The Uncomfortable Science Of Sex Differences - Steve Stewart-Williams - #1120
Modern Wisdom
07/06/26
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Steve Stewart-Williams is an evolutionary psychologist, a professor, and an author.
Why is it so difficult to talk about the differences between men and women today? It's important to recognize that men and women deserve equal respect and opportunity, but that does not mean they are exactly the same. There are differences between the sexes that can be meaningful, valuable, and even beautiful. So what are those differences, and why has discussing them become so polarising?
Expect to learn why talking about sex differences is so controversial, what the actual definition of sex is, why there are challenges to the binary idea of sex, the largest sex differences between men and women, how sex differences reveal themselves via personality, the danger of denying and/or not respecting the differences in sex, and much more...
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Why Sex Differences Are So Controversial (02:07) Why Sex Differences Matter (07:55) What Actually Is Sex? (13:21) Biology vs Society: What Shapes Sex Differences? (19:50) How Much Do Parents Impact Sex Differences? (21:37) The Gender Equality Paradox (26:39) The Top Difference Between Men and Women (29:02) What Is the Biggest Sex Difference? (39:44) Is Parental Investment Damaging? (42:18) Do Men Have Greater Reproductive Success? (50:14) The Hidden Motivations Behind Behaviour (54:34) Are Human Sex Differences Unique? (01:00:07) Is It All About Reproducing? (01:03:20) Why Women Prefer Reading Porn (01:11:44) Are Men and Women Compromising on Sex? (01:14:13) How Similar Are Male and Female Mate Preferences? (01:16:55) How Status and Wealth Shape Attraction (01:21:55) Would Women Sleep With Their Ideal Sperm Donor? (01:29:21) Why Are Women Attracted to Dangerous Men? (01:37:34) Is Height Really That Important? (01:40:25) Do Men Actually Stalk More Than Women? (01:46:54) Why Do Men Choose to Be Sexually Violent? (01:52:11) Are Women Naturally More Nurturing? (01:58:59) Who Gets More Jealous in Relationships? (02:03:30) The Biggest Personality Differences Between Men and Women (02:13:25) Are Cognitive Sex Differences Real? (02:16:55) Why Women Outlive Men (02:23:34) Why Mental Health Differs Between the Sexes (02:26:21) What Happens When We Deny Sex Differences? (02:29:53) The Cost of Exaggerating Sex Differences (02:32:33) Where to Find Steve
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Previous Episode
Vittorio Angelone is an Irish comedian, writer, and podcaster.
Is it autism, or something else? Humor can come from a lot of places: being Irish, being an only child, a little neurodivergence, or all of the above. And if you happen to be all three, you might have the perfect recipe for a comedian.
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Extra Stuff:
Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books
Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Next Episode
David Epstein is a science journalist and author.
Is discipline really freedom? When we feel overwhelmed, it can seem like the problem is that we have no freedom. But maybe the opposite is true: maybe we have too much freedom, too many options, and too little structure. So why can setting constraints become a superpower? And when you’re overwhelmed, why might choosing limits actually make you feel more free?
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Timestamps:
(00:00) How Dr. Seuss Changed Children’s Books Forever (03:30) Why We Avoid Constraints (and Why That’s a Mistake) (11:37) Why Is Choice So Overwhelming? (18:06) The Tension Between Freedom and Constraint (22:07) The Genius Behind General Magic (29:33) How Limits Power Learning (37:01) Why Fewer Options Feel Harder to Choose From (45:58) Is Anything Truly Original? (53:56) How to Break Free From Habit and Convention (56:45) Are Constraints the Secret to Great Design? (01:00:26) Is Multitasking Secretly Hurting You? (01:03:48) The Best Examples of Locking In (01:08:44) When Optimisation Turns Into Obsession (01:13:39) How to Use Constraints Without Being Trapped (01:15:41) What the “Road Less Travelled” Really Means (01:18:08) Where to Find David
Extra Stuff:
Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books
Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Get In Touch:
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