#280: Yale Psychologist Exposes The Hidden Data On Why Men Cheat - Dr. Bill von Hippel

About this episode

Nick Bracks interviews Yale psychologist Dr. Bill von Hippel about the biological and social factors influencing male fidelity and the importance of connection over novelty.

This conversation starts with a confronting question: are men actually built to be faithful? In this episode, I speak with Yale psychologist Dr. Bill von Hippel about the biology behind male variety-seeking, modern dating, commitment, dopamine, and why chasing more options often leaves people feeling more disconnected. We talk about serial monogamy, dating apps, social comparison, success, loneliness, and why the things we think will make us happy often don’t. What I loved about this conversation is that it doesn’t excuse behaviour, it explains the deeper forces underneath it. And the real takeaway is simple: we may chase novelty, status, and freedom, but what we actually need is connection. Dr. Bill von Hippel is a Yale psychologist, author, and researcher whose work explores human behaviour, happiness, connection, and the evolutionary forces that shape who we are. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:42) Serial Monogamy Origins (02:21) Testicles Tell All (04:26) Variety vs Pair Bonding (07:44) Dating Apps Trap (10:43) Status Won’t Fulfill (15:06) Happiness Rises With Age (18:55) Modern Life Mismatch (23:13) Too Many Choices (26:37) Embrace Uncertainty (30:07) Connection Over…

People in this episode

Host: Nick Bracks

Guest: Dr. Bill von Hippel

Topics covered

• male fidelity
• modern dating
• human behavior
• connection
• happiness
• commitment

Keywords

• men cheating
• serial monogamy
• dating apps
• dopamine
• social comparison
• loneliness
• connection
• happiness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yale

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