meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Life Stylist

Dr. Chris Ryan: Author of “Sex at Dawn” & “Civilized to Death” Explores Human Domestication #394

The Life Stylist

Luke Storey

Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Spirituality, Alternative Health, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 February 2022

⏱️ 92 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When I first conceived this podcast many moons ago, I noted Dr. Chris Ryan as one of my dream guests. I lived by (my version) of the “Sex at Dawn” lifestyle for many years, and although my wayward ways have most definitely changed, I strongly align to the core of Dr. Ryan’s thought-provoking literature. Humanity has mutated into a strange and disconnected species of which intimacy to each other and the natural world has been well and truly severed. Chris’s most recent book, “Civilized to Death” is a startling anthology of how bad we’ve torched God’s natural plan.

In this episode, we unpack the threads of our existence, the expansiveness of travel, and how we can reclaim a little bit of what we’ve lost.

08:50 — Lessons From a Life on the Road

  • A life fully traveled with “Scarlett Jo-Van-son”
  • The concept of “detribalism”
  • Getting comfortable with being an outsider
  • How progress separates us from life
  • Corporations as living, breathing entities

25:06 — Breaking Down “Sex At Dawn”

  • How I used “Sex at Dawn” to justify my fear of intimacy
  • The aftermath of the book’s publication and reactions
  • Intimacy networks in hunter-gatherer tribes
  • Looking at hunter-gatherers to understand ourselves

41:41 — “Civilized to Death”

01:03:58 — How Can We Gain From What We Have Lost?

  • Community and health
  • Why treadmills are the enemy
  • Building modern communes
  • Can we integrate psychedelics into the Western world?

More about this episode.

Watch on YouTube.



Connect with Luke on social media to learn how to take your lifestyle to the next level, plus catch exclusive live interviews & events:

INSTAGRAM - @lukestorey // instagram.com/lukestorey/

FACEBOOK - facebook.com/MrLukeStorey/

TWITTER - @MrLukeStorey // twitter.com/MRLUKESTOREY

YOUTUBE - youtube.com/c/LukeStorey

THIS SHOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

INSIDE TRACKER Using their patented algorithm, InsideTracker analyzes your body's data to provide you with a clear picture of what's going on inside you and to offer you science-backed recommendations. Then InsideTracker tracks your progress every step of the way. You can get 25% off the entire InsideTracker store for a limited time by going to insidetracker.com/luke.

AND…

JUST THRIVE. It is the first and only 100% all-natural, spore-form, DNA verified and tested probiotic supplement clinically proven to help with leaky gut. Plus, it’s vegan, non-GMO, Soy free, dairy free, sugar free, salt free, nut free and gluten free, so anyone can use it. You can use code ‘luke15’ for 15% off at justthrivehealth.com/luke.

AND…

Mitopure is a breakthrough postbiotic which activates your body’s natural defense against aging. Clinically proven to unlock the potent bioactive, Urolithin A. It is the purest form of Urolithin A, a molecule, which is only produced as a by-product when gut bacteria digest specific ingredients found in pomegranates. Go to “LUKE10” for 10% of any 2, 4 or 12 month Mitopure plans at timenutrition.com.

AND…

HIGHER DOSE. Experience the powerful benefits of infrared with HigherDOSE’s portable Infrared Sauna Blanket, and feel the difference after just one session. Infrared increases blood flow for faster recovery, better sleep, and a calmer central nervous system. Plus, it naturally releases a DOSE of happy chemicals in the brain leaving you feeling euphoric! Get your own Infrared Sauna Blanket or PEMF Mat at higherdose.com today with the code: LUKE15 at check out to save 15% off.



HELP SUPPORT THIS SHOW!

Love the show? You’ll really love Luke’s Master Market Online Store!

It’s a win-win! Get direct links to all of Luke’s hand-picked biohacking and health products all in one place, exclusive discounts, and support the show by making purchases through the web store >> SHOP NOW.

Other ways to support:

SUBSCRIBE >> Apple Podcasts + Stitcher + Google Podcasts + Spotify

LEAVE APPLE PODCASTS REVIEW >> Simple step-by-step instructions

SHARE >> Spread the word! Tell your family, friends, neighbors, and all your social pals

Resources

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

So we sort of have that cognitive bias that everyone else is different,

0:04.8

they're alien, they're weird, and that's multiplied or shaped by the desire to feel that we are lucky.

0:14.4

We live in the best time and place, you know, and that feeds into this myth of perpetual progress

0:22.1

that if things are always getting better, then, you know, we're the luckiest ones.

0:30.8

Thanks for joining me on the Lifestyles podcast. I'm Luke Story, and this is episode 394,

0:36.8

and this one was a long time coming with someone I've wanted to interview for many years,

0:41.1

and we finally got it done. It's Dr. Chris Ryan, the author of Sex at Dawn, and Civilized to Death,

0:47.2

as we explore human domestication amongst a vast swath of other interesting topics.

0:53.8

Now, oftentimes when somebody sends me a lengthy bio, I tend to just sort of truncate it and

0:59.8

give the bullet points, but his bio is so interesting. I'm going to go ahead and give it to you.

1:04.7

Even before co-authoring the best-selling book Sex at Dawn, how we mate, why we stray,

1:09.5

and what it means for modern relationships in 2010, Chris was on a wild ride.

1:15.2

After receiving a BA in English and American literature in 1984, I think I was 14 in 1984,

1:21.5

he's been at this for a while. He spent the next two decades traveling around the world,

1:26.0

pausing in unexpected places to work very odd jobs like cutting salmon and Alaska, teaching

1:32.1

English to prostitutes in Bangkok, and self-defense to land reform activists in Mexico, managing commercial

1:39.3

real estate in New York's Diamond District, helping Spanish physicians translate and publish their

1:44.6

research amongst other wild adventures, some of which we cover in this conversation. Then in his

1:50.0

mid-30s, Chris decided to get serious and pursue doctoral studies in psychology using his dissertation

1:56.6

to examine Darwin's rather naive understanding of human sexual evolution, which provided the core

2:03.2

arguments later advanced in Sex at Dawn. Chris' latest book, Civilized to Death, the price of

2:09.4

progress, asks whether civilization has been a net benefit to our species. He also hosts a weekly

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Luke Storey, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Luke Storey and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.