Our era judges itself against utopian fantasies rather than real historical comparison—the ultimate intellectual sleight-of-hand. This episode exposes the shocking truth: your life is VASTLY harder than you realize. Examining economic, social, spiritual, and physical aspects reveals how normal young people today live objectively terrible lives despite our denial. When ancient wisdom across civilizations aligns with cutting-edge science against modern assumptions, the horror of what we've done to ourselves becomes breathtaking. -- 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 PDS Debt is offering a free debt analysis. It only takes thirty seconds. Get yours at https://pdsdebt.com/free-debt-assessment/?ref=whatifalthist -- LINKS: Link to my second podcast on world history and interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj 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 -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- Bibliography: The Lineages of Modernity by Todd Immanuel The Origins of Ideology by Todd Immanuel The Unabomber's Manifesto by Ted Kazcynski The Economics of Discontent by John Michel Paul Ages of Discord by Peter Turchin Secular Cycles by Peter Turchin The Great Wave by David Hackett Fischer The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Kuhn The Knowledge Machine by Michael Strevens Tragedy and Hope by Carroll Quiggley Religions of the World by Houston Smith The History of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell Maps of Meaning by Jordan Peterson The Anxious Generation by Jon Haidt The Coddling of the American Mind by Jon Haidt The True Believer by Eric Hoffer Woke Racism by John McWhorter The Leviathan and its Enemies by Sam Francis Nihilism by Seraphim Rose The Origins of Woke by Richard Hanania Sex and Power in History by Amaury de Riencourt Seeing like a State by James Scott The Lonely Crowd by David Riesman The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate The Elephant in the Brain by Simler A Hunter Gatherer's Guide to the 21st century by Bret Weinstein Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber How to Know a Person by David Brooks The Culture of Narcissism by Lasch Lost Connections by Johann Hari The Culture of Narcissism by Lasch The Master and His Emissary by Ian McGhilchrist The Happiness Hypothesis by John Haidt

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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