How To Think Critically In The Age of Social Media - Différance and The Fear of Confusion

[@justdannyidk]

Whats scary is that as people continue to look for these quick, face value solutions on the internet, media begins to tailor responses and search results to be shorter and shallower. For someone who desires to use the i internet as a research library, it can be increasingly frustrating and difficult

[@danielle2577]

this one is correct. recently it's hard for me to find the source I usually found true back then. the algorithm and the ads makes my browsing journey unpleasant.

[@anyasoares1758]

It reminds me of Farenheit 51

[@_Asakaze_]

Exactly! I love watching longer videos that go deep into the concept I want to research instead of those 5 to 1 minute videos 'cause its pretty obvious the shorter ones are not gonna have enough information or are way oversimplified.

[@mr.b89]

Metal gear solid 2

[@klynb6753]

Recently, I've started to have so much frustration with Google and other search engines. Quality sources and information are so difficult to find, as the first few pages will be basic, surface level fluff. An article's success depends on how well the creator can utilize algorithms and instant appeal. Quality of information is far from the priority.

[@aldebarankh]

This was a good watch. Always resorting to find an immediate, solid answer does pin down the butterfly, creating a fixed focus on that solitary point with no room for liberty-the butterfly remains in one place. There is nowhere else to look. To broaden that narrow perspective, we must allow the butterfly to roam and explore the wider range of ideas and interpretations to build our own comprehension. I really like this analogy; I can definitely apply it to my own situation. I've been wanting to enlighten myself in a multitude of subjects. If I want to develop a solid understanding of them, I must accept that I will not always have an answer right away. It takes time, patience, and a willingness to learn from differing perspectives. Now I see how I have to embrace that beginning state of aporia to open myself to more possibilities. From then can I think critically rather than seeing the world through a narrow lens. Thanks for the insights.

[@marygracecasio314]

You worded this so beautifully

[@snehaparashar6377]

I only came across your channel a few weeks ago, but your content resonates with me a lot. Recently, I've been starting to uncover the detrimental impact that social media's had on me, so I'm really excited for this!

[@cookingwiththehaitiantwist]

I think that both writing down our thoughts and expressing them verbally is important. As you said, expressing our idea verbally creates less confusion than when we write them in a book. However, in today’s age, some writers give us the possibility to ask questions when we are confused about something that they say in their books or in a forum. I prefer the process of writing because I have full liberty to dig deep into my mind and pour out my full comprehension of a topic. I can also do more research to be sure of what I am saying. However, I should also mention that writing can be less sincere/authentic than speech. Overall, I think both media are important. Other than that, I completely agree with the point that you made about accepting what we do not know. This is so important because it will push us, as you said, to do even more research to find our answer. Yes, there are areas in our life where we have to have clear answers to questions that we ask, but on many more occasions, it is better to have an open mind because that is when we will achieve the most knowledge. Our way of thinking changes a lot, being open-minded, and accepting the opinion of someone else without bringing our preconceived beliefs are so important for self-growth. Thank you for sharing this video. It was well-thought.

[@GH-zs9fj]

Excellent topic! Sixty-five year old lady from Alabama, USA simply trying to absorb different viewpoints.

[@drbones8946]

This is a very interesting video and as a PhD student dealing with ideas on a daily basis, I wanted to comment on a couple of points. As you have stated in the video, the inherent difference between written word and conversation is that, during a conversation, I can ask the speaker questions in order to interpret his words correctly or as the speaker desired them to be interpreted. However, this is not possible during a KZbin video or an academic conference because we have to interpret their meaning and have no way of clarifying what they mean until much later. Therefore, ideas that are expressed in the written form and the spoken form are doomed to be misinterpreted unless expressed directly in conversation where there is an opportunity to clarify the meaning of one's words. This leads me to my next point where you mention the concept "misread", which I have heard in a few other videos of yours. I have to agree with Derrida on this subject because I have a problem with this idea of misreading something. Once something is written, there is no "correct" way to interpret it, it is completely subjective and there is no way to clarify what the author intended to express in that moment of writting, especially regarding authors that have died many years ago. The idea of "misreading" something suggests someone is incorrect and you have a correct way to interpret it, which is completely false because the only person who has that authority is the author themselves. This is why there are huge disputes between many groups belonging to the same religion, precisely because each group interprets the same written ideas differently, but there is no way to prove which group has the "correct" interpretation because the authors died millenia ago. It is also important to note that each interpretation, regardless of it being "misread" or not, can enrich our understanding and usage of the text, allowing us to study the text further. As such, it can be a good thing that texts and speech are "misinterpreted" because it allows groups of people to use the same texts for different purposes and it can allow people to find different paths of discovery. The usage of concepts like "misreading" or "misinterpreting" texts makes me think you are reading Derrida but you do not agree with his philosophy, I'd like to know your thoughts on this topic.

[@madameversiera]

The main issue is that we often look for confirmation to our beliefs not real knowledge. I found this when I started looking for nutrition advice due to health issues. The social media culture is creating so many myths and endless people giving advice without having the minimal knowledge on the subject. I started investigating the subject a bit more deeply so that I found a theory and immediately after another which disproved the other. There I understood that reality is far more complicated than what most theories or advices suggest.

[@michaelfrank2664]

I started watching this channel because of the Philosophy videos. It's like we started learning together. I'm glad to see you picking up again on Philosophy. I think you only had 10K subscribers when I started watching and in some of your early videos you were still in high school. I could tell your intellect was off the charts and more people needed to see your videos, so I like every video I watched. It's nice to see over 225K subscribers.

[@wallacesoaresdossant]

Waldun, keep going with the great content. We need more of this on the internet. Thanks very much.

[@kelviannaepperson3677]

I am a fan of writing things down I think of it as a way to help you remember things because with speaking only people are prone to forget or misquote. But now information is less critical nowadays

[@buckerine]

"Tortilla" is actually pronounced "tor-TEE-yah." The double L is pronounced essentially as a y. Wouldn't otherwise point this out, but you clearly are very well-read and take pride in these sorts of little details.

[@seasyrenn]

Haha yeah the tortilla with english l echoed like a bomb,i giggled a bit 🤣

[@xinyanxiang4574]

1. embrace the confusion 2. do your own research. Do not stabilize the understanding and explaination. 3. open up your mind and be patient.

[@meganmalcolm]

I discovered your channel recently and cant get enough of your insights and applications of philosophy on the modern world! im a college student and i miss learning during the summer, so it feels so comfortable to sit with your videos and listening to them like a podcast, as they feel like mini lectures :) keep up with the great content

[@Michelle_Wellbeck]

A video is more an advanced form of writing than the speech that plato referred to. A video as a form of writing undergoes elements of scripting, editing, curation, and you're able to watch it however many times or share it so that it is watched by other people. An analogy that would be more fitting to the form of plato's argument would be that for instance if you wanted to learn how to bake a cake, instead of consulting a youtube video (writing) you should ask your friend whose hobby is baking (speech).

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Deferring meaning is super important in so many situations. It feels in vogue to have a strong opinion on everything. I definitely have strong opinions about some things, but a lot of things I know I don't know enough about and need to not have a fixed conclusion just yet. And also willingness to re-open "fixed" conclusions when encountering new information and experience is super important.

[@jenavevesnowolf13]

Exposing myself to viewpoints that I may have initially recoiled from to broaden my perspective on subjects has been helpful. Questioning ones presuppositions and acknowledging that the people you put faith in are fallible can break you from absorbing information, into contemplating it instead. No one has all the information or is aware of every perspective. And, on moral conundrums, no amount of information will shift an individual's values. It is good to be able to understand others perspectives, even if you will never agree. Great video.

[@zaid_nt7092]

On youtube when I hear someone talk about complicated topics. I notice myself running away with it. I think I got it. This problem can happen with reading books too. But, When I read it and then have to THINK & WRITE it or explain it I can't run away with getting the gist of it, I know clearly that this word/concept doesn't make much sense to me, it feels counter productive to be in this space of confusion when you intend to understand and think critically of a piece of information. This is exactly the decisive turn where either you adopt a simple understanding, which is limited by defention or a new door for exploring more about it and the opposing interpretations whether on the internet or books, listening to peterson or ben shapiro, yes him too. Bc it's not that books give you more space to explore than the internet. It's our attitude towards this new information. Videos seem to serve their porpuse as quick as they end. Similar to lectures in university. We are deluded with a sense of understanding. Try to add one more layer which is THINKING & RECALLING the information by writing a draft in your own words then see if you can run away with simplistic thinking as easily as before.

[@rzLl_pz5]

This is one of the reasons I love abstract art and believe abstraction in art in general to be so important. It by definition eludes being pinned down to a monolithic view, and allows for pretty much all kinds of interpretations. What you find is that all these different conditions expressed through a single work have a consistent or at least comparable morphology

[@السيدةراء-ف1ف]

A very beneficial video as usual, I agree with the concept of (building a solid base) in a certain subject and yes it takes time . The problem is the quantity of the subjects that social media brings . It feels like you need ages to cover and create Perspectives for multiple subjects. We need to focus not every thing needs our efforts and attention otherwise we’ll be distracted with simi-knowledge. Thanks

[@jessicanunzella4621]

I like the idea of waiting to find conclusions. I especially think ghat the most important thing we can do with complex ideas is to find conflicting argument. I am guilty of searching for knoweldge that supports my beliefs... trying to learn to "consider the opposite"

[@teresasu]

Hi Waldun, thanks so much for the wonderful content as always. I would love to see your note-taking set up, and how you organise your studies!

[@lorraingrey9049]

I'm one of the pre-internet/ social media generation. I was interested in your comment that when interested in investigating anything younger generations will reference KZbin and social influencers. To this day, my 'habit' is to find a book though these days I look for reviews and if possible a sample from the book itself. Perhaps its because I'm a literature/history grad but even with the printed word ( onscreen or on paper) I believe the best approach is always to question and interrogate any given information. I would suggest that this should always be applied to speech as well as the written word. Are not influencers another manifestation of actors? The key difference is that when we watch/ listen to a play or movie our culture trains us to understand that the actor isn't expressing their own opinions or beliefs. The problem with influencers is that is isn't always clear where 'performance' ends and genuine opinion (or belief) begins.

[@batsybear]

definitely did gain a lot of value out of this, i was looking for a gateway into deepening my thinking and contemplation of life, you offered that :) thank you!

[@daaz4459]

Great video. You bring us a nice insight, and I love the philosophers you mentioned, as well as bringing the greeks simple yet great understanding of life, to know really something you first have to accept you know nothing, not tu rush to a conclusion and then embrace info with open-mindness. I think it's important even for many young students like myself who enjoy studying through internet and videos. And also, is a way to understand that watching just a few videos will bring nothing of dense information unless you go beyond, even with books, with opposing statements and such tools to really tackle the task of learning. Thanks!

[@asap_tuco]

Another cool curiosity to point out is that: in Plato books, actually it was Plato chatting with the other philosophers. He only uses Socrates’s name because it was a role model of intelligence and example of perfection for him.

[@ivyjohn869]

Honestly, this is so interesting to me, because consulting social media on a topic is literally the last thing I think about when researching. Whenever I immerse myself in something I read everything I can and when I still struggle to understand and I’m at a loss for what I can do then I turn to KZbin

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

I do the same. Did you know I went with recommended in school to look something up on social media. We were researching about a certain charity. It shocked me as like most of the resources my opinion come from longer things like articles or books and KZbin videos but the ones that are longer. Like I enjoy watching the ones that are like over five minutes because they’ll give me enough detail and explain it well rather than just rushing through it so I agree oh no yeah totally

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

Sorry I am legally blind I didn’t mean to say oh no I really apologize but yes I do agree with you totally

[@coconutmilch2351]

obviously there is a benefit to writing. i think the more complex and the more precise you need to be, the more you need to write. there is a reason why you are able to solve more difficult equations via chalk and blackboard vs chatting with homies by not having to memorize information, you delegate these "low level" cognitive tasks to free up your mind for more complex operations when it comes to philosophy, there is benefit in chatting (you essentially use people as springboards...but selecting a quality springboard is a question you may prefer to ask yourself quietly in solitude and in writing...) but chatting also has limitations because the speed with which we speak vs write is vastly different and the type of logical thinking that requires SLOW thinking will escape live physical conversations. ideally you'd use write, reflect, share, get feedback, and repeat.

[@tugbabetultezcan3807]

ı wake up early in the morning and watch one of your videos before starting my day. It s a great way to make brain gymnastic about the subject you ve sprung up and spend my day thinking and making readings on it! my way of meditation

[@unclejofromthelo]

Been a pleasure to watch you evolve as a communicator 🧠

[@juliannaw5712]

woke up and decided to listen to this video - life changing :)

[@Stryfe52]

I’ve felt that overwhelming feeling of confusion a lot over the past year(Physics and Geometry class…). It discouraged me so much, but it’s kind of eye-opening to realize that I had to accept that.

[@Stryfe52]

I have a brain, but whenever the thought of actually needing to use it for something complicated comes along - I run away. That’s likely why I’ve been having such a hard time with school, and growing as a person; Adversity scares me; *Failure* scares me.

[@maloryl.6946]

I didn't follow you for philosophy because it never sparked an interest in me even though I did like my philosophy classes back in high school, and now, watching your videos has made me really curious about it. And beyond that, I think you've really reconciled me with my love of reading and what I forgot I used to get from reading, so thank you, immensely, for that.

[@samiraayub2000]

Your videos always manage to bring new perspectives. It make me think. I hope you all the best. ❤️

[@vxxen7]

bro never stop uploading, i love your content

[@username-qy5ix]

Your videos make me wish I spent my lib-ed electives in university much more creatively than I did.

[@hannahbrown397]

I’ve been watching your content for a while now and it just keeps on getting better and better. Keep going!

[@thissideofmyworld7216]

What a fantastic video. You are just so freaking phenomenal, you don´t even realize it. Thank you so so much.

[@georgiam.3957]

I'm Greek and Aporia or απορία is another way of having a question. Saying i have a question= ερώτηση or saying i have an aporia = απορία is essentially the same thing

[@fennefoxx]

Your videos are always so refreshing, thank you for this

[@Mrdan827]

Mmm ok this is interesting. I very much agree that being in a state of aporia is not a bad thing and should be embraced. And definitely when you are having a conversation with someone, you should be open to ideas that are outside of your viewpoint, HOWEVER, I don't think this is always the case. There's many instances where you want to be as precise as possible. For example an emergency situation, or even if you're just ordering a coffee at a coffee shop. The overall point of language is to convey meaning to another person or animal. But yes, I do think- especially in today's society- we can afford to leave more room for interpretation and the state of aporia... And just be nicer to each other in the process. Oh and to be clear I am very much not a philosophy student. I am a linguist ^~^

[@lazybill5830]

An ancient book on this subject that inspired the enlightenment thinker David Hume, it's called The Outlines of Pyrronism by Sextus Empircus.

[@FrankLoconte]

This was such a beautiful reflection! Thanks for continuing inspiring us with such deep and interesting dives 🙏🏻

[@drw5952]

You are expressing the zen concept of the empty tea cup.

[@abumahir-Khan]

Incredible analysis on The book

[@vibhorsinha4934]

I don't think what we see on social media has less possibility of interpretation. Its just that there is plethora of information on the internet easily accessible that instead of exploring different meanings of something we just tend to move to the next information.

[@wesleyleigh4063]

You overstate Derrida as some apostle amongst his peers, when he was just simply the first to decompose the entirety of the philosophical endeavor. So really you look to him so willingly when what you're actually doing is attempting to rid yourself of the inherent pitfalls of your chosen pursuit, which you can't do whilst continuing to espouse it and encourage others participate.

[@earnest328]

Thank you for this one

[@justnegrito_]

I learn a lot with your videos. Thank you so much for the insights!

[@karolinerover8020]

Thank you so much for making this video. I recently discover your channel and I find all the information pretty interesting ❤️

[@sebijilch]

Hi, great Video. At the End, you talk about a Podcast that dies deeper into the topic, i cant seem to find it, Do you have the link?

[@cyanscrewdriver2092]

Watching this video to prepare myself when entering the Danny Gonzalez reddit

[@jannellol]

“I wouldn’t recommend you read this book […] there was an entire chapter dedicated to masturbation” well now I absolutely HAVE to read the book.

[@briancoveney3080]

Cheers, Mate.

[@dawei227]

Hey Robin, I really like your thoughtfulness and passion that comes through in your videos. Have you made a video on your thoughts on AI/ChatGPT or do you mind sharing some here? I fear the day that AI masters human language and speech and particularly the ability to build empathy/intimacy. We need critical thinking in this age..

[@PratikThakare_]

Hey man , it will be great if you could put on screen different concepts , new names that you are using . otherwise it’s hard for us to comprehend.for example the term you coined at around 19:10 is super important but I couldn’t understand what u said. I loved this video btw

[@RCWaldun]

Noted. :)

[@PratikThakare_]

@@RCWaldun t✨🤝😊

[@amandasmith4089]

I absolutely love your videos!

[@nou-kc1ws]

I absolutely love your videos!!💜

[@astrophel7815]

How do you even give a definition or statement without pinning it down or without excluding variations?

[@vilecypher]

But the problem of being too open and chaos would leave someone disoriented and questioning the meaning of life at all - I think that is the criticism to the postmodernist. While disoriented or in a state of chaos, we would try random stuff and explore but the ending is to find something to be oriented upon. Chaos is a state in the transformation towards order. Derrida as described in the video hates the tyrannical order or the frame of reference that every thinker restricts us upon so he reverts to chaos. But the thing is, the restrictions given by a thinker is only within the frame of reference he talks about; only postmodernists insists changing the scope and topic when they get bored or not agree upon something, I think. At some point with multiple frames of reference, we would create a multi-traingulation-esque that would describe the subject more completely, and if not, just add another frame or just criticize the frame by its arguments, grounding and conclusions.

[@astrophel7815]

Amazing Video by the way

[@fatemah3446]

Love your content so much!

[@bambangprasetio827]

nice concept but i think i need to watch another video/book just to make sure more

[@unclejofromthelo]

Fresh perspective my boy 🙏🏽

[@hemakumar3816]

Speech of one "define" the thing and with the written forms we "define" the things. So don't pin the butterfly, let it fly and explore. Is it right? I tried to understand and interpret it.

[@ivyjohn869]

Great video 👍

[@theflyingspaget]

8:36 But is this really speech? I really don't know if I can call it that. Conversational? Sure. Conversation? ...sometimes. Going back to your earlier example, if I was run over tortilla-flat and had made a post, the post would persist without me to explain it. I would even say recordings of speech are no longer considered speech because you can go back and listen to it again. What makes it speech isn't that it's words spoken aloud, but that it disappears as quite literally the speed of sound. Or am I misunderstanding Socrates on this?

[@theflyingspaget]

Text messaging is more similar to actual speech, and with something like Snapchat I would actually say it is, but it still lasts longer than the sounds would. I think the internet creates a huge gray area into what is speech and what is writing.

[@fluffymarshmellows0218]

This is a very interesting topic o_o

[@nice00017]

Nice

[@tishbenson4107]

There I've done it I've made a new friend The first one in over 8 years

[@alllowercase6277]

multiverse: for a brief moment, derrida went to vienna, not venice.

[@sajidahmed4332]

It is not as if writing exists without violence. For Derrida, there is always violence, more or less.

[@strawberry1689]

Alright, im cutting off YT im not longer going to Waldun anymore. Buh BYE!! jkjk

[@chrisd8760]

Are you a professor?

[@learnerdecuriousqueen3320]

Lets go

[@Platonist]

“How to think critically in the age of social media” My Answer: don’t watch social media. Works for me 🤷🏼‍♂️.

[@hernamewasliberty]

WHERE’S THE HAT?! I want a refund.

[@legendaryswaglord123]

Stop using social media.