The Overthinkers

Is Community Possible Today? (With Houston Coley)

We all want community today. But is community possible in a modern society that puts up so many barriers to it? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson are joined by thinker and filmmaker Houston Coley to discuss.
 
Lack of friends today:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/07/well/live/adult-friendships-number.htmlhttps://nypost.com/2021/07/27/americans-have-fewer-friends-than-ever-before-study/
 
Health risks of loneliness: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/16/who-declares-loneliness-a-global-public-health-concern#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20(WHO,smoking%2015%20cigarettes%20a%20day.
 
Rising rates of depression correlating to loss of community:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/our-changing-culture/201510/are-mental-health-issues-the-rise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpP7ESJ3hEQ
 
Joseph Holmes' review of "The Anxious Generation": https://lawliberty.org/book-review/what-the-smartphone-hath-wrought/
 

Is AI Dangerous?

Is AI Dangerous? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes look at the evidence and discuss. 
AI Definition: https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence
 
Why AI is Dangerous: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-why-ai-may-be-extremely-dangerous-whether-its-conscious-or-not/
 
Why Experts Disagree: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2024/3/13/24093357/ai-risk-extinction-forecasters-tetlock

Should We Watch the News?

Is watching the news necessary to stay informed, or bad for your mental health? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss. 
 
Growing number of people avoiding the news: https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/08/01/news-avoid-depressing/
 
Media confidence reaches new low: https://news.gallup.com/poll/512861/media-confidence-matches-2016-record-low.aspx
 
News mental health harms: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/strain-media-overload
 
Where and how often people get their news: https://www.statista.com/statistics/717651/most-popular-news-platforms/#:~:text=A%20survey%20on%20news%20consumption,content%20in%20the%20last%20year.
 
Frequency of news consuption: https://www.statista.com/statistics/946580/network-news-usage-frequency/#:~:text=The%20findings%20of%20a%20study,news%20on%20a%20daily%20basis.
 
Why You Should Quit the News: https://markmanson.net/why-you-should-quit-the-news
 
Benefits and harms of watching news: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/a-global-lens/202302/is-the-news-harming-or-helping-your-psychological-health

Is Tolerance a Virtue?

For an idea so often discussed and debated, tolerance is a relatively recent virtue. Why did it become so popular? And is it overrated? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss. 
 
Merriam Webster definition of Tolerance: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tolerance
 
History of the virtue of tolerance: https://iep.utm.edu/tolerati/#H2
 
Popper’s Paradox of Tolerance: https://www.freiheit.org/mexico/limits-tolerance-poppers-paradox#:~:text=In%20practical%20terms%2C%20Popper%20tells,should%20be%20admitted%20without%20limits.
 
Criticism of Popper’s Paradox: https://markmanson.net/the-paradox-of-tolerance
 
Tolerance is Not a Virtue: https://www.equip.org/articles/is-tolerance-a-virtue/

Is Nepotism Bad?

"Nepo Babies" is a term that's grown in popularity in the 2020s. But what is it really about? And is it a problem? Nathan and Joseph discuss what Nepo Babies are, what they mean in the context of the modern world, and what we should do about it.
What is a Nepo Baby?: https://www.vulture.com/article/what-is-a-nepotism-baby.html
 
Nepo Baby Denials of Nepo-Babyness:  https://balleralert.com/profiles/blogs/saweetie-shuts-down-nepo-baby-narrative
-i-worked-hard-for-everything/
 
Nepo Baby discourse is sexist: https://www.vulture.com/article/what-is-a-nepotism-baby.html

Why Do I Feel Like a Failure?

So many people do everything right and still feel like a failure in life. Why does that happen? And how do you fix it? We discuss.
 
1 in 4 men feel like failures: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/one-in-four-men-feel-like-failures-survey-finds/news-story/548fc822a127c3c71570351fb59661d2
 
What is adulting? https://time.com/4361866/adulting-definition-meaning/
 
What is a quarter-life crisis: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tessbrigham/2022/06/07/signs-youre-having-a-quarter-life-crisis-and-what-to-do-about-it/
 
Rising depression rates: https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx
 

How Do You Make a House a Home? (With Sally Clarkson)

What does it mean to "make a house a home" and why is focusing on the home making a comeback? Mrs. Sally Clarkson brings 
 
Romanticize Your Life Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/should-you-romanticize-your-life-with-keelia-clarkson/id1510271421?i=1000640843163
 
Homesteading Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/should-we-move-to-a-cabin-in-the-woods/id1510271421?i=1000629895281
 
Industrial Revolution’s effect on the home: https://amazon.com/Toxic-War-Masculinity-Christianity-Reconciles/dp/0801075734Rise in popularity of "work from home": https://www.usnews.com/news/economy/articles/2024-01-25/remote-work-has-radically-changed-the-economy-and-its-here-to-stay#:~:text=Today%2C%20remote%20work%20has%20declined,degree%20is%20close%20to%20half.
 
Health benefits of a healthy home: https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/mental-health-clean-home/

Is Equity or Equality More Important?

What is the difference between equity and equality? And which is more important? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss.
 
Equity vs Equality definitions: 
 
Merriam Webster: 
https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/equality-vs-equity-difference
 
George Washington University: https://onlinepublichealth.gwu.edu/resources/equity-vs-equality/

How Do We Reach the Culture? (With Daniel Blackaby and Michael Blackaby)

How does one reach this new generation with the truth of Christianity? We discuss with authors Daniel and Michael Blackaby. Links for more info:
 
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/how-u-s-religious-composition-has-changed-in-recent-decades/
 
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/406544/slowdown-rise-religious-nones.aspx
 
https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023/10/24/the-great-dechurching-a-must-read-game-changer-on-church-decline

What is Nihilism?

Nihilism is arguably the most influential philosophy today. But what is it? And what are its strengths and weaknesses? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss.
Definition of nihilism: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nihilism
 
History of nihilsim: https://iep.utm.edu/nihilism/
 
Dan Harmon on the meaning of life: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/rick-and-morty-creator-dan-harmon-questions-the-meaning-of-life/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2MMiknhSIg8TtWV-1oAZdbIXpEpCTcTj1cj_EV47Keo4DNuxrCMDr4ltc_aem_AedPUaHDe4f2treHXcTmknQ_2xXCOdlxJJrNyqrf9gxfci9xB08OawZpTPA8sCIKQsEEmO4o10L7DKdrJDme73BH
 
“"Do I agree with Rick that nothing means anything? No I do not," Harmon said. "Because the knowledge that nothing matters, while accurate, gets you nowhere. The planet is dying, the sun is exploding, the universe is cooling, nothing's gonna matter; the further back you pull the more that truth will endure. But when you zoom in on Earth, when you zoom in to a family, when you zoom into a human brain and a childhood and experience, you see all these things that matter."