The Uncertain Transition from Mass Plenty to Mass Flourishing
The Human Progress Podcast | 27 February 2026 | 1h 12m | Listen Later 
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Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Brink Lindsey about his book The Permanent Problem: The Uncertain Transition from Mass Plenty to Mass Flourishing. Explains how rich societies, having conquered material scarcity (Keynes’s economic problem), now face the ‘permanent problem’ of flourishing. Notwithstanding unprecedented wealth, widespread discontent, declining mental health, and social atomisation persist. This is partly due to our inability to adapt to abundance, with self-discipline eroded by cheap pleasures and digitised distractions. Suggests moving towards more localised, pluralistic communities and leveraging technology (like AI) to cultivate conditions for a fulfilling life, rather than succumbing to passivity or further societal fragmentation.