In this special Christmas episode, Helen’s annual Guru Quiz returns, lightly dusted with Trump, podcast tours, and the unsettling realisation that the Guru-sphere and the MAGA-sphere have quietly fused into a single, monetised, vibes-based organism.

That's right, the regular decoding team are joined by renowned journalist, author, podcaster... and occasional DTG quiz master, Helen Lewis, who once again brings her festive cheer, an uncanny ability to identify exactly who will be unbearable next year, and a quiz designed to torture Matt.

Points are awarded, dignity is lost, and Matt briefly considers revising for the quiz before remembering that preparation has never helped him before.

The episode also covers MAGA and UK political manoeuvres, the movers and shakers of the Gurusphere in 2025, and a lament for the collapse of the ancient boundary between editorial content and hawking pants.

So join us for a festive episode about gurus, geniuses, authoritarian comedy festivals, and the slow erosion of shame. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night... and that includes you, Bubbles!

Links

• Helen Lewis on Substack
• Helen's Article on the Riyadh Comedy Festival
• Helen's Article on Olivia Nuzzi's Book
• The Genius Myth
• That Dave Chappelle picture

In this tragic episode, we pay tribute to a fallen comrade and honour his memory with a Supplementary Material 41

00:00 Introduction and Swimming Update

02:34 The Tragic Tale of Old Squeaky

09:01 Sam Harris interpersonal bias & Megyn Kelly

26:05 Gary Stevenson vs Rory Stewart

36:26 Master Certificates and Jaffa Cakes

41:59 Dasha's Nick Fuentes Problem

50:08 Nick Fuentes' Racist Remarks

54:29 Piers Morgan vs. Nick Fuentes

59:08 The Two Nick Fuentes Personas

01:02:39 Father Issues

01:20:51 Nick Fuentes the Racist

01:30:36 Piers Lab Leak Ad Break

01:32:52 Antisemitism and Holocaust Denialism

01:45:25 IDW Style Credulity and Holocaust Denialism

01:48:12 Hitler was really f**king cool?

01:58:20 Blustering Boomer Outrage vs. Online Groyperism

02:02:09 Debating Misogyny and Extremism

02:12:54 Piers Take on Fuentes

02:17:11 Overall thoughts on Piers Morgan vs Nick Fuentes

02:20:15 Infighting on the Conspiratorial Right

02:25:13 Bret Weinstein's Powers of Prediction: Trump on Rob Reiner

02:30:29 Outro

Links

• Sam Harris AMA
• Megyn Kelly Talking About the Drug Smugglers
• The Rest Is Politics – Zack Polanski: “I Am a Populist, Farage Is Not”
• Gary Stevenson’s Public Statement on Rory’s Comments
• Gary Stevenson’s Master’s Thesis & Chocolate Biscuits
• Red Scare – “Nuzzi Salute”
• “What a Crock of S***!” – Piers Morgan vs Nick Fuentes (Full Interview)
• Jason Calacanis Reacts to Trump’s Message
• Bret Weinstein Displays His Foresight
• Trump’s Follow-Up Comments on Rob Reiner

In this unlocked bonus episode, Chris and Matt complete their forensic/esoteric/scientific assessment of the charming Stefan Molyneux, consigning him (sadly) to the eternal archives of the Gurometer.

Cult Season continues, and much like Stefan himself, you may have hoped this would go away after Part 1. Unfortunately, like all persistent internet hauntings, Molyneux has returned. And this time, Chris and Matt venture even deeper into the Moly-Hole, a place where truth is redefined, callers are slowly gaslit into existential confusion, and every philosophical insight is served with the overwhelming scent of narcissism and emotional manipulation.

We return to the joyful world of Stefan’s caller-domination rituals, courtesy of Twitter Spaces, where he continues his life’s work of berating strangers and stroking his own ego while insisting he alone possesses the True Meaning of Truth.

Listeners can thrill to the culmination of the Truth Call™ from Part 1, where the philosophically inclined young father is sucked further into Stefan’s epistemological meat grinder as Stefan tries to uncover the imaginary psychoanalytic roots of the caller’s ongoing defiance. From there, we are introduced to Caller No. 3 for just a sprinkling of the patented victim-blaming and misogyny of the Molyneux Method.

Finally, Chris and Matt offer their overall thoughts on Molyneux’s long and illustrious career as an internet arsehole. They conclude that while Stefan has managed to cycle through platforms, ideologies, and degrees of baldness, he has maintained absolute fidelity to the same psychological tactics—gaslighting, projection, undermining, hypocrisy, and the uncanny ability to make even a throwaway joke feel incredibly creepy.

So that’s it for now… collectively we can escape the Moly-Hole, carefully sealing the tunnel entrance as we leave. And let’s pray this is the last time anyone has to think about good ol’ Stefan.

Aside from that… Cult Season continues. Abandon hope, etc.

Links

• Freedomain Radio 6162: The Most Frightening Fact! (Twitter/X Space)
• Philosophy student reviews Molyneux’s The Art of the Argument
• Michael Shermer’s amazing excuse for endorsing Molyneux
• Former guest discusses Molyneux’s descent into racist pseudoscience (2016)
• Guardian article (2008) on Molyneux’s online cult & “DeFooing”
• Daily Mail article (2015) on a family impacted by Molyneux’s community
• Daily Beast profile on Molyneux during his Trump pivot
• SPLC profile on Stefan Molyneux
• SPLC investigation of Molyneux’s alt-right connections (2018)
• College of Psychologists of Ontario: Professional reprimand of Molyneux’s wife
• Detailed profile of Molyneux’s community (archived anti-cult site)
• Channel 5 documentary featuring a former member of Molyneux’s community
• Stefan’s appearance with Joe Rogan (#538)

We set down the Chardonnay at the latest heterodox dinner party and lean in for some hearty ‘civil discourse’ to once again defend the trembling pillars of Western civilization.

The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (2 hours, 13 minutes).

Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Supplementary Material 40: YouTube Builders, the Discourse Grind, and Sam Harris' Dinner Parties

00:00 Introduction

01:15 Feedback on the Molyneux Episode

10:26 Jordan Peterson still defeated by toxic demon mould

12:16 Steven Pinker's bad takes on Bjorn Lomborg

15:49 Chris vs Sabine

28:21 Grok's insane sycophantic glazing of Elon Musk

33:54 Musk's Psychology

40:59 Sam Harris acknowledges his problem?!?

47:18 Sam continues to wrestle with the interpersonal ethics of criticism

01:05:10 Triggernometry saves Western Civilization

01:15:29 The Wisdom of Francis Foster

01:28:42 Triggernometry's Partisan Outrage at the BBC

01:38:12 Oppressed Men vs. Complaining Women

01:46:29 The YouTube Builders of Western Civilization

01:56:42 Pageau vs Bret Weinstein

02:01:52 Eric Weinstein sensemaking about Cancellation

02:09:58 A PSA about THIS podcast

Links

• Stefan Molyneux accidentally posting as a young woman on his main account
• Chris arguing with Sabine Hossenfelder
• – Receipts thread
• Steven Pinker cheering on Bjorn Lomborg
• Insights from the finances of Bjorn Lomborg’s think tank
• Example video detailing Lomborg’s rhetoric
• Guardian article on Grok’s glazing of Elon Musk
• Grok explains Elon is the best piss drinker
• Sam Harris Podcast #442 — More From Sam
• Triggernometry: Our Thoughts On Interviewing Dave Smith, Hasan Piker, Sam Harris and Ben Shapiro
• Pageau and Bret’s pre-podcast Twitter sparring
• Eric Weinstein sense-making about words
• Our previous episode on Tiggernometry entering the Big Time

Welcome back to Cult Season, where we continue our sincere attempt to make you feel a little bit worse about the world and everything in it.

This week, we turn to Stefan Molyneux, online pioneer, prolific content creator, and self-proclaimed most popular philosopher in the world. Alternatively his wikipedia entry describes him as "an Irish-born Canadian white nationalist podcaster and proponent of conspiracy theories, white supremacy, scientific racism, and the men's rights movement." Charming...

One thing is for sure: Molyneux is the only man alive who can turn literally any question into a monologue that combines demonic liberals, cutting off friends and family, and female reproductive choices. A true Renaissance man for people who hate Renaissance values.

In this first episode we take a brief tour through the Molyneux Expanded Universe™, which includes some infamous clips from his early days as the creator of an online 'philosophy' cult themed around anti-spanking, anarcho-capitalism, and misogyny. We also cover his pivot to MAGA apologetics and overt white nationalism and finally to late-stage Molyneux, where he now lurks in Twitter Spaces, berating callers and insisting the world is populated by demon-ridden NPCs gleefully urinating on their moral superiors.

Look forward to learning about his extensive rhetorical techniques, which include thin-skinned narcissism, a penchant for violent metaphors usually featuring urine and anal torture, his constant demand that listeners cut off their families and, of course, his favourite claim: that anyone who disagrees with him is a man-whore NPC who wants to kill you.

Also featuring:

• A Weinstein cameo (because of course)
• Chris recounting the proto–Decoding the Gurus origin story involving a Facebook post and some early Molyneux content
• And a rare chance to hear Matt physically wince at a Rocky Horror cold open

If you’ve ever wanted to hear a preening narcissist berate his listener for raising entirely reasonable points... well, this is the episode for you.

Scott Adams should be careful, a new contender has emerged for his crown...

Part 2 coming soon, assuming we survive this one.

Links

• Freedomain Radio 6162: The Most Frightening Fact! (Twitter/X Space)
• Philosophy student reviews Molyneux’s The Art of the Argument
• Michael Shermer’s amazing excuse for endorsing Molyneux
• Former guest discusses Molyneux’s descent into racist pseudoscience (2016)
• Guardian article (2008) on Molyneux’s online cult & “DeFooing”
• Daily Mail article (2015) on a family impacted by Molyneux’s community
• Daily Beast profile on Molyneux during his Trump pivot
• SPLC profile on Stefan Molyneux
• SPLC investigation of Molyneux’s alt-right connections (2018)
• College of Psychologists of Ontario: Professional reprimand of Molyneux’s wife
• Detailed profile of Molyneux’s community (archived anti-cult site)
• Channel 5 documentary featuring a former member of Molyneux’s community
• Stefan’s appearance with Joe Rogan (#538)

This week, we are joined by Kevin Mitchell, Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, who has committed the unforgivable sin of pointing out that an entire academic and media hype cycle might be built on… well, very little actually. His new co-authored paper in Neuron politely dismantles the highly promoted link between the gut microbiome and autism, which turns out to rest on flawed studies, contradictory findings, creative statistics, and a touching faith in mice burying marbles.

Kevin walks us through the joys of observational studies that don’t replicate, mouse experiments that don't make sense, and clinical trials where there is no blinding and no control wing, and shockingly, everyone reports feeling better. Meanwhile, journalists and wellness gurus eagerly report each new “breakthrough”, unburdened by any concerns about the strength of evidence or methodological robustness.

In the end, the microbiome–autism connection looks less like a sturdy scientific stool and more like three damp twigs taped together by optimism and marketing departments.

We finish, naturally, by dragging Matt back out of his panpsychism phase and asking whether consciousness is really fundamental to the universe or just something that happens in podcasters who haven’t slept enough.

Links

• Mitchell, K. J., Dahly, D. L., & Bishop, D. V. (2025). Conceptual and methodological flaws undermine claims of a link between the gut microbiome and autism. Neuron.
• Kevin Mitchell's Website

We are joined by Alexander Beiner, current founder of Kainos and former co-founder of Rebel Wisdom, to grapple with that eternally slippery concept: sensemaking. Naturally, this leads us through interdisciplinary adventurism, reflections on the (il)legitimacy of academia, and the recurring “meaning crisis” that haunts our times. Sense will be made, unmade, and possibly reinvented along the way.

Links

• Alexander's Substack: Kainos
• Alexander's recent documentary: Leviathan
• Our original episode that mentions Kainos
• A related discussion we had a while back on the Stoa
• Our previous episode with Jamie Wheal

Chris and Matt walk into a bar with an atheist sensemaker, an Ayurvedic Guru, and a Christian Apologist, and predictable frivolities ensue. Featuring not one but two good-natured, robust exchanges of opinion between our two hosts.

The full episode is available to Patreon subscribers (1 hour, 42 minutes).

Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Supplementary Material 39: Panpsychics, Sensemakers, and Bad Guys

00:00 Introduction

01:17 AI and the Music Industry

05:34 Is Chris a Bad Guy?

10:44 Vibe Physics with Travis Kalanick

16:10 Efforts to Falsify and AI

21:02 Gordon Pennycook with Sean Carroll: Vibes vs Analysis

32:44 Libertarianism and Personal Beliefs

35:10 A mini-debate on internal consistency

42:49 Matt's Personal Philosophy

44:16 Philosophical Feedback on the Sensemakers

55:06 Atheist vs Christian vs Spiritual Thinker

57:03 Dr. K's Role in the Discussion

01:09:01 Alex's Stance on Purpose

01:12:31 Dr. K's Perspective on Purpose

01:23:45 Dr. K and the Atheist pose

01:34:29 Philosophical Musings on Panpsychism

01:41:18 Outro

Sources

• Angela Collier: Conspiracy physics and you (and also me)
• All In Podcast: Travis Kalanick talks about AI (July 11, 2025)
• 333 | Gordon Pennycook on Unthinkingness, Conspiracies, and What to Do About Them
• Pennycook, G., Cheyne, J. A., Barr, N., Koehler, D. J., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2015). On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit. Judgment and Decision Making, 10(6), 549-563.
• The Diary of a CEO: Atheist vs Christian vs Spiritual Thinker: Is Not Believing In God Causing More Harm Than Good?!

In another exciting Required Reading episode, Chris and Matt offer their penetrating, high IQ thoughts on the latest book by journalist and podcast quizmaster, Helen Lewis. Titled 'The Genius Myth: The Dangerous Allure of Rebels, Monsters, and Rule Breakers', the book tears into some of the long-enduring myths surrounding historical and contemporary geniuses from Picasso to Elon Musk. It's a critical dissection of gurus and devoted fans, so very on topic! And yes, it is better than Cod...

Full episode is available to Patreons on the Revolutionary Genius tier! (1hr 13 mins).

Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

Links

• The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea by Helen Lewis
• Snippy Review at The Philosophers Magazine
• Less snippy review at the Observer

Required Reading: The Genius Myth

00:00 Book Review: Genius Myth

04:11 The Genius Myth: Book Thoughts!

07:02 Exploring the Concept of Genius

08:49 IQ Tests and High IQ Societies

10:55 Social Perception of Intelligence

12:20 Elon Musk and Modern Genius

16:08 Historical Perspectives on Genius

18:42 The people behind the Geniuses

25:15 The Role of Context and Luck

27:44 Mythmaking and Cultural Icons

45:01 The Flawed Genius Stereotype

50:50 What about Tim Robinson?

52:51 The deranging impact of attention

01:03:33 Overall Thoughts

01:12:44 Better than Cod

We welcome Al Murray, the comedian who might just be your new favourite historian, to Decoding the Gurus. In a crossover you probably didn’t expect, we discuss World War II, Wehraboos, gurus, and the contemporary comedy scene... something for all the family.

Along the way, we touch on British nostalgia, military fetishism, and self-styled “truth tellers”. A chat about history, humour, and hubris, not necessarily in that order.

Links

• We Have Ways of Making You Talk – Al Murray & James Holland
• Al Murray’s YouTube channel
• Follow Al on X (Twitter)