The Tragic Decline Of Rationality In Society - George Mack (4K)

George Mack is a writer, marketer and an entrepreneur.
Thinking for yourself is one of the most important skills you can develop. However it's hard. It's a difficult task to overcome the boring, negative, irrational trends around you. Which is why you need some new tools in your mental models box.
Expect to learn what the Keynsian Beauty Contest is, why memes are so influential in society today, which behaviours appear positive but actually harm you in disguise, what the forgetting paradox is, what the most useful emotional state is, why “ignorance is bliss” is a putdown in 2023 and much more...
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00:00 The Ranked Levels of Social Interaction
07:50 Introvert or Need Better Friends?
12:27 The Importance of Memes
18:58 Understanding the Power of Leverage
27:18 Memes Compress Mass Emotion
33:33 The Coming Cybercrime Crisis
37:50 Hiring Chief Meme Officers
43:19 Is Mainstream Media Still Prestigious?
49:10 Why Everything is Wrong
51:33 Avoid Trojan Horses of Content
1:00:09 How to Craft Your Content Algorithm
1:04:35 How Many Thoughts Can You Remember?
1:15:37 Crazy Ideas That Will Become Normal
1:22:01 Slow Success Strategy for Happiness
1:27:20 The Most Useful Emotional State
1:35:46 Guy Ritchie’s New Foot-Warmer
1:37:38 What’s Next for George
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Get in touch in the comments below or head to...
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[@ChrisWillx]

Hello you legends. Get a 35% discount on all Cozy Earth products at www.cozyearth.com/modernwisdom Here’s the timestamps: 00:00 The Ranked Levels of Social Interaction 07:50 Introvert or Need Better Friends? 12:27 The Importance of Memes 18:58 Understanding the Power of Leverage 27:18 Memes Compress Mass Emotion 33:33 The Coming Cybercrime Crisis 37:50 Hiring Chief Meme Officers 43:19 Is Mainstream Media Still Prestigious? 49:10 Why Everything is Wrong 51:33 Avoid Trojan Horses of Content 1:00:09 How to Craft Your Content Algorithm 1:04:35 How Many Thoughts Can You Remember? 1:15:37 Crazy Ideas That Will Become Normal 1:22:01 Slow Success Strategy for Happiness 1:27:20 The Most Useful Emotional State 1:35:46 Guy Ritchie’s New Foot-Warmer 1:37:38 What’s Next for George

[@swerremdjee2769]

The Joke about the teenage girl, dr Petersons quotes and psycho therapy was fun, it took my a while to understand the higher educated sence of humor🙂 i dont know if dr Peterson likes the Joke tho🙂

[@aSpork]

calm is not as good as righteous vengeance

[@CJ-ft9yo]

I don’t think we repeat dumb ideas, I don’t really think that

[@kungfujoe2136]

NO they are perfectly rational when you think about incentives

[@ejtattersall156]

The Abilene paradox is a collective fallacy, in which a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of most or all individuals in the group, also known as feminism.

[@HexlGaming]

I swear the modern wisdom podcasts where you don't know the people and have no idea where it's going to go at all are the best ones. I love this so much

[@bryanhawkins9418]

Agreed. It’s the titles that make me click. When I see Rogan thumbnails, if it’s someone I don’t know, I don’t click. I love how simple his table is too. Our friend Rogan’s table is a mess!

[@pawejankowski9364]

That's because jumping head first into the unknown can be a very powerful tool for personal freedom and opening one's mind.

[@bryanhawkins9418]

I agree, however it'd be impractical for getting more views.... @@pawejankowski9364

[@josephgill7410]

“People aren’t introverts, they just have shit friends” I never thought of it like and it makes so much sense. Such a powerful quote and statement.

[@dimitriosdesmos4699]

lol

[@BelindaKnight]

Yeah, BUT if you go back to Jung who pretty much came up with the idea of introversion/extroversion as a fundamental difference between people, he demarkates the introvert as being someone NOT who is socially awkward or doesn't like or embrace socialisng, but who finds themselves energetically depleted after doing so. Extroverts gain energy from socialising. Introverts lose energy. I'm an introvert and have a very active, fulfilling social lie, but I get home after a social event (even just a dinner with 1 or two others) and need to spend 2 hours on the couch reading or watching pap on TV to bring myself back to a state of adequate inner harmony in order to be able to get a restful nights sleep. Introverson is quite misunderstood, and as much as I like and respect Chris, I did find myself telling him (on the TV, alone, at home) that he was misguided in making that statement :)

[@spiritlevelstudios]

Right because every extrovert has 250 excellent friends.

[@arnarstefansson97]

I Know this to be wrong. Like and respect Chris a lot but on this he was talking out his butt.

[@carolallison9685]

Also they probably have a mental health problem, which was probably caused by the bad friends. Im an ecologist, and ive never observed a social species of animal become introverted. It just isnt natural and goes against our own survival. So for someone to be introverted, and therefore going against natural survival instincts, there is a serious problem going on.

[@CSAcrazy]

This is why we must stick to our principles and ideas and be honest about who we are. When we try to fit in we get bad results and the people who accept us are usually people we really wouldn’t want in our lives if we weren’t so scared of isolation.

[@atyourbest5385]

Love this comment!💯

[@LightSilver7]

@@ronaldflint681 how about you.

[@meatyo]

Well that would require me to leave my family.

[@jerbyr3085]

Agreed

[@bennyblackcat4959]

​@@RepentandbelieveinJesusChrist-embrace Islam while you can, or it will be too late for your soul

[@Jules-Was-an-AnCap]

I don't think we're all stupid, and just repeating dumb ideas. I don't think we're all stupid, and just repeating dumb ideas.

[@slkslk15]

Haha quality

[@Ndogg012]

Plot twist, if we don't think for ourselves and just repeat ideas, are we smart?

[@Jules-Was-an-AnCap]

@@Ndogg012 You just gave me a great idea: linguistic translators for autistic ppl.

[@saintkevinofficial]

😂😂😂😂

[@ChickenSoupMusic]

I’d say most people are absolutely regurgitating popular thought without thinking things through or practicing any analytical thought.

[@gluchnui]

Seeing two people talk with such articulation, involvement, and depth is like a breath of fresh air

[@_..-.._..-.._]

A breath of fresh air in the fart laden elevator we call modern life.

[@jerbyr3085]

Yeah. Like one drop of normalness in a sea of Larry the car dummies

[@Silentrage1980]

Lol you should get out more if you consider this the peek

[@taylorhirschmusic]

⁠​⁠@@Silentrage1980You should get out more if you read their completely harmless, compassionate comment and decided to be an annoying internet comment section stereotype and start problems over nothing. They never even said the word “peek” (not least of which because you didn’t even use the correct “peak”). Go get attention in a healthier way.

[@georgemack9844]

True story - When I did Chris' podcast 4 years ago, It was shot on his sofa in Newcastle with 2 iPhones. (And I slept on the sofa that night) 4 years later, he brings multiple 4K cameras, a whole production studio, and half a dozen people on set (And sponsored by his own drink) 1. Thank you for having me on again Chris. The community is fantastic. 2. Keep on compounding. It's terrifying. Enjoyed this one a lot.

[@ChrisWillx]

Love you man

[@maty-ui6js]

I could listen to you for hours. Hope more content from you, George!

[@Pilkie101]

That's pretty cool breh!

[@RoryDent]

Although do we really need this content in 4k? what matters is the content, not the quality of the image. It is eco-unfriendly to be storing and transmitting videos in higher definition especially when it adds nothing to the experience. Nature documentary: yes please, give me 4K. Podcast? 360p is fine

[@davidconsumerofmath]

@@RoryDentthe costs are practically close to nil to store and stream at 4K for you to view

[@spacep0d]

I'm shocked by how few people understand logic, logical fallacies, and critical-thinking and epistemology. There's simply no emphasis on any of this in American schools and it's worse today with politically-charged groupthink being the new Inquisition. Even one's associations are held against them, which is insane. One reason I prefer online vetting of people is that I can see who survives my own vetting process, because so many cannot. How does one conduct themselves in a strenuous debate? Simple disagreements about political talking points (even with my own fact-based arguments) have cost me countless friends, including many whom I've known in-person for years. One of these debates was simply about the viability of EVs where facts are readily-available. So, I've lost confidence in most people to survive a collision with disagreement. Those who can are the gems whom I hold dear. Brilliant conversation between two rational adults. Thank you!

[@MyName-tb9oz]

Do you really think facts are readily available about EVs? Where do you find them? I can't say that I've actually gone and looked for any information on that as I'm honestly not interested in a vehicle that is connected to the internet and which is capable of driving itself. Fifty and more years ago science fiction writers were pointing out what a horrible idea that was. What was your stance on COVID and mandatory vaccinations? Pretty much every human being on the planet had an opinion on that. Personally I've always found that the more certain a person is that they are correct the more likely they are to be completely wrong.

[@Alex-lg6nz]

That's nothing. My own mother called the cops on me and got a restraining order, because she believes I should respect her delusional assertions as much as the real world...

[@Chayliss]

So what are.EVs viability?

[@MrVvulf]

51:06 "Traditions are the experiments that worked." Indeed, that a good quote. Here's a similar one I like even more - “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” ― Gustav Mahler

[@shrinkshooter]

"Traditions are solutions to problems we have forgotten."

[@righteousshift482]

There's truth in that - traditions have survived because they conferred survival benefit generally, of some kind or other. But as we develop better and better systems, smarter groups don't continue reflexively to follow those traditions but upgrade to better ones. All traditions get left in the past eventually as their relevance diminishes and is rendered obsolete by our greater understanding of the world. We don't still burn animals to make the harvest grow - we simply improved irrigation and other farming techniques. We don't avoid shellfish (most of us!) fearing potential ramifications from a powerful punitive being - we just use modern refrigeration techniques to ensure we're protected from bacterial infection. And so on. We learn, we grow, we abandon archaic traditions. Traditions were arguably the way we transmitted beneficial behaviours across generations. We've got more formalised ways of doing this that are more reliable so increasingly, we'll rely less and less on tradition. Things like Christmas, where we have a period of the year where it's encouraged to be self-less and altruistic continue to have societal benefits so likely to continue awhile, despite christianity dying out. Christmas isn't about christianity any more. Just that base level altruism that serves us all as a unit.

[@MrVvulf]

@@shrinkshooter Indeed. Here is the full passage from the book: “Tradition is a set of solutions for which we have forgotten the problems. Throw away the solution and you get the problem back. Sometimes the problem has mutated or disappeared. Often it is still there as strong as it ever was.” ― Donald Kingsbury, "Courtship Rite"

[@MrVvulf]

@@righteousshift482 Agreed in principle. Society evolves, mostly toward good ends. However, it's always important to consider potentially dire unforeseen consequences of abandoning a tradition that isn't fully understood. The "Chesterton's Fence" parable.

[@shrinkshooter]

@@righteousshift482 I think abandoning traditions is fine so long as it's organic and is a natural shift in the sociological topology, as opposed to a group or demographic with specific biases or agendas effectively trying to "force a meme" via information control. Abandoning a tradition without understanding its role or why/how it was first instituted, in a directed fashion, is much akin to yanking out or throwing in an organism totally anew to an ecosystem. It would be difficult to foresee the full consequences, which could be disastrous.

[@BldgsFallStraightDwn]

I have "resting bitch face". My upbringing/childhood was abusive and neglectful. It has caused me to have an overall unease with interacting with people. While I've done my absolute best over the years, it's SEVERELY difficult to overcome. In fact CBT is nearly useless! Because in order to change your efforts, faces, stance, tone, and more it is VERY taxing and also appears fake. Then it's almost the same reaction from others. So overall what I'm saying is that it's PARAMOUNT to raise your kids with love, attention, compassion and of course guidance. Because our personalities are built almost entirely before the age of 5. Overcoming a BAD upbringing is a seriously uphill battle. It's VERY unfair to the child.

[@tomchamberlain4329]

Word

[@corb5654]

Chris, each video is a gem. The production value and the amount of prep you do is phenomenal...

[@MissOJAY]

And it shows. Every set, every city or country, the quality stays at 💯

[@LM-fn6qb]

Chris Williamson's loyalty to the consonant is such a relief. His spoken English is just lovely.

[@ADobbin1]

Because thinking rationally requires you to be able to question your own opinions and consider the validity of the opinions of others.

[@thatrugreallytiedtheroomto4537]

You make me smile so much Chris, thank you for the valuable work you do. Your genuine heart is part of what makes Modern Wisdom as great as it is. Much love ❤️

[@Andrea-zm1nl]

I don't know about the school system in Europe, but here in America it is no secret that critical thinking is simply not taught to children. One of our past presidents said that our country was not trying to turn out great thinkers but instead we are producing great workers. It is pathetic and just keeps getting worse with every passing decade.

[@shawnaweesner3759]

America is not turning out great workers, either. The American public school system, and some private schools, are teaching children to be political activists that are indoctrinated to be pro: terrorists, criminals, globalists, communists/socialists, trans, gender fluid, abortion, DEI, Woke; basically, the radical Left political agenda. And anti: western culture.

[@72hwebsite]

Apparently there are no great workers either!

[@drts6955]

Honestly I feel more is taught there than in Ireland but I'm very sceptical of "critical thinking" as such. I think a robust store of facts is often more useful

[@Andrea-zm1nl]

@@drts6955 do you know what critical thinking skills are? They are the set of skills that allow you to decide what the likely outcome is going to be when you decide to take an action. Such as if I decide to drive my car at over one hundred miles per hour on the freeway the likely outcomes are : death, serious injury to myself or others, and or serious jail time for endangering others. Our system of education in America is teaching children what to think instead of teaching them how to think. This is extremely bad for our future as a country and as a species.

[@Andrea-zm1nl]

@@72hwebsite in ways that is true. About eighty percent of the jobs available to people in America are service industry jobs. Almost no one has a real trade anymore. And ever since the no child left behind act was put in place in the 90s, young people no longer come out of highschool ready and willing to work. Today, in America, children are not failed and held back to repeat grades due to poor performance and or lack of maturity. All children are passed through with the lowest grade being a D. No one is given an F anymore. This has, for over twenty years now, taught our nation's children that they do not have to put in any effort to succeed. All they have to do is show up. Therefore when they get older and get jobs they suddenly realize the real world is not like that. At work they actually have to, I don't know, work....as a person over 40, it is extremely frustrating to deal with in the workplace.

[@JakobusMaximus]

They kind of missed the mark with the "everything is wrong" idea. I've been utilizing it for quite some time. A better use of it, in my opinion, is to recognize that objective truth exists and is fundamentally part of the makeup of the universe. Being that we exist inside the universe, we can never truly know the objective truth, but we can get closer or farther from it, we can learn more or lose knowledge.

[@antirealist]

Why do you believe objective truth is part of the makeup of the universe given the nature of quantum mechanics and the seeming unlikelihood of hidden variables therein? I can understand believing there may be objective truth on a human scale or rather from a subjective, conscious, phenomenological perspective but as far as I know, quantum states are fundamentally indeterministic and everything and everyone are fundamentally made up of quantum states.

[@JakobusMaximus]

@@antirealist Everything operates in the universe, and to operate it must function on rules. Just because humans don't understand the rules, doesn't mean the rules don't exist. Don't forget, "quantum state" is just a fancy way of referring to things that we have a lack of understanding about. Just as an avatar in a computer game is unable to understand the programming that builds his world, you are fundamentally incapable of understanding the universe that you exist in. I have general disdain for the people who parrot on about things that they don't understand as though they are masters of the universe. I'm at least honest enough to say that neither I, nor anyone else, can step outside of reality to view it from an objective viewpoint and understand it.

[@0reo2]

To discuss how many podcasts have a "Trojan horse" attribute of seeming useful while eating your time on a podcasts with long sessions is a bold move! Great discussion

[@jj4791]

Jordan B. Peterson. JRE, unless Musk is on.

[@t_n_rasberry8387]

I just discovered your channel two days ago and I've been enjoying your ability to conclude what the other person is saying and give additional examples that are sometimes seriously way better than what the other person gives. It's like you're able to understand how far their concepts connects to the outer world when the interviewee only grasp the close connections.

[@fladave99]

People have their minds developed EMOTIONALLY in schools by depring them of math and learning and promoting emotional stress and happiness. Instead of figuring this out with rationality they make assumptions with pictures. Once the brain is developed with this emotional pattern for 12 years, it has a hard time understanding logic and facts. The brain just cant accept the info instead searching for acceptable fact data such as pictures, emotion happiness and fear, all of which does not appear in math, learning and conclusion.. Its a generation of DREAMERS that can become ANYTHING regardless of the facts and capabilities, and they actually end up producing nothing because of their lack of rationality

[@DEAJP10]

George: “I’ll pretend to be listening to Chris then after he’s finished talking I will carry on exactly where I left off with what I wanted to say, or was saying.” The art of conversation.

[@alexanderyekhanin8830]

It takes a certain kind of person to be able to think of an interesting response to Chris's ideas on the spot

[@thedog5k]

This is how people that watch charisma on command act

[@moderndaymerchant]

To be fair, Chris's ideas are not the deepest. Add to this that you're supposed to extract ideas from your guests and not keep rambling on with your own shower thoughts for 5 minutes straight and I don't judge the guy for pretending to listen :)

[@alexanderyekhanin8830]

@@moderndaymerchant how “deep” an insight is completely subjective and differs greatly from person to person. You, Chris, I will emotionally resonate with different ideas because we have different worldviews

[@arnarstefansson97]

@@moderndaymerchant while I on other hand thought this was one of his least interesting guests to date. He was arrogant, didn't engage with the ideas presented, seemingly only wanting to talk about his own topics. No wisdom, humor or willingness to reconsider his own ideas. Boring

[@OnunSiarom-wb9zl]

Love you guys for your intellectual hunger and humility of sharing your perspective/thoughts' changes as your knowledge widens... The clarity in the void

[@manthanoepignosis1560]

Two words: “Progressive Education”. By it’s intended design, many individuals have little to no critical thinking skills. I performed a deep dive into this topic years ago and I wrote my educational thesis comparing progressive pedagogy to classical pedagogy. It evolved into an eye-opening expose’. I have been an educator for 17 years now and have only affirmed my research many times over. It’s painfully obvious, especially considering the more recent advent of social media and the mind virus it has quickened. I have also discovered the benefits of home schooling and I even hybridize this within my family as I have my family in a private/classically based school while using my pedagogical skills to teach at home as well. When public school students attempt to test into my school, it is painfully obvious that they are so under equipped, especially within the subjects of communication, math, history, philosophy, and science. Yeah….just about every important subject. Again, as I had initially mentioned, this is all by design. We can thank the Prussian school/Frankfurt school model for this as well as John Davis Rockefeller, the NEA, teacher’s unions, and many others for this cancerous-like form of miseducation. It has served the communists….the global-socialist elitists well in their destabilization and demoralization strategies.

[@manthanoepignosis1560]

@@shreekarki1771 I used to live in Southern California years ago. When I moved across the country I packed away my USB data drive that had my saved thesis, annotated bibliography and some other important papers in it. Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate it. It has to be there somewhere but, none the less, I have not seen it. I do have books to recommend as they were an important component to my research. Here are several suggestions to get you started: N.E.A-Trojan Horse in American Education by Dr. Samuel L. Blumenfeld, Propaganda by Edward Bernays, Crystallizing Public Opinion by Edward Bernays, Instead of Education by John Holt, A Different Kind of Teacher by John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Down Our Kids by Charles J. Sykes, The Leipzig Connection: The Systematic Destruction of American Education by Lance J. Klass and Paolo Lionni, Opting Out of Common Core-A Parents Guide by Gus Winds, and The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America by Charlotte Iserbyt. I also used my experience with over 19 years of my own education in public school during the 1980’s and 1990’s, from K-5 through my graduate level studies in “higher education”. Although my public schools were much better than the current public school systems, I had to classically educate myself. I had parents who encouraged a lot of reading and the development of survivals skills. I also served in the US Army and became an engineer working with surface to air interceptors (Patriot missile launching systems) which taught me practical problem solving skills. I love to teach myself a variety of things including music theory and performance and a love of history as well as philosophy. I believe that everyone’s education truly begins after they graduate…this is what I tell my students. I currently teach engineering, Physics and Geosciences. I love my job and certainly believe in the value of education. I hope you find these books useful and empowering.

[@loveemotion4080]

This 👆👍

[@JesusHernandez-ey1lh]

And to the grave you shall go and fancy diplomas to the trash.

[@paulwheeler6609]

You went a little overboard at the end but I would agree that our education system suffers from poor curriculum, disingenuous administration, overuse of technology, and trifling discipline standards. It took me two years to talk administration into reading a poem to middle school students during morning announcements. Two years for administration to recognize the simple value of poetry. The kids now love it. Those in charge operate in an unimaginative box devoid of any understanding of what constitutes "education."

[@loveemotion4080]

@@paulwheeler6609 unfortunately no, he didn't go overboard at the end. What they are doing globally is very intentional, its by design, and it has been done so many times before... They are not like the rest of us and they literally think they are gods, wanting to control everybody to their whim.

[@JB-Mon]

I love the theory on finding whatever movement hasn’t had an inverse movement yet. My dad had a saying he used a lot related which was “in general whenever everyone is going in one direction, go the other direction”. I used to think it was just about being antagonist (which he was) but as I’ve aged I realize it was more about the dangers of herd/group think. He loved to use it in betting sports especially.

[@Daniel-gb6jm]

I am not being confrontational. But it is not called Herd Think. There is actuality a “Herd Mentality”, where there is a definitive definition of. And your father was correct.

[@hidronico1]

​@@Daniel-gb6jmpedantic much both ways of saying it communicate the same idea check your ego my friend you really needed to tell a stranger on the internet they were wrong for some reason that bad your toxifying your mental plane and poisoning yourself by convincing yourself your right and can tell another person they are doing or saying something wrong how about trying something for me for the next week whenever you feel like something you heard was helpful or insightful explain to the person your talking to or comment on the creators video what you got out of the information or interaction but anytime you perceive someone is making an error or is factually wrong or mistaken keep it to yourself and say to yourself two things 1. That it's okay to be wrong we are all on a journey of attaining knowledge and wisdom they may not be where you are yet but you are not their tutor acknowledge the feeling to correct them somehow as a shortcoming in yourself none of us can help others we can only teach them how to help themselves and then find one thing about the interaction to compliment them about. 2 well I got so into the first one I forgot the second one 😂 but anyway I hope you have a good week and remember it's their job to educate themselves it's your job to be present and share yourself and your ideas don't criticize if you bring nothing to the table all your doing is poisoning the energy of the group and even worse contributing nothing in return a healthy soul aims to be a giver not a taker

[@a.a.1245]

Isnt going the opposite direction also a form of herd moviment? Since a lot of people are doing as well.

[@robertcece6972]

This was a great great episode. I especially love to see 2 young, smart dudes who can't remember 1 full thought they had yesterday. I just turned 40 & can't remember what I was doing or thinking 5 mins ago. It's too much information all the time about everything.

[@ManZle]

The episode is gold, once again. Love how you guys interact. Will be rewatching it soon, amping up the exposure...someone told me that's how the good shit sticks 😉

[@TRayTV]

The benefit from understanding Free Will is an illusion is 1 it helps you understand the importance of incentives (for yourself and others), 2 it makes forgiveness (also for yourself and others) so much easier. The obvious pitfall is it can be used as an excuse to eschew accountability. But when we understand we have accountability despite our lack of free will, that feeds back into our incentives.

[@spacep0d]

I do think sloppy writing hurts people far more than they realize. When I see sloppy writing, I cannot take that individual seriously and am far more likely to abandon any reading of their posts as I find one remedial error after another. It certainly reduces the gravitas of one's ideas. It doesn't mean their ideas are bad in all case, just badly-presented. There's a very good reason why published writing has editors for grammar, brevity, etc. We prove this theory out by the way people try their best when writing a cover letter or resumé, but it's just as important when representing one's self online. Whether people admit it or not, badly-written entries can cost one jobs and other opportunities, friends, and even romantic interests.

[@udayshome1793]

So much (too much?) information, but one of the most enjoyable and informative podcasts in a while.

[@petercombs4119]

What's best emotion to achieve ones objective.? Calmness is a good one for a sharpshooter. But well-caffeinated focus works better for a speaker.

[@grantfrith9589]

Memes are abstractions that can encapsulate an idea much faster than language. There's a problem that I'm trying to unravel though that is linked to the flaws in abstract thinking. I've noticed that two very different people with very different values can watch something like a Southpark episode and both be inspired to laugh hysterically at the same time. If you then get those two together to discuss what they find funny it will generally turn into a heated discussion, if not an all out argument. I'm not exactly sure how to expand on the thoughts I'm having over that but the things that resonate as explanations tend for me to gravitate into abstractions. The "Tower of Babel" being one example but linked to what Nietzsche said about the "Death of God". It's complex to unpack that in a discussion using words but even words now seem to have become abstractions to at least the same degree a meme or a comical Southpark episode is unless there's a shared overarching narrative between the people involved. I know how feminists veiw the world because my eldest sister who is extremely bright is fully invested in that wold view. I made the broad statement once that the "pay gap" meant little to nothing if you included personal choices into the arguments around the disparities. I could not reason with her on what I'm seeing as an obvious fact which has me is absolute dispair. She's not evil nor stupid but we cannot discuss obvious problems with an idea once it undermines the narrative. What chances do we have when it's not just a raving nut but the very people you look to for reason and hope?

[@Jules-Was-an-AnCap]

I could invent a whole new profession, based on memes. I'm gonna call it, "Advertising".

[@foxdenham]

For me, the most useful emotional state by far is that calm, let-go, couldn't give a f*ck, resigned peace, that all the great philosophical and spiritual practices talk about.

[@mattanderson6672]

Thank you so much !!! Fantastic

[@mattiachiaravalloti6884]

I really like this ep cuz you can tell they're friends and having fun discussing these ideas

[@TJDenmead]

Listened in my car today but wanted to come here and drop a comment. I hope George knows he was awesome on this podcast. Really enjoyed this. Both the Trojan Horse and Calm ideas were really useful takeaways :)

[@LordRykard9376]

I was recently a juror on a long civil trial. I was the only juror who hadnt developed rapport with the other jurors who had spent the better part of a month getting to know each other and most likely becoming aware of each other's stances on the trail. I witnessed the Keynesian Beauty Content and pretty much every Solomon Ashe social conformity test acted out when we got to deliberations. I was the only juror who chose not to award $24 million dollars to the plaintiff.

[@big123lak]

so many innocent people in prison we need to take away this human factor cuz its honestly fuked

[@ChickenSoupMusic]

Jurors should be kept separate and vote separately

[@augustusarbogast9862]

God that's stupid and terrifying

[@victorsong8416]

You're likely a Sigma male. BTW: It's a plus...

[@Celesteparadise]

​@@ChickenSoupMusicthat doesn't make any sense. Jurors are supposed to DELIBERATE. Unlike when a case requests a judge over a jury trial - possibly for a quick judgement devoid of unnecessary undue emotion, lay people must debate and persuade one another. Unlike a legal professional such as a judge wherein he or she is the sole jurist and can therefore rest on a career in the Law for certainty in the verdict rendered, a private citizen with no law degree of any kind depends upon the other jury members to share in the weight of the judgement handed down as to someone else's fate. People aren't perfect, as this person's story demonstrates. It's more important than ever for a person to be able to look back and know how difficult decisions were reached and different options debated with various people's life experiences playing a role in the dearth of knowledge in any one juror's education or career paths which together end up being worth more than the most learned lawyer.

[@philipadams5386]

The Abiline paradox is also known as pluralistic ignorance. It's responsible for a lot of social damage, because it leads to the appearance of consensus when there is none.

[@autodidyactinvermont5942]

I stumbled upon your dialogue. Fascinating! Emotionally exhilarating great mind candy! Wisdom Depth! Plus some great laughs! Great content! Thanks

[@ericyesensky6655]

i love your energy when your guest is around the same age as you chris. i notice you're a bit more loose and we can consume more of your logic and way of thinking. this was a great podcast for me. cheers mate.

[@davidmartin2631]

"Many people who believe they're introverts are in the wrong social group."❤

[@hobojungle1]

I’m just introverted. Lol

[@grahamvandyke]

When George started talking about cyber crime it reminded me of the movie Leave the World Behind. It's just a matter of time before a group decided to wreak absolute havoc on a country and we're powerless to stop it.

[@compegord07]

Insightful. Thank you.

[@colinellicott9737]

Very interesting conversation. I am stunned by how much of what you actually say is coded. I almost needed a decoder ring ... a meme from my generation ; )

[@ModernMozart1104]

Saying that the world is full of idiots and that you are not one of them seems like a wonderfully disarming way to attract people to your interview....

[@katherinekelly6432]

A person's relationship with pain and pleasure defines their existence until it does not. What is painful to one person may be pleasurable to another. Every individual in their relations with others is having a relationship with the relationship a person is having with themselves. Understand what is painful and pleasurable to that person and act accordingly. The more a person transcends the influence pain and pleasure has on them the greater the freedom to act rationally and in this rationality is found enlightenment. This is the essence of all religion. Religion when it is not corrupt, seeks to free a person from the constraint's biology imposes. (Human weakness)

[@clauderamsey9904]

This conversion the two of you have reminded me how I miss having a good friend.

[@kylethompson1379]

They never could. I think the reason is just that nowadays the media space better reflects the central portion of the IQ bell curve, whereas in earlier decades it was skewed towards the more capable and successful people.

[@berniepina860]

This podcast has increased my wisdom 10X and therefore has increased my Rizz 🙂 for real for real no cap 🧢

[@Jules-Was-an-AnCap]

Yeah, I didn't used to find you attractive. Not like now.

[@KyngD469]

Ong?

[@Clarityandwisdom33]

Deadass?

[@christopherdaly1399]

What?

[@jerrychubb6168]

Spot on with how introverts work. Get us/them on the right topic or in the right group and we are extroverts.

[@CamsCampbell]

This was a good one. Forget leverage, I never knew what a meme was. Now I do. Thank you!

[@optimizeyourlife541]

All this talk of algorithms and sense making really has me think how badly I would love to see a 4K episode with Daniel Schmachtenberger!!! Love you @Chris Williamson !

[@brianmeen2158]

Daniel is wicked smart

[@lysasarah-jaeviolet2072]

Yes please! Can't get enough of Daniel

[@cruzilla6265]

Nah, there are no extroverts, just introverts with great friends. I'm not introverted because I lack confidence. I just get tired of most people's bullshit and have better things to do.

[@NefariousMinds]

This was me, until I woke up. It's so nice to be myself!

[@marcusburnett8923]

Refreshing conversation 👍

[@loring5784]

Ive witnessed this behavior since grade school and never understood it. I was not born with a herd inclination or hive mind propensity. It in turn has always made me odd to others. Heavily disliked for it even.

[@innercynic2784]

The fact that we are even discussing this is reason enough to weep.

[@lisamoag6548]

You are both very intelligent and clear communicators.

[@mistro0014]

Your content is compelling and I'm glad I watch it

[@Mister_Bo]

Great conversation guys. Thank you. I learned the meme for "leverage" decades before I learned what the word meant. It's "Best bang for your buck"

[@A_Schimizzi]

As a cybersecurity professional, i loved that Chris and George talked about the industry for a bit. The Bangladesh story was interesting

[@deanayer3822]

calmness + Peace = Serenity (?) I think thats the best overall state.

[@heavenishere416]

I really enjoyed this one. Thank you 💗

[@JD-xd4sy]

Not true about introversion. Sure, I can talk to people and be chatty at times, depending on how talkative people are - but I crave "me-time" afterwards to recharge my batteries. For many extroverted people it's the other way around, they seem to get energy from social interactions.

[@Hailtothe303]

I think this was the most "online" conversation I have ever seen.

[@robdielemans9189]

Calmness does nothing to "slow" down time, however flow state does.

[@thomaskeeler912]

Chris & George: Once you see them, you can't unsee them. How rare a phenomenon.

[@migah139]

you've managed to make monday my favorite day of the week. not that i watch all of them, but its almost always interesting. cheers mate

[@pixelmaverick7812]

Congrats guys! You just defined peer pressure in more ambiguous terms. The irony of this is comical.

[@My_Alchemical_Romance]

Truly smashing conversation fellas; some of us ARE tracking; and STILL *insist* on reading between the lines. Keep em coming. Let there be Light, So Mote It Be. Love from across the pond. 🇺🇸

[@arunere]

One of the more thought provoking podcast discussions. Great work!

[@Leah_LM]

The 'hangover' from whatever you consume is exactly what you should spend time on. It highlights your sub conscious behaviour. Delve into that to know yourself better. Better to know thy enemy. Pushing,saying no avoiding anything without understanding why its there in the first place will not change your outcome. Remember you are the common denominator in your life. You are your own algorithm.

[@Giovanniditessitore]

Your not an algorithm

[@RoryDent]

Can I like this more than once? I used to despise memes but after this I have a newfound respect for them.

[@benhulme2863]

No way! that’s just the way I want it to remain. Thanks for the message of support.

[@raymondjette1975]

@ 1:08:47 Full Stop. "just for guys". Excellent discussion up to now. Women are way more profoundly impacted by the expectations to Look and Be Camera Ready since the inception of FILM!!!

[@theyetti90]

9:00 I can have the best day ever with a group of people, and the best part of the best day is when I get to go home, whether I'm single or with someone. I know I'm an introvert because I cannot fully dive into the depths of me with other people there because my attention is required for extroversion. As they say, which situation energizes you, being alone or with others? That's how you know. I'm a very popular guy, and I would die for my friends, which I have proved, but introversion is bliss.

[@jamesrussell1979]

Very interesting and very informative 👍 👌 👏

[@1250Gator]

Chris, you are so underrated. You are among the very best interviewers and conversationalists. Rogan and Gutfeld should beg you to be on your show.

[@joycegifford8826]

Tradition is the things that worked!!!! Brilliant

[@SweetFeetSHIPP]

That's what I love about the beautiful game of football. No matter where I go, I can always find my tribe as long as I have a ball. Football is truly one of the most universal languages that bring people together 👁❤⚽

[@drewwhite2906]

⚽️Soccer* WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETER!!!! 🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 lol

[@SweetFeetSHIPP]

@@drewwhite2906 Respectfully, it doesn't matter what you call it, it's about how you play it. The game isn't meant to divide; it's meant to bring us together.

[@Mychannel76707]

I think each person should think with their own brain and not just follow blindly the popular or majority opinion. Lack of courage to follow your own conclusions is the problem these days.

[@enlightenup4520]

This is a social-psychology conversation minus the psychology. It’s shocking how obvious it is that these two don’t regularly talk to people. And I mean active listening, genuine curiosity, and an emotionally intelligent comportment. This conversation shows the silliness of beliefs created when all of your information comes from oversimplified presumptions and overstretched theory.

[@boden8138]

“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it” K

[@AviatorsVEVO]

Why can no one think rationally anymore? because western society is gynocentric & based around how women think which is emotionally. what gender are you? well whatever I FEEL I am or however I identify in that moment. everything is based on FEELINGS & not FACTS.

[@Happyheretic2308]

I agree, and I’m a woman ( I have a cervix, I don’t need a prefix).

[@tedclark7860]

Finally someone gets it. Everything revolving around women lately is the reason for this.

[@AviatorsVEVO]

@@11-AisexualsforGod-11 you're thinking emotionally, like a woman. you read what i said in my comment, you got up in your feelings. then to discredit me, you wanted to assign me to a "side" or a group of people, which is why you ASSUME that Jordan Peterson is my "hero" when I never said that, not even once. you know what they say about people who ASSUME right? lol smh

[@mstamper77]

Not all women think emotionally.

[@AviatorsVEVO]

@@11-AisexualsforGod-11 "Yr just to clever for me" --- just smarter, but thats okay. you're the one that brought up Jordan Peterson... not me. just because you have an irrational & likely politically driven hate-boner for Jordan Peterson, that has nothing to do with me or my argument. so don't try to project Jordan Peterson's beliefs onto me. he's got nothing to do with me or my opinions.

[@luuvnich]

I absolutely love George. He’s great

[@cory8080]

I take photos, get some printed, and frame them like I still live in the 90s. When people come to my house for the first time they are always confused of the places I've been or people I've met because I don't post these things on fb or ig.

[@hckyplyr9285]

Anyone ever read The Machine Stops by EM Forster? Its a 100+ year old short story describing virtually everyone on earth living in climate controlled pods, 1 to a pod, spending their entire lives consuming and sharing 2nd hand ideas on a KZbin equivalent. Good story. And yet here I am.

[@FrostedSeagull]

I'm glad you brought up E M Forster. WHY - I immediately thought of E M Forster when I first came across here. E M Forster's famous adage: touch but don't connect.

[@Encisso_fitness]

super interesting tanks

[@helengrives1546]

It is so easy to say, that someone is in a wrong social group. It implies we choose our own groups, and that people form a group. People standing at a bus stop aren’t a social group in the social sense. Even at work, you may not have a group. Belonging is a dynamic exchange of wanting. Character temperaments do exist, even so energetic levels. Too much generalizations from your own perspective while not carefully considered what a large body of research shows. There isn’t ne good answer. However there always one particular answer. Taleb also points this out every time we talk about medicine. There isn’t a thing as the average human. Each according to his/her own capabilities and excitabilities.

[@bernibeckmann9753]

This conversation wouldn't be possible if the conversationalists didn't spend 90% of their lives online. Still trying to work out what that means.

[@aaronm.2718]

There are really only two mistakes you can make with American society today: 1) being a part of it 2) continuing to be a part of it

[@fernandocastrovargas6843]

I think the accurate meausre to determine intro vs extro version is not the number of friends. Its actually from where you receive the energy to accomplish your different, from people (extro) or from things (intro). Everybody can have friends that s not the issue.

[@larswillsen]

We are loners, but with the appetite to help our surroundings at any time. Goto 1 🙂

[@weinerdog137]

Easier to manage/manipulate....more people in the middle of the bell curve, heaven help us.

[@lonzo61]

In reference to the title of this episode: Since when did humans EVER, on the whole, think rationally?

[@blueshattrick]

45:06 The Dr Rick "becoming their parents" ads are LEGENDARY... I've talked w/ quite a few people about them before, some of the funniest on TV! (company is Progressive, btw)

[@silveriorebelo2920]

"that is how human brains got so big..." - that pretty much sums up the level of wisdom of this conversation...

[@fritzco55]

I am personally convinced that when a society abandons the idea of God, eventually they are turned over to a reprobate mind.

[@alelectric2767]

Introvert is someone who only opens up to people they know. There are people who can speak to anyone aka out going.

[@beewest5704]

Open up vs speaking to? Ppl commonly mistake introversion with shyness & its not the same thing. I'm introverted & I have no trouble speaking with ppl I do not know. It just exhausts me being around ppl.

[@mackcarlo]

As a music producer making electronic Hardcore in the MySpace days we suddenly found the Music Profiles of all the Artists names that we grew up listening to on compilation CD Mix sets from all over the world and we were then messaging each other and sharing files to make collaboration Tracks. It was absolutely incredible! An entire Culture of our own. Electronic Hardcore Music. I got signed to a Record Label in the UK via an Artist in Australia working on a Track with me over file sharing on MySpace. We were a collective of Artists all representing different Labels and styles of Hardcore Trance. People have no idea just how incredible our lives were and just how special the Scene of DJ’s and online Music Producers was. We were literally travelling the world meeting other Producers and playing at their local Raves and vice versa. We were like Comic Book Characters when we arrived and met with a backstory that the locals knew before we got there. Fun times.

[@luisahydrakarma2114]

you both said so many things i have often thought about. loved listeing to you both. i did not skip the cybercrime Part though :)

[@commandershepard4452]

It's hard for me to take anything Sam Harris as serious, after his political bs...I wish science people could stay neutral.