334 - Ten Guru Warning Signs with Dr Dr Chris Kavanagh

Dr Dr Chris Kavanagh is an Oxford trained evolutionary & cognitive anthropologist who co-hosts the 'Decoding the Gurus' podcast with Mathew Browne. Together they tackle the secular gurus propagating their ideas, grievances, and conspiracies on the internet.

In today's episode we look at the 10 factors that go into their 'gurometer', a highly scientific measure that takes the signature characteristics of gurus and uses advanced mathematics (simple addition) to determine how high up the guru scale they actually are.

From Jordan Peterson, Russell Brand, Tony Robbins, JP Sears, to Brett and Eric Weinstein, we give lots of examples and pull no punches.

Here are the 10 characteristics we discuss in considerable detail...

13:06 - Working definition of "guru"
18:48 - Gurometer factor 1, Galaxy-brainness
28:17 - Gurometer factor 2, Cultishness
35:38 - Gurometer factor 3, Antidisestablishmentarianism
53:03 - Gurometer factor 4, Grievance-mongering
1:00:07 - Gurometer factor 5, Narcissism and self-aggrandisement
1:31:07 - Gurometer factor 6, Cassandra-complex
1:38:10 - Gurometer factor 7, Revolutionary theories
1:43:31 - Gurometer factor 8 - Pseudo-profound bullshit
1:50:43 - Gurometer factor 9 - Conspiracy mongering
1:54:15 - Gurometer factor 10 - Grifting or profiteering