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Ron and Ed are thrilled to welcome back Kimberlee Josephson for the sixth time, diving into her fascinating latest piece: “Superman, Sneaking Snacks into Movies, and the Mystery of Social Order”. In it, Kimberlee reflects on how seemingly small acts—like sneaking snacks into a film screening—reveal the spontaneous, emergent structures that bind society—drawing on themes of personal norms, subtle coordination, and the texture of social order.
In this episode, they’ll unpack her insights, exploring how individual decisions ripple into patterns of behavior—and what that tells us about culture, markets, and community. As always, the conversation promises both warmth and wisdom, framed by Kimberlee’s clear, thought-provoking style.
Catch her last two TSOE appearances:
Episode 494 - Progressives & Anti-progress: Interview with Kimberlee Josephson
Episode 528 - Questioning Conscious Capitalism - Fifth interview with Kimberlee Josephson
SHOW NOTES
Segment one
Kimberlee Josephson is a SIX time guest on The Soul of Enterprise. Here is her bio: https://aier.org/people/kimberlee-josephson/
“If it’s really about the economy, can Dollar General fulfill its ‘food first’ mission?” by Kimberlee Josephson (via Fast Company) https://www.fastcompany.com/91235714/if-its-really-about-the-economy-can-dollar-general-fulfill-its-food-first-mission
Kimberlee is on the speaker’s bureau for The Heterodox Academy. If you are in the New York area in September then take a look at their conference info https://heterodoxacademy.org/2025-conference/conference-program/
“Superman, Sneaking Snacks into Movies, and the Mystery of Social Order” by Kimberlee Josephson via The Daily Economy https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/would-superman-bring-coffee-to-the-movies/
Segment two
Today I learned that Walmart is not allowed in Manhattan. Kimberlee rightfully called out Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for the desire to run government owned grocery stores in Manhattan. Does anyone think the government is more efficient (or has better purchasing power) than Walmart??? https://en.as.com/latest_news/why-are-there-no-walmart-stores-in-new-york-city-n/
“Self-Care Is Trending But Self-Determination Matters More” by Kimberlee Josephson via The Daily Economy https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/self-care-is-trending-but-self-determination-matters-more/
“Doing Good by Doing Well” by Kimberlee Josephson via FEE https://fee.org/articles/doing-good-by-doing-well/
“Ethical is expected” is a GREAT quote from Kimberlee on the show today. Well said!
Segment three
Ayn Rand began writing Atlas Shrugged on September 2. That’s also the date the story in the book starts. https://x.com/dr_josephson/status/1962869801014976737
In Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged and her related philosophy, Objectivism, selfishness is presented as a virtue, defined as rational self-interest, rather than the act of harming others. https://www.atlassociety.org/post/virtue-of-selfishness
“The subjective value placed on each experience will inevitably vary with each individual.” — great quote from Kimberlee’s “Superman” article https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/would-superman-bring-coffee-to-the-movies/
Artificial intelligence does not play a big role in Dr. Josephson’s classroom. She encourages critical thinking in her classes and leaves the teaching of Generative AI up to those professors who are specifically tasked with teaching AI.
Segment four
Here are some fun facts about Mr. Beast (the most prominent YouTuber): MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) dropped out of college to pursue YouTube, had his first viral hit by counting to 100,000, and is a major philanthropist, even launching a separate charity channel called Beast Philanthropy. He lives a dedicated, somewhat modest lifestyle, reinvesting profits into his ambitious videos and operations, which include building wells in Africa and restoring eyesight for 1,000 blind people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MrBeast
Keep an eye out for Kimberlee’s upcoming article on why marketing really does matter. Her motivation? Cracker Barrel
A big THANK YOU to Dr. Kimberlee Josephson for joining us today. She is everywhere but here is a good starting point: https://aier.org/people/kimberlee-josephson/
Bonus Content is Available As Well
Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.
Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits.