Skip to content
Back to Modern Wisdom
Modern Wisdom artwork
Modern WisdomMar 4, 2021

#290 - Dr Diana Fleischman - How Catching Covid Can Change Your Personality

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #290 - Dr Diana Fleischman - How Catching Covid Can Change Your Personality on Modern Wisdom.

Notable books mentioned: The Science of Fear by Randy Thornhill, Animal Liberation by Peter Singer, Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite, The Moral Animal by Robert Wright

Shop This Episode

Buy the books listeners heard in this conversation.

The Science of Fear cover
Mentioned at 18:36
The Science of Fear
Randy Thornhill

The host mentions 'The Science of Fear' to explore how societal fears and anxieties can influence political and cultural conservatism. Thornhill's…

Animal Liberation cover
Mentioned at 21:52
Animal Liberation
Peter Singer

The host discusses the implications of animal agriculture on public health and the environment, referencing Peter Singer's work to highlight the mo…

Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite cover
Mentioned at 27:58
Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite

The host mentions 'Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite' to explore the evolutionary psychology behind moral judgments and hypocrisy in society. This b…

Listen
Modern Wisdom artwork
Episode audio
#290 - Dr Diana Fleischman - How Catching Covid Can Change Your Personality
Modern Wisdom • Tap any mention timestamp to jump straight into playback.
Ready to play
0:00--:--
Episode summary, books & quotes

#290 - Dr Diana Fleischman - How Catching Covid Can Change Your Personality mentions The Science of Fear by Randy Thornhill, Animal Liberation by Peter Singer, Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite, and The Moral Animal by Robert Wright with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

Episode summary
Dr Diana Fleischman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth and an author. When we get sick with a virus like Covid-19, our bodies respond, but our behaviour and personality also change in a number of important ways and sometimes, it doesn't change back. Expect to learn why avoiding new foods when ill makes evolutionary sense, whether needing the bathroom reduces your belief in free will, why extraversion is reduced when you're sick, what Diana thinks about Evolutionary Psychology's place in mindfulness and much more...
Book mentions4
Media mentions1
Topic and sentiment signals

Aggregated from transcript-derived mention metadata for better topical navigation and citation.

Mention sentiment
Deep Dive(3)Highly Recommended(1)
Audience signals
Individuals interested in psychology and societal behaviorIndividuals interested in ethical eating and public healthIndividuals interested in psychology and ethicsIndividuals interested in psychology and human behavior.

Books Mentioned

The Science of Fear cover
The Science of Fear
Randy Thornhill
Best for Individuals interested in psychology and societal behaviorOften cited around anxiety and traditionalism

Randy Thornhill is the main person who's written a whole book about it. He basically talks about looking at the pathogen load of various different countries and then examining things like liberalism, progressivism, religiosity.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in psychology and societal behavior
Key quote: Randy Thornhill is the main person who's written a whole book about it.
The host mentions 'The Science of Fear' to explore how societal fears and anxieties can influence political and cultural conservatism. Thornhill's research connects pathogen loads in countries to their adherence to traditional values, highlighting a significant psychological aspect of societal behavior.
ASIN: B0030EG0OS
Buy on Amazon
Animal Liberation cover
Animal Liberation
Peter Singer
Best for Individuals interested in ethical eating and public healthOften cited around animal rights philosophy

I challenge anyone to listen to Alex talk and synthesize stuff like Peter Singer's work and everybody else that's in there.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in ethical eating and public health
Key quote: I now have fully accepted that my lifestyle is not in alignment with my morals.
The host discusses the implications of animal agriculture on public health and the environment, referencing Peter Singer's work to highlight the moral dilemmas associated with meat consumption. They emphasize the importance of transitioning to alternative sources of food to prevent future pandemics.
ASIN: 0940322005
Buy on Amazon
Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite cover
Best for Individuals interested in psychology and ethicsOften cited around moral attitudes and hypocrisy

It's now a few years old and it lays out the whole evolutionary psychology of why we're constantly looking for moral loopholes, looking for ways to indict the behavior of others while maintaining our own behavior.

View mention details
Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Individuals interested in psychology and ethics
Key quote: There's a great book... called Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite.
The host mentions 'Why Everyone Else is a Hypocrite' to explore the evolutionary psychology behind moral judgments and hypocrisy in society. This book illustrates how people often seek moral loopholes while criticizing others, highlighting a common human tendency to feel superior without taking moral action themselves.
ASIN: 0691154392
Buy on Amazon
The Moral Animal cover
The Moral Animal
Robert Wright
Best for Individuals interested in psychology and human behavior.Often cited around evolutionary psychology insights

The speaker mentions that reading 'The Moral Animal' made them fall in love with evolutionary psychology, describing it as a book that explains human behavior from first principles.

View mention details
Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Individuals interested in psychology and human behavior.
Key quote: the book that made me fall in love with it is The Moral Animal.
The host mentions 'The Moral Animal' as a pivotal book that deepened their understanding of evolutionary psychology. They express how the book provides a foundational perspective on human behavior and psychology, making it a significant read for those interested in the subject.
ASIN: B003VXI8DO
Buy on Amazon

Movies & Documentaries Mentioned

Movie

The One

Confidence: 90%

The film features Jet Li and explores a concept where a police force polices multiple universes, and one can gain strength by eliminating their other selves.