Dr. Gad Saad: Evolutionary behavioral scientist and professor at Concordia University who pioneered applying Darwinian theory to consumer psychology and decision-making. A Lebanese-born Jewish refugee, he is a vocal critic of 'wokeness' and author of The Parasitic Mind.
What this episode covers
Saad explains evolutionary behavioral science and how a Darwinian lens reveals hidden patterns in human behavior, from child abuse rates in stepfamilies to male sexual jealousy and homicide. He argues monogamy isn't strictly 'natural,' that both men and women evolved desires for sexual variety, and unpacks 'mate desirability scores' and assortative mating. The conversation turns to modern masculinity, the struggles of low-status young men, pornography as an evolutionary 'behavioral trap,' and birth order's link to creativity. In the back half, Saad makes the case for free-speech absolutism, against 'forbidden knowledge,' and shares his refugee history before launching into critiques of communism, illegal immigration, and his concept of 'suicidal empathy,' plus a frank assessment of Trump versus Harris.
Recommended on this episode
Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives
Frank J. Sulloway
“the original theory comes from Frank Sulloway who's a historian of science who wrote a book which I highly recommend to all your viewers. It's called Born to Rebel.”— Gad Saad
The guest's own work
The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense
Gad Saad
“that's what sent me on my journey to eventually write the parasitic mind 30 plus years ago”— Gad Saad
The Consuming Instinct: What Juicy Burgers, Ferraris, Pornography, and Gift Giving Reveal About Human Nature
Gad Saad
“in my first book which is the evolutionary basis of consumption and then in the consuming instinct I argue that there are four key Darwinian mechanisms”— Gad Saad
The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption
Gad Saad
“in my first book which is the evolutionary basis of consumption and then in the consuming instinct I argue that there are four key Darwinian mechanisms”— Gad Saad
The Saad Truth about Happiness: 8 Secrets for Leading the Good Life
Gad Saad
“you have a book here called happiness, eight secrets for leading the good life. If I was to give him advice on how to live a happy life”— Steven Bartlett
Suicidal Empathy
Gad Saad
“only because you mentioned the word empathy. So my next book is titled suicidal empathy”— Gad Saad
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Homicide
Martin Daly and Margo Wilson
“This is from a book called Homicide by Martin Daly and Margo Wilson, a husband and wife team who are two of the pioneers of evolutionary psychology”— Gad Saad
Sperm Wars: Infidelity, Sexual Conflict, and Other Bedroom Battles
Robin Baker
“here comes Robin Baker actually a British scientist who wrote a book called Sperm Wars where he argued in his book”— Gad Saad
Big reveals from this episode
- Claims the #1 predictor of child abuse is a stepparent in the home, a roughly 100-fold effect.
- Argues a woman's most dangerous person is statistically her own husband, driven by suspected infidelity.
- States flatly that the idea monogamy is natural 'is not true,' citing sperm morphology and cross-cultural data.
- Mocks his university's mandatory sexual-conduct training as condescending and patronizing.
- Declares himself a free-speech absolutist who defends even Holocaust deniers' right to speak.
- Reveals his family fled Lebanon under death threats and his parents were kidnapped and tortured by Fatah in 1980.
- Announces his next book is titled 'Suicidal Empathy,' about empathy misfiring onto the wrong targets.
- Says he would vote for Trump 'ten times' over Kamala Harris despite doubting Trump's personal moral character.
Worth remembering
- In lion prides, incoming males commit systematic infanticide of cubs, after which females go into estrus for the new males.
- Maternal grandmothers invest most in grandchildren and paternal grandfathers least, due to paternity uncertainty.
- Testes size across primates scales with female promiscuity: tiny in gorillas, enormous in chimpanzees.
- Robin Baker's 'Sperm Wars' argues human ejaculate contains 'blocker' and 'killer' sperm, not just fertilizers.
- A man pictured holding a guitar is rated more attractive than the identical man without one, signaling status.
- In a study of 720 couples, only one violated the norm of the man being taller than the woman.
- Of the 28 most radical scientific innovations studied by Sulloway, 23 came from later-born/last-born children.
- The quality of your social relationships predicts long-term health better than your cholesterol levels at age 50.