Rutger Bregman

They're mainly obsessed with policing language and using the right words to describe all the injustices in the world. And they're very good at going viral, you know, tax the rich and kill the patriarchy. Gets you a lot of likes on Instagram, I guess. But do you actually achieve anything?

They're mainly obsessed with policing language and using the right words to describe all the injustices in the world. And they're very good at going viral, you know, tax the rich and kill the patriarchy. Gets you a lot of likes on Instagram, I guess. But do you actually achieve anything?

Okay, so there's a lot to be said about that. So our daughter was born almost four years ago now. So obviously we bought all these lovely books about, you know, modern feminism and girls are smart, girls are powerful, girls are great, girls can be anything. And I loved all of that. Now, four months ago, our son was born, our second.

Okay, so there's a lot to be said about that. So our daughter was born almost four years ago now. So obviously we bought all these lovely books about, you know, modern feminism and girls are smart, girls are powerful, girls are great, girls can be anything. And I loved all of that. Now, four months ago, our son was born, our second.

And I was like, okay, now I want all the books about what young men can become, right? And yeah, you really see that there's a lack of that. We all know about toxic masculinity, which is very real. I mean, we know about people like Andrew Tate, but then what is the opposite of that? I think there is something like that.

And I was like, okay, now I want all the books about what young men can become, right? And yeah, you really see that there's a lack of that. We all know about toxic masculinity, which is very real. I mean, we know about people like Andrew Tate, but then what is the opposite of that? I think there is something like that.

I would call it heroic masculinity, you know, using what you have, your power, your privilege, whatever, to help others, you know, to help those who need you. Who would examples be? Well, I would say that, you know, we've got a lot of older stories about this. Joseph Campbell, who wrote The Hero's Journey, that inspired Star Wars. You know, think about the Frodo's, the Luke Skywalker's.

I would call it heroic masculinity, you know, using what you have, your power, your privilege, whatever, to help others, you know, to help those who need you. Who would examples be? Well, I would say that, you know, we've got a lot of older stories about this. Joseph Campbell, who wrote The Hero's Journey, that inspired Star Wars. You know, think about the Frodo's, the Luke Skywalker's.

Okay. Well, or take Thomas Clarkson, you know, young men who are motivated by a mix of vanity and idealism, but then do the work. And I think, yeah, those stories are very powerful and we should get much better at telling them on TikTok to young men because Andrew Tate is giving them a very different definition of success.

Okay. Well, or take Thomas Clarkson, you know, young men who are motivated by a mix of vanity and idealism, but then do the work. And I think, yeah, those stories are very powerful and we should get much better at telling them on TikTok to young men because Andrew Tate is giving them a very different definition of success.

Yeah, well, here it is so important to be intellectually honest. And if you're really morally serious, then you don't care about your own purity or your own opinions. No, you actually want to do good. So you always got to be open to the reality that you're working on the wrong things or your solutions don't work.

Yeah, well, here it is so important to be intellectually honest. And if you're really morally serious, then you don't care about your own purity or your own opinions. No, you actually want to do good. So you always got to be open to the reality that you're working on the wrong things or your solutions don't work.

I've got one example of a charity that after a big RCT, a randomized controlled trial, had to conclude that it just wasn't working. And so they abandoned the project, which is like very courageous and happens not nearly enough. I think there should be an annual award gala for people, you know, who made the biggest mistakes, but we're honest enough to admit it.

I've got one example of a charity that after a big RCT, a randomized controlled trial, had to conclude that it just wasn't working. And so they abandoned the project, which is like very courageous and happens not nearly enough. I think there should be an annual award gala for people, you know, who made the biggest mistakes, but we're honest enough to admit it.

At the same time, we also shouldn't lose ourselves in moral relativism. I think that there are some things that are pretty obvious. So the way we treat animals, to me, it's quite striking. If you ask people from the left to the right today about, well, don't you think the way we treat animals might be one of the great moral catastrophes of our time?

At the same time, we also shouldn't lose ourselves in moral relativism. I think that there are some things that are pretty obvious. So the way we treat animals, to me, it's quite striking. If you ask people from the left to the right today about, well, don't you think the way we treat animals might be one of the great moral catastrophes of our time?

I'm always surprised how little pushback you get, even from people who eat meat. and eat a lot of meat. But then they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's probably true. And then they lean back in their chair.

I'm always surprised how little pushback you get, even from people who eat meat. and eat a lot of meat. But then they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's probably true. And then they lean back in their chair.

So that is like, for me, one of those clear examples where we've got so much knowledge now about how much suffering is going on in factory farms, how huge this industry is, 70 billion animals slaughtered every year. At some point, you got to make a choice and be like, okay, well, this is pretty clear.

So that is like, for me, one of those clear examples where we've got so much knowledge now about how much suffering is going on in factory farms, how huge this industry is, 70 billion animals slaughtered every year. At some point, you got to make a choice and be like, okay, well, this is pretty clear.