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
Jun 26
#473 – Iran War Debate: Nuclear Weapons, Trump, Peace, Power & the Middle East
Debate on Iran war between Scott Horton and Mark Dubowitz. Scott Horton is the author and director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com, host of The Scott Horton Show, and for the past three decades, a staunch critic of U.S. foreign policy and military ... Show More
4h 11m
Jun 15
#472 – Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI
Terence Tao is widely considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians in history. He won the Fields Medal and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics, and has contributed to a wide range of fields from fluid dynamics with Navier-Stokes equations to mathematical physics & quantu ... Show More
3h 23m
Jun 5
#471 – Sundar Pichai: CEO of Google and Alphabet
Sundar Pichai is CEO of Google and Alphabet. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep471-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/sundar-pichai ... Show More
2h 17m
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
Jul 2022
E4 - Peter Crone: How To Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind and Discover Freedom
The Mind Architect, Peter Crone, shares how to find true freedom from within. He reminds us that it is possible taking a break from our inner narrative, and release our limiting beliefs. Revealing that we all have access to a state of liberation.   ___________   Timecodes: 0:00 I ... Show More
1h 48m
May 2024
115: Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
"The tragedy of this world is that no one is happy, whether stuck in a time of pain or of joy. The tragedy of this world is that everyone is alone. For a life in the past cannot be shared with the present. Each person who gets stuck in time gets stuck alone.” Welcome back to anot ... Show More
47m 26s
Jun 2024
E99 - Billy Carson: Uncovering the Lost Wisdom of Our Ancient Past
Billy Carson, a renowned researcher and author joins the podcast this week for a deep dive into his findings around ancient civilizations, alien encounters, and awakening a golden age .  Billy unpacks the illusion of reality and the hidden truths that lie beyond the veil of the t ... Show More
2h 19m