How to build a better world | Daniel Schmachtenberger and Lex Fridman

Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: • Daniel Schmachtenberge...
Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
- Ground News: ground.news/lex
- NetSuite: netsuite.com/lex to get free product tour
- Four Sigmatic: foursigmatic.com/lex and use code LexPod to get up to 60% off
- Magic Spoon: magicspoon.com/lex and use code LEX to get $5 off
- BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off
GUEST BIO:
Daniel Schmachtenberger is a philosopher and founding member of The Consilience Project.
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
Full episodes playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast
Clips playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast Clips
SOCIAL:
- Twitter: / lexfridman
- LinkedIn: / lexfridman
- Facebook: / lexfridman
- Instagram: / lexfridman
- Medium: / lexfridman
- Reddit: / lexfridman
- Support on Patreon: / lexfridman

[@SergAI]

“It’s good to be bulletproof. But you probably don’t want to live in a shooting range.” - A friend of mine

[@joshuat3686]

We could consider sports and physical exercise as a form of ritualized discomfort.

[@zinjanthropus322]

Sports are regimented and predictable. To build resilient people, they need to be able to handle unpredictability.

[@nbrowne1]

Endurance sport does all of that. Regular training is pretty much the best health intervention for physical and mental health. Then races allow for periodic adversity in a self motivated, "safe" environment, where there is a whole lot of compersion where everyone is trying their hardest and still wants their "competitors" to do their best as well. I call my endurance sport my "self-inflicted adversity" quite openly acknowledging the luck, privilege, and untroubled life I otherwise live.

[@johnnytass2111]

@@zinjanthropus322 Sports are regimented and regulated. Plays and games are not predictable, hence gambling.

[@zinjanthropus322]

@@johnnytass2111 They all follow set rules. Unlike life.

[@bhushankaduful]

Contact sports. The level of discomfort is staggering in some of them, almost like a war.

[@GrandTreeChunker]

that infants benching optimization joke was hilarious

[@Real_Iceout]

About as Russian as it gets lol

[@joshuawilliams1477]

This is now one of my favorite discussions

[@FrankDeLalla]

Outstanding discussion.

[@loisruane2636]

What a great conversation, saving this one. Thank you Lex always enjoy listening to your podcast.

[@JesseNickelltheFourth]

This is an enlightening talk.

[@Laayon19]

This is one of the best conversations on interwebs that I've ever witnessed

[@marshallbolin]

*raises hand* I'm one person who lives a life of compersion but doesn't have much public attention. Thanks for having this conversation which I think is the most important conversation for human beings to have.

[@mitchelltj1]

Every time I listen to Mr. Schmachtenberger I'm astounded by his sensemaking. I only hope that one day I'll reach his level of wisdom and earn a similar silver beard.

[@maksympt1]

We need more discussions like this

[@jonathansheldon6499]

What ritualistic practices are we willing to struggle for, that we enjoy, in order to be aligned with our authentic paths and to grow as people in healthy ways? For me, it's practicing an instrument. For others, working out for gains. Or practicing a sport. Whatever it is, it's our personal responsibility and joy to find out and to flow in that direction. Being that example in the world individually makes the entire world that much more real, authentic and healthy. And as the self work happens, compassion and compersion grow naturally, continuing the exponential cycle of human awesomeness. This is yet another great talk, thank you. 🙏

[@caramelconundrum9280]

This guy looks like the son of Terence Mckenna

[@direwulf6195]

Good observation he really does i can totally see it!!

[@dancingbabybins]

A relatively cheap and efficient way to improve society is continuing investment into adult speech education. Children get their basic schooling in language basics and then we move onto structure and narrative but broadly i feel that adults that have been working poor or unsuccessful could have gains from improving basic communication and scholarly skills to better apply their will.

[@nbrowne1]

I feel that is low on the list of things that could improve society. In most cases, the "hierarchy of needs" (food, shelter, security, money, community) would need to be addressed before individuals would be in a place to be self-motivated to attend language/speech education (assuming classes in their native language).

[@dancingbabybins]

@@nbrowne1 do you have a point? I said it was cheap and efficient and you just wanna stack that against taking care of everyone's food housing security money and community. Sure why dont you go spend all your time money and energy trying to fix all those problems first.

[@dennisobrien3133]

Compersion is a tricky one in that individuals who are in struggle mode,let’s say addiction or class struggle and find low instances of receiving compersion might not be optimized to deliver compersion. It’s as if there is nothing in the tank to give.

[@antlerman1357]

“How much you can bench?” lmaooo

[@Rudy-126]

Beautiful

[@samirould-ali7815]

Totally 💯 goodness !

[@squishyfish5332]

This reminds me of maze runner somehow, having to go through isolation, physiological trauma, harsh environments and culture building it creates an apax predator that can take on anything that life throws at it.

[@Frank-rk8td]

Is being pompous addictive?

[@MonaMarMag]

First let's become better people and then build the better world . Better for us and for new generations . That is the order . When you decide to share your life with another person you should look for a person who will cheer you up and give you wings . Definitely do not waste your time for a mordibly jealous person that will pull you down and cut your wings . ( One that takes away your faith in yourself .)

[@foxandtigerpridanovs6481]

Yeah , cold water swim and exercise, BJJ, fasting....

[@naikjoyx4291]

Everyone likes to think they know what to do.. but its actually have to be drastic measures to do this. Drastic measures that people are not ready to take.

[@vpanli93]

Top clip

[@MattScofield]

"Forced discomfort" aye, but new rite of passage is not solo or gender dependent, it should be centered around solidarity, it is solidarity which renews in new generations an appreciation for what has been fought for and therefore what must be kept fighting for

[@InkaHacker]

I think the anime "Blue Lock" has manage to explain the last idea in a narrative form. The egoist striker who aims to become the best of the world... Needs to strive with his team together

[@vonBottorff]

I just heard a report on the renovation of the Acropolis. It made me think of the tremendous benefit of having a cultural, intellectual legacy that goes back thousands of years -- as do the Greeks, as do the Europeans who use Ancient Greece as a foundation. America has no such continuity, and very little of Europe's foundation -- let alone anything from the rest of the "Old World." We revel in fungibles to the point of absurdity, leaving us no cumulative Logos, no healthy Intelligentsia centered on carefully refined, historically evolved inputs -- which has led to mental and spiritual exhaustion. There is only so much to be gained from "peasant vigor," past which an ignorant peasant cannot help you -- no matter how past his element he has been pushed. We take cultural broadsides from Big Media. We allow schools to descend into mad houses. Greatness in all but superficial ways is unknown here to land. Alas.

[@KeepingTheIronThroneWarm]

Interesting points, though I think it's not entirely accurate to say America had very little of Europe's foundations when its citizens were very much steeped in European culture with, at least up until recently, a regular dialogue with Western Europe. Be it by the influx of its people or the return to Europe many Americans made over time. This was common as far back as the 1700's. Benjamin Franklin, for example, spent many early years in England and many later years in France. With that, the U.S. might be better described as something halfway between a continuation of Europe and a breakaway civilization. Probably a perfect balance. Too steeped in ancient history and one may dwell too much on the past (see China, India, and the Middle East). Get far enough away, like the U.S. did, and there's no choice but to create. Slat's clean. So you fill it with new myths, new science, new art, etc. And that, to me, is the next step in advancing the human race. Another breakaway civilization, though I don't think it would succeed unless it's Western.

[@vonBottorff]

@@KeepingTheIronThroneWarm Leftist believe things are getting better because we're putting more distance between the present and the Bad Past with great leftist policies. Conservatives pine for a bygone golden age and hold on desperately to tradition. But the Left has stopped trying to rewrite/upgrade the code and now simply delete, delete, delete . . . while the Right fumbles around in some fuzzy mashup of the past. Both Fars, Left and Right can't put together anything viable. Meanwhile, I'm afraid I can't share your sanguine attitude.

[@craigknepley6021]

No one asked.

[@bgoodfella7413]

Interesting comment. You should write a book. I'd probably read it lol

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

Daniel. Is. SO. GOOD. LOOKING

[@Real_Iceout]

This man has a beautiful mind

[@andrewblack7852]

I think he wants society to be Buddhist. Increase the empathy kindness and compassion and let go of greed anger and hate. Those are always failures of the self while the former increase the chances of happiness and joy.

[@bgoodfella7413]

I consider myself a "lay Buddhist" in America, former Catholic. I find it very difficult in my city and environment to maintain my peace of mind and self awareness. Other stranger's attitudes and unhappy faces seem to affect me more than I'd like to admit.

[@qlee50]

Remove sociopaths and narcissists from positions of power and decision making forums

[@bensaxon3829]

Much easier said than done! Still worth a shot for sure though.

[@damnmexican90]

@@garry8390 that's not true. Sociopaths are narcaasitic peoppe are incapable of thinking long term and operate on impulse. It's the worst people to have in charge. Dint confuse empathy with emotional dysregulation.

[@bgoodfella7413]

Yep and replace them with A.I.

[@ntjohn9551]

45% of the adult population will experience some Narcissistic tendencies in their lifetime...

[@jameserswell2161]

Yeah that’s what Stalin did.

[@GeorgeEast-hj5zt]

Hi Lex! You seem tired! Everything ok?

[@MB-hz7wm]

@DanKoeTalks RE: your Game Theory podcast.

[@tooljack4439]

Rites of passage...and other forms of ritualized discomfort

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

Thats. Why. It. Better. To. LEARN. To. Be. The. Co pilot. 50% IS. BEST

[@WilhelmPendragon]

If I close my eyes, I hear a smart H3 Ethan

[@vidfreak56]

LOL healthy version of competition is an oxymoron. There is no such thing unless one persons success directly effects my own. That literally doesnt happen in a society where the economic pie is severely uneven and people have to live paycheck to paycheck w/ no real security for themselves and their family.

[@JohnSmith-bv3bn]

Another's success DOES directly affect your own, whether or not you choose to realize (or act upon) it is entirely up to you. And that's exactly what they're talking about: the jealousy / compersion spectrum. It's obvious where you score on that metric. If our society optimized for compersion as they're suggesting, we'd have more innovators and fewer complacent trolls whining about their slice of the economic pie, as if that's the only thing that matters.

[@bgoodfella7413]

I think he was talking about competition in sports or some other "challenger" who can enhance your own skills in life. Not necessarily a capitalist economic system. I would imagine this guy to be some form of socialist. Competition in itself is what drives evolution in an organic sense. It can build strength, endurance, adaptability, respect, focus, etc.

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

Daniel. Is. A. Good. Talker. He's. Also Super.....good. looking

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

He. Is. DeSCRIB ing. A. BALANCE. restraint. Yoga. Deap. Breathing. Relationship. Empathy. Humore. Laughter

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

Thats. Because. U. Have. A. Society. That. Is. COMPETIVE. AGRESSIVE. AND. VIOLENT

[@paulwisham5943]

#Ritualized_discomfort ... 😳

[@rebornsmith7542]

Step 1: Do something about the liberals.

[@ma30k45]

Did you watch the video?

[@Fuego958]

Reductionist.

[@bgoodfella7413]

Yeah all those damn Communist hippies!! They're the real problem in America! LOL Been hearing that bullshit since the 1960s. How about... Step 1: Do something about our corrupt government (not "liberals" smfh).

[@OptimumGrow]

Daniel is describing what we already have... The educational system and extracurricular sports fill literally every point he makes

[@bgoodfella7413]

WRONG....the American educational system is mostly garbage. Look at the high amount of clueless morons high schools and colleges churn out each year.

[@stevenvonsancho]

If only we can use the power of narrative and fear to wrangle humanity and gain total control over reproduction and engineer humanity to evolve with technological augmentation and vaccines

[@bigups43]

This guy looks like the love child of Zack Galifianakis and Steph Curry

[@vidfreak56]

Real joy for others? NOt when its a stranger that you dont know. Everyone typically feels happy when their friends (real friends) become successful. But when it comes to strangers its totally different. Its just not how human beings work. This is all pipe dream stuff.

[@ineffable0ne]

The fact that you have yet to experience is not evidence that you can never experience it. It is possible to expand one's concept of family/tribe to include all humans (in fact, it's not much of a leap, as we are all literally related); once you can see strangers as distant relatives - if you can also manage to tame your own ego and insecurities - compersion for strangers can become second nature.

[@bgoodfella7413]

Well yeah you're prolly not gonna feel overjoyed to see some random stranger on T.V. win the million dollar lottery. But on the flip side of that, I can say I usually feel some degree of sadness to see a stranger suffer from a great injury or loss. I think I feel universally bad for any person's suffering. Of course the suffering or the success of a close loved one would be much more intense and lasting than any stranger though. That goes without saying for obvious reasons IMO.

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

Get. Out. Of. The. Suit. LEX

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

I wish. LEX. WOULD. GET. OUT. OF. HIS. TIE. AND. SUIT

[@ntjohn9551]

Schadenfraude

[@vidfreak56]

OK. People build eachother up when it benefits them to do so. Not because its how people just behave. If you love the success of others its because it either benefits you somehow (directly or indirectly), or you gain an emotional benefit to it. But for that to happen there has to be a real connection between you. I hate trump. I dont want him to be successful by any means. To tell people they should just be happy at others success is literally impossible to do universally. Especially in a capitalist society where other peoples success negatively (very often) effects you.

[@bgoodfella7413]

It doesn't have to be that extreme. You can take joy in a child's happiness or in something simple like that. It creates a better mindset for your own happiness. PEACE 👍

[@supamatta9207]

yaa whats up with people acting like a contradictive maniac like in the 90's . listening to this guy it makes it look like a test of when they reach psychosis at the threshold of pointlessness... i guess this decades worse. Realy makes reality feel like egocentricity ,it being a vaccum of hel,l bit more of a trap for a penis, definetly!

[@shanesharpnack6999]

EASY!!! Get of humans!

[@PhillyCYOSports]

These bores are not the two I want building my “better world” that’s for sure

[@mitchellboring2709]

Step 1: stop listing to fucking podcasters and actually go do something

[@EspenTaranger]

With socialism.

[@zaradarcie1057]

Investing in Bitcoin is the wisest thing to do now especially with the current price. Despite all the economy crisis, this is the right time to start up an investment.

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

Less. Is. More. SIMPLIFY. YUR. LIFE. MONEY. HAS. NOTHING. TO. DO. WITH. IT

[@Ann-qz7bl.]

Gratitude. Is. Healing. Read. RUMI. LOVE. ART