Nathan J. Murphy Talks About The Ideas That Rule Us

Ideas shape our lives—sometimes without us even realizing it. In this episode, I sit down with Nathan J. Murphy, founder of Prepolitica and author of The Ideas That Rule Us, to explore how the ideas we inherit, adopt, and hold onto influence our decisions, beliefs, and behaviors.

Nathan brings a deep, research-driven approach to understanding the power of ideas, questioning why we cling to certain concepts while rejecting others. We discuss how ideologies form, how words and terms evolve (and sometimes get corrupted), and how to critically assess which ideas serve us—and which ones hold us back. If you've ever wondered how to break free from ingrained thought patterns or how societal narratives shape your thinking, this conversation is for you.

Key Discussion Points

• The origins of ideas and why they shape our decisions more than we realize
• How ideologies form—and why breaking free from them is so difficult
• The emotional ties we have to ideas and how they influence our choices
• How words and terms get co-opted and corrupted over time
• Why abstract concepts can create deep emotional reactions
• The role of cultural ideas in shaping identity, behavior, and even political systems
• Practical ways to question inherited ideas and redefine personal values

Ideas don’t just exist in the abstract—they rule our lives in ways we often overlook. Nathan offers insightful strategies for identifying the ideas that no longer serve us and how to replace them with ones that align with who we want to become.

Links Worth Exploring

• Connect with Nathan: Website | YouTube | Instagram
• Get the book we discuss: The Ideas That Rule Us: How Others’ Ideology, Political Thought and Societal Norms Rule Our Lives… and How to Change It
• Check out Prepolitica: Click here
• Related Conversation: Episode 235: Big Ideas with John Lamerton
• Related Blog Post: Killing Ideas

Thanks to all of the sponsors of this episode. You can find all of the sponsors you heard me mention on this episode on our Podcast Sponsors page.

Want to support the podcast? Beyond checking out our sponsors, you can subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. You can subscribe on Spotify and also on Apple Podcasts. Not using either of those to get your podcasts? Just click on this link and then paste the podcast feed into your podcast app of choice.

Thanks again for listening to A Productive Conversation. See you later.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

📘 Grab My New Book: The Productivity Diet: A Practical Guide to Nurturing your Productive Potential

If you’re looking to build a sustainable, personalized productivity practice that actually sticks, my latest book is for you. It’s available now—wherever books are sold. Learn more at mikevardy.com/lit or request it at your favorite local bookstore.