Hidden Brain Host on "Useful Delusions" and Why We Lie to Ourselves Every Day | Amanpour and Company

[@private15]

I pretend that people who drive in a way that irritates me, have a good valid reason. Someone is sick, their child needs them to get home, they had a really bad hard day. They made a mistake and for a second didn’t see my vehicle. Etc, it doesn’t fix anything but let’s me get home without road rage also makes me drive more carefully and makes my day better. I feel better.

[@raybin6873]

But when a vehicle approaches having hi-beam headlights bright enough to illuminate the universe don't dim them for courtesy's sake even after youve dimmed yours?

[@AlisVolatPropiis]

@Diane Patt - I do the same! It has made my commute more relaxed and my own stress levels lower. Glad I’m in good company!

[@buzoff4642]

Every single day, particularly now that we have inadequate roads and inadequate public transport, and ever increasing pressure and stress at poorly paid temporary jobs (or multiple jobs), you can be sure there are those in our vicinity who do indeed have valid reasons. I'm old enough to remember - one job paying for an apartment, savings and vacation, - housing sufficient enough to live within 10 min drive or bike ride, or 20 minutes' walk, and - stereotypical health insurance paying the entire hospital bill with the exception of the phone in the room.

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

I do the same. I often think, "They're lost; they may be panicking. They may be panicking over a loved one who has been taking to emergency." I think of the times when I've been a bad driver and what was motivating me. I remind myself that their behavior is not personal.

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

@@raybin6873 Why give other people the power over your emotions and actions?

[@hhheee3939]

The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the Axe, for the Axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them.

[@theaminerva1515]

So a propos!

[@macummings7818]

So terrifying 😩💀

[@danallyn7]

@@macummings7818 He's talking about - don't forget - is propaganda, of any kind. Which we in the US are bombarded with every minute of every day.

[@constituenta5293]

Vote for the rake. He's nicer.

[@Guy-itsMeOK]

What do I do with this proverb

[@lourdesraupe3824]

I appreciate how well he explains things.

[@cherylanderson3340]

He's always thoughtful & naturally compassionate. We can find him on PBS radio where we can listen to all his "Hidden Brain" programs.

[@susanrosegale6646]

I love my podcast "Hidden Brain", it helps me deal with the world I live in, and now I see why. I can't wait to read his book.

[@judykinsman3258]

Wow! That last segment cleared up so much for me. Thank you for bringing this gentleman to us. Very informative.

[@americanartist6485]

Thank you for presenting this interview, "Useful Delusions," and taking the time to do it justice.

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

What helped me with the pandemic is that I imagined the worst (the worst could still happen) and planned for it and also, rationally figured that we'd not see anything approaching normal for at least 18 months. Then, given that I live alone and knew I was in for disconnection, I decided that I had chosen to be a hermit for 18 months and so looked for ways to enjoy my hermitage. This last bit about being a hermit was a helpful, purposefully and rationally chosen delusion. I was even able to disconnect from social media for 5 months during this time and was so even more isolated and doing better than I had been when connected - I needed the break. Knowing how the brain works is helpful. It also helps me from developing negative delusions.

[@americaunited504]

My sincere, non-delusional Thank You too, to this great newscast.. It'd be nice if all of us had carefree lives, and we all could love/live unconditionally and without some other 'culture' putting us down or constantly making fun of our 'perceived stupidity'. Just so 'they' can feel a little superiority? When will we all let everyone else just live? Automatically, as Americans, we're free, not without fault, not without mistakes, and not without our shameful past. The important things is that we improve, and try our damdest to make this World better for everyone alive and for everyone yet to be born. Let's be 'Good Parents' and 'Good Children' together. Respect the 'culture' and respect the very unique and fascinating ways that 'Good People' live. It's not too hard, if we only try.

[@lisad2701]

"Useful delusion"...he just described all religious and magical thinking.

[@andredarin8966]

That's too convenient. I met a woman who suffered a brian injury and was declared dead given the absence of EEG and EKG activity. She "came back" and haltingly told of her experience--that she still had awareness and perceived an existence she regrettably could not remain in. On what basis do I claim that she experienced a "useful delusion"? My own delusion that I possess the sum of all wisdom? That's a poor foundation on which to dispose of her experience as fraudulent.

[@C11-c1y7l]

Thank you for introducing the book “Useful Delusions” in this conversation. Shankar Vedanta’s question: “What happens when our beliefs are disconfirmed?” opens up the port to many self-explications, that usually are avoided. The conclusion of the conversation here seems to be a convincing key, aiming for informed reality melting into unexpected moments of real life, while are being carried though crisis by the power of trust in informed decisions and through instinctive belief. His arguments are so explicitly depicted, that it would surprise if someone could not follow his approach for beginning a possibly urgently necessary re-thinking. - Thank you again for sharing this interview.

[@TheAureliac]

As someone who has fought depression her entire life, I can attest to the fact that facing reality can be crippling. But ignoring it does not make me happier: it makes me feel foolish.

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

When I feel fearful, I check myself and look for rational explanations and solutions. My life has not gone perfectly. I'm disabled with a chronic illness that's robbed me of life. I had a very traumatic childhood. Perhaps this is a useful delusion of mine: we're not destined to be imprisoned by our fears. I've always thought the problem was that people are uncomfortable with chaos, with ambiguity (perhaps that's why so many people freak out about transgender folk), and I suppose my chaotic childhood helped me learn how to cope with fear. Many people appear unable to handle the idea of the unknown. Generally, people are fearful and some people are much more fearful (likely brain differences). I know my understanding of how the universe works, including the human universe, is beyond my ability to comprehend fully. I am like an ant viewing a tree. This is okay. It's just how it is. I do my best. However, knowing I have a limited view helps me stay open to other ideas and what may be happening in the world. When I was overwhelmed with the reality of Climate Change more than a decade ago, I had to come to terms with the fact that we humans may not right our behavior and we might not survive Climate Change as a species. I had to get comfortable with this because there's only so much I, one disabled person with limited energy, can do. And I'm doing all I can do. (My laptop is powered by the sun... so even as I write this, I'm doing what I can.) It might not be enough, but it's my enough.

[@roxydina7615]

You are amazing.

[@crowflight3988]

Hah. The "ant viewing a tree" has at least one massive advantage (?) over you/us. Namely, said "ant" can't actually see said "tree." Said "ant", some would say, certainly wasn't looking at an apple tree or ate of it's fruit, but, that is whole different bag of delusions best not opened if we would practice pseudo-scientific quasi-rationalism for fun and profit.

[@susanrosegale6646]

Useful Delusions are the BEST material for great stories. If a writer wants endless material, learn about delusional thinking that we all do, and observe, take notes. Fascinating interview - thank you.

[@vanrozay8871]

finding someone or something to blame for our dissatisfactions is so tempting, helps us avoid facing our own failings/culpability. this is why demagogs have easy pickings. i like his explanations, and am tempted to read his book.

[@KateColors]

Makes sense; now, I have something rational to help me move forward when I am stuck. I hope. Thank you.

[@memmor6637]

brilliant. i want the transcript. this segment was a book onto itself. thank you.

[@parkerxgps]

Pbs has been so on fire lately, I think since npr seems a bit more stable I need to switch over. Dr. Vedantam is a wonderful breath of logical science. RIP Gwen, etc. :(

[@TheAureliac]

Shankar Vedantam has long hosted "Hidden Brain" on NPR. Excerpts from his shows are frequently featured on "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered".

[@parkerxgps]

@@TheAureliac Some great programming via both services for sure.

[@kathyadair8552]

Thank you for the NPR info.! Being retired, I'm no longer commuting, so, have missed their Talk Radio programs. I've heard this Doc's Detached retina 'ordeal' story b/4. - He's fascinating! I'll try to remember tune in to more than just great music! And a lot More often. 😂

[@lesablackwell6592]

So helpful! We need to have empathy for our fellow Americans who feel "left behind" and "replaced." We need to find ways to govern with a "both/and" mindset, that we can move towards a just sociaty for black and brown people as well as provide retraining and satisfying jobs to rural Americans. I like the metaphor of "proper soil" needed to reduce delusions. I believe the equity lies in changing our tax structure to make it more fair and progressive and getting rid of the monopolies in our country.

[@kdshak4904]

Oh wow! Thank you Hari and your guest Shankar Vedantam. Definition of demagogue. A person who tells the masses “you had wonderful past, you have terrible present, let me lead to wonderful future”. Wow.

[@autiejedi5857]

This is incredibly fascinating!

[@sonoransaguaro3786]

Wow! you're right, Aspie Jedi! Incredibly facinating! Gotta read/listen to more of his words! He explains the psychology of it all... so simply. Gonna make it much, MUCH easier to deal with some people I know who are still bordering on being "Trump Delusionals". Thanks for having your Friend on your show, Hari.!

[@Kormac80]

I pieced together myself from reading, thinking about it and then doing many ceremonies with powerful psychedelics. They reveal the mind. It’s quite an education.

[@JB-vb6dh]

You have to improve the conditions that lead to 50 million people having a mass delusion. That’s deep.

[@jogjr1652]

Holy Smokes! One of the most useful discussions I ever heard. How deeply grateful I am to those of you who have given up your delusions after experience and education have prevailed in your lives. We are blessed.

[@aggedyran]

Excellent interviewer! Hari asks the perfect questions and Shankar is a mine of clarity and insight.

[@kareneDallas]

I really enjoy his radio show. Such great topics & insights to help you examine a topic from a different perspective.

[@jsmariani4180]

My BA in psychology is over 40 years old. Shankar's program is like an revelatory machine.

[@beesplaining1882]

Reminds me of the American government assertions on WMDs in Iraq. When none were found they didn't go home they moved the goal posts...and stayed!

[@peggydarling206]

I learned a lot from him. Thank you so much

[@randomoverpopulatedworldid3286]

my mother and sister are both "anti-covid" believers... i convinced my mother to get vaccinated, but my sister and her are living in such rural area that everyone there believes that ALL NEWS is lying and they don't trust anyone. whenever I push, they push back. this is the exact opposite of my husband and father who are both vets and see exactly what's happening with fascists' and our democracy in trouble. i just think my mother and sister cannot handle the devastation of accepting the bad news in the world today. i'd rather be devastated and depressed about the truth than lying to myself that everything is okay. my anxiety and depression are worse than ever (mostly due to climate change and extinction of species) and I understand they cannot handle what's happening so instead shut off all news/info to cope.

[@thebookkeeper8404]

New RECOVERY bill will be picking up a large portion of COBRA costs. Anyone who has had to pay COBRA knows what a huge relief that is!!!!! Vote D

[@deidreanne4768]

Yes! You heard him speak of nourishing the soil! I immediately thought "it's the Democrats who do this way more.

[@raybin6873]

When I was laid off my job in 2008 the COBRA cost was so incredibly expensive I couldn't afford having the insurance. Insane.

[@crowflight3988]

@@Jude1955 I'm going to side with @Jude1955 on this one. Not that I understand what COBRA has to do the interview. Expect possibly that expecting the giving aspect of healthcare to be a for profit business model has been proven to be pretty much a delusion when it comes to both quality and quantity for the 'Greatest Good' for 50 (?) years now? So yes, I'd rather give tax dollars to the Public sector and suffer the occasional incompetence and bureaucratic inefficiencies versus giving tax dollars to proven profiteers and cut-throat greed-meisters plundering shareholders and stakeholders for 'a few dollars more' every chance they think no one is watching.

[@sharonhearne5014]

In my childhood family and with many of my relatives connected to them I found in this past election and to the events of January 6, 2021 that their reactions/choices have been tribal rather than logical. They have chosen news sources, religious foci that have only served to augment that tribal narrative. In a way I believe the logic my father used in the family structure in opposition to my mentally ill mother’s actions continue to be in force in my childhood family’s life stories meaning that his belief system which my family still trusts must be a subconscious desire to stick with the belief system which, at the time, was the most nurturing.

[@berthabridges3483]

Excellent conversation. He's correct I think in many ways. 🤔

[@kristinamelnichenko5775]

14:22 this was great, thank you!

[@tammivu7583]

I love your podcast sir! I listen to your Hidden Brain every morning.

[@TheSuzberry]

The Hidden Brain broadcast is wonderful. Lots of thoughtful topics.

[@alexhsu8031]

One of my favorite podcasts!

[@barbarabryonwisdom231]

This is the stuff Google loves

[@RonaldPetrin]

My favorite Podcaster Evah!

[@keyissues1027]

Responsible people want to do something to curve climate change, but we need millions more to do the same.

[@ht-si1lr]

"Lemmy toll you a'story, Harry" You're so ~~~Good At This~~~~~

[@maruzik]

"God Delusion" comes to mind and religion as the eternal deceiver...

[@maruzik]

"For those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"...

[@whiteraven69]

Most excellent example.

[@zonuts]

@@resonancewaves9659 There is no empirical evidence for any particular theistic belief. That's why we refer to such beliefs as being faith-based, not fact-based. We prove or disprove scientific theories using experimentation, verification, replication of results, and peer review. Theism cannot be proved or disproved in the same way. I am actually a theist myself. I'm Jewish, to be more precise. But I'm also a longtime STEM geek. I appreciate both the world of empirical evidence and the world of chosen faith. And I understand why it's so tempting to believe that one's faith should be treated as if it's been proven in the same way that reputable and rigorous scientific research is proven. But faith has never been and will never be able to be proven in the same way. Faith and science aren't just apples and oranges. They operate in completely different spheres of life. But if your faith demands that you deny established scientific evidence, your faith is misplaced.

[@moonfall8972]

@@zonuts Well said!

[@zonuts]

@@resonancewaves9659 Quantum physics is still unfolding, and nothing I've read yet proves the existence of any particular supernatural being in a scientific way. Saying that quantum physics proves any deity is just another form of confirmation bias.

[@baqaqipekhebi7148]

I’ll be buying this book!

[@dolliscrawford280]

So, is there a way to change people's minds? How can we address January 6th?

[@Brett_S_420]

A full & thorough information gathering investigation followed through with an overwhelming amount of retribution and justice to ALL those who planned and participated in Trump's coup attempt is what needs to happen. The events that day did not occur in a vacuum. It was planned & he had help. There is a reason we "don't negotiate with terrorists" and why in WW-2 the Allies would only stop attacking when the Axis declared a full and unconditional surrender. You can't give a fascist group a seat at the table because they would undermine any progress and would prefer nobody else could have a seat (except them) in the first place if they were given a chance to control.

[@Brett_S_420]

A wound will not heal until it is thoroughly cleaned first.

[@buzoff4642]

Stop the lying, that we're in a "good" economy, with "low" unemployment, and the pretense that our only or main problem is primarily racism and xenophobia. As for Jan 6th specifically, prosecute.

[@buzoff4642]

@@Brett_S_420 That's a Whack-A-Mole answer, Brett. There is "the day" Jan 6th, and then there's the decades preceding it, of extraordinary income inequality corruption that laid the groundwork for it.

[@NguyenTran02]

Been listening to his podcast for 2 years and it's the first time I've seen his actual face. His voice sounds a bit different from that on his podcasts, but the way he delivers the rich-science contents is still the same 😁

[@Snafuski]

At what point do delusions become psychoses. And then turn into murder?

[@americanartist6485]

That is the problem with too much internet! It allows you to see everything that makes you anxious over and over and over! The only way to protect yourself is with optimism, optimism that allows you to turn off the input and breath.

[@RonaldPetrin]

Felt “deprived and fallen out of favor”, we need more equitability to remove the “soil (our mire) of discontent.”, “when we feel this we resort to stabilizing belief systems were accustomed to quite quickly, regardless of how flawed they may be. We become desperate to ease our pain. Maybe we need to collectively redirect these anxieties by dismantling their “oranges”, my bad.😊

[@gt-gu7rb]

Micheal Lewis who wrote The Big Short and The Blindside has a good book on this too. The Undoing Project.

[@Cathy-xi8cb]

Brilliant. Seeing things as they are is painful. But he might have clarified psychotic delusion versus delusional thinking. Most of us are not psychotic. Man of us use delusional thinking. Guess that doesn't sell as many books.

[@deidreanne4768]

Good point

[@teresalegler2777]

Excellent!

[@SunnyCharlieFan]

Very fascinating and true for me

[@amvorv2144]

I don't needs or needed to hear or listening to negativity feedbacks to judgements day because my brains is very so strong to controls my body,heart and my mind because of my experience living alone more than 22 years alone..

[@sonoransaguaro3786]

@Kim Ingay🌷Honey, don't be "too alone" for "too long". I'll bet you are Fated for meaningful relationships with other creatures on this earth. Whether it be animals, other humans, or just nature. As all creatures we are Never meant to be ENTIRELY alone.😊🌷🙏

[@matthewbudlong9813]

Two sky scrapers got dropped on a dime . This guy doesn't know about the third building in lower Manhattan that got dropped the same day except a plane didn't hit it. So what happened to the third build GENIUS lol. NEVER FORGET THE THIRD BUILDING.

[@bradhicks4057]

Investigation by Natl. Institute of Standards and Technology determined that thermal expansion from several floors of uncontrolled fires burning office furnishings causing the steel structure to come apart and led to a "progressive collapse". Conclusively determined there was no need of any explosives to be involved to cause collapse and explosives required to do so would produce a sound so loud it would be impossible not to be heard by anyone or the recording of incident. I wouldn't say that eliminates possibility of some sort of government complicity re 9/11, but does prove the bldg. not intentionally brought down. Personally, I suspect the Bush admn. could possibly have been allowing for something to happen to be usefully exploited but it got away from them and was much bigger than they planned for. I just don't see them planning and doing it.

[@ronaldronald8819]

Amazing and recognizable at the same time. This phenomenon (thanks for explaining) is interesting as i did try to understands Trumps behavior. Often i wondered if Trump believed himself what he said (when he was not downright lying). Self delusion might just explain some of it... For sure i will read up on "Useful" Delusions.

[@Brett_S_420]

He is a traitor playing on his supporter's delusions.

[@jenniferchung753]

loved this! ❤

[@berthabridges3483]

So what he's saying is that it's not so much a moral failure but one driven by fear and feelings of being out of control?

[@jeanne553]

It's not "praying", it's really just desperate hoping.

[@rdtripp6806]

Truly inspirational interview

[@amvorv2144]

Because I'm very confidence / confident very optimistic person reality in life because I'm finished to experience all these in my past experiences that's why I'm getting strong and stronger enough because I'm numb or numbness.

[@katherineeastwood843]

Interesting discussion but I don't think it's helpful to encourage delusional thinking as a coping mechanism. Yes, it is important to understand why we form delusions. As we grow as adults, we should be able to take in more and more of reality and let go of delusions. Maybe coming to the realization that we are fragile, not in control and going to die will help us build lives that are in tune to reality. If you need to form delusions to "be functional" or "get through a Zoom happy hour" , maybe it's worth examining how these external factors are pushing us into an unhealthy fantasy. Also found it arrogant to lump praying into delusional thinking. There are many things we don't see and know and being open to explore these realms is also part of living with reality in my view. I wish there were more books on navigating reality rather than sheltering ourselves in narrow fantasies.

[@marktrued9497]

At 7:00.... To all those delusional, positive mental attitude always folks. Take that.

[@waynedombrowski7568]

Yeah,Shankar..I'ved arrived at some tentative conclusions on the Logic/Faith question and self-honesty/self-delusion. I'll try to sum it up. We humans ignore logic and science at our own peril,but humans are much more than science and logic.

[@adrianamanjarrez1435]

THE WORST DELUSION IS LOW SELF ESTEEM...D E C O L O N I Z E....that's why first nations' culture is EARTH based... NATURE...POWER IN REAL EARTH LIVING... MOTHER NATURE

[@Showmethefish]

I was an inspector for AT&T in NY and New Jersey at the time and there was things done in the outside field operation up to a week before 911 that I even said was puzzling and questioned protocol ...and still have pictures of unusual operations (and inspectors (cya) pictures) I personally think authority of some Gov. scale new what was up...

[@RonaldPetrin]

“The more we perceive, the more we receive”, a musical conductor said that, I believe. Who?

[@dawnshort8987]

This explains why the Qanons exist. Makes me have even more contempt for them.

[@buzoff4642]

Contempt, the US response to ... most problems.

[@bryansmith9231]

Best guest money can buy?

[@ccole1255]

For the record, Shakar Vandenem... in that argument with your friend... you WERE the one with the delusion.

[@libbyholt3863]

10:39 "...to come around and say 'I was wrong' is very painful." Why is it so painful for us to admit when we're wrong?

[@libbyholt3863]

Oops. Shudda kept listening. He answers this question. Also, at 14:35, he validates, for many of us, why it is SO important to use this tiny window of power we liberals have with a barely blue DC to get as much legislation in place as fast as possible that will make Americans' lives better in order for them to vote more sanely in 2022. It also explains to me why it is in the best interests of power seeking Trumpster politicians to actually make our lives worse! AND why some of them appear to have brainwashed themSELVES by listening to their own propaganda. Fascinating!

[@buzoff4642]

@@libbyholt3863 Trump presidency would not exist, had The Parties, operating in their SELF-interest, not sold out their constituents, for decades now.

[@libbyholt3863]

@@buzoff4642 Totally!!

[@Dr.DaveRobbo2407]

This song I wrote is entitled 'Don't Fall in Love with a Lie': kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2bHfqawhNaEZs0 Enjoy

[@Brett_S_420]

Trump supporters, listen up!

[@buzoff4642]

Neoliberal supporters, listen up!

[@Susieq26754]

Trump supporters? Not everyone is a supporter of Trump or Biden or any other loser that was selected as president for the last 50 years.

[@HamletsMill25920]

This is why people continue to be in cults and relationships with domestic violence. Only a growing individual can contradict himself - Osho For those looking to know more Vipassana meditation (seeing things as they truly are) and Advaita Vedanta (non duality, Drig Drishya Viveka - discernment of subject and object) can be good pointers.

[@goham5481]

Yes when somebody makes a meal and ask u how it taste it’s ok to say great when u actually hated it. Beyond things like that it’s fear and weakness.

[@amvorv2144]

Plus I'm always prayers to Faith in God.

[@jonathanjollimore7156]

Tell me about this

[@thomaspenoyer9711]

We have lived with so many lies, for so many years, now, that our society was been warped and no longer just shows signs of breaking down. The news bears witness almost every night that we are getting into a failed society status, and a lot more common effort is going to be required. Or, not.

[@channyl252]

Exactly! The matrix is full of people eating up false news, bowing down to the corrupt government and admiring Hollywood's corrupt perverts!!! These two need to wake up from their deep sleep! 🐏🐑🐑🐑

[@Susieq26754]

He should write a book about the technique of gaslighting. Oh he did!

[@adrianamanjarrez1435]

I THINK IT'S TIME FOR SOME CARLOS CASTANEDA...LOL

[@MultiMagnumforce]

Truth !!!

[@amvorv2144]

maybe those people with weak brains can play because the thoughts around them are negative and negativity. so I am myself because I have been able to live alone for 22 years so I can handle my self in any troublemaker because what I said to you I'm quite, silent and silence so don't underestimated or estimate me because you don't even know me ,my ability ,abilities ,capacity and my capabilities.. thank you.

[@meganbaker9116]

I can't for the life of me find the episode I just listened to about self-compassion, so I'm going to put my comment here, since it's also a general criticism of the podcast. So, Vedantam spends an entire hour talking to Kristin Neff about self-compassion but literally only mentions children once, and even then, they don't connect harsh self-criticism to the bad and cruel parenting so very many of us endured growing up. REALLY??!! I may not have a PhD like Neff, but I'm finding a truly massive blind spot among adults when they discuss social or psychological problems. Just like many white people don't talk about race because they're so insulated from any problems associated with it, so do adult "experts" on this or that completely fail to see anything from the perspective of children. It's astonishing that two "thoughtful" people can talk at length about negative and even cruel self-talk without EVER mentioning that child abuse and neglect put people at severe risk for these problems. (Such abuse and neglect almost always involve toxic shaming of the child by the parent or parents. You know toxic shame: that experience that most of us endured growing up and that has such a devastating effect on our quality of life but that literally no one talks about in public?) If these two nitwits bothered to get outside their adultist bubble, they would know that millions of us were shamed and blamed by one or both parents while growing up, and that this is the origin of our utter lack of self-compassion. Duh!! If this self-absorption and stupidity when it comes to children's experience weren't so tragic it would be comical. I haven't listened to all of Vedantam's podcast episodes, but I'm pretty sure that they, like virtually every public adult discussion, should be called Hidden Childhood.

[@SalemHill]

If you’d like to take these ideas to the next step, familiarize yourself with the work of Bernardo Kastrup and Donald Hoffman

[@DREAMSANDSOUL]

Useful delusions are also delusions.

[@Missy-Missy1111]

Definition of stupid: knowing the truth, seeing the truth, but still believing the lies. (Buddha)

[@ht-si1lr]

But, Bess, you see! this all CHANGES when you MONETIZE stupidity!

[@TAdams-hx9lk]

Seems like calling it "stupid" goes down the road of more shame and blame. In his talk he suggests that the powerful psychological effects are deeply linked to "need". That is more in line with something we can solve.

[@ht-si1lr]

@@TAdams-hx9lk Ah yes, it's Merely Misguided!

[@pohkeee]

Substitute despairing for stupid...once you live through tragedy and crisis, you appreciate that the most intelligent need hope, if they find themselves in hopeless situations. Did you listen to the end? He admitted to resorting to prayer, even though he professes no faith. Surely, Buddha didn’t intend for an insult to elicit feelings of superiority, for in that fruitless striving for superior truth, ones is doomed to repeat the lesson. Life is difficult and painful, love and compassion is the balm required.

[@Missy-Missy1111]

@@pohkeee your insightful & compassionate point has great merit, but I know people who are blind to the truth. Not seeing the truth is hurting them, but they refuse to listen to evidence that proves they are wrong. Dealing with family like this is extremely difficult & stressful. I've had to limit my interactions with them. I wish I didn't have to do this because I love them.

[@bozarts22]

Sounds like The Social Dilemma at the human leve.

[@norristhermadore266]

Rationalism meets Ibsen

[@amvorv2144]

Because no one elsewhere or anyone elsewhere to tricks or tricky my brains because I'm very quite, silent and silence person plus I'm very advanced and positive always to position myself.

[@ilonabaier6042]

He basically rehashes tries to reformulate the ideas of, among many others to multiple to mention, John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Milton Erickson, Robert Dilts, Yuval Noah Harari, but thanks all the same.

[@bikecrone9099]

This production should undelude Hari that people can wear button front shirts without a tie and still avoid looking like a dork.

[@commonsense99]

Seems like you're saying if you have stability in your life you're less delusional and I would agree. All my friends they're in the public sector seem to be more relaxed less stressed and very hopeful about the future because they have pensions and healthcare for the rest of their lives. Versus many of my friends in the private sector that have been laid off downsized outsourced over and over again over the years and have no stability in their lives and many have been divorced much more than my friends in the public sector. You're just reaffirming that I've always said stability financially and no worries I'm going to also want to come to healthcare organization America you're much better off.

[@DerekFullerWhoIsGovt]

⚡😲 I agree w/financial stability but, humans have more than that 1 dimension that need stability to stay healthy.

[@MilSimFotog]

But how do you REALLY KNOW??!!!

[@LOBOPIX]

Now go ask self-governing Human Scale peoples (and the anthropologists who study them) if the individuals among them have these same kinds of anxieties we hyper-individualists have BECOME prone to. Human individuals are surprisingly vulnerable on their own, WITHOUT THE MUTUAL SUPPORT OF OTHERS, which we were used to for the first 1m years or so of our existence. We have been finding this out because of the total decimation of self-sustaining communities - commencing with a vengeance around 15,000 yrs ago but getting alarmingly worse since the Industrial Revolution - but without ever drawing the SYSTEMIC conclusion that these problems have become - ARE AN OUTCOME - of community destruction (which has led to the exacerbation of Life-support destructions). This (my) offering is a CONTEXTUALISATION - that is, addressing the question "'UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES' is this/that the case" and "'UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES' might this/that case change" - which academically and artificially separated sciences, with their different jargons, operations, foci, peer-exclusiveness, academic fads de jour, and acceptable/unacceptable 'models' etc rarely, if ever, consider. WHAT IS VERY MUCH WORSE, neither do they consider their own INCREASING susceptibilities to personal, AND their cohort's, Dunning-Kruger Incompetences (and a whole host of other COGNITIVE DEFICITS) which, I suspect, are actually DRIVING the chaos. In mutually co-regulating Human Scale societies any such incompetences (within the terms of their culture, of course) used to be challenged, or roundly ridiculed with 'levelling humour' by other members of their community. In such a manner (while always a project 'in progress') they managed to find a necessarily self-balancing, homeostatic, relationship with each other and their Life-support environments over, at least, 1m years. The through line is the complexity-management of autonomic "co-regulation and co-organisation' which emerged DIRECTLY from our own biology and neurology, which themselves emerged from their background Life-support environment. Interestingly, according to brain surgeon (and among the first of the Cyberneticians) Warren McCulloch, who was also an ornithologist, deduced that the brain operates on the basis of The Redundancy of Potential Command. In lay terms this means that neural clusters operate on the principle of 'leadership without leaders' in their response to incoming sensory information. And how did Human Scale societies operate for most of their existence on this planet? On the basis of 'leadership without leaders' - no chiefs, no kings, no queens, no emperors until approx 15,000yrs ago. Even so-called "Big Men' were roundly ridiculed because everyone had a lifetime's acquaintance with their daily idiocies which meant that no-one would ever trust them to 'lead' them when they were already doing it well enough for themselves BETWEEN THEMSELVES. Also WOMEN played a much larger role in all these co-sustaining processes and operations than they are ever given credit for. Such Human Scale societies are called Acephalic (= 'without head') NOT Anarchic which is a political term entirely without systemic underpinnings (oh let the so-called 'anarchists' troll me). We need ALL systems sciences and arts (SciArts) - in consultation with lay people in communities across the globe - to show us a historically correct, that is, a thoroughly contextualised WHOLISTIC MODEL of how we once survived - and yes, thrived - and what we ALLOWED to happen to us over the intervening period till now. Let's be clear here. When I say 'historically' I do NOT mean 'history' by 'historians'. Our true, real, histories begin with our cellular biology on up to our Human Scale anthropo-ethologies, our 'collapsed' archeologies and our Life-support ecologies. Much of use to us - in terms of looking at how self-regulating order, order-for-free, can emerge from, and sustain itself, in a background of apparent chaos - is ALREADY KNOWN (!!!) What is MISSING - the most cogent of 'missing links' - is for these people to weave it all together into a unified SciArt understanding in a language that EVERYONE - and I do mean EVERYONE - can understand! This means incorporating, at least, Visual Language (which the Data Viz people excel at). We are living in times of MULTIPLE CONVERGING EMERGENCIES manifesting themselves as chaotic, unravelling 'complexities' (eg Climate Chaos) MOST OF WHICH ARE OF OUR OWN MAKING. We need the whole-systems sciences like Cybernetics and Ecology (internal and external) which have been developed precisely to address complexity in the raw through the comprehension of feedback loops, redundancy/resilience, self-regulation and self-organisation (autopoiesis) etc. As Einstein said - and all systems/cybernetic scientists abide by - we need to get ABOVE the fray, to be thinking on the META-LEVEL (or, a helicopter's eye view) and be looking for KEYSTONE solutions, those solutions which, when applied, enable all systems below them to re-align themselves towards being able to re-regulate themselves according to their own internal parameters. The body does this autonomically IF WE LET IT; Gaia does this autonomically IF WE LET IT. What is out of whack is our manner of socio-political organisation vis-a-vis our biology and our Life-support ecology.

[@MrNotes61]

Where does racism/supremacy falls within his reasoning?!

[@toology55]

His friend was right.

[@SaturnStarOfDavid]

We weren't behind the gulf of Tonkin and has liberty either. Lol. Yeah right

[@DerekFullerWhoIsGovt]

Survival Denial🙈🙉🙊🙏

[@jannanijland5336]

74,000,000 people believed the big lie!

[@createone100]

You neglected to include the extremely strong influence of your peer group on an individual's cognitive processes.

[@hgggggg1330]

Too Long video Ugh

[@cycleologytv7373]

Oswald was behind 911,