Jon Ronson looks at how traditional social orders are fracturing, the rise of online identities, and the consequences when people lose a sense of meaning.
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In this episode, Jon Ronson—bestselling author of The Psychopath Test and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, the creator of the podcast Things Fell Apart, and author of the latest work The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men—joins the conversation.
Nick Gillespie sits down with Ronson to explore what occurs when the institutions and social structures that once provided direction begin to fade away. They examine men who have withdrawn from work and communal life, the unusual incentives that drive people to craft online brands, and how social media can reward outrage and extremism. They also consider whether public shaming helped shape today’s more uninhibited culture and why Ronson remains confident that there is an audience for curiosity, nuance, and truly open dialogue.
0:00—Are men coming apart?
5:30—Chris Mark
14:49—Influencers, gatekeepers, and Greg Chism
22:24—Graham Linehan
32:50—Is public shaming no longer effective?
37:55—The human quest for meaning
44:19—Andrew Gold
50:22—Incentives on social media
58:11—Things Fell Apart
