An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, an...
Curtis Yarvin: The Edgelord's Guide to Monarchy 40K
In this long-anticipated episode, Matt and Chris venture into the peculiar world of Curtis Yarvin—a reactionary blogger, tech entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed monarchist. Known to his early followers by the pseudonym "Mencius Moldbug," Yarvin has become a prominent figure in the "dark enlightenment" and neo-reactionary circles. Some have even hailed him as an "intellectual powerhouse" of the modern far-right, with endorsements from influential figures like Peter Thiel and J.D. Vance.But what is Curtis really all about? In this episode, the decoders revisit the Triggernometry swamp to examine the political insights unearthed by the hard-nosed journalists Konstantin and Francis during their ferocious intellectual exchange with Yarvin.Prepare for thrilling revelations, including the historical figures and movements Yarvin has catalogued in his encyclopedic memory, his pick for the best Elizabethan monarch, and the surprising number of non-monarchs he believes are secretly running monarchical regimes. True to form, Yarvin’s rhetorical style is nothing if not meandering. So get ready for a whirlwind tour through his "mind palace," exploring topics like Soviet Russia, Elizabethan England, Shakespearean conspiracy theories, and a fantasy world of reactionary and techno-libertarian musings—not to mention the obligatory lab-leak narratives.Is Yarvin an edgy intellectual, a provocative contrarian, or just a verbose windbag with run-of-the-mill conspiratorial takes and a moody teenager's perspective on history? Matt and Chris tackle these questions, striving to decode Yarvin’s vision for society—and hoping, against all odds, that he might in the end just answer a single question.LinksTriggernometry: Curtis Yarvin- The Case Against DemocracyUnHerd: Curtis Yarvin: Welcome to the Dark EnlightenmentBehind the Bastards Part One: Curtis Yarvin: The Philosopher Behind J.D. VanceBehind the Bastards Part Two: Curtis Yarvin: The Philosopher Behind J.D. VanceThe Guardian: He’s anti-democracy and pro-Trump: the obscure ‘dark enlightenment’ blogger influencing the next US administration
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2:41:47
DTG Christmas Quiz 2024 with Helen Lewis & Badstats
In this special festive episode, Chris and Matt are joined by seasoned decoder and quiz master Helen Lewis to discuss the myths around genius, extract her 2025 Guru predictions, and, of course, participate in that most sacred of DTG traditions: Helen's annual Guru Quiz. Once again, the decoders must prove their mastery of the gurusphere’s esoteric knowledge, and once again, one decoder will come up short. Who will it be? You already know... but do your best to feign surprise!But that’s not all! Discourse/Discord creature and DTG Weinstein correspondent Dan Gilbert (Bad Stats online) also makes an appearance to enjoy another mystery quiz and a dystopian guru squad-building game. Play along at home and see if your chosen guru team can match the synergistic power of our curated champions.LinksHelen Lewis on SubstackDan Gilbert on Twitter and YouTube
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1:33:22
Supplementary Material 19: Critic-O-Rama with extra trans-dimensional alien demons
In this truly epic-length supplementary material, we spin 70 critical paradigms simultaneously while trying to avoid the wily tricks of some hostile transdimensional forces. Do we succeed? Join us to find out!Supplementary Material 1900:24 Introduction: More American Insights(!)13:12 Peterson Orbiters: The Pageau Brothers17:41 Pageau & Rod Dreher: Aliens are transdimensional spirits25:56 Pageau: Alex Jones was Right!27:01 Peterson & Pageau's Lazy Christian Apologetics44:17 Joe Rogan: Fuck Ukraine!56:28 Peter Thiel has questions about Vaccines and Autism01:03:20 Big Rogan's CENSORSHIP CAMPAIGN against Flint Dibble01:09:07 Nassim Taleb vs. Colin Wright: Seed Oils01:23:10 Taleb and Squid Ink Flounces01:32:40 Conspirituality & the issues with extended analogies01:50:27 Leftist Millenarianism?01:56:06 Cultish Spectrums02:02:34 Critical Feedback: Decoding the Decoders02:08:30 You were not allowed to talk about this!02:21:56 Signing OffThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hrs 24 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusSources Free Press- Peter Thiel and the Triumph of the Counter-ElitesJonathan Pageau - Living in Wonder - with Rod DreherJordan Peterson - Beyond Dawkins | Jonathan Pageau | EP 496Taleb's Twitter Rampage with Colin Wright on Seed OilsConsumer Reports: Do Seed Oils Make You Sick?Conspirituality: Brief: Post-Election Online Survivor Group DynamicsBe Scofield: A Critical Review of Amanda Montell's "Cultish"A Public Letter to Joe Rogan from Flint DibbleJoe Rogan Experience #2231 - Jimmy Corsetti & Dan RichardsKyiv Independent: Ukrainians react to Joe Rogan’s rant on Ukraine
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47:30
Dawkins vs. Peterson: There Be Dragons
In this special episode, we return to the forboding Dragon's Den of the Peterson-verse and enjoy a rather punchy conversation between Jordan Peterson and Richard Dawkins, facilitated by Alex O'Connor.As always, the discussion is dense with abstract symbolic interpretations, evasive answers to direct questions about biblical events, and highly speculative claims. So Matt and Chris don their best decoding armour, steel their resolve, and prepare to face down endless waves of indulgent analogies and the constant conflation of mythological and scientific truths.Important insights from Matt on American public toilets, shower technology, and stories of Chris' previous life as a coal-shovelling street urchin are also included.LinksDawkins vs Peterson: Memes & Archetypes | Alex O’Connor Moderates | EP 491The Times: We Who Wrestle with God by Jordan Peterson review — rambling, hectoring and madThe Guardian: We Who Wrestle With God by Jordan Peterson review – a culture warrior out of his depth
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1:38:10
Supplementary Material 18: The Clown Car Cometh
Still in the land of the free and restocked with important new insights from his US travels, Matt is confronted with the Gurusphere's predictably depressing reaction to the election. And what's that we hear in the distance... is it a honking car?Supplementary Material 1800:00 Matt's American Ethnography10:59 Eric Weinstein is waiting for the call14:32 Huberman, Krauss, and MAGA Sycophancy18:39 Boghossian and other would-be Intellectual Clerics of the MAGA regime22:52 Sam Harris criticises Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and MAGA32:05 The Fifth Column, The Free Press and World Weary Both Sides-ing53:19 Election Reflections: Macro and Micro Causes01:04:40 Longer Term Trends01:10:08 Sarah Haider and the Hip Vibe of the New Right01:24:00 Richard Dawkins Dual Nature01:31:08 A Plea to Sean Carroll and our Listeners01:33:06 An important note on BoulderingThe full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (1hr 36 mins).Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurusLinksEric's phone is not ringingHuberman making his pitchKrauss being a sycophant to ElonBoghossian's lack of interest in protests in HungarySam Harris Making Sense 391: The ReckoningA Special Place in Hell: Adios Amigos: The Special Place FinaleThat graph mentioned about the loss of support for incumbent regimesDawkins being a fool on TwitterThe Fifth Column: #234 - Come On and Zoom! (Wagnerian Opera Edition)
An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights.
Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About?
Join us, as we try to puzzle our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur?
Join us and let's find out!
Ireland