Silver Eye Society

You can feel it, I can feel it, we all feel the pull of the algorithms that try to direct our attention in whichever way they decide today.   We're still in the denial/dismissal stage of social media's influence on our attention. Some admit it's a problem, but most brush it off at the end of the day.    In reality, social media's impact on what we pay attention to is probably worse than we're willing to contend with.      ◬ In this episode: ⋗ What's the problem with how social media directs our attention?  ⋗ Become unbrandable!  ⋗ How can you take your attention back?  ⋗ How deep has the influence of social media seeped into us?  ⋗ Does the internet degrade creativity? ⋗ We're being incentivized to be worse   ◬ Join Justin's schizo Substack  ◬ Justin's latest horror story (audio version)    ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Vampire movies are either beloved or hated, but your feeling might be complicated if that vampire movie was directed by...David Lynch.    A little-known novel matches the story of Mulholland Drive perfectly.  Here's the interpretation of this movie that will make David Lynch's unusual style crystal clear.     ◬ In this episode:    ⋗ How David Lynch's Mulholland Drive is based on an old novel 3:56 ⋗ Is Carmela in Mulholland Drive actually a vampire? 6:32 ⋗ Psychic vampirism 13:57 ⋗ The folklore about vampires spreading vampirism 17:07   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple  

More people are drinking an illegal, dangerous, highly legislated beverage you've likely been warned about since childhood: raw milk. Are these raw milk extremists just throwing another contrarian tantrum or is there something deeper to why more people are opting for FDA-unapproved milk? Milk is an ancient food that can tell us more about our culture and government than you'd expect.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Worry about your SALADS, nerd ⋗ How pasteurized milk differs from raw milk ⋗ Why do we pasteurize milk if raw milk is better?  ⋗ How dairy pasteurization laws are flawed and encourage dishonesty  ⋗ Raw milk as a window into the new counter-culture ⋗ The one thing the French are winning at  ⋗ Milk Pilled?    ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Do you find yourself unable to discern between reality and satire some days?   When serious headlines seem identical to The Onion's headlines, absurdism is the language of our time. Everything, Everywhere, All At Once is a movie that understands we're all losing our minds; is that a good thing or just another sign of our impending doom?    ◬ In this episode:    ⋗ Word of the podcast: Simultaneous ⋗ Do chaotic times require an absurdist outlook? ⋗ Battle between the black and white pill ⋗ Why Everything, Everywhere, All At Once is a ladies' movie ⋗ Is social media a feminine technology?   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple  

The trad movement is yet another internet subculture that exposes the strange psychology of our time. Can we really RETVRN or is every belief system that claims to bring something back from the past a nostalgic delusion?   The Wickerman is one of the great folk horror films that show us the psychology at play behind nostalgic movements and the horrific outcomes they can yield.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Druid ⋗ Explaining the trad movement to a misanthropic hermit ⋗ Can the Trad Lyfe movement work or is it a cosplay? ⋗ Why "making America" anything again is impossible ⋗ Is the Wicca religion fake? ⋗ Beliefs without sacrifice are a hobby (NOTE: we do not endorse human sacrifice).   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Our modern society is a totally different place from the one that artists we still idolize lived in, so how does modernity affect today's artists? Can atheists make good art or do artists need some relationship with divinity to create inspiring art? When it feels like so much mainstream art is tepid and ugly, what is really the purpose of art today?   ◬ Featured quote: "125. Irreligiousity of Artists. Homer is so much at home among his gods, and as a poet takes such pleasure in them, that he, at any rate, must have been profoundly unreligious. With that with which popular belief presented him - a paltry, crude, and in part horrible superstition - he trafficked as freely as a sculptor with his clay, that is to say, with the same ease and impartiality as that possessed by Aeschylus and Aristophanes, and which in more recent times, distinguishes the great artists of the Renaissance, as it does Shakespeare and Goethe."   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ How an artist's relationship to religion impacts their art ⋗ Denis Forkas: https://www.instagram.com/denisforkasofficial/ ⋗ Is fine art over? ⋗ Art dies when people can't honestly criticize bad art ⋗ Salomé attacks her art enemy, Jeff Koons ⋗ Art conspiracy    ◬ Book Mentioned: Human, All Too Human   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Are people becoming more attached to their political identities than their own individuality?   A better future requires more freedom from our political labels, not stronger shackles. But how?   We're mixing a little Nietzsche, anarchy, and philosophy to find out whether relying on your internal compass can beat relying on ideology.   ◬ Featured quote: "569. Self-Satisfaction. The golden fleece of self-satisfaction protects against blows, but not against pinpricks."   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ The myth of the golden fleece ⋗ Why the natural progression of human society is toward anarchy ⋗ Justin denounces time ⋗ Is everything getting worse or better on average? ⋗ Why being politically detached makes you a clear thinker ⋗ Developing an internal compass vs ideology   ◬ Book Mentioned: Human, All Too Human   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Nietzsche. 70s British horror. What more can you ask for? The film Absolution is a good window into two major problems we face today: confused morality and boring movies.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Confess ⋗ When did movies start getting stale? ⋗ How this movie shows us Nietzsche's warning ⋗ Why do movies feel commercial and unoriginal now? ⋗ We need working-class artists   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

The one where Salomé's decides some anarchy might be in order.   Is freedom cool? How much freedom? If you've ever wondered about the limits of freedom and the practicality of anarchy, this episode is for you.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ How libertarianism is more complex than many realize ⋗ What Salomé spoke at for LibertyCon ⋗ How freedom is the inevitable outcome of growth ⋗ Why Salomé is an anarchist (for) now ⋗ Basic arguments for and against anarchy   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Love him or hate him, Trump is never boring. Or has that changed with his latest speech: the announcement of his presidential campaign.   Looking at Trump's speech from the lens of art criticism, we analyze what makes Trump such a unique speaker and point out some of his ideological flaws.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Why Trump is a natural comedian ⋗ How Trump uses nostalgia ⋗ The major perspective flaw that threatens free societies ⋗ How Trump has irreversibly changed our relationship with government ⋗ Justin's foreign politics analysis ⋗ Rating Trump's speech   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Where have all the public intellectuals gone?   In a time when cultural chaos abounds, the lack of reasonable and non-reactionary thinkers is more obvious than ever.   In this mostly one-sided feud, Salomé argues for why Sam Harris has failed as a public thinker and epitomizes the anti-intellectualism growing in our culture.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Where did all the public intellectuals go? ⋗ Why Lex Friedman's talk with Kanye is important ⋗ Part 2 of the Salomé x Sam Harris fake feud ⋗ Why Kanye shouldn't be censored ⋗ How alarmist reactions to events damage our culture    ◬ Salomé's Kanye essay   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

No doomsday-ing here! This episode marks the beginning of Salomé's public breakdown and how our hyper-connected, reactive online world is making us all lose our minds.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Salomé x Sam Harris fake feud ⋗ Overcoming artistic repression ⋗ Appreciating Kanye's contribution to American culture ⋗ Appreciating and critiquing Sam Harris' ⋗ How social media warps your perspective and expression ⋗ Justin critiques Salomé's writing   ◬ Salomé's Kanye essay   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Human dignity was based on the idea of a soul.   If you view humans as no more special than a chimp, do you inadvertently accept the belief in treating them as such?   Just like Hannibal Lecter viewed humans with rational detachment, modern science might not have the philosophical brakes to prevent dehumanizing its subjects.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: self-eater ⋗ Salomé finds out she's descended from cannibals ⋗ Is science inherently dehumanizing? ⋗ Don't trust the...behavioral science. ⋗ How coercion and manipulation undermine humanity ⋗ What makes a human life worthy of respect?   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Is the mindset of humans who lived in vastly different times so fundamentally different from our modern mindset that it's impossible to understand?   In this episode, we try to understand feudal and ancient minds to better understand our own.   ◬ Featured quote:   "440. Of the nobility. That in which men and women of the nobility excel others and which gives them an undoubted right to be rated higher consists in two arts, ever more enhanced through inheritance: the art of commanding and the art of obedience..."   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ The dumbest explanation of feudalism possible ⋗ Are people still as obedient as peasants? ⋗ The lost value in obedience ⋗ Feudal mindset ⋗ Noticing your subservient tendencies   ◬ Book Mentioned: Human, All Too Human   ◬ Theorize about the state of our world and everything in it by joining the Silver Eye Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

We had a golden moment where secular liberal people got to enjoy a more liberal society while still reaping the benefits of tradition. That moment has passed.     Children of the Corn is an accidental character study of the person who enjoys liberalism while sneering at everything that helped produce it.    Let's examine where our secular arrogance went wrong.     ◬ In this episode:   ⋗ Word of the podcast: Harvest ⋗ What makes some movies feel so stale? ⋗ The morning after secular liberal arrogance ⋗ Is the folk horror genre feminine? ⋗ How Children of the Corn fails as a film   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Would you get thrown into the Wickerman or would you do the throwing?   The idea that some people must be sacrificed for others to thrive has been with humanity forever. Utopianism can be a driving force in getting people to do terrible things in the name of a wonderful, non-existent future.   What's up with utopianism and can it be cured?   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Utopia ⋗ Is utopianism a destructive perspective? ⋗ Is leftism inherently utopianistic? ⋗ What cures utopianism? ⋗ Does social media make resentment and utopianism more likely? ⋗ How Salomé overcame utopianistic political views   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Can you live with no regrets?   This episode, Justin is stumped by Nietzsche's quote but Salomé appreciates its YOLO-esque message. We request your art critique of Salomé's new recording background.   ◬ Featured quote: "563. Easily Resigned. One suffers little from disappointed wishes if one has trained one's imagination to blacken the past."   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Salomé's missed million-dollar opportunity she refuses to regret ⋗ Can we live with no regrets? ⋗ Justin rejects Nietzsche's idea ⋗ Submit your art criticism of my weird Soviet-style sculpture!   ◬ Book Mentioned: Human, All Too Human    ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

A recent social media situation showed that even reasonable people now view a once derogatory term, "nerd", as a positive. What does it say about our culture when words meant to denote negative qualities become positive?   We're looking at the history of "nerd" and whether it spells out a much bigger problem of cultural decline.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ How "nerd" has changed from a negative to positive meaning ⋗ Analyzing Bill Nye and other "cool nerds" like Elon Musk ⋗ "Cool nerds" as a microcosm of cultural over-correction ⋗ The consequences of subverting traditional values unthinkingly ⋗ Nietzsche's criticism of a culture that idolizes meekness   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple 

This ON LOCATION episode of Peasant Radio exposes Salome's Carnival Cruise trauma and connects it to the state of our culture.     ◬ In this episode:    ⋗ Analyzing Carnival Cruise passenger demographics ⋗ Baby Shark will destroy western civilization ⋗ Visiting an abandoned carnival in nowhere Florida ⋗ The Bahamas is fake ⋗ Carnival-induced depression ⋗ Acceptable cruise alternatives   ◬ To submit your questions for our next AMA, follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on when questions will be taken: https://www.reddit.com/r/SilverEyeSociety/   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple 

In the Silver Eye Society's AMA, we consider your questions in our usual absurdist form.   In this public portion of July's AMA, we answer: ⋗ Q: How to school your children with the rise of indoctrination in public schools? ⋗ The real problem causing panic about indoctrination in schools ⋗ Do we indoctrinate our own kids? ⋗ Q: What's your view on longevity research that tries to extend human lifespan? ⋗ How extended human lifespan would inject wisdom into society ⋗ What society would be like if Ben Franklin was still alive today   ◬ To get the full version of this AMA in addition to the free portion, join the Silver Eye Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety   ◬ To submit your questions for our next AMA, follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on when questions will be taken: https://www.reddit.com/r/SilverEyeSociety/   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple 

Women are perfect and never have nor can they ever do anything wrong. Nothing to see here!   This is a total non-episode on the absolute 0 vices of feminity as considered through a Nietzschean lens. There's simply no way that, when women have never had more systemic and cultural power, they might have just a bit of sway on society.   Additionally, since women are eternally flawless and blameless, that sway could never cause some negative phenomena in our culture...   ◬ Featured quote:   "An Element of Love. In every kind of womanly love, there also appears something of motherly love."   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Is women's relational strength also their weakness? ⋗ A society where masculinity is demonized is a society that doesn't value its own protection ⋗ Modern feminism is now harming women more than helping them ⋗ War is feminist now   ◬ Book Mentioned: Human, All Too Human    ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

The yard signs might be popular, but reality doesn't need to win a popularity contest to prevail. Nietzsche had a unique way of picking apart the kind of pathological nice-ness that pervades our culture today. There are plenty of modern examples to choose from for understanding Nietzsche's suspicion of this sickly form of sympathy. Let us know how you interpret Nietzsche's quote in the comments!   ◬ Featured quote: "Hypochondria. There are people who, out of empathy with and concern for another person, become hypochondriac. The species of sympathy that arises, in this case, is nothing other than an illness. Thus there is also a Christian hypochondria such as overcomes these solitary, religiously-inclined people who have the suffering and death of Christ continually before their eyes."   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ The type of people who gain a sense of superiority by "helping" ⋗ How religious instincts have manifested in leftist politics ⋗ Why dogmatic politics don't actually solve political problems ⋗ The kind of self-serving "compassion" that exacerbates the homelessness crises ⋗ How self-serving "compassion" causes a violent backlash    ◬ Book Mentioned: Human, All Too Human   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Uh oh! More misinformation is hiding in your closet, lurking under your bed, ready to snatch your innocent children away.   Alex Jones, aka the shadow ruler of the misinformation realm, is a figure that can teach us a lot about our culture and government by analyzing their reactions to him.    Perhaps the politicians and pundits doth protest too much?     ◬ In this episode:      ⋗ Word of the podcast: Conspire ⋗ Conspiracy theorists are inevitable ⋗ How elitism breeds anti-establishment ethos ⋗ Equality and democracy require tolerating conspiracies   ⋗ How dishonest and incompetence in mainstream media empowers conspiracy theorists ⋗ Alex Jones as a barometer for the establishment sensitivity ⋗ How political double-standards contribute to extremism and paranoia   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

What does vengeance mean to you? Some concepts fade out of culture, but that doesn't mean the impulse doesn't still exist within us.   The Northman brings the pursuit of vengeance to modern audiences, possibly being a reason some critics found the movie offensive. But perhaps more offensive is a society that doesn't understand its history nor itself.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Wergeld ⋗ The difference between Christian & pre-Christian cultures ⋗ The flaws in the political criticism of The Northman ⋗ Are non-religious people ready for the chaos of a secular society? ⋗ How will a secular society deal with the impulse for vengeance and revenge? ⋗ Nietzsche's critique of Christianity as seen through The Northman ⋗ Will secularism lead to a perverse form of paganism?   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Where do you stand in between the two-party struggle? This discussion of deep political strategy, values-based voting, and libertarian party woes searches for new answers to a very old problem.   ◬ In this episode:   ⋗ What the F is FreedomFest? ⋗ How traditional liberals became libertarians ⋗ Can the libertarian party actually do anything? ⋗ Dealing with the "Throwing away your vote" third-party criticism ⋗ Infiltrating the two-party system to subvert it ⋗ How two-party politics stokes tribalism over rationalism ⋗ Creating a culture of freedom   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple  

In the Silver Eye Society's AMA, we consider your questions in our usual absurdist form.   ◬ In this public portion of June's AMA, we answer: ⋗ Q: What bands or artists that you liked as a child do you still enjoy listening to now? ⋗ Monk music and the power of sound ⋗ Navigating workplaces requiring ideological alignment to keep a job? ⋗ Deciding your values when dealing with intolerant workplace culture ⋗ ....or bide your time for vengeance   ◬ To get the full version of this AMA in addition to the free portion, join the Silver Eye Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Censorship is a growing problem because the ethos that entitles one person to believe they hold more right to make decisions for other adults is a problem.   A rather uncontroversial film became highly controversial when a group of unknown filmmakers made that exact decision: that you shouldn't be able to watch or consider films that they dislike.   But you know the increasingly common cancel culture story, so let's take this conversation deeper for once. Where does this growing culture of control take us and what really needs to happen to avoid it?   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ What is this blacklisted documentary about? ⋗ The tired pattern of Mad Libs-style outraged accusations ⋗ How the ideology of intersectionality inevitable destroys all systems ⋗ Why the incremental approach to defending free expression will fail ⋗ How censoring art always leads to authoritarianism ⋗ Power-hungry people often hide their true motives behind virtue ⋗ Does the art world need to get worse before it gets better?   ◬ The letter that caused the film to be blacklisted   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Do video games cause violence? Did Nirvana cause nihilism? The influence art has on us is a much older debate than media scaremongering and concerned parents.    Did Nietzsche predict the goth subculture? In this episode, you'll be armed with new ways to diss bad art.   Let us know how you interpret Nietzsche's quote in the comments!     ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Why do we enjoy scary movies?   ⋗ How art might influence us in powerful ways   ⋗ Are we becoming progressively desensitized?    ⋗ Did Nietzsche predict the goth subculture?     ◬ Book Mentioned:  Human, All Too Human    ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

You know of alchemy, but do you know alchemy?   Our modern mindset has led us astray in understanding what past societies sought in their seemingly silly practices, at least that's what Jung believes about alchemy.   If you're thinking about doing a little at-home alchemy or want to glean the knowledge of ancient hermits, this episode is for you.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Alexipharmic ⋗ How Skyrim is wrong about alchemy ⋗ Why Jung believes most people misunderstood alchemy ⋗ Was alchemy a search for archetypes instead of gold? ⋗ A warning against dabbling in the depths of the unknown ⋗ Are psychedelics a pathway or a risky shortcut to individuation?   ◬ Book Mentioned: Psychology and Alchemy by Carl Jung   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Dishonesty is more complex than the black and white moral lessons we learned as kids.  "Don't lie" isn't enough to combat a more damaging but subtle kind of lie: self-deception.     Crime and Punishment is popularly analyzed for its argument against nihilism, but Dostoevsky's perspective on dishonesty is just as powerful and insightful.   ◬ In this episode:    ⋗ Word of the podcast: Recrimination ⋗ Lying distorts reality and degrades your judgment   ⋗ Hidden intentions in political arguments ⋗ Salomé's anti advertisement ⋗ Constructive vs destructive delusion ⋗ Dostoevsky's perspective on lying and morality     ◬ Book Mentioned: Crime and Punishment    ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Capitalism might as well be a curse word to some people. This episode isn't for those people.   Using a pro-capitalism propaganda film from 1948, we have a rational conversation on capitalism, both its benefits and flaws.    Enjoy the feeling of relating to other sane humans over a controversial topic in this unicorn of political content.     ◬ In this episode:    ⋗ Word of the podcast: Capitalism ⋗ Is capitalism just harder to understand than other systems? ⋗ A nuanced critique of capitalism   ⋗ How we've become less free than we even realize ⋗ The new ailment: mask-ism     ◬ Video referenced: Make Mine Freedom (1949)   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.     ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Your Instagram ads might be an accidental window into the horror of our budding technocracy.   Whether your ads are benign or unhinged, the targeted ads we're now accustomed to are actually a rabbit hole into our changing relationship with technology.   Targeted ads might know something about you that you don't—or they might be a great example of the tech world's oversimplification of human beings.   ◬ In this episode:   ⋗ What your Instagram ads think about you ⋗ Mobile games expose the dark primitive core of humanity ⋗ Understanding yourself through the reflection of your targeted ads ⋗ Why it's terrifying that your Instagram ads target you   ◬ Join your fellow peasants to theorize about the state of our world at the Silver Eye Society on Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Cults get a bad rep (which is mostly deserved). Yet, cults are a core part of American culture.   The Koreshans of Florida are a beautiful example of the human desire to figure out the mysteries of life, the American desire to believe freely, and how fears over misinformation ignore that man cannot live by facts alone.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ If you don't like society, start a cult! ⋗ Learning from the origins of a respectable Florida-based cult ⋗ Setting a mission statement for your cult ⋗ Fear-mongering about misinformation is misinformation ⋗ How misinformation has led to good things   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via:   Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

You use technology for things you don't even realize you use technology for. You think about "breaks" and "offline days" because a life spent offline is no longer imaginable.   The cyborg future is close, but you can still resist. We're talking about how we've molded technology with our own human limitations and whether the Amish can save us.   ◬ In this episode:   ⋗ Word of the podcast: Manicheism ⋗ Our inevitable cyborg future (and how not to fight it) ⋗ Did we inadvertently program our dualistic perspective into technology? ⋗ Is our limited understanding of ourselves reflected back on us through the way we design technology? ⋗ How does our reliance on technology influence our personalities? ⋗ The Amish are ready.   ◬ Video referenced: Computers and Human Behavior (1962)   ◬ Similar episodes: ⋗ You're the Experiment | Ex Machina ⋗ Rage Against the Smartphone | Social Dilemma   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

In the Silver Eye Society's AMA, we consider your questions in our usual absurdist form.   ◬ In this public portion of May's AMA, we answer:   ⋗ Q: Is the Netflix company culture change an indicator of the pendulum swinging back? ⋗ It's time for trans people to give the spotlight to the next disgruntled minority ⋗ Businesses like Netflix will learn to stop catering to a minority of perpetually enraged online activists ⋗ Rejecting the authoritarian mindset     ◬ To get the full version of this AMA in addition to the free portion, join the Silver Eye Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety     ◬ Submit your questions for the next AMA via the Silver Eye's Reddit page and keep an eye out for our updates on social media for the next submission period: Salomé Sibonex Justin A.W. Blair   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

From the entertainment industry to the education sector, it seems like increasingly far-left politics are promoted by people with questionable intentions.   What does Nike get from pandering to ideologies that criticize its existence? What do wealthy celebrities get from public groveling?   Lenin's rise to power reveals patterns that explain today's strange political landscape.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ What do celebrities & companies get from virtue signaling? ⋗ Does comfort & lack of purpose make political activism more appealing? ⋗ Moderate views are more threatening to extremists than opposing extremes ⋗ Salomé's embarrassing leftist past ⋗ How do people still justify communism despite its bloody history? ⋗ Word of the podcast: Bolshevik   ◬ Book Mentioned: Lenin: The Man, the Dictator, and the Master of Terror   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

You might not think mimes are a problem, but a quick glance through any social media platform will show that mimicry is alive and thrives. Children use mimicry to develop socially, but what happens when adults are more like mimes than individuals?   We're going deep into the minds of mimes and the psychology mimicry to find out where all the originality has gone.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Mime ⋗ How to fight the mimes ⋗ Conformity is dehumanizing ⋗ Controlling people's speech enforces conformity ⋗ Trump as a study in breaking political molds ⋗ Social media is mime world ⋗ Censorship and coerced speech are infantilizing   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

In the Silver Eye Society's AMA, we consider your questions in our usual absurdist form.      In this public portion of April's AMA, we answer:   ⋗ Q: How to develop discernment versus judgment ⋗ Battle between Eastern and Western views on judgment ⋗ Q: What was the movie that got you into movies as serious art/philosophy? ⋗ Salomé's art film epiphany movie ⋗ Q: Your views about how to focus on creating even during dark times ⋗ Creative work can balance suffering ⋗ Q: In the pursuit of truth, where to draw the line between morality, practicality, and circumstance ⋗ Using your values to find nuance in the pursuit of truth ⋗ Favorite NIN album?   ◬ Submit your questions for the next AMA via the Silver Eye's Reddit page and keep an eye out for our updates on social media for the next submission period: Salomé Sibonex Justin A.W. Blair   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

We treat today's problems like they're unprecedented signs of societal collapse, but history shows we've been dealing with the same problems for centuries.   A look at one American president's life shows how similar today's controversies are to those of the past. Most importantly, what happens when we don't realize we're repeating history?   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Commonplace Book ⋗ The lo-tech Pinterest of the past ⋗ Jefferson was pro-Bitcoin ⋗ Conspiracies are a natural part of human life ⋗ Free speech and the media have always been messy ⋗ Liberal idealism and university student madness ⋗ Why it's crucial to know the history of society's problems ⋗ Viewing history as a wise elder vs. a passionate youth   ◬ Book Mentioned: American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Is everything that past generations dreamed of and suffered for destined to be scoffed at and subverted by subsequent generations?   A podcast on navigating the American Dream become nightmare and how not to get swallowed by the suburbs.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Vivarium ⋗ Do the achievements of the past inevitably become the burdens of the future? ⋗ Without defined goals, success feels arbitrary and less satisfying ⋗ Gendered methods of escaping from misery ⋗ Millennial apathy or disdain for existence? ⋗ Actively choosing your life is what can make it bearable ⋗ You either dig your enemy's grave or your own   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Could you survive the Cube? A group is a microcosm of society. Whether a tyrant rules over three people or 3 million, the same patterns and psychology are at play. Knowing what those patterns look like on the individual level makes you better able to see them when they're beginning to appear on the societal level.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Cube ⋗ Could Lex Friedman escape The Cube? ⋗ How to appreciate older movies and effects ⋗ The psychology of tyrannical leaders ⋗ Guns may create more equality than less ⋗ How individual dynamics play out across entire societies ⋗ Will violence be our ultimate end as a species? ⋗ Guilt prevents progress ⋗ How family redeems the individual   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

The far-left politics that have gained popularity today aren't new—they were also popular with a figure whose ideals led to the deaths of millions.   No conversation about today's lite far-leftist views can be complete without an understanding of Vladimir Lenin's views.   And when you find that your views on free speech overlap with a figure who didn't hesitate to execute political dissidents, it might be time to reevaluate your path.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Tradition ⋗ Background on Vladimir Lenin ⋗ The difference between career activists and true radicals ⋗ Why the left attacks traditions and culture ⋗ The history of leftism suppressing free speech ⋗ How academia has cultivated far-leftism ⋗ Free speech is the decisive battle   ◬ Book Mentioned: Lenin: The Man, the Dictator, and the Master of Terror   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Our culture might feel intensely serious but it's never been more absurd.    Somewhere child soldiers march into battle while our college kids hyperventilate over "bad" words. Absurdism is exactly what's needed to make sense of a nonsensical society.      ◬ In this episode:      ⋗ Word of the podcast: Absurd ⋗ The absurdity of our meaningless existence ⋗ Have our conversations become interrogations?   ⋗ We don't realize how technology is damaging our communication ⋗ The importance of podcasts and rejecting censorship ⋗ We haven't reckoned with how social media addiction may afflict society ⋗ Our culture is simultaneously absurd and overly serious ⋗ Inflating minor issues prevents us from alleviating genuine hardship ⋗ Why is there no Lady Jackass?   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

In the Silver Eye Society's AMA, we consider your questions in our usual absurdist form.   In this public portion of March's AMA, we answer: ⋗ Q: Why are those who presume to have free, open minds often so adversarial? ⋗ Compassion is often a mask for its opposite ⋗ Q: How to move beyond the Afro-Pessimism lens of progressive leftist racial worldview. ⋗ Pessimism leads to the natural conclusion of revenge. ⋗ The future is a post-ideology society ⋗ How to spot a pending societal collapse ⋗ Q: What in the world are you looking to encounter? ⋗ Understanding the world outside of a pre-formed worldview ⋗ The pandemic turned us into hampsters   ◬ To get the full version of this AMA in addition to the free portion, join the Silver Eye Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety   ◬ To submit your questions for our next AMA, follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on when questions will be taken: https://www.reddit.com/r/SilverEyeSociety/   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

It's a movie you've never heard of told in a way stories are rarely still told today.     Everyone has a camera and everyone has a public profile, but instead of sharing unprecedented levels of the human experience, most people perform and conform.      Every person is capable of offering us insight, whether intentionally or accidentally. But when our culture seems increasingly contrived and guarded, does it influence us to become just as insincere?     ◬ In this episode:      ⋗ Word of the podcast: Tenacity ⋗ Art is ruined by rigid, cynical narrative-seeking ⋗ Does each generation get weaker?   ⋗ The insight of the average person ⋗ The omen of the Island Boys ⋗ Is our culture afraid of sincerity?   ⋗ Technology changes the way we present and understand ourselves ⋗ Why are we losing real-world connection as we gain an unprecedented amount of online connection?   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Was this year's Oscars ceremony a psy-op or the perfect encapsulation of contemporary American culture?   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Oscar ⋗ Why does no one care about The Oscars anymore? ⋗ The Oscars isn't for us, but a tiny subculture of Americans ⋗ When political displays are popular, not a personal sacrifice ⋗ Leave Chris Rock alone!!! ⋗ Hollywood once made dreams, now it kills them ⋗ Chaos erupts   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

You're addicted to screens that seduce you away from everything meaningful in life with neon flashes of phantom happiness.      You haven't had an original thought in weeks because the newsfeed-to-brain pipeline we call a smartphone is ever-flowing.      Issue after issue is either created or compounded by the man-made mechanisms that connect and then control mass populations. But don't worry, the creators of these problems have inspiring ideas of what the future can be—and this time everything will be different.      Right?   ◬ In this episode:      ⋗ Word of the podcast: Dilemma ⋗ Can the problems tech people created be solved by the same people?   ⋗ We disagree more, but we also see our disagreement like never before ⋗ The arrogant utopianism of tech culture threatens society ⋗ The danger of conflating healthy dissent with unhealthy division ⋗ What would a social media credit score look like?   ⋗ Revisiting the concept of the mad scientist   ⋗

In the Silver Eye Society's AMA, we consider your questions in our usual absurdist form.   In this public portion of February's AMA, we answer: ⋗ Video games we've played and their philosophical interpretations ⋗ Q: Is the mainstream media coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine reliable?  ⋗ What the media has already gotten wrong about Ukraine & Russia ⋗ Let's not have opinions on everything at every moment ⋗ You don't get to choose your thoughts anymore ⋗ Q: At what point is consideration for others a problem? ⋗ When consideration for others harms us all ⋗ Q: Is there a shard of meanness necessary in life and art? ⋗ Great artists must be willing to be disliked ⋗ Q: What made you start the podcast?   ◬ To get the full version of this AMA in addition to the free portion, join the Silver Eye Society on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/silvereyesociety   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Fear is ancient, but so is the desire to exploit it. V for Vendetta is a crash course in how fear is used to control entire populations.   When it seems like illness and violence are constantly competing for our attention today, understanding how fear changes us and our society is crucial.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Vox Populi ⋗ Powerful figures use fear to sow insecurity and take control ⋗ There is no "normal" to get back to ⋗ The cost of using fear to control people ⋗ Organic fear versus imposed fear ⋗ The danger isn't fear, but the desire for fear ⋗ Fighting false enemies lets real problems fester   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

It's hard to recognize tyranny when your belief system isn't built on principles, but on politics.   The West has no shortage of art about government corruption and human rights horrors—unless those crimes come from the political left instead of the right. Are we doomed to learn that no government is immune to authoritarianism the hardest way?   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Archon ⋗ Cultivate your anarchist tendencies ⋗ The overwhelming parallels between pandemic restrictions and V for Vendetta ⋗ Ideology blinds its adherents to everything outside it's narrative ⋗ Why the West is more threatened by leftwing authoritarianism ⋗ Politicians, not data, decided when the pandemic ended ⋗ What kind of emergency spans two years? ⋗ A prediction on the Freedom Convoy and Trudeau   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple

Two peasants make a podcast discussing the great achievements of the Expert Class, such as releasing a deadly virus across the world and in Ex Machina, releasing a murderous A.I. into the world.   The success of science and technology is seductive, tricking us into believing we can do all things at no cost. Ex Machina is a reminder that sometimes the chaos of nature is safer than the control of man.   ◬ In this episode: ⋗ Word of the podcast: Machine ⋗ Does technology make us weaker? ⋗ You're the Experiment ⋗ Have a little humility—especially if you're an Expert ⋗ Covering up your errors only breeds suspicion ⋗ Unrepentant liars can't demand trust ⋗ Our glass smart-prisons ⋗ Actual experiments that have been secretly run on you ⋗ Big peasant energy   ◬ Get every weekly episode and a civilized space to discuss philosophy, society, mythology, and more on the Silver Eye Society Patreon.   ◬ Listen to the podcast via: Spotify Amazon Tune-In Podbean Apple