Podcasts · SOLVED with Mark Manson

Romantic Love, Solved

18 Feb 2026 · 1 h 35 min · Episode 15 · Explicit

We put love on trial — literally. Drew and I squared off in a full debate over whether romantic love is overrated. I made the case that love is basically your brain's con man, a neurochemical hijacking designed to make you delusional about deeply flawed people, and that the most intoxicating relationships are often the most toxic. Drew fought back with the evidence that love is the foundation of social infrastructure, physical health, and long-term happiness. By the end, we came to a gentlemen’s agreement: a framework that explains why we're all chasing the wrong kind of love, and what the right kind actually looks like.

CHAPTERS

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction • 00:02:21 Round 1: Love is the Brain's Conman • 00:23:33 Round 2: Love as Social Infrastructure • 00:43:48 Round 3: Love and Happiness • 01:05:29 Round 4: Why We're Drawn to People Who Hurt Us

⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://go.markmanson.net/cdi1xzha

⇨ Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get started at https://go.markmanson.net/217i5ys5

FOLLOW MARK

Mark's IG: https://www.instagram.com/markmanson

Solved IG: https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/

Twitter: https://x.com/markmanson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson

Links in the notes 9

• https://markmanson.net/breakthrough%E2%81%A9
• https://go.markmanson.net/cdi1xzha
• https://bit.ly/4w46FMH
• https://go.markmanson.net/217i5ys5
• https://www.instagram.com/markmanson
• https://www.instagram.com/solvedpodcast/
• https://x.com/markmanson
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmanson/
• https://www.youtube.com/@IAmMarkManson