Unofficially Decoding the Gurus

Just an unofficial sycophantic fanpage of the Decoding The Gurus podcast.

Go To Gurometer

The Gurometer is a satirical but systematic rating tool developed by the hosts of the Decoding the Gurus podcast. It scores public intellectuals—so-called "secular gurus"—across a set of 11 behavioral and rhetorical traits that often signal guru-like tendencies. These traits include things like Galaxy Brainness, Conspiratorial Thinking, Cultishness, and Grievance Mongering. The scores are given by the podcast hosts.

Top 5 Gurus (AKA The Tippy Top)

According to the gurometer score. Updated every 24h.

Bottom 5 Gurus

According to the gurometer score. Updated every 24h.

What is it about?

Note: Content copied with pride from decoding-the-gurus.captivate.fm page.

A psychologist and an anthropologist try to make sense of the world's greatest self-declared Gurus. An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights.

Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About?

Join us, as we try to puzzle our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur?

Join us and let's find out!

Hosts

Christopher Kavanagh

A Northern Irish cognitive anthropologist who occasionally moonlights as a social psychologist. Chris has long standing interests in the psychology of conspiracy theorists and pseudoscience. His academic research focuses on the Cognitive Science of Religion and ritual psychology. He lives happily in Japan with his family.

Matthew Browne

An Australian psychologist and numbers-guy. He does research on all kinds of stuff, but particularly enjoys looking into why people believe the things they do: religion, conspiracy theories, alternative medicine and stuff. He's into social media in the same way people slow down for car accidents.

Dictionary

Commonly used words that you might not be familiar with.

IDW (Intellectual Dark Web): A loosely affiliated group of anti-establishment intellectuals and media personalities (e.g., Jordan Peterson, Sam Harris, Bret Weinstein) known for criticizing political correctness and mainstream narratives.
Galaxy Brainness: Overly complex or abstract theorizing that sounds profound but is often vague, self-important, or disconnected from reality.
Grievance Mongering: Framing oneself as a perpetual victim of censorship, "cancel culture," or oppressive forces, often to gain sympathy or loyalty.
Secular Guru: A public intellectual who positions themselves as a source of profound insight or truth, often outside traditional institutions or expertise.
Pseudo-profound Bullshit: Statements that sound deep and intellectual but collapse under scrutiny (e.g., “consciousness is the universe looking at itself”).
Cassandra Complex: The idea that a guru believes they are delivering vital, prophetic warnings that the mainstream refuses to heed.
Steelmanning: The practice of restating someone’s argument in its strongest form before critiquing it—something the hosts value but often see gurus avoiding.
Shibboleth: A word, phrase, or belief used as a test for ideological alignment, often used to gatekeep in-group membership.
The Discourse: The broader online debate space around cultural, political, and ideological issues—especially as navigated by gurus and their audiences.
Bog-standard: Refers to something that is entirely typical or standard, without any enhancements or distinguishing characteristics. For example, a "bog-standard laptop" would be a basic model without any premium features. In the context of the podcast, the hosts might use "bog-standard" to critique individuals or ideas that are presented as groundbreaking but are, in reality, quite conventional.

Links