I have conflicting opinions on the individual members of the so-called “intellectual dark web” (God, that’s a stupid name).

I quite like Sam Harris a lot. He’s the only one of the bunch that I haven’t lost respect for the more that I listen to him.

I was surprised by Joe Rogan when I first started listening to him. He’s a smarter guy than I had previously given him credit for. His interests and the guests he has on his show are wide and far-reaching, and he’s willing to entertain ideas he doesn’t agree with. I give him props for that. But the more I listen to him, the more I’m put off by the toxic masculinity, to the point that I just can’t do it anymore.

Dave Rubin. I liked what Rubin had to say about identity politics, so that’s what got me to start paying attention to him. Turns out that’s about the only issue on which he and I agree. I think he’s an idiot who’s not nearly as smart as he thinks he is.

Jordan Peterson. I think Harris and Peterson are the two smartest men of the bunch. But where I think Harris’s positions on most topics are well-reasoned, Peterson is a different story. Peterson makes some good points on certain topics, but there’s also a pantheon of bullshit to wade through.