EPISODE · Aug 23, 2025 · 1H 6M
Why We’re Drawn to Death, Crime, & Danger - Coltan Scrivner - #984
from Modern Wisdom · host Chris Williamson
Coltan Scrivner is a behavioral scientist, an expert on morbid curiosity in horror and true‑crime media, and an author. Why are humans so curious about death? From car accidents to scary stories, roller coasters, and horror movies, some people are fascinated while others are repulsed. What draws us toward the very things we should naturally want to avoid? Expect to learn why humans are drawn to dark or morbid content and the evolutionary logic behind watching something that disturbs us, why there is a gender gap of who is more interested in morbid curiosity, why some people find serial killers fascinating while others are repulsed, the biggest differences between terror and horror & the connection between disgust and fascination, what horror can teach us about emotional self-regulation, and much more… Timestamps: (0:00) Why are We Drawn to Dark Content? (7:20) The 4 Domains of Morbid Curiosity (15:25) Morbid Curiosity in Evolution (22:51) Individual Difference in Morbid Curiosity (34:05) What is So Attractive About Serial Killers? (37:46) Why are Certain Groups Attracted to Certain Types of Morbid Content? (47:17) The Perfect Ingredients for a Horror Movie (57:14) Why is There Increasing Desensitisation to Morbid Content? (01:02:59) Find Out More About Colton Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular Flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get 60% off an annual plan of Incogni at https:/incogni.com/modernwisdom Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why We’re Drawn to Death, Crime, & Danger - Coltan Scrivner - #984
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