Why do we eat that extra scoop of ice cream when we know we shouldn't? Why do we date people who are clearly bad for us? In this conversation with Rachana Kamtekar, we explore Plato's radical and counterintuitive theory of human psychology that completely reframes how we understand temptation and self-sabotage.
From why shame might be productive while blaming others isn't, to the surprising reason Socrates accepted his death sentence rather than escaping, this conversation offers ancient wisdom that remains profoundly relevant to our modern struggles with self-improvement.
Topics We Cover:
06:41 Your Evil Desires Are Actually Just Confused Good Desires
10:04 The Fatal Flaw in Plato's Theory of Virtue
18:53 Why Laziness Is Not An Excuse
24:02 Plato's Three-Part Theory of the Soul
30:45 Why It's Rational To Be Emotional
42:47 How Your Rational Mind Can Tame Your Appetite
44:57 Why Some Desires Need to Be Forcefully Suppressed
50:13 Plato Didn't Care About Free Will and Neither Should You
55:09 Self-Blame Is the Only Useful Kind of Blame
58:25 Why Socrates Chose Death Over Exile
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