Ex-Spy Declares Human Equality Impossible Because People Secretly Want Advantage
"I used to believe that people could be equal, and fundamentally now I know that people will never be equal because equality is not really the thing that we're after. What we're secretly after that we don't want to admit to is we're always after being better, having more, being in a better position than everyone else."
About this episode
In this episode of Diary of a CEO, host Steven Bartlett interviewed a former CIA operative who left the agency in 2014 after serving as an undercover officer. The conversation opened with revelations about CIA recruitment strategy, with the guest claiming the agency actively targets individuals with anxiety disorders because they possess heightened observational skills and natural paranoia that function as operational superpowers. The operative disclosed details about stress inoculation training methods used to reprogram fear responses in agents over months of controlled exercises at the Farm. Moving to geopolitics, the guest made the striking forecast that US-China economic parity—which he considers inevitable—will make both countries the most dangerous places on Earth as they become each other's primary targets, prompting his decision to relocate his family out of America by 2027. He declared that World War III is already underway through proxy conflicts like Ukraine-Russia, funded by larger powers avoiding direct confrontation. The conversation turned philosophical when discussing identity and human nature, with the former spy claiming true equality is impossible because people secretly seek advantage while publicly advocating for equality, and accusing politicians of deliberately perpetuating this lie to maintain control. He and his wife both resigned from the CIA in 2014 due to incompatibility between the 16-hour workdays of middle management and their desire to be present parents to their one-year-old child. Throughout, he emphasized that taking imperfect action beats waiting, arguing that most people remain paralyzed by fear while the few who move forward gain insurmountable advantages.
Key takeaways
- Former CIA officer revealed the agency recruits people with anxiety because it creates heightened observational skills and paranoia that keep operatives alive.
- He predicts US-China economic parity will make both nations the most dangerous places as they become each other's primary targets.
- The operative declared World War III is already happening through proxy conflicts funded by rival superpowers avoiding direct confrontation.
- He plans to relocate his family from America by 2027 because he believes the country is in adolescence and won't offer equal opportunities for 5-10 years.
- CIA training uses months of stress inoculation exercises to reprogram fear responses by forcing trainees to reject emotional reactions repeatedly.
- He argued true human equality is impossible because people secretly seek advantage over others while publicly claiming to want equality.
- The operative accused politicians advocating equality of lying to maintain conflict and expand control over the population.