Are we fighting against our own biology? Dr Bill von Hippel reveals how evolutionary psychology impacts love, success, and happiness.
Dr Bill von Hippel is a renowned social psychologist, evolutionary specialist, and Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland. He is the author of books such as, ‘The Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy’.
In this conversation, Dr Bill and Steven discuss topics such as, why high-achieving women struggle to find love, the top trait that makes you more attractive, the link between your wealth and social skills, and the future impact of falling birth rates.
00:00 Intro
02:21 What Does Dr. Von Hippel Do?
05:35 What Are We Getting Wrong as a Species?
09:01 Were Our Ancestors Happier Than Us?
12:45 Are We Forgetting to Be Grateful?
15:10 What Is the Price We Pay for Living in Cities?
17:07 Does Money Make You Happy?
18:03 What Is the Perfect Combination to Achieve Happiness?
20:56 How to Be Attractive
23:08 Why Is Humor an Attractive Trait?
24:11 Do Nice Guys Finish Last?
24:55 What Makes a Woman Attractive?
26:10 Is Attraction an Evolutionary or Social Construct?
27:22 Do Men Care If Women Are Rich?
29:09 Evolution and Homosexuality
31:40 The Economic Mismatch in Finding a Partner
34:52 What Tinder Tells Us About Matchmaking
37:06 What Are Dating Apps Like for Women?
39:59 What Is Pornography Doing to Us?
43:19 Are Populations Declining?
46:24 Are We at Risk of Extinction Due to Lack of Sex?
46:56 How Bill Would Encourage People to Have Children Again
49:11 Robots Raising Our Kids
52:44 Robot Experiments on Monkeys
53:27 Marriage and Happiness
56:33 Ads
57:28 Is There an Evolutionary Basis for ADHD and Neurodivergence?
59:57 Will There Be Less Neurodivergence With AI Development?
1:00:17 Will We Merge With Technology?
1:01:19 What Is the Evolutionary Basis for Depression and Anxiety?
1:02:53 Religion and Its Effect on Happiness
1:05:56 Why Do We Want to Believe in Something?
1:06:58 What Is the Meaning of Life?
1:10:07 How We Band Together in Tough Times Against Others
1:11:54 What Bill Knows About Power in Evolutionary Terms
1:12:53 What Is Powerful Body Language?
1:14:29 What Designer Brands Say About You
1:15:18 What Bill Learned About the Hadza Tribe and Living a Happy Life
1:17:06 Who Needs Each Other More, Men or Women?
1:19:06 Are We Meant to Be Monogamous?
1:20:22 Is Cheating Natural?
1:26:12 Ads
1:28:12 What's the Problem With Money?
1:30:53 The Benefits of Doing These 5 Things
1:34:04 What Is the Cost?
1:38:38 New Findings on Exercise and Unhealthy Habits
1:43:45 Do We All Need the Same Amount of Sleep?
1:48:44 Coffee's Impact on Our Bodies
1:49:12 How Can We Be More Social?
1:51:43 How Would You Save Humanity?
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Research document:
https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DOAC-Bill-Von-Hippel-Independent-research-further-reading.pdf
You can pre-order Dr Bill’s book, ‘The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness’, here: https://g2ul0.app.link/pRZgxqRR0Qb
Watch the episodes on Youtube - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACEpisodes
My new book! 'The 33 Laws Of Business & Life' is out now - https://g2ul0.app.link/DOACBook
You can purchase the The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards: Second Edition, here: https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb
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Behavioural Psychologist: We're Not Having Enough Sex! Fat Makes You Attractive & The Poorer You Are The Friendlier You Are! | The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
