#661 - Sam Harris - How To Take Control Of Your Mind

Douglas Murray

Douglas Murray became, you know, one of my friends just after he wrote The Madness of Crowds.

Robert Wright

I really enjoyed Robert Wright's book on that.

Bill Irvin

I think you people should intelligently engage both levels.

Guest: Sam Harris

Episode summary

Sam Harris is a best selling author, moral philosopher, neuroscientist and a podcaster. The entire world seems to be at each other's throats and finding peace in the chaos is becoming increasingly difficult. But there are tools at our disposal to improve the quality of our lives. As Sam says on this episode, “Wisdom is a matter of making your mind your friend”. Expect to learn what Sam’s life is like after Twitter, Sam’s reflections on his famous talk on death and the present moment, how to live a life full of meaning, how to take your mindfulness off the cushion and into the real world, Sam's thoughts on Tucker Carlson's Twitter move, his opinion on Andrew Tate, RFK Jr, Andrew Huberman and Jordan Peterson, whether have reached peak woke, Sam’s take on young Western men converting to Islam and much more...

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Douglas Murray

The host mentions 'The Madness of Crowds' to highlight Douglas Murray's exploration of how people cling to ideologica…

Robert Wright

The host mentions Robert Wright's book 'Why Buddhism is True' to highlight the systematic and useful aspects of Buddh…

Bill Irvin

The host mentions 'The Guide to the Good Life' to highlight the connection between mindfulness and stoicism, emphasiz…

Waking Up

Sam Harris

The host discusses the concept of mindfulness and its relationship to emotions, emphasizing that it is about fully ex…

The Book of Mormon

The host critiques the notion of divine authorship in religious texts, suggesting that they are human creations. He c…

Scientology

The host mentions Scientology in the context of discussing the human origins of religious texts and the credibility o…

The Bible

The host discusses the limitations of the Bible as a source of wisdom, acknowledging that while it contains valuable…

Buddhism vs Stoicism(1)collapse of grand narratives(1)Critique of religious texts(1)discussion of religious texts(1)discussion on religion(1)mindfulness and meditation(1)stoicism and mindfulness(1)

Book mentions7

Media mentions1

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What is #661 - Sam Harris - How To Take Control Of Your Mind about?

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The conversation centers on Buddhism vs Stoicism.
A second recurring theme is collapse of grand narratives.
Referenced books include The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray and Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright.
The strongest audience signal points to Individuals interested in societal ideologies and economic inequality and Individuals exploring spiritual methodologies and ethical insights..

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Which books are mentioned in #661 - Sam Harris - How To Take Control Of Your Mind?

The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray, Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright, and The Guide to the Good Life by Bill Irvin are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Mention sentiment

Critical Analysis(3)Deep Dive(3)Highly Recommended(1)

Audience signals

Individuals interested in societal ideologies and economic inequalityIndividuals exploring spiritual methodologies and ethical insights.Individuals interested in philosophy and personal developmentIndividuals interested in meditation and emotional awarenessIndividuals interested in religious studies and critical thinking about faith.Individuals interested in religious studies and critical thinking

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Douglas Murray

Best for Individuals interested in societal ideologies and economic inequalityOften cited around collapse of grand narratives

“Douglas Murray became one of my friends just after he wrote The Madness of Crowds. In that he's talking about the collapse of grand narratives and how people latch onto ideological movements.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: collapse of grand narratives

For: Individuals interested in societal ideologies and economic inequality

Key quote: “Douglas Murray became, you know, one of my friends just after he wrote The Madness of Crowds.”

The host mentions 'The Madness of Crowds' to highlight Douglas Murray's exploration of how people cling to ideological movements in the absence of grand narratives. This discussion reflects on the societal implications of such ideologies and the economic disparities that contribute to this phenomenon.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Robert Wright

Best for Individuals exploring spiritual methodologies and ethical insights.Often cited around Buddhism vs Stoicism

“I really enjoyed Robert Wright's book on that. Yeah, why Buddhism is true talking about religion.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: Buddhism vs Stoicism

For: Individuals exploring spiritual methodologies and ethical insights.

Key quote: “I really enjoyed Robert Wright's book on that.”

The host mentions Robert Wright's book 'Why Buddhism is True' to highlight the systematic and useful aspects of Buddhism compared to Stoicism. They appreciate Buddhism's comprehensive approach to spiritual training and ethical insight, suggesting it is highly beneficial for personal growth.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Bill Irvin

Best for Individuals interested in philosophy and personal developmentOften cited around stoicism and mindfulness

“Bill Irvin, this philosophy professor who wrote a great book, The Guide to the Good Life, has a track has a series on waking up that is really great.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: stoicism and mindfulness

For: Individuals interested in philosophy and personal development

Key quote: “I think you people should intelligently engage both levels.”

The host mentions 'The Guide to the Good Life' to highlight the connection between mindfulness and stoicism, emphasizing how both philosophies can enhance one's understanding of life. They appreciate the book for its insights into reframing experiences and the simplicity of stoic principles as tools for mental clarity.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Waking Up

Sam Harris

Best for Individuals interested in meditation and emotional awarenessOften cited around mindfulness and meditation

“I've titled my book and my app waking up and what, you know, this is an ancient analogy, which is all too literal.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: mindfulness and meditation

For: Individuals interested in meditation and emotional awareness

Key quote: “I mean, that's why many people, you, I, you know, I've titled my book and my app waking up and what, you know, this is an ancient analogy, which is all too literal.”

The host discusses the concept of mindfulness and its relationship to emotions, emphasizing that it is about fully experiencing feelings rather than suppressing them. They reference their book 'Waking Up' to illustrate the idea of breaking free from the distractions of thought, akin to waking from a dream.

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The Book of Mormon

Best for Individuals interested in religious studies and critical thinking about faith.Often cited around discussion of religious texts

“The speaker compares the process of compiling religious texts to that of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, suggesting a human element in their creation.”

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Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: discussion of religious texts

For: Individuals interested in religious studies and critical thinking about faith.

Key quote: “If we knew more about it, it would look much more... like Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.”

The host critiques the notion of divine authorship in religious texts, suggesting that they are human creations. He compares the Book of Mormon to other religious texts, emphasizing the human element in their formation and the wisdom that can still be extracted from them.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Scientology

Best for Individuals interested in religious studies and critical thinkingOften cited around discussion on religion

“The speaker mentions Scientology in the context of discussing the human origins of religious narratives and the wisdom that can be extracted from them.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: discussion on religion

For: Individuals interested in religious studies and critical thinking

Key quote: “you just... the basic claim, and I think Richard would agree with this, is that you don't have to believe anything on insufficient evidence to extract all the wisdom that is to be found in the world's literature”

The host mentions Scientology in the context of discussing the human origins of religious texts and the credibility of various belief systems. He compares Scientology to other religions, emphasizing the importance of evidence in evaluating their claims.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

The Bible

Best for Individuals interested in religious studies and critical thinkingOften cited around Critique of religious texts

“The speaker expresses skepticism about the Bible being the wisest book, acknowledging that it contains wisdom but was written by human beings.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: Critique of religious texts

For: Individuals interested in religious studies and critical thinking

Key quote: “I just don't think that the Bible is the wisest book we have, even though there are pearls of real wisdom there.”

The host discusses the limitations of the Bible as a source of wisdom, acknowledging that while it contains valuable insights, it is ultimately a human creation. This perspective is contrasted with the divine claims made by various religions, highlighting the need for critical examination of religious texts.

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The Madness of Crowds

Modern Wisdom · 1:55:54

Douglas Murray became, you know, one of my friends just after he wrote The Madness of Crowds.

Why Buddhism is True

Modern Wisdom · 1:49:54

I really enjoyed Robert Wright's book on that.

The Guide to the Good Life

Modern Wisdom · 1:46:05

I think you people should intelligently engage both levels.

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Mentioned at 1:55:54

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Douglas Murray

The host mentions 'The Madness of Crowds' to highlight Douglas Murray's exploration of how people cling to ideological movements in the absence of…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 1:49:54

Check price Jump to mention

Robert Wright

The host mentions Robert Wright's book 'Why Buddhism is True' to highlight the systematic and useful aspects of Buddhism compared to Stoicism. They…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 1:46:05