Hip-Hop A CIA Psyop | The Truth About Police Brutality | Roland G. Fryer | PBD Podcast | Ep. 388

When you hear the word “bias,” you may think of a conscious form of prejudice—but the most potent biases are actually subconscious. These implicit biases are normal neurological responses to the culture you grow up in. In the United States, everyone encounters and encodes antiblack bias to some degree, even in black communities. This racial bias doesn’t just influence how you make decisions—it determines what you notice in your environment and what becomes invisible. And in high-stakes situations like police encounters, the consequences of racial bias can be devastating.

In this guide, we’ll discuss how your brain creates bias; how that bias impacts every area of your life, from where you live to how you post online; and, most importantly, how to combat implicit bias to create a fairer world for everyone. We’ll also compare Dr. Eberhardt’s research on racial bias to other popular books on racism such as How to Be an Antiracist and White Fragility.

Systemic racism may not be to blame in the deaths of George Floyd and other black Americans—and saying otherwise undermines law enforcement’s authority.

Elite colleges and universities in the US typically accept less than 10% of applicants, but their influence stretches far beyond this small group. In Excellent Sheep, author and former Yale professor William Deresiewicz makes the case that these institutions’ influence is negative. He argues that they’re so selective and profit-oriented that they contribute to social inequality and deprive students of high-quality learning.

In this guide, we’ll examine two problems with elite US colleges and universities and explain why Deresiewicz claims they harm both society and students. Then, we’ll explore solutions by describing how governments, schools, and parents can collectively overhaul US higher education—and how today’s students can make the most of their college years in the meantime. As we explore these ideas, we’ll fact-check the author’s claims by providing both supportive evidence and counterexamples. We’ll also discuss ways in which some elite US schools have changed since the publication of Excellent Sheep in 2014. Furthermore, we’ll supplement the author’s ideas with actionable steps.

We love tales of geniuses and underdogs who rise to success through extraordinary talent and hard work—but this isn’t the whole story. In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that these stories of supposedly self-made men and women mislead us into thinking that success is an individual achievement. But in reality, every successful person had circumstances that contributed to their success.

In this guide, we’ll explain why uncontrollable factors like when you’re born, how you’re raised, and the culture you grow up in impact your success just as much as personal attributes. We’ve also included commentary that adds context to the case studies, provides nuance to the principles, and offers alternative explanations for Gladwell’s conclusions.

Maid is Stephanie Land’s memoir of her struggle to make ends meet as a single mom by working as a housekeeper and relying on government assistance. Since Maid was published, it has been adapted into a popular, critically acclaimed Netflix miniseries.

Beyond being a personal narrative, Maid is also a broader social commentary on the American “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality. Land does backbreaking labor under difficult conditions while caring for her daughter and studying to get a college degree—yet circumstances beyond her control keep her mired in poverty. From domestic abuse to flawed government policies, the obstacles that Land must overcome are overwhelming. By the end of the memoir, while she hasn’t yet fully escaped her situation, she has begun to make a better life for herself and her daughter.

Our guide provides background information, research, and statistics on the key themes, bringing context to Land’s personal experience as it relates to the larger population of Americans experiencing poverty and abuse.

Since the 1980s, short-term mission trips have become a popular form of ministry for many evangelical Christian churches throughout North America. The purpose of these missions is ostensibly to spread the gospel and help the poor, particularly in developing nations. But Christian economic development experts Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert express concern that many of these missions actually do more harm than good because the people who organize them misunderstand the true nature and causes of poverty.

In this guide, we’ll examine their concerns, their exposition of the essence of poverty, and their suggestions for helping the poor effectively—whether by restructuring mission trips or canceling them in order to support other, more effective forms of poverty alleviation. We’ll also provide additional resources for applying some of their advice and compare their perspective to other poverty alleviation experts, such as Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Amartya Sen.

Do you feel like social justice advocacy has gone too far? Or like you have to constantly be careful about what you say? The authors of Cynical Theories agree and explain how this came to be. While past movements for equality used to fight for concrete issues, the authors contend that contemporary activists and scholars are instead more concerned with policing language and culture, shutting down rational debate, and challenging the very foundations of liberal society.

In our guide to Cynical Theories, we’ll show how, in the authors’ view, social justice scholarship and activism changed from a force for good to a dangerous movement with totalitarian tendencies. We’ll also discuss why the tenets of liberalism—namely freedom of speech and belief in science—are more important now than ever. Through our commentary, we’ll offer insights and alternate views on the history of social justice and its impact on our modern world.

Immerse yourself in a thought-provoking conversation about freedom of speech, censorship, and the impact of cancel culture on society in an episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast. The dialogue between Greg Lukianoff, a First Amendment specialist and Lex Fridman, uncovers the complex challenges surrounding these issues, further highlighting the significance of fostering understanding and congenial discourse amid divergent viewpoints. From exploring the organizational commitments towards freedom of speech to the consequences of viewpoint discrimination, tune in for an engaging exchange that delves into the core of our societal fabric.

This enlightening discourse also scrutinizes the role of digital media in shaping contemporary perspectives. It dissects the challenges of living in the digital age and its impact on mental health, personal growth, and the potential dangers of silencing opposite views. Lukianoff and Fridman also discuss the current issues in the academic and education sector, while reflecting on personal experiences and the implications on mental health. This episode brings to light the critical issues that are often overlooked in our rapidly evolving society.

Enter the political arena on the PBD Podcast episode featuring Patrick Bet-David, Vincent Oshana, and special guest Chris Cuomo as they dissect dynamic topics, from the possibility of Andrew Cuomo's mayoral candidacy to the role of economic policies in Trump's administration. Cuomo provides a unique perspective on political strategies and the significance of unity within the two-party system, while critiquing the bureaucratic roadblocks that stifle effective governance. Their intense deliberation goes beyond partisanship, embracing the complexity of American politics and cultural shifts in demographics under the Biden administration.

Engage with an in-depth analysis of societal changes as Chris Cuomo reflects on the loss of religious influence and the rise of societal intolerance, proposing national service as a solution to foster community values. Moving onto the global stage, the conversation examines the role of technology, like Elon Musk's Starlink, in geopolitical conflicts and the urgent need for economic approaches over militaristic ones in the Middle East. As the podcast unwinds, issues of media integrity and journalistic ethics come to the forefront, with Cuomo advocating for the crucial balance between neutrality and narrative shaping in political reporting—a timely discourse on the intersections of media, justice, and ethical journalism.