The one-sentence summary

A range of biological markers explain why Western countries have been in decline in the last 40 years.

Can’t be bothered to read it? Listen to the 5-minute summary in two parts.

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WHAT THE BOOK SAYS

  • The author is a doctor and believes that there are five indicators of the West’s decline:
  1. Share of global Gross Domestic Product is declining
  2. Fewer Western companies are among the world’s Top 100
  3. Fewer gold medals won at the Olympic Games
  4. Decreased purchasing power parity decrease in relation to non-Western countries
  5. Fewer applications for patents (intelligent people solve problems faster)
  • Biology influences actions and declining biology decreases intelligence in 8 ways:
    1. Marijuana use
    2. Pesticides in foods
    3. Unhealthy diet
    4. Reduced physical activity
    5. Obesity
    6. Heavy metals in the environment
    7. Increase in screen time
    8. Vitamin D deficiency through poor diet and reduced time spent outdoors
  • Manifestations of this can be seen in the decline in the number of patent applications, the decline in the quality of schooling, an increased use of simpler language and progressive loss of vocabulary, an increase in corruption, and a decline in democracy.
  • Testosterone levels in Western countries have been declining consistently. Benefits of testosterone include:
  • Increased muscular strength
  • It acts as an antidepressant
  • Decreased sensitivity to pain
  • Increased resilience and resistance to stress
  • Increased self-confidence
  • Improved memory and cognition
  • Increased attractiveness and the desire to have children
  • Improved sperm quality and sex drive
  • Increased fitness and reduced fatigue symptoms
  • There has been a rise in the rate of Western narcissism which tends to cause harm in 5 ways:
    1. Narcissists consume more
    2. They tend to favour short-term over long-term gratification
    3. They exploit the community
    4. They’re less empathetic
    5. They tend to be more aggressive and conflict-orientated

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT

  • The book continues to hammer home the bad news for Western countries. Effects of being overweight and obese include cognitive impairment, a decrease in activity and increase in sleepiness, a decrease in fitness, lower income, impaired mood and depression, fewer children, shorter life spans, and poorer health overall.
  • The social consequences of the ageing of Western societies means they are less innovative, physically weaker, and have more limited cognitive abilities. Older people require more resources, societies with older populations are more affected by illness and are less productive, as well as being more self-centred.
  • The rise of one-child and single-parent households also has implications. The only child as an adult is more often depressed and anxious, is more often overweight and obese both as a child and as an adult, and tends to be more often self-centred and narcissistic.
  • Such households also have a greater tendency toward criminal behaviour, they are more often sick, they are more often poor and in need of government support, and they are more often poorly educated.
  • There are five predictions about what the Western world could look like in the near future:
    1. Inequality will increase
    2. People will become (even) less educated
    3. Western societies will become even less innovative
    4. Western societies will become more corrupt, and democracies will continue to deteriorate
    5. Infrastructure will continue to worsen

WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH

  • It is a convincing case that rings true, but if you live in the West, it all adds up to a pretty depressing list.