Episode 111: Joe Henrich - Understanding Human Nature

Joe Henrich is a professor and the author of multiple best-selling books, including The Secret of Our Success and The WEIRDest People in the World. During our conversation, Joe talks about the interplay of genes and culture in human evolution, the importance of our "collective brains," what we misunderstand about human nature, what he's learned from visiting other indigenous cultures, how culture influences testosterone levels in men, how we might help modern, struggling western men, what we've learned about menopause from grandmother killer whales, the frontier of knowledge in human nature, and more.------------Book a meeting with Dan------------Keep Talking SubstackRate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------00:00 Intro00:44 We're not individually intelligent02:56 The reason for green and blue eye color in humans06:08 A unique psychological aspect of status and prestige in humans09:02 Human's competitive superpower: our ability to sweat12:00 A story from Joe's experience with the Machiguenga in the Amazon16:44 The variability and stability of human nature18:44 What Westerners misunderstand about human nature21:30 The link between prestige, good information, and human survival23:48 Ideas to help modern men28:28 Where Joe thinks our culture is heading with dating and mating32:25 We have far more female ancestors as male ancestors34:14 Testosterone in men in monogamous and non-monogamous cultures37:09 Big 5 personality traits are not found in non-WEIRD cultures41:00 Gerontocracy mating cultures in Africa44:03 What we learn about menopause from grandmother killer whales46:46 Joe's views on cultural relativism 51:30 Why Joe is so interested in human nature56:26 What is our best understanding of what it means to be human?59:17 Joe's forthcoming new book