Rutger BregmanEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

I welcome Dutch historian Rutger Bregman to the podcast after first messaging him on Instagram and we talk about what I took from his book Humankind and my own wish to bring people together to remember friendship and kindness. Rutger reflects on Dutch directness and equality shaped by living with water, from the 1953 flood to the Delta Works, and shares why he writes for a general audience about big questions of human nature. We discuss his challenge to the “veneer theory” and his belief in “survival of the friendlies,” alongside a real shipwreck story near Tonga where six boys survived 15 months through cooperation. Our conversation turns to bullying, family and attachment, the Second World War and Rutger’s research for Moral Ambition on how resistance spreads simply by asking others to help. 01:10 Dutch Culture and Directness 04:01 Water Engineering and Delta Works 05:41 Early Civilizations and Conflict 06:58 Why Bregman Writes Big History 08:12 Debunking Human Nature Myths 10:07 Cooperation at Highclere Today 12:49 Tempest and Amoral People 13:55 Real Lord of the Flies Story 19:00 Bullying Attachment and Family 21:41 Victorian Fathers Revisited 22:40 Reform Politics And Women 23:28 Why Study War 24:04 Resistance Myth Debunked 25:24 Heroes Are Asked 27:29 Unconventional Organizers 30:25 Kindness After Loss 32:19 Kindness Is Contagious 35:03 Lessons From Animals 36:18 Veneer Theory And Dickens 37:59 British Indirectness You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/ New episodes are published on the first day of every month.

Do you ever feel like your talent , time , or resources aren’t being used in ways that really matter? If so, you’re not alone – research suggests a quarter of the modern workforce feels their jobs are socially meaningless. That same restlessness is what led me, your host Olivia Hicks, to make a major career shift and join the School for Moral Ambition. To launch Series Two, today’s guest is the person at the heart of that movement: Rutger Bregman . George Monbiot has called him “one of the greatest thinkers of the twenty-first century,” and Trevor Noah describes his latest book, Moral Ambition , as “a stark wake-up call.” In this conversation, we unpack moral ambition , where it fits into meaning , and practical steps anyone can take to do more good – whatever their skills, resources, or starting point. It’s a thoughtful, energising discussion that might just shift how you think about work, impact, and what really matters – with practical steps you can take today. Note : This episode discusses gender stereotypes and toxic masculinity. While some binary language appears, it isn’t intended to exclude and we support and welcome people of all genders identities, including trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse listeners. Further Resources & Tools 🌍 Connect with the Movement: Join the Moral Ambition community & explore Circles: https://www.moralambition.org/circles 📖 Books Mentioned Moral Ambition — Rutger Bregman Utopia for Realists — Rutger Bregman Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World — Matthieu Ricard Everything Is Tuberculosis — John Green Zero to One — Peter Thiel 💡 Thinkers & Philosophers Peter Singer Yuval Noah Harari 🌍 Organizations Referenced Against Malaria Foundation – ⁠ https://www.againstmalaria.com/ ⁠ Ambitious Impact & Charity Entrepreneurship – ⁠ https://www.ambitiousimpact.com/ ⁠ The Protein Project – ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-protein-project/ ⁠ Impact Unfiltered – ⁠ https://impactunfiltered.eu/ ⁠ Giving What We Can – ⁠ https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/ ⁠ GiveDirectly – https://www.givedirectly.org/

The overarching definition of success today often looks like the accumulation of stuff – money, cars, property, clothing – anything that signals wealth. This means that success is also synonymous with overshoot, extraction, and consumption – none of which lead to healthy outcomes for the planet or the global good. But what might be possible if we were to redefine success to prioritize collective well-being instead of personal gain? In today's episode, Nate sits down with Dutch historian and author Rutger Bregman to discuss the concept of moral ambition, which he defines as the desire to be one of the best, measured by different standards of success: not by big payouts or fancy honorifics, but by the ability to tackle the world's biggest problems. Bregman highlights the importance of entrepreneurs in driving social change and the necessity of cultural shifts to foster a more altruistic society, as well as the challenges faced in pursuing these ideals. What possibilities might arise if we combined the idealism of an activist with the ambition of an entrepreneur? How can we apply the principles of entrepreneurship to better address global challenges? And how could a radical redefinition of success motivate the world's top talent to make major contributions to our most pressing issues, leaving a legacy that actually makes a difference? (Conversation recorded on July 8th, 2025) About Rutger Bregman: Rutger Bregman is a Dutch historian and author. Initially considering a career as an academic historian, Rutger instead ventured into journalism. He began his career at the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant before moving to the independent journalism platform De Correspondent, for which he wrote for ten years. His books Humankind: A Hopeful History (2020) and Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There (2017) were both Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers and have been translated into 46 languages. In 2024, Rutger co-founded The School for Moral Ambition, a non-profit organization inspired by his latest book, Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference. The initiative helps people to take the step toward an impactful career. Show Notes and More Watch this video episode on YouTube Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie. --- Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future Join our Substack newsletter Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

#ads Stream any unabridged audiobook of your choice with premium access by starting your trial on: https://booksreader.space/al-1964/ Title: Listen In: A Conversation with Rutger Bregman Series: Listen In Author: Rutger Bregman, The Audible Editors Narrator: Rutger Bregman, The Audible Editors Format: mp3 Length: 27 mins Release date: 09-25-25 Ratings: Not rated yet Genres: Entertainment & Performing Arts Publisher's Summary: In a powerful call to action, historian and journalist Rutger Bregman posits that we should all be “morally ambitious,” revoking the pursuit of success without the essential ingredient of doing good for the world. Audible Editor Emily discusses his new book on the topic, and how we can all get there with the help of The School for Moral Ambition.

Questions, suggestions, or feedback? Send us a message! Our guest this week is Rutger Bregman. Rutger is a Dutch historian and author. His books Humankind: A Hopeful History and Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There were both Sunday Times and New York Times Best Sellers and have been translated in 46 languages. The Guardian described him as 'the Dutch wunderkind of new ideas', while TED named him 'one of Europe's most prominent young thinkers'. His TED Talk, 'Poverty Isn't a Lack of Character; It's a Lack of Cash', was selected by TED curator Chris Anderson as one of the top ten talks of 2017. He studied History at Utrecht University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Initially considering a career as an academic historian, Rutger instead ventured into journalism. He began his career at the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant before moving to the independent journalism platform De Correspondent , for which he wrote for ten years. In 2024, Rutger co-founded The School for Moral Ambition , a non-profit organization inspired by his latest book, Moral Ambition . The initiative helps people to take steps toward an impactful career. ‍We talk about: Not resting on ones laurels Individual versus societal responsibility How just being decent isn’t enough The value of harsh feedback When is the best time to make people morally ambitious Pragmatic Alliances Noble Loosers aka Social Media Activism Effective Altruism The School of Moral Ambition ‍Let’s get moral! Web: www.whereshallwemeet.xyz Twitter: @whrshallwemeet Instagram: @whrshallwemeet

What are you doing to make the world around you better? Rutger Bregman is a Dutch historian and the author of the new book Moral Ambition . He joins Adam live in the Authors@Wharton series to discuss how to stop capable people from wasting their talents, lessons from great moral pioneers, and what it means to be a good person. They also consider how parents can encourage moral ambition in kids, debate the difference between cowardice and helplessness, and share actions you can take to make a difference. Follow Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/ ) Guest: Rutger Bregman (Instagram: @rutgerbregman | Website: https://rutgerbregman.com/ ) Links Moral Ambition Fellowships Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference Subscribe to TED Instagram: @ted YouTube: @TED TikTok: @tedtoks LinkedIn: @ted-conferences Website: ted.com Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts For the full text transcript, visit https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are you doing to make the world around you better? Rutger Bregman is a Dutch historian and the author of the new book Moral Ambition . He joins Adam live in the Authors@Wharton series to discuss how to stop capable people from wasting their talents, lessons from great moral pioneers, and what it means to be a good person. They also consider how parents can encourage moral ambition in kids, debate the difference between cowardice and helplessness, and share actions you can take to make a difference. Follow Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/ ) Guest: Rutger Bregman (Instagram: @rutgerbregman | Website: https://rutgerbregman.com/ ) Links Moral Ambition Fellowships Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference Subscribe to TED Instagram: @ted YouTube: @TED TikTok: @tedtoks LinkedIn: @ted-conferences Website: ted.com Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard . Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moral ambition is the will to make the world a wildly better place. To devote your career to the greatest challenges of our time. To be one of the best, but measured by a new standard of success.’ – Rutger Bregman The brightest minds of our generation may dream of changing the world. But in reality most high achievers will settle for making a lot of money for themselves and their family. World renowned historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman is on a mission to change that. In April, Bregman came to Intelligence Squared in venues across the UK to convince us that in our age of crisis, we need to stop wasting our talent in jobs that solely provide personal enrichment. Instead if we want to live a successful life we must devote our careers to making the world a radically better place. Bregman discussed why in 2025 social progress is not only stagnating in places but actively going in reverse. He argued that there are lessons from history that can help us overcome this trend and explain that the greatest change-makers have always needed to be both idealistic and ambitious. Drawing from his new book Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference, he discussed why efforts to ‘raise awareness’ of social problems are overrated and uncover what he believes are the real qualities that have made change possible. He told the stories of some of history’s great changemakers such as the German soldier who refused to salute Hitler or the Cambridge University student who dedicated his life to abolishing slavery. Bregman explained what made these changemakers so persuasive, influential and effective in achieving their goals. He showed how we, too, can lend our talents to the biggest challenges of our time. With moral ambition he argued, we can do more than be on the right side of history: we can start to make history itself. In addition to the book Rutger Bregman will be launching The School of Moral Ambition. To find out more click here --------- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Moral ambition is the will to make the world a wildly better place. To devote your career to the greatest challenges of our time. To be one of the best, but measured by a new standard of success.’ – Rutger Bregman The brightest minds of our generation may dream of changing the world. But in reality most high achievers will settle for making a lot of money for themselves and their family. World renowned historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman is on a mission to change that. In April, Bregman came to Intelligence Squared in venues across the UK to convince us that in our age of crisis, we need to stop wasting our talent in jobs that solely provide personal enrichment. Instead if we want to live a successful life we must devote our careers to making the world a radically better place. Bregman discussed why in 2025 social progress is not only stagnating in places but actively going in reverse. He argued that there are lessons from history that can help us overcome this trend and explain that the greatest change-makers have always needed to be both idealistic and ambitious. Drawing from his new book Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference, he discussed why efforts to ‘raise awareness’ of social problems are overrated and uncover what he believes are the real qualities that have made change possible. He told the stories of some of history’s great changemakers such as the German soldier who refused to salute Hitler or the Cambridge University student who dedicated his life to abolishing slavery. Bregman explained what made these changemakers so persuasive, influential and effective in achieving their goals. He showed how we, too, can lend our talents to the biggest challenges of our time. With moral ambition he argued, we can do more than be on the right side of history: we can start to make history itself. In addition to the book Rutger Bregman will be launching The School of Moral Ambition. To find out more click here --------- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes time to choose a career, we’re often told to follow our passions and optimize for things like title and salary. But rarely do we pause to consider the impact of our work and whether or not it actually matters. In a world where preventable tragedies occur every day, failing to consider the social impact of our careers is a missed opportunity – and perhaps a moral failing, too. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, guest host Jessi Hempel talks with historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman about his new book “Moral Ambition: How to Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference.” Rutger introduces his concept of “moral ambition,” which challenges readers to rethink what it means to success. Rutger makes the case that talented, privileged professionals must move beyond aiming for status, wealth and personal achievement and use their skills to address the world’s most pressing problems. Preorder Rutger’s book here . If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Finding Your Purpose Through Ikigai with Tim Tamashiro

Is humanity innately good or bad? Historian and author Rutger Bregman joins Adam to discuss his decidedly optimistic answer to this question. They discuss research showing that people are more likely to help each other during national disasters, the true story behind Kitty Genovese, and how the real-life Lord of The Flies had a very different ending. You can find Rutger Bregman’s book, Humankind: A Hopeful History, wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The fundamentals of economic thought are built on the idea that humans are fundamentally self-interested. But, according to historian Rutger Bregman, that’s a misconception — in fact, humans are fundamentally good, and if we want to realistically address our greatest challenges, we need to reconsider our view of our own human nature. Rutger Bregman is a historian. He has published four books on history, philosophy, and economics, including Utopia for Realists and his latest book, Humankind: A Hopeful History . Twitter: @rcbregman Further reading: Humankind: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316418539 The neoliberal era is ending. What comes next? https://thecorrespondent.com/466/the-neoliberal-era-is-ending-what-comes-next/61655148676-a00ee89a Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com/ Twitter: @PitchforkEcon Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Nick’s twitter: @NickHanauer

What was life like before we emerged from hunter-gatherer tribes and pulled ourselves into the civilised world? Notoriously, this same question was asked by the great philosopher Thomas Hobbes in the seventeenth century. His answer? The state of nature is a 'time of war, where every man is enemy to every man'; where all live in 'continual fear', and in 'danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' This is human nature. Left to our own devices, we are led to fight by diffidence, competition, and glory. Here our inner demons come out to play: predatory, revengeful, dominant, and sadistic. We are survival machines, but ultimately, the best way for us all to survive is to create a new machine, a great Leviathan - viz, the dawn of the state. Thirty years after Hobbes' death saw the birth of his rival, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It is here, at the origin of the state, says Rousseau, where human nature is corrupted: society is the curse of humankind. In his own words, 'many writers have hastily concluded that man is naturally cruel, and requires civil institutions to make him more mild; whereas nothing is more gentle than man in his primitive state… according to the axiom of the wise Locke: There can be no injury, where there is no property.' Be sure not to listen to Hobbes the imposter. We are lost, but we can find ourselves again. In this episode, we'll be discussing the views of Hobbes and Rousseau with returning guests Steven Pinker and Rutger Bregman. Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, is one of the leading thinkers in the field. Steven has an extraordinary list of accomplishments and awards, considered by many, including Foreign Policy and Time magazine, to be amongst the 100 Most Influential People in the World Today. Historian and author, Rutger Bregman, is acclaimed for his bestselling book, Utopia for Realists: and how we can get there . Described by The Guardian as 'the Dutch wunderkind of new ideas' and by TED as 'one of Europe's most prominent young thinkers', Bregman's vision of (and for) humankind is a call to rethink our understanding of the past, and our vision for the future. Coinciding with the rise of the homo sapien , this might be the oldest and most important philosophical question: what is human nature?

What was life like before we emerged from hunter-gatherer tribes and pulled ourselves into the civilised world? Notoriously, this same question was asked by the great philosopher Thomas Hobbes in the seventeenth century. His answer? The state of nature is a 'time of war, where every man is enemy to every man'; where all live in 'continual fear', and in 'danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' This is human nature. Left to our own devices, we are led to fight by diffidence, competition, and glory. Here our inner demons come out to play: predatory, revengeful, dominant, and sadistic. We are survival machines, but ultimately, the best way for us all to survive is to create a new machine, a great Leviathan - viz, the dawn of the state. Thirty years after Hobbes' death saw the birth of his rival, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It is here, at the origin of the state, says Rousseau, where human nature is corrupted: society is the curse of humankind. In his own words, 'many writers have hastily concluded that man is naturally cruel, and requires civil institutions to make him more mild; whereas nothing is more gentle than man in his primitive state… according to the axiom of the wise Locke: There can be no injury, where there is no property.' Be sure not to listen to Hobbes the imposter. We are lost, but we can find ourselves again. In this episode, we'll be discussing the views of Hobbes and Rousseau with returning guests Steven Pinker and Rutger Bregman. Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, is one of the leading thinkers in the field. Steven has an extraordinary list of accomplishments and awards, considered by many, including Foreign Policy and Time magazine, to be amongst the 100 Most Influential People in the World Today. Historian and author, Rutger Bregman, is acclaimed for his bestselling book, Utopia for Realists: and how we can get there . Described by The Guardian as 'the Dutch wunderkind of new ideas' and by TED as 'one of Europe's most prominent young thinkers', Bregman's vision of (and for) humankind is a call to rethink our understanding of the past, and our vision for the future. Coinciding with the rise of the homo sapien , this might be the oldest and most important philosophical question: what is human nature? <div id="yui_3_17_2_1_15891