Jul 30, 2026 · 1 hr 43 min · 19 segments
Luke Kemp is a researcher of existential risk whose work spans the rise and fall of civilizations, the psychology of empire, and the future of humanity. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore…
Luke KempGuestJay ShapiroHost
It's because they're intentionally trying to make sure they're not being dominated.

And this often happens through one of three strategies that we see, and they include ridicule, ostracism, kicking someone out of a group, or in-group executions.

In short, every time one person tried to dominate the group, they'd either make fun of them, kick them out, or execute them.

There's no case throughout history where a state occurs before war having started.

War always starts in the region somewhere, and then eventually the state pops up at some time.

Just to showcase the rarity here, amongst men, it's roughly 1% would be classified as clinical psychopaths.

So if this checks out, the only place where you're more likely to find a psychopath is in prison.

These are all things where people are starting to understand the way that power operates, basically.

I kind of appreciate, for at least a brutal honesty, that it's no longer hidden behind bullshit and talk of liberation and freedom and democracy.

It's just clearly being done for brazen self-interest, occasionally with a little sprinkle of security and protecting national identity or some other shit like that.
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It's because they're intentionally trying to make sure they're not being dominated.

And this often happens through one of three strategies that we see, and they include ridicule, ostracism, kicking someone out of a group, or in-group executions.

In short, every time one person tried to dominate the group, they'd either make fun of them, kick them out, or execute them.

There's no case throughout history where a state occurs before war having started.

War always starts in the region somewhere, and then eventually the state pops up at some time.

Just to showcase the rarity here, amongst men, it's roughly 1% would be classified as clinical psychopaths.

So if this checks out, the only place where you're more likely to find a psychopath is in prison.

These are all things where people are starting to understand the way that power operates, basically.

I kind of appreciate, for at least a brutal honesty, that it's no longer hidden behind bullshit and talk of liberation and freedom and democracy.

It's just clearly being done for brazen self-interest, occasionally with a little sprinkle of security and protecting national identity or some other shit like that.