Sheldon Solomon on the Psychological Costs of Being American

[@Wolvend]

He sounds like he'll ride a tubular wave while explaining the whole philosophical existence of humanity. Cool dude!

[@andrewcecce]

🤣🤣🤣

[@austint19]

“Increasing expectations with diminishing opportunities”. There are so many great quotes to pull from this video.

[@HigherPlanes]

Indeed. I just discovered the guy. His grammar is impeccable. It's so refreshing.

[@Leegreen]

I had the privilege of both having Sheldon as my professor and friend. He is by far one of the most interesting and intelligent people you will ever meet. He is also is funny, kind and an amazing story teller. Skidmore is lucky to have him, I was lucky to have him and the world is a much better place with him.

[@Nine-Signs]

He apparently also makes good dough. Certainly a wide field of interests from the chap. Seems kind hearted.

[@ryanent871]

SJW libtard wrecker how?

[@911wasindeedafalseflag]

"you cant speak for everyone, yet he tries to say "we value things we cant obtain" " Not once in this video does he infer that he is speaking for everyone. He clearly states that "self esteem is impossible to acquire for too many of our citizens" He goes out of his way to specifically address that it isn't 'everyone' that falls for this way of thinking. You're literally putting words in his mouth.

[@911wasindeedafalseflag]

SJW libtard wrecker Lmao, and you’re making a huge assumption yourself by saying “We don’t teach our kids that “you too can be rich and famous” we teach them that game is shallow and fleeting. Success comes in many forms. The ability to the self sufficient is plenty” We? How are you able to assume that all the parents in the country do a good job raising their kids by teaching them things like ‘success comes in many forms’ and ‘you too can be rich and famous’? There are so many toxic parents out there that don’t live a good moral life. They don’t set good examples for their kids. They then have terrible role models in their lives which leads to them to not be able to have a clear vision of what it even means to be successful or how to enjoy life. I’m sorry, your argument is terrible. And as for Christ, I suggest maybe you pick up a bible and read i don’t know, maybe exodus 21, the part where it tells you how to own people as property. Doesn’t seem moral to me. Now I know you might cherry pick parts of the Bible to build your moral base upon, but that wouldn’t really give much validity to the Bible, or really anything that Christ has to say since there are parts of the Bible that have acts that are seen as immoral today. If gods’ morals can change over time, how is he supposed to have objective morality? Then how are you supposed to build a base on top of that. It’s not hard to have morals without god. Whenever you’re in a situation in where your morals come into question, put yourself into the position of the other people involved so you can understand form their perspective so you can make a more empathetic response. I suppose if you follow a religion and your morals do not harm anyone directly, then it’s perfectly okay.

[@911wasindeedafalseflag]

@@josephmonteiro3880 Ah I see, if you own someone as property for 7 years and then let them go then it’s not slavery. Great justification. /s Slave owners would use that part in the Bible to justify them owning slaves. I’m afraid you are falsely interpreting the Bible.

[@larslogos9764]

Solomon just spoke more truth in five minutes than most people speak in five decades... What a strikingly rational, sharp, and perceptive mind....if only this video had 10,000,000 views, then we could start to make some progress...

[@nightoftheworld]

seriously... appreciating the ephemeral qualities of life is all there is in this void

[@dart200]

and 3 years later, 6 years from video post ... still only 10k views ... i really hope that the 9 year mark is bit more optimistic. important memes need to be able to spread faster than this.

[@HealthyPlanet]

SJW libtard wrecker A FYI www.goodreads.com/book/show/22545857-the-worm-at-the-core

[@howardrobinson4938]

Just because something someone says is understandable to you, doesn't make it true.

[@HealthyPlanet]

@@howardrobinson4938 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_management_theory#References

[@drts6955]

"Ironically the economy is an abstraction and the world it is destroying is quite real" (paraphrased)

[@kaine3805]

Nature vs human nature

[@jamesnation9889]

It's a pleasure listening to an intelligent, articulate and (probably) compassionate human being share his thoughts on the predicament we find ourselves in.

[@Nine-Signs]

Sheldon Solomon is a social psychologist at Skidmore College. He earned his B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College and his doctoral degree from the University of Kansas. He is best known for developing terror management theory, along with Jeff Greenberg and Tom Pyszczynski which is concerned with how humans deal with their own sense of mortality. Solomon is the Ross Professor for Interdisciplinary Studies at Skidmore. He is the author or co-author of over a hundred articles and several books, and he has been featured in several films (Flight from Death) and television documentaries as well as countless radio interviews. He is also co-founder of Esperanto, a restaurant in Saratoga Springs, and inventor of the "doughboy", dough filled with cheese, chicken and spices. 👍

[@squamish4244]

Thank God there are people this sane in the world.

[@nightoftheworld]

lol, yes!

[@squamish4244]

I just worry that there aren't enough, and the last five years has not...filled me with optimism, let's say :D

[@gregp1440]

Great use of the English language. He is able to articulate exactly what he is thinking in a way that's quickly comprehensible. .

[@oO-_-_-_-Oo]

Jason Silva brought me to the Ernest Becker jazzy rabbit hole and during the journey back topside bumped into Sheldon.

[@jackperry6269]

That was absolutely brilliant, so much depth and analysis in 5 minutes...wow

[@jackcatmull9711]

This guys accent is great. A one of a kind.

[@jdlewis7064]

Rising expectations in a world of diminishing opportunities.. wow.

[@JesseStarks]

Sheldon is the man. Check out his newer chat with Lex Fridman

[@jeffreysmith5535]

Absolutely right on! Could not have said it better! I love this guy!

[@ProfessorMeeks]

This video aged well, especially the part of kids doing worse than parents

[@johnmitchell8925]

Love this guys insite on things

[@vestcoat]

The problem with humans is we put our individual needs ahead of first considering how our choices affect society as a a whole and the impact and ultimate effect they will have on our Mother Earth and all other life forms we share our home with. When I listen to this clip by Sheldon Solomon and then hear some drivel come out of Donald Trump's mouth, I throw my hands up in discouraging frustration at the notion that a genius like Sheldon teaches at one small University and Trump has the power to flush America further down the toilet than capitalism already has... There are many brilliant minds out there..and so many people who yearn to live in a world where human needs are met and where we get to feel good about our lives.....so why aren’t they the one guiding us into the future instead of morons who are only leading us faster and faster to the planet’s and our own destruction...starting with societal collapse, which we are beginning to see while trying to handle Covid19. I am not young anymore and I have to say my own death terror diminishes every day I feel I am getting closer and closer to my own. I will be ready to leave this mortal coil and sigh a big breath of relief when I go.....Humans are the stupidest creature alive. We are given the gift of intelligence and self awareness. What a laugh!

[@animefan2454]

we are to stupid to handle are own intellgence like we literary built a rocket to the moon and now you got whiny pussies and racist assholes running the game and look how much progress that made.

[@kaine3805]

Success is relative. Comparison is the thief of joy

[@EvansSecret]

He seems like he'd be a fun professor

[@jwardbass4452]

This is one of the most incredible videos on this site and yet it has 67k views. Why oh why??

[@victoriaregnier9040]

It's not Judea-Christian. Prosperity theology definitely contributed though.

[@howardrobinson4938]

I like his analogy of the earth to a disposable BIC lighter. He would know this because God knows how many of those he went thru in the 70's at Franklin and Marshall!! Especially if he studied either philosophy, economics, psychology or sociology, which I think he did. I hung out there for a weekend in '81, and, well, people there were not bashful about going thru BIC lighters! And not for cigarettes.

[@lohphat]

"Am I going to eat today?" is a sad reality for too many Americans in 2020. Abundance exists only for a shrinking subset of Americans.

[@meangreen8873]

I love Sheldon Solomon.

[@squamish4244]

So this video about rationally assessing the American Dream has 3600 views, and Michio Kaku's "The Intelligence Revolution", full of wild prognostications on our techno-utopian future, has 500,000. Some messages are more willingly received than others.

[@nightoftheworld]

valar another TMT proof

[@michaeldavis9389]

Yep the same people feel helpless after ignoring Solomon AND then go vote with it

[@noseefood1943]

one smart surfer dude.

[@magx01]

I agree with him wholeheartedly when it comes to potential falling short of desire, and I think advertising is a huge factor in this.

[@nightoftheworld]

magx01 ya

[@brandonpeterson4861]

Truer words have never been spoken.

[@squamish4244]

Lately as my thinking and experience has evolved, I would say that a fundamental weakness of Solomon's worldview is that he has no good answer to the problem of fear of mortality. This is why I think the scientists and technologists working on the way our brain is structured to process fear and to contract into a limited sense of self are a vitally important piece of the puzzle that he leaves out. The science and technology of meditation, self-realization, transcendence, and profound happiness have advanced enormously since Solomon gave this interview, yet he still does not discuss its profound implications on his teachings.

[@EKDupre]

A thesis doesn't need to be concerned with problems, and one doesn't need to offer solutions. What is actually wrong with his worldview?

[@squamish4244]

@@EKDupre Nothing at all, in fact he is bang on. I just think that it is not the whole picture. If I only listened to him, I would despair of the human condition. Meanwhile, there are for instance Buddhist teachers out there who can tell you the same things as Solomon does but also include the vitally important part that there is a way out. I say this as a long-term meditator and former drug addict with OCD who has struggled to make any progress against fear due to my grossly dysregulated nervous system. Fear is a huge obstacle to living my life. I have only found true progress with various brain technologies and treatments, and I am thankful that I am only just in middle age now and will live to see much more progress ahead.

[@EKDupre]

@@squamish4244 Thank you for clarifying. I really respect what you've written. Good luck to you

[@squamish4244]

@@EKDupre Thank you. People often look at me sideways or get really defensive when I bring this stuff up. Partly it is because they assume the human condition is 'fixed', which it most certainly is not! Although, to be fair, that is a failing of our civilization, which has thus far failed to produce an alternative vision.

[@squamish4244]

@Drewmer MRooster12 Yes. But there is a very strong neurological component to what is going on that we see with more and more clarity as neuroscience advances. I could never get out of the hole I am in without it. I don't love my life and I will never love it without powerful neurotechnologies. In one video, 'Humanity at the Crossroads', Solomon does say that we can conquer this problem just as we have conquered one of the ancient Four Horsemen, infectious disease. (Covid-19 is a fart compared to what we used to live with.) He just doesn't go into specifics.

[@IepsyI]

Pretty sure the only way we can avoid certain extinction at some point is if we have politicians who think in this way. Which I don't think will happen here during our lifetimes and hopefully not before it's too late if it isn't already.

[@JEEDUHCHRI]

“Freedom has long proven too heady an elixir for America's masses, weakened and confused as they are by conflicting commitments to puritanical morality and salacious greed.” -Tom Robbins

[@stevee.7419]

Good day Sheldon. A beautifully drawn picture of our impending doom. I hope you are well, good man.

[@purplegreenredyellow]

Excellent clip.

[@alinbarba1418]

Linguine are actually on the thick end of pasta.

[@TremendousSax]

Eating disorder confirmed 😋😜

[@TheSkm344]

My professor! yay

[@CADJewellerySkills]

How old is this clip?

[@transcendentalfilms]

Flight from Death was released in 2006.

[@paultrimper8470]

Joe Montana is a genius?

[@NOKOOG]

Turns out

[@kaine3805]

No just He moved to San Francisco

[@averat84]

Happiness isn't something to be met with in life; you can pursue it, just don't expect it. Life really doesn't have a great deal to offer you.

[@glitchgod3868]

Radical, dude

[@ThePeaceReport]

Love this guy

[@artificialai513]

Beautiful

[@magneto44]

this guy gets it

[@user-yk9sk7pg6v]

Thank you.

[@marthahorton5350]

Damn🤯

[@omarqb]

This guy has my vote for President..

[@buildyourownscaler1173]

Wait till the internet Kicks in...OOOH wait a MINUTE . LOL

[@ggstylz]

My goodness!

[@mlittlitt]

Genesis does not teach that man is to dominate the earth- it’s the exact opposite. “Tending the garden” is the idea in Genesis. It’s frustrating when intellectuals don’t take the time to understand Christianity. I do agree with his point about expectations

[@SavageArms357]

The issue there is that the Bible is rather unhelpfully vague in what that actually means. To a Christian Billionare CEO, "tending" might mean utilizing the land more effectively to increase profit, where as to a 70's style Christion hippie commune, it could mean managing the surrounding forest to help sustain the land. It's all up to interpretation, and unfortunately the bad interpretations have far reaching consequences.

[@Dedicated_.1]

@@SavageArms357 It says to be fruitful, multiply and to rule over all the creatures of the earth. You can’t rule over something if it’s destroyed. Ruling is both dominance and responsibility not just 1 or their other. Also, if you think that a “Christian Billionare CEO” as you call it, is making business decisions based on the Bible, I think you’re probably a bit divorced from reality.

[@FrizzelFry]

My mind is blown

[@sandrabegotka7474]

We don't have good food though. The food supply is terribly corrupted and filled with things making us sick...including the meats and plant foods.

[@akompsupport]

"we have good food" that's the big selling point for being an American??

[@signofastorm]

that sets them apart from the brits, right? ;-)

[@CB-ke7eq]

I would add that America is a fairly free place still. Though we'll see how that works going forward... We have a diverse array of climates and environments with a ton of cool parks and natural features. We also a diverse array of people, and despite the fact that we seem to be currently wackadoo asf, I think we will eventually come to our senses and embrace our common causes.

[@e.g.no25andrew62]

holy shit

[@Guitargrease1]

Jon Bon Jovi teaches social science. Cool!

[@squamish4244]

@jimdoire Th person below me made that comment.

[@manufacturedreality8706]

Our culture breeds discontent

[@squamish4244]

@shamelessfootfucker Yes, I came across a comment saying that on another video, inevitably. Just imagine the anger I encounter if I post a critical comment on one of the biological immmortality - singulatarian videos.

[@tylercarlson2448]

valar have you calmed down yet?

[@Guitargrease1]

Genesis asks us to treat each other and animals and the earth well...not to ruthlessly subjugate it

[@M3Besh]

Do you know if he has Parkinson's by any chance?

[@trombone7]

When I want my sociological observations delivered by the dad on A.L.F. I'll go watch A.L.F. No wait, that show was stubbornly dumb. I'll just stay here and watch this video. Never mind. By the way, here is a link to the dad on A.L.F. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmncdmePg9tjjpY

[@josephocracy]

facebook [Boycott Parties] [Occupy Voting Booths]

[@closetcleaner]

In a nutshell: we're nuts

[@adamsmith3413]

The goal is the pursuit of happiness....there are no guarantees. This is Malthusian economic dressed up in new clothes. This guy sounds like some freshman smoking dope for the first time.

[@WisdomThroughGod]

Hahaha

[@montanagal6958]

Let's keep peeing in the pool...about sums it up.

[@HigherPlanes]

Most people aren't wealthy because they don't understand money or debt and they finance things that don't make them money. They work for money instead of letting money work for them. Once you understand the game you can climb out of that mindset that accumulating dollars is going to make you rich.

[@bbwblk]

😂

[@calebm3466]

Totes brah totes

[@ChrisDragotta]

He is describing the human condition. Life itself is the problem. Women like rich men.

[@christinegreene1986]

Women like men who don't think life itself is a problem.

[@2004dale]

@TheSkm344 lucky. lol

[@Torgo1969]

I appreciate Solomon's intellect and insight, but anyone who uses the term "environmental destruction" in isolation is being misleading. It's more accurate to call it "industrial production for human needs", and the economic growth that he disparages allows for scientific research that saves lives. Those of us in death-haunted professions and those of us who have died and been resurrected by medical technology have a better perspective than Solomon in his ivory tower. And I am in both of those categories.

[@justaguylivin]

Torgo1969 that's a lot of words just to state that you're smarter and more experienced than someone else. The difference is, he's not claiming to know all be all, sounds like however, you are.

[@waswaswad]

Nobody who died was ever resurrected. There is a big difference between biological and clinical death. Step down from your high horse

[@mellonman9299]

Overpopulation.

[@loncar2]

Interesting points but too simplistic to accurately describe reality. For example many people through free will do not set unlimited wealth goals and are very happy with a reasonable standard of living within their communities. There is a very small percentage who seek unlimited wealth therefore the premise in my opinion is flawed. Sounds great and delivered nicely but when taking a deeper look the assumptions are easily challenged and discredited. I enjoy listening to Sheldon Solomon but unfortunately like many intellectuals who are exposed to their workplace echo chambers the tinge of Marxism clouds their views and invites mistaken assumptions and conclusions. Adam Smith was proven to be correct. All boats rise with the tide is a better outcome than the proven depressing and death outcomes of Marxism. If these Intellectuals can get out of their echo chambers enlightenment is still possible and society may benefit from it. Instead we see today the bitter fruits of Marxism. The Universities are responsible for it and the worse is yet to come.

[@marcusfarmer4745]

Holy shit