The Power of Affirmations and Simulation in Shaping Our Reality | Scott Adams

[@RobbsHomemadeLife]

I can't think of anyone I have learned more from in the last few years than Scott Adams. I'm so happy to see James interviewing him. I also don't know anyone who does a better interview than James or anyone who asks more interesting and unusual questions than James.. Looking forward to Part 2. I hope James learns to drive soon. I learned to drive later in life than most people I can't imagine going through life not having that freedom. It's not that hard really just keep the hood between the lines stop when you have to and take down the rearview mirror because if people are behind you they don't matter.😀

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Thank you so much!

[@MrG__2]

100% Scott has changed me as a person and has helped me change the trajectory of my parenting and my systems in general.

[@cue_khb]

They matter if you're in reverse.

[@sergiothephotographer]

James, you are my favorite interviewer! Scott rewires brains everyday. You two rock!

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the conversation, Part 2 is coming next week!

[@ChrisHarperKC]

"I never envy other people's lives." - Scott Adams | That is great advice. Seems like I've heard it somewhere before...

[@rustopherhayden]

I Watch Scott everyday 9 am Central on KZbin. Real Coffee With Scott Adams, life changer.

[@HarryPainter]

I always listen to this podcast when Scott Adams is on

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Thank you!

[@CantThinkofaCoolOne]

Scotts way of going about the world is so fascinating. These reframes and the thinking behind them are just incredible.

[@americansailor7967]

One of the best podcasts that I have seen. It's amazing that Scott's "Mascots" look fake and bitter after the reframe.

[@arikkatzenberg4498]

At this point in my life, Scott is the most profound and influential man in my life.

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

He dare says things that not a lot of people are brave enough say!

[@tomcarey5156]

Been following Scott for close to 6 years he is both entertaining and educational. He is a real life genius with a supposed 190 IQ. I used Scott’s reframing strategy to over come a serious drug addiction a few years ago I was hooked on heroin. I took inventory of what triggered compulsion to use I associated using the drug with the warm powerful rush and euphoria. I reprogramed myself to instead think of the unpleasantness that followed minutes later the rush was gone followed by the shame of failure and anxiety knowing I was out of money and would be withdrawing again in a few hours. The rush was always disappointingly short compared to the hours of stress and panic that followed. The reframe strategy definitely works.

[@cryptocoffee13]

Love Scott's insights. Boarders on Stoicism.

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Always love chatting with Scott! Thank you!

[@CoconutPete]

i have had luck with affirmations in the past and am going to try it again. I'll report back if I have any luck

[@lynncomstock1255]

36:45 to 41:11 Social skills: Ask questions and listen. I would add CARE, because care equals love to the other person.

[@herrberg8962]

Two of my favorite people.

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Thank you!

[@ZeroStateReflex]

Great conversation. You ask really good questions. Thank you!

[@michaeldeathless]

Hey James! This is one of the most useful podcasts I've seen in a while. Great interview - I'm glad you are back on social media.

[@dylanshearsbyart]

Scott is spot on about AI art / music. The only thing that has ever been interesting about art is that we knew it was made by a person. Whether you develop an interest in that person or not, it is the communication between people, via mastery of their artform, that makes art interesting. That's why no matter how pretty a piece of AI art is, it is devoid of substance and interest.

[@dameanvil]

00:00 🧠 Scott Adams introduces the concept of "Basket Case Theory," suggesting that everyone seems nice and awesome until their deepest secrets are known, revealing their vulnerabilities. 00:27 🌐 Adams emphasizes that people often carry enormous secrets, making it challenging to envy or compare lives. 02:47 🚗 Adams and Altucher discuss the potential of self-driving cars and the human element in driving. 04:48 📝 Adams speculates on AI-generated humor and literature, suggesting that humor may be harder for AI to replicate convincingly. 05:57 🧠 Adams proposes that in tasks where humans and AI both excel, humans will judge the AI rather than the other way around. 07:45 🏛️ The discussion turns to legal matters, highlighting the limitations of AI in complex situations requiring human presence and judgment. 09:23 🖼️ Adams touches on the uncanny valley phenomenon in AI-generated art and its potential limitations in capturing human emotions. 13:18 🎭 Adams shares an anecdote about his experience with AI-generated podcast art, and how listeners preferred human-created images for their perceived authenticity. 16:46 📚 Adams explains the subtitle of his book, "Reframe Your Brain," emphasizing that it's a deliberate choice to convey a mechanical, not magical, process. 19:36 🔄 The concept of reframing is discussed, illustrating how changing the words in one's head can transform perspectives and lead to positive shifts in life. 21:37 🌅 Scott Adams emphasizes the brief moment upon waking when he realizes he's human before recalling his identity as a famous cartoonist, which brings him joy. 22:19 💼 Adams introduces his "Basket Case Theory," highlighting how everyone carries hidden struggles and secrets that can alter perceptions of them. 23:15 😊 Adams doesn't envy others' lives and believes comparing problems isn't productive. He suggests focusing on happiness through exercise, intimacy, and productive work. 23:53 📈 Adams defines his happiness formula as achieving at least two out of three components: productive work, exercise, and intimacy in a day. 24:48 ⏳ Adams sees aging positively, emphasizing the importance of health, wisdom, and assets. He believes women often find increased happiness after 40. 25:55 💡 Adams advises adding skills to your "talent stack" for better opportunities, and advocates for focusing on systems rather than just setting goals for career success. 27:33 💬 Adams shares a reframe for dealing with social anxiety, viewing it as a learned skill rather than a natural one. He encourages asking questions to show genuine interest in others. 30:40 🎉 Adams suggests becoming a "problem solver" at social events by engaging with those who seem uncomfortable or by connecting with influential figures. 34:45 🥔 Adams introduces the "Potato Reframe," emphasizing that we're not as important as we think. He urges people to overcome their ego for personal growth and success. 36:34 🎭 Adams advises viewing social interactions as temporary, like an anthropologist observing, which can alleviate social anxiety and lead to more relaxed conversations. 43:11 🔄 Reframing allows a shift in perspective, helping people find new ways to view situations, both in books and in life. 43:26 💡 Reframes don't have to be logical or factual; they just need to be effective in changing one's outlook. 43:39 🤔 Enduring challenges can be reframed by acknowledging that every problem has a right to exist, reducing mental conflict. 43:54 💭 Anxiety and fears stem from expectations conflicting with reality; allowing problems to exist eases this conflict. 44:48 🌌 Accepting that problems coexist with successes in your universe helps reduce stress and mental turmoil. 45:16 🔍 Finding the right reframes is a trial-and-error process, and what works may vary from person to person. 45:43 🔄 Association and the power of words are tools in hypnotism; reframes harness these elements, making them more accessible. 46:08 🥂 Reframing "alcohol is poison" has led to many individuals successfully overcoming over-drinking habits. 47:16 🧠 Consciousness is the process of predicting outcomes and evaluating them against expectations; it's not mystical but mechanical. 48:39 🤖 AI demonstrates a form of consciousness through real-time prediction, evaluation, and adjustment based on outcomes. 50:27 🔄 Reframing, akin to self-hypnosis, can be a powerful tool for altering perceptions and responses to external stimuli. 51:23 🤹‍♂️ Reframing critics or challenging situations as "mascots" can help diffuse negative emotions and find humor inadversity. 54:04 🔮 Embracing the simulation hypothesis and affirmations creates a powerful frame for navigating life's possibilities with optimism and expectation.

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Thank you for doing this!

[@RadicalNuance]

Love the interview! You’d be a great versatilist guest on the RadicalNuance pod James!

[@mistrykam]

Great interview!

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Thank you!

[@williampowell3378]

28:15 Memento Mori

[@JM-ig4ed]

Saw the short - and then yay - here's the full one. James - I have been a fan of yours for years - just don't see you posting as often as you used to. On the other hand, used to go straight to your website but had probs with it on the phone in order to have audio only. Also a follower of Scott's even though he frequently annoys the hell out of me - but find a lot of insight in his observations. I am remembering the time you had Scott on a couple years ago and he complemented you on what a great interview you gave. Anyway... hoping to find you more often. One tip - set your laptop / tablet or whatever you are using higher so you aren't talking with your head down.

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Thank you so much for being a fan and supporting! Will definitely do it for the next one!

[@jaygraham8577]

These guys talking about A.I. is like Joe Blow talking about how there favorite coach could perform better if they only listened to them.

[@GJS-live]

Listened to the podcast yesterday in the car. Excellent stuff as usual James! Can you get Derek Sivers back on? Also Professor Sam Vaknin! Please :)

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Great Suggestion! Thank you!

[@randygault4564]

Scott's statement about driving that "this is designed to support my ego, like it makes no sense" itself makes no sense. The only reason we make anything at all is to support our egos. That's the core function of anything. Most people, most of the time, will reject self-driving features in cars. And planes.

[@JoeInGeneral]

TO BE FAIR... excellent interview, BUT the title is misleading. Only about 3min at the VERY END of the interview is spent talking about the simulation and affirmations. And just a cursory mention pretty much. Still, a great interview though!

[@adipoem]

Part of the music thing is that you are hearing a performance by humans, and the imperfections make it beautiful; similar to seeing a live band or orchestra or why live theatre is so much more electric than a film. Artificial anything is basically fake, no matter how mathematically perfect it seems.

[@elgringoec]

Great discussion! Sure ended abruptly. I thought my power ran out or my feed quit.

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Yea, cause there will be a Part 2! And that's one is juicy!

[@elgringoec]

@@TheJamesAltucherShow That's cool. Look forward to it. I'd suggest you do a little outro though on things like this. Needn't be elaborate, simply come on to say something like stay tuned for part two coming soon. And of course, thanks for watching, if you like this content... Short and sweet but refined. Best wishes!

[@TimOKeefe]

first ffew seconds:My careful when you meet your hero rule.

[@pyramydseven]

25%

[@karenwills-hj3nk]

Who would want to drive in Atlanta .

[@meshachthomas]

Let's go!

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

It's a two-parter, part two is next week. Stay tuned!

[@joshualisec]

Sweet

[@TheJamesAltucherShow]

Part 2 incoming!

[@jaygraham8577]

What a special boy ;/

[@elgringoec]

"I don't drive" - that's so sad!

[@m.stokes8058]

An interesting choice. You’ve got to have extraordinary resources to make that choice.

[@elgringoec]

@@m.stokes8058 Or extraordinary fears.

[@jonathandavis9507]

That’s a lot of New Yorkers.

[@realSamAndrew]

Scott could have stolen the reframe concept from The Brady Bunch. There was an episode where the father told everyone that it's all in the way you look at things. The father found a broken sandal and Peter said that's good news because you're lucky your foot wasn't in it.

[@Trizzer89]

AI probably wont write better than the best person, but you can duplicate them. And their time is more valuable than AI time, so in that way AI is better than the best human. For example, I've seen amazing ad copy written in the style of the best ad writers. Just as good and you dont have to pay them 10k-100k to do it for you

[@lynncomstock1255]

Evil is real. Sociopaths thrive on hurting others. For example, some people are being cruelly tortured by another person who thrives on their pain. (in real life) Reframing your brain won't change the physical reality of the pain or the evil behind the pain. Is that what Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn did in the gulag to survive? The gulag was real and it was ugly beyond belief.

[@RossTheNinja]

The mouth thing was freaky. I've read dilbert for a couple decades and never noticed.

[@hipsterkennyrogers909]

Has James yet learned not to endorse political candidates even if they are your friends?

[@randygault4564]

Of course the thing that gets you isn't the one you saw coming! You prepared for the things you saw coming. This is survivorship bias.

[@jethrohetero4990]

I come across websites and/or articles on the internet all the time that are clearly written by AI. Either that or the author is just extremely dumb or english is their second language and nobody proofreads them? It makes more sense to me that someone is using AI to pump out content and aren’t proofreading that rather than an actual person wrote that poorly and failed to have a proofreader. Honestly I don’t know what’s going on there other than in the last five years or so I see more and more poorly worded articles all over the internet. Like really bad writing.

[@bimmjim]

Commercial Pilots are testing and discussing the aplication of AI in their industry. That's where I learn stuff. .. These guys know nothing. Find better sources.

[@karenwills-hj3nk]

He copies trump , he had to take classes to learn how to talk 🤪

[@kayericwinkler]

Scott wrote a book on persuasion and mass hypnosis and then fell prey to the big plandemic story. Sad.

[@zissou6928]

Oh no no not this guy

[@HarryPainter]

You need a reframe. How about “oh this guy yes!”

[@stevenmhensley]

This is the second guy you've had on that's making me want to unsub. It's your platform and you can run it however you like. But Tate and this guy makes me think I'm not your target audience.

[@TanakaJulian]

Scott Adams isn't who you think he is.

[@stevenmhensley]

He's exactly who I think he is@@TanakaJulian

[@zwatwashdc]

Probably. If you have to have people behave and believe everything your way 100% of the time and can’t just think “Scott Adams, I am not interested” and not watch that episode, then probably you need to stick with more ideologically pure shows.