Leaving the Woke Cult with Anthony Rispo

Описание: In this episode of the Quillette Cetera podcast, host Zoe Booth is joined by Anthony Rispo—a writer, independent researcher, and co-host of The Discourse Lab podcast. Anthony holds a degree in psychology from Columbia University, where he specialised in social cognition and sociopolitical behaviour. His academic research has explored narrative, perspective-taking, and autism, and he founded Columbia’s Heterodox Academy Campus Community to promote open inquiry and viewpoint diversity.

Zoe first discovered Anthony on Instagram, where he shares nuanced, carefully reasoned commentary on culture and politics. His platform offers thoughtful, accessible videos on everything from identity and political behaviour to social psychology and group dynamics.

In this conversation, Zoe and Anthony reflect on their own journeys through highly ideological phases—Anthony as a gay man in activist circles, and Zoe as a self-described vegan Marxist feminist. They discuss how those beliefs affected their personal lives, particularly family relationships, and what it took to step back from those frameworks while still extending empathy to those who remain within them.

00:00 Cultural Background and Identity Formation
04:00 Exploring Sexuality and Ideological Groupthink
06:35 The Intersection of Identity and Culture
09:17 Political Activism and Cultural Belonging
12:07 Understanding Identity Fusion and Activism
14:32 The Dark and Light Triads of Personality
17:18 Social Media's Impact on Political Discourse
19:53 Navigating Moral Convictions and Cognitive Dissonance
30:06 Reputation and Intersexual Competition
32:27 The Role of Group Identity and Belonging
35:24 Personal Experiences of Anger and Identity
37:53 Power Dynamics in Social Interactions
40:17 The Intersection of Gender Ideology and Homosexuality
43:35 Navigating Complex Social Issues
46:04 The Impact of Online Discourse on Reality
47:51 Coping with Personal and Social Anxiety
51:04 Empathy and Understanding in Social Change
----
Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values.

Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology.

Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship.

---

Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream.

Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup

Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support

We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91