Know Why Podcast

Many millennials and Gen Zers are intentionally avoiding parenthood, and the number one reason cited is cost.

But when it comes to kids, can crunched numbers really capture the gamut of costs AND benefits, stresses AND joys that one experiences over a lifetime?

As it turns out, spreadsheets fail to convey the lived experience of many mothers, who, statistically, report being happier than th...

Do you believe in soulmates? In finding "the One?" If so, you're not alone—according to surveys, a majority of young singles hold some version of the soulmate view of marriage. Unfortunately, that's also the marriage view most likely to lead to divorce.

In this episode, Liberty summarizes research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book "Get Married," explaining why soulmates are a myth and why a different view of marriage—"family ...

Almost everywhere you look online, conspiracy theories abound. Recent events are no exception. In this episode Liberty addresses three questions:

Why are people drawn to conspiracy theories?

Why is it a problem to default to conspiracy theories (especially for Christians)? 

How can we evaluate conspiracy theories with clarity?

Listen and let us know what you think in the comments.

More Resources:

How to approach conspiracy theories...

In the three weeks since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, something is rippling across the nation that many are calling the “Charlie Kirk Effect.” On social media, individuals are professing Christian faith, returning to church, or going to church for the first time, citing Charlie Kirk’s life and public death as their inspiration.

While many Christians are celebrating this effect and even calling it a revival, others are wrestli...

What does it mean to be a woman? The culture has wrestled with this point for decades. Ironically, diametrically opposed sides often make the same mistake: conflating the aesthetics of femininity with its definition.

Many who embrace transgender ideology argue that feeling feminine and dressing the part are all it takes to identify oneself as “woman.” On the other hand, many reacting against modern femin...

You can’t have healthy marriages without healthy individuals, and healthy individuals are people who understand themselves and their purpose in life.

Perhaps one reason more young men aren’t getting married, despite many desiring to do so, is because they lack understanding about who they are and what they were made for.

The left tells men that being masculine is “toxic.” On the far right, ...

Young men on the far right and young women on the far left have little in common—except for their views on marriage. Leading voices in the “manosphere” argue that marriage is of no benefit to men, especially when it comes to finances. Many women believe the same lie.

According to a robust body of research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book “Get Married,” men who get married experience a significant ...

Why is marriage good? Is it only good for the material benefits it may provide individuals, like relational security and legal protection? Or is there an intrinsic good to marriage that can't be analyzed with science?

Social and political philosopher John Mancini joins the podcast to kick off the next series, Know About Family Formation. John argues that there is a transcendent good to marriage that can't be fully explained by its ...

A 22-year-old founder of two multi-million dollar businesses recently made headlines for claiming that "Work-Life Balance Will Keep You Mediocre." In this last episode of Know Why's 2025 summer series, Liberty looks at whether Emil Barr's extreme sacrifices, including giving up relationships and even sleep, are worth it.

Noting that Mr. Barr makes a few good points, Liberty argues that such an extreme focus on future material succe...

This episode looks at the issues of medically-assisted suicide, also called doctor- or physician-assisted death, and euthanasia. Referring to a recent feature in The Atlantic, Liberty uses examples from Canada to show three problems that arise when medically-assisted death is legalized in a society, and three reasons why it is wrong.

TW: The episode includes several mentions of medically-assisted death, including real-life anecdote...

Are you trying to find your calling in life? Are you just trying to find a job? Either way, it can be a frustrating time.

The job market is changing. AI is threatening many collar jobs. A bachelor’s degree isn’t the ticket to success it once was. Meanwhile, culturally accepted wisdom about passion, vocation, and job satisfaction isn’t always rooted in the truth—about happiness, about God, or even about o...

Are we at risk of live streaming our lives away?

In a world where large amounts of young people spend more time "connecting" online than in physical life, where we are constantly plagued by FOMO and the urge to share every moment on social media, we risk losing the very life we are trying to preserve in digital memory.

While convenient and sometimes helpful tools, social media and smart technology can present a counterfeit to our n...

What makes people happy in life? In this episode, Liberty highlights research from the Global Flourishing Study, a 5-year research project that measures human flourishing using a broad range of questions.

Led by social scientists from Harvard and Baylor University, and in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science, the Global Flourishing Study has produced findings indicating that our idea o...

Young men are in crisis. A recent article argues that married fatherhood is the key to solving the masculinity crisis, because married fatherhood gives men the meaning in life they inherently desire. It's true that humans need human relationships to be fulfilled, and that marriage incentivizes fathers to invest in their children. But is there more to it that that?

What if our need for other people is more than an evolutionary accid...

How politically diverse is your friend group? If your answer is "not very," you're not alone. Nearly half of U.S. voters view their political opponents as "downright evil," according to a 2024 poll. Fewer and fewer people live in politically diverse areas, and digital media exacerbates our ideological bubbles.

But Americans miss out on a lot of good things when we avoid people who think differently than we do. In this episode, Libe...

Are your opinions based more on hot takes or real ideas? Liberty spends the first half of this episode discussing why young adults are more likely to build their worldview on a foundation of "takes" rather than carefully considered ideas. This results from things like social media algorithms to the way modern classrooms teach English and literature.

Then, she switches gears to commemorate that this is Know Why Podcast's 100th episo...

If you're on social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, you've seen the videos—reels using satire, sarcasm, and dark humor to react to recent events in the Middle East. Cynical, offbeat humor is typical of a generation accustomed to "unprecedented times," but is often used to mask a deeper sense of fear and anxiety about what's going on.

In this episode, Liberty draws on principles found in the Bible and often repeated by mental ...

For decades, religious affiliation has dropped off with each new generation. But with Gen Z, that trend appears to be stalling. Why are young adults returning to religion, especially traditionally conservative expressions of religion like Catholicism?

Liberty suggests that in today's chaotic world, young people want more than vague spirituality and moral relativism, and they're finding it in the pews their parents abandoned.

More R...

Deloitte's 2025 Global survey of Gen Zs and millennials reveals that at work, young adults prioritize mentorship, meaning, and financial security. But survey answers reveal deeper themes at play, including strong needs for a secure identity and a sense of purpose. What do these deeper themes reveal about who we are as humans? That's what Liberty tackles in this 20-minute episode, drawing on experts featured in Know Why's past serie...