Todd Rose — Are We Living in the Truman Show? (EP.270)

Todd Rose, co-founder and CEO of Populace and author of books including "Collective Illusions" and "The End of Average," joins the show to discuss the science behind collective illusions and their impact on society.

We explore why so many Americans self-silence, the dangers of conformity, and how one person can spark change.

Todd and I are simpatico on… pretty much everything! So this was a fun one. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!,” check out our Substack.

Important Links:

• Website
• Twitter
• Collective Illusions
• The End of Average

Show Notes:

• Are We Living in the Truman Show?
• The Danger of Self-Silencing
• How to Know What People REALLY Think
• Why We Are Suckers For Groupthink
• Social Media: Why Bots Are Everywhere
• Why Persuasion is the Wrong Strategy for Fighting Collective Illusions
• There is More Social Trust in America Than You Think
• How We Can Fight Collective Illusions
• The Human Need to Be Understood
• Steelmanning & the Popperian Solution
• The Role of Fiction
• The Dawn of a New Era?
• Todd as World Emperor

Books Mentioned:

• Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose
• The End of Average; by Todd Rose
• The Power of the Powerless (essay); by Václav Havel
• Troubled; by Rob Henderson
• The Idea Factory; by Jon Gertner
• Theory of Moral Sentiments; by Adam Smith
• The Wealth of Nations; by Adam Smith
• White Mirror; by Tinkered Thinking
• The Guns of August; by Barbara Tuchman