In this wide-ranging conversation, TQ Co-Founder, contributing writer and Marine Corps veteran, Sanjay Lohar, joins Editor Mary Garavaglia to explore his forthcoming essay Truths of Society, as well as broader themes of foundational belief systems, American identity, and the values that shape us.

Sanjay reflects on how ‘self-evident’ truths form in the peoples' minds - starting at the level of the family and expanding outward into society - and how cultural transmission has shifted in the digital age. He also draws on his time in the military to discuss the tension between individuality and collective belonging, the pressures of survival, and the ways people break down or grow stronger under stress.

The conversation touches on Sanjay’s essay Molding Marines, viral TikTok quotes, declining birth rates, and the question of whether work should define our purpose…or simply fund our passions. Across it all, Sanjay offers a thoughtful and nuanced take on what holds society together, and what it means to contribute meaningfully.