Why are people SHOCKED by the obvious consequences of their actions? We print money and act surprised at inflation. We pursue godless lives and wonder why we feel empty. I've spent years asking the most accomplished people I know—CEOs, politicians, artists—how to live happily as a young man, and received NO satisfying answers. This episode identifies the 12 toxic cultural assumptions driving our collective misery and offers the only path forward: shattering these illusions completely. SPONSORS: NetSuite: More than 41,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102 Shopify: Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at https://shopify.com/cognitive Go to https://ground.news/whatif to stay fully informed on every side of every story. Save 50% on unlimited access with their Vantage Plan through my link. It's their biggest sale of the year! RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod -- LINKS: Link to HIstory 102: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0NCSdGglnmdWg-qHALhu1w Link to my cancellation insurance: https://becomepluribus.com/creators/20 Link to my Twitter - https://x.com/whatifalthist Link to my Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rudyardwlynch/?hl=en -- Bibliography: Lost Connections by Johann Hari A Secular Age by Charles Taylor The Myth of Disenchantment by Storm A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell The Master and His Emissary by McGhilChrist The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker The Happiness Hypothesis by Jon Haidt Maps of Meaning by Jordan Peterson A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell Envy by Helmut Schoeck Cynical Theories by James Lindsay Intellectuals and Society by Thomas Sowell The Righteous Mind by Jon Haidt How to Know a Person by David Brooks The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate The Elephant in the Brain by Kevin Simler Culture of Narcissism by Lasch The True Believer by Eric Hoffer The Body Keeps the Score by Van Der Kolk Dominion by Tom Holland

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