On this episode of Conversations with Tom, professor and author of ‘The Parasitic Mind,’ Dr. Gad Saad, joins Tom Bilyeu to discuss such important matters and more as they explore how ideas can act as parasites to the mind and what you should be mindful of in this age of identity politics. They discuss the dangers of post-modernism, the changing culture in the western world, the void of common sense, nature versus nurture, why people latch onto ideas that separate them from true reality, how America is closer to a civil war than one might think, and how identity politics is a slippery slope that leads to dangerous consequences.  Purchase Gad’s book, “The Parasitic Mind”: https://www.amazon.com/Parasitic-Mind-Infectious-Killing-Common/dp/162157959X [Original air date: 10-15-20] SHOW NOTES:  Nature vs Nurture | Gad discusses the moving forces that define who we are. [0:15] Hierarchy of Needs | Gad discusses the universal drivers all humans share. [3:58] Idea Pathogens | Gad reveals the dangers of idea pathogens to humans. [13:04] Reality | Gad discusses why people latch onto ideas that separate them from reality. [17:30] Prestige | Gad discusses the difference prestige has for a man and a woman. [24:28] Biological | Gad discusses why humans are ego-defensive and escape reality. [27:06] Self-Delusion | Gad discusses how self-delusion has healthy-practical benefits. [33:23] Self-Deception | Gad discusses why we’re so good at bullshitting ourselves. [40:09] Costly Signaling | Gad discusses why sexual signals must ultimately be costly. [48:57]  Threats | Gad shares a story of receiving death threats and dealing with anxiety. [01:01:03] Civil War | Gad discusses the inevitable civil war in the western world. [01:08:12] Gender Pronouns | Gad shares his story as a challenger of gender-pronoun policing. [01:17:57] The Left | Gad reveals the reality of why it appears he only criticizes the political left. [01:24:06] Ethics | Gad shares differences between deontological and consequentialist ethics. [01:35:57] Humility | Gad and Tom discuss humility and the mindset needed to see one’s self. [01:40:08] Self-Help | Tom shares his journey to identifying ‘self-help’ as his purpose. [01:46:25]  FOLLOW GAD: Website: gadsaad.com YouTube: youtube.com/c/GadSaad Twitter: twitter.com/GadSaad Facebook: facebook.com/Dr.Gad.Saad FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here. If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu’s Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. LISTEN AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/impacttheory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices