1h 4m
Nov 2022
#302 — Science & Civilization
Sam Harris speaks with Neil deGrasse Tyson about his new book, Starry Messenger. They discuss what makes science a unique human endeavor, the tension between respecting scientific consensus and overturning it, confusion about paradigm shifts and scientific controversies, the soci ... Show More
49m 52s
May 2024
613: Shift Your Mindset & Change Your Life with Robin Arzon, Nick Santonastasso, Gretchen Rubin, Colin O'Brady, and Andy Grammer | Mastermind Series
This Episode Originally Aired - March 15, 2023Get the Start Today Journal - https://starttoday.com/products/start-today-journal In this episode of the Rachel Hollis podcast, part of the Mastermind series, Rachel Hollis explores the transformative power of mindset through profound ... Show More
1h 18m
Dec 2022
#307 — Twitter, Elon, & Free Speech
Sam Harris discusses Elon Musk's behavior on Twitter and the illusion of "free-speech absolutism." 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. Learning how to train your mind is ... Show More
27m 41s
Apr 2024
Tim Dillon (Comedian): "The Boomers Are A Selfish Generation!". "Gen Z Has Exposed Society's Scam!". "Bosses Are Being Threatened By Mental Illnesses!"
Making a living by telling jokes, takes making it through a life that’s no joke. Tim Dillon is a comedian, actor, and host of the Tim Dillon Show podcast. In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine named him as one of the top 10 comics you need to know, and in 2022, he released his first Ne ... Show More
1h 44m
Feb 2024
The Science of Generosity: Why It Makes You Happier and How To Do It Effectively (It Doesn’t Need To Involve Money) | Chris Anderson
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- How to cultivate a generosity mindset— and make a good thing less boring. Chris Anderson is the curator of TED. He is the author of New York Times bestseller ... Show More
1h 13m
Jan 2024
106: Building Blocks of Civilization: How the World Really Works
“Modern economies will always be tied to massive material flows, whether those of ammonia-based fertilizers to feed the still-growing global population; plastics, steel, and cement needed for new tools, machines, structures, and infrastructures; or new inputs required to produce ... Show More
1h 18m
Jul 2021
Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch || Dear Therapists
Today it’s great to chat with Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch on the podcast. Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over a million copies and is currently being adapted as a television series. In a ... Show More
57m 2s