Why are so many decent, honest people repelled by politics-as-usual? I use the story of Mal Meninga, the celebrated Australian rugby captain, who famously tried politics and quit 30 seconds into his first interview, choking on the very talking points he’d practiced for weeks. He simply balked at the falsity of it all.

His experience reveals something deeply unsettling about our modern democracy. The political system seems to actively filter out the humble and decent, leaving a space that attracts narcissists, Machiavellians and psychopaths.

We conclude with a glimpse at a different, older model of democracy, championed by America's founders and ancient Athens, that offers a way to heal our broken system.

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We all want good leaders in our democracy, but what if politics, elections, and the very systems we use to choose them actually give narcissists and bad leaders a leg up? In this video on the dark secret behind democracy, I explore the paradox at the heart of our modern institutions. We want leaders who serve others, not themselves.

Yet, our reliance on pitting leadership candidates against each other in open competition, whether in politics or organisations, discourages worthy candidates who dislike self-promotion. Worse, it actively attracts the very people who do the most damage. We have built a meritocracy that confuses what it takes to win with merit itself.

This system allows narcissists and psychopaths to thrive. I examine why our selection process favours the "dark triad" and how we lost touch with the idea of intrinsic merit.

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Why does modern politics feel so much like theatre? It's a problem that stretches right back to ancient Athens, where the very layout of the citizen assembly favoured the charismatic and the power-hungry.

Today, this has evolved into "democracy by theatre". We are drawn to politicians who entertain us, which means vital issues are often ignored simply because they aren't 'exciting' enough for the 24-hour news cycle.

In this video, I explore how this damaging focus on performance distracts from real governance. We look at an Austrian election, where the divisive topic of immigration eclipsed the public's stated priority: education. I then contrast this with a powerful alternative in East Belgium: a standing citizen jury that successfully tackles complex, real-world problems like affordable living and aged care, all away from the political spotlight.

It's time we asked how we can refocus our institutions on good governance rather than political grandstanding.

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Democracy feels like it’s in trouble. We see ferocious political competition, polarisation, and attacks on the very rules of the game. Institutions that were supposed to protect the 'shared centre' – like the rule of law, free and fair elections, and even impartial judges – are being eroded by partisanship.

In this video, I explore how we got here. We look at the safeguards the US founding fathers built in, why they are failing, and how other parliamentary democracies in the UK, Australia, and Canada are surprisingly more vulnerable than you might think.

But there is good news. A powerful new democratic settlement is emerging, taking the job of defending our norms away from the elites and giving it back to the people. We investigate the new institutions that could save democracy from itself.

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What if the real lesson of the Magna Carta isn’t about kings or courts, but about fairness itself?

And do we need another Magna Carta today? If so, what would it look like?

When King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215, its best-known clause guaranteed trial by jury. But another, often forgotten, demanded standard weights and measures, a rule that made markets fair and information trustworthy.

In this video, I explore why that ancient insight still matters. Our society depends on both private and public goods, on markets and the shared standards that make them work. When those standards are undermined, as in modern auditing and finance, fairness gives way to oligarchy.

By understanding how private and shared purposes thrive together or fall apart, we can start imagining a new Magna Carta for our time.

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What happens when justice is treated like a game where the players also act as the umpire?

In English-speaking courts, prosecution and defence are left to battle it out, with truth supposedly emerging from their clash. In reality, this adversarial system produces endless delays, spiralling costs and constant manoeuvring for advantage. The result is that the deepest pockets win, leaving justice distorted and ordinary people disadvantaged.

By contrast, European inquisitorial courts keep the judge in control, focusing everyone on the search for truth. This system is not only fairer but up to four times less costly. The difference is the same as between a chaotic tennis match with players calling their own lines and Wimbledon, where the umpire ensures the game is played properly.

When legal systems reward predation over truth, they corrode trust and empower oligarchy. Understanding these failures is essential if we want fairer institutions.

Data for comparison of litigation costs is here

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Why do so many public debates descend into conflict instead of connection? Conversations should be our most powerful tool for understanding, yet they are increasingly being twisted into performances.

In this video, I explore what makes a genuine conversation work and why our democratic discourse so often breaks down. We revisit the infamous Jordan Peterson vs Cathy Newman interview, where point-scoring and misrepresentation undermined real dialogue, and contrast it with a moving exchange from Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly on same-sex marriage. There, two people from different generations found empathy and common ground through honest conversation.

Too much of today’s public debate is a pseudo-conversation, shaped by media and social platforms to exploit outrage, polarisation and attention. But when we honour the true spirit of dialogue, we can rebuild trust, strengthen democracy and rediscover our shared humanity. Real conversation is the first step towards a better society.

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Discover how weak governance and selfish interests drive inequality, division, and dysfunction in politics, business, and society. How do insiders quietly sabotage our institutions and turn collaboration into exploitation and conflict?

In this video, we use a Wimbledon final to illustrate how competition and cooperation coexist within every institution. Just like tennis players must follow rules and cooperate despite competing fiercely, healthy institutions balance private interests with shared responsibilities.

But what happens when governance breaks down and insiders put their own interests over the group? Our social, economic, and political systems begin to fail. Weak enforcement and eroding shared values allow cheating and conflict to take hold leaving many feeling excluded and frustrated. Weak governance is an engine of oligarchy.

This third episode in The Shared Centre reveals the unseen dynamics that are undermining our institutions from within. Our series explores new ways to understand these challenges and why repairing the fragile ecology between private interests and shared obligations is essential to rebuilding a more prosperous and fairer society.

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