Infinite Loops

What if everything we think we know about raising children is not just wrong, but actively harmful? Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin, authors of "The Sovereign Child," join Infinite Loops to make a case so compelling and radical that it challenges the very foundation of modern parenting and education. From birth, we're told that children need rules, structure, and authority to thrive. But what if this approach is crushing their natural creativity, problem-solving abilities, and authentic self-development? Stupple and Chipkin argue that children are people—full stop. They have reasons, preferences, and the capacity to make decisions about their own lives, yet we systematically ignore this reality in favor of compliance and control. We dive deep into their concept of the "foul four"—the four devastating ways that imposing non-consensual rules damages children's relationships with themselves, their parents, problem-solving itself, and their understanding of how to navigate the world. From the arbitrary nature of bedtimes to the deeper psychological damage of forcing gratitude and politeness, this conversation will make you question every "because I said so" moment in your childhood and parenting. Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply someone interested in human flourishing, this episode offers a radically different lens through which to view childhood, autonomy, and what it means to raise great adults. Important Links: * Conjecture Institute [https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/] * The Sovereign Child Book [https://www.thesovereignchild.com/] * Aaron Stupple X [https://x.com/astupple] * Logan Chipkin X [https://x.com/ChipkinLogan] * Logan Chipkin Substack [https://chipkin.substack.com/] Show Notes: * Opening & The Radical Quote * The Childhood Inversion Problem * False Dichotomy: Control vs. Neglect * AI Steel-manning the Opposition * Edge Cases and Prohibition Parallels * Podcast Host Reactions & Food Wars * Evolutionary Food Arguments * Raising Great Adults * Scaling Challenges & Sleep Dilemmas * Market Opportunities & Historical Context * Why Alternative Schools Didn’t Scale * The Foul Four Explained * Game Rules vs. Imposed Rules * Etiquette, Manners & Sibling Conflicts * The Bully Problem & Popper’s Paradox * Class and Economics Arguments * Rules Built on Sand * Falsification & Moral Philosophy * Conformity, Culture & Progress * Emotional Intelligence & Propaganda * Self-Silencing & Social Dynamics * The School Persona Revelation * Emperor of the World * Matilda & Closing Thoughts Books Mentioned: * The Sovereign Child: How a Forgotten Philosophy Can Liberate Kids and Their Parents (Aaron Stupple with Logan Chipkin) * Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Dr. Robert Cialdini) * The Open Society and Its Enemies (Karl Popper) * What the Tortoise Said to Achilles (Lewis Carroll) * No Country for Old Men (Cormac McCarthy) * One Summer: America 1927 (Bill Bryson) * Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll) * Matilda (Roald Dahl) Authors Mentioned: * Jed McKenna * Jonathan Haidt * Edward Bernays * Robert Solomon * David Deutsch

Nadia Asparouhova, author of "Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading," joins me for a fascinating exploration of why some ideas go viral while others—often the most important ones—resist transmission entirely. We dive into antimemes, Curtis Yarvin's journey from being canceled to becoming mainstream, St. Paul as history's ultimate memetic engineer, and why "Don't Mess with Texas" became a masterpiece of viral messaging. Plus her current research on advanced meditation techniques, internet dynamics, and MUCH MORE! Important Links: * Nadia's Twitter [https://x.com/nayafia] * Nadia's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-asparouhova] * Personal Website [https://nadia.xyz/] * Nadia’s Substack: Monomythical [https://nayafia.substack.com/] Show Notes: * Nadia’s fall into the Antimemetics Rabbithole * Girardian Theory vs. Antimemetics * The Story of Curtis Yarvin * How Subcultures Form and Coalesce * Engineering Supermemes * Why Maxims are Compressed Memes * The History of Antimemes * Truth Tellers and Meme Spreading * Gaining Immunity from Memetic Viruses * Nadia’s Jhana Journey * Nadia as Empress of the World Books Mentioned: * Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading; by Nadia Asparouhova * Virus of the Mind; by Richard Brodie * There Is No Antimemetics Division; by qntm * Steal This Book; by Abbie Hoffman * Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose * How to Change Your Mind; by Michael Pollan * Thank You for Smoking; by Christopher Buckley * Last Chance to See; by Douglas Adams

I’m joined today by two remarkable men I met through the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships and Grants program. Israel Balogun was homeless and illiterate until the age of 22. Now, he leads a Nigerian youth rehabilitation nonprofit for street kids and is building a self-sustaining village for 200 out-of-school children with the support of an OSV Fellowship. Miyoba Hamuhuma lost both parents by 12 and battled polio as a child. Now he runs Enlight Abilities, a Zambian organization advocating for inclusive education and economic dignity for children with disabilities and their families, backed by an OSV Grant. “Inspiring” is overused nowadays, but here, it barely does them justice. As well as digging into their stories, we explore how personal pain became public mission, how grassroots enablement beats top-down intervention, and why they believe rewriting destiny begins with changing who gets seen, who gets supported, and who gets to dream. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack [https://newsletter.osv.llc/]. Important Links: * Israel Balogun's Akhin Foundation [https://akhinafrica.org/] * Israel Balogun's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/israel-balogun-79511795/] * Miyoba Hamuhuma's Enlight Abilities [https://equitas.org/miyoba-hamuhuma-supporting-the-full-potential-of-children-living-with-disabilities-through-accessible-schools/] * Miyoba Hamuhuma's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/miyoba-hamuhuma-a1513433/] Show Notes: * First Goodnight in 12 Years * How OSV Helped to Build a Home for Street Kids * The Street King – Reclaiming Agency * The Dignity of Choice * Microenterprise for the Mothers * Rethinking the Street Kid Stigma * Inclusion is Not a Luxury, It is a Necessity * Trust over Control: We help the kids Lead * We seek to enable and empower * Emperors of the World * $10 = 30 bricks = Home for a Street Child

Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, neuropsychiatrist and author of "The ESP Enigma," joins me for a mind-bending exploration of consciousness, savant abilities, and the limitations of materialist science. Trained at Johns Hopkins under a neurologist-turned-psychiatrist, Diane has spent decades investigating phenomena that challenge our fundamental assumptions about how the brain works. We dive deep into why the scientific establishment reacts so emotionally to consciousness research, her fascinating work with autistic savants, and why she believes the brain functions as a navigation tool for consciousness rather than its creator. This is one of those conversations that might just upgrade your entire worldview. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!,” check out our Substack [https://newsletter.osv.llc/]. Important Links: * Personal Website [https://drdianehennacy.com/] * The Telepathy Tapes [https://thetelepathytapes.com/] * Twitter [https://x.com/DrHennacy41125] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-hennacy-4925b724/] Show Notes: * Dr. Powell’s Journey through Science * Early Interest in Savants * Filter Failure and Consciousness * Why People Reject Obvious Data * Why are Savants different from Neurotypical People? * The Sheep Goat Effect in Parapsychology * The Brain as a Navigational Tool * Improving our own Intuition and Focus * Dr. Diane’s work on Twins * Speculations in Post-Materialism * Dr. Diane as Empress of the World Books Mentioned: * The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat; by Oliver Sacks * The ESP Enigma; by Diane Hennacy Powell * What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell; by Erwin Schrödinger * Mind Over Back Pain; by Dr. John Sarno

Todd Rose, co-founder and CEO of Populace and author of books including "Collective Illusions" and "The End of Average," joins the show to discuss the science behind collective illusions and their impact on society. We explore why so many Americans self-silence, the dangers of conformity, and how one person can spark change. Todd and I are simpatico on… pretty much everything! So this was a fun one. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!,” check out our Substack [https://newsletter.osv.llc/]. Important Links: * Website [http://www.toddrose.com/] * Twitter [https://x.com/ltoddrose] * Collective Illusions [https://www.amazon.com/Collective-Illusions-Conformity-Complicity-Decisions-ebook/dp/B096RRZJS2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0] * The End of Average [https://www.amazon.com/End-Average-Succeed-Values-Sameness-ebook/dp/B00R1JU7P6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0] Show Notes: * Are We Living in the Truman Show? * The Danger of Self-Silencing * How to Know What People REALLY Think * Why We Are Suckers For Groupthink * Social Media: Why Bots Are Everywhere * Why Persuasion is the Wrong Strategy for Fighting Collective Illusions * There is More Social Trust in America Than You Think * How We Can Fight Collective Illusions * The Human Need to Be Understood * Steelmanning & the Popperian Solution * The Role of Fiction * The Dawn of a New Era? * Todd as World Emperor Books Mentioned: * Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose * The End of Average; by Todd Rose * The Power of the Powerless (essay); by Václav Havel * Troubled; by Rob Henderson * The Idea Factory; by Jon Gertner * Theory of Moral Sentiments; by Adam Smith * The Wealth of Nations; by Adam Smith * White Mirror [https://www.infinitebooks.com/books/products/white-mirror]; by Tinkered Thinking * The Guns of August; by Barbara Tuchman