The following is a conversation with Sheldon Solomon, a social psychologist, a philosopher,

codeveloper of terror management theory, and co-author of The Warm at the Core,

on the role of death in life. He further carried the ideas of Ernest Becker

that can crudely summarize as the idea that our fear of death is at the core of the human

condition and the driver of most of the creations of human civilization. Quick summary of the sponsors,

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It really is the best way to support this podcast. Let me say as a side note that Ernest Becker's book

denial of death had a big impact on my thinking about human cognition, consciousness,

and the deep ocean currents of our mind that are behind the surface behaviors we observe.

Many people have told me that they think about death or don't think about death,

fear death or don't fear death, but I think not many people think about this topic deeply,

rigorously, in the way that Nietzsche suggested. This topic, like many that lead to deep,

personal self-reflection, frankly, is dangerous for the mind, as all first principles thinking

about the human condition is, if you gaze long into the abyss, like Nietzsche said, the abyss will

gaze back into you. I've been reading a lot about World War II, Stalin, and Hitler.

It feels to me that there's some fundamental truth there to be discovered in the moments of

history that changed everything, the suffering, the triumphs. If I bring up Donald Trump or

Vladimir Putin in these conversations, it is never through a political lens. I'm not left,

no right. I think for myself, deeply, and often question everything, changing my mind as often

as is needed. I ask for your patience, empathy, and rigorous thinking. If you arrive to this podcast

from a place of partisanship, if you hate Trump or love Trump or any other political leader, no matter

what he or they do, and see everyone who disagrees with you as delusional, I ask that you unsubscribe

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