Cancel Culture, Academic Freedom, and Common Knowledge

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So much of life depends not only on what we know, but also on what we know that others know as well. This shared awareness—what social scientists call common knowledge—explains how we cooperate, why markets rise and fall, and why silence in the face of cancel culture is so damaging.

In this episode of Office Hours, I’m joined by Dr. Steven Pinker, Harvard psychologist and bestselling author of The Language Instinct and Enlightenment Now. We discuss his new book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows, and explore how common knowledge influences cooperation, politics, humor, and even happiness, and why using it as a gift, not a weapon, can help us all live better.

We cover:

• What common knowledge really is and why it matters in everyday life

• How nonverbal signals like eye contact or laughter shape our social lives

• Why so many Americans hide their true beliefs

• 4 principles that can help you live a happier, more meaningful life

• How to practice radical honesty with clarity and kindness

We’d love to hear any feedback you have. Please email us at officehours@arthurbrooks.com. And please leave a review on Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening!

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Where to find Steven Pinker:

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(05:04) What common knowledge means and why it’s tricky

(05:50) Evidence of common knowledge beyond humans 

(07:26) Nonverbal ways that we share common knowledge 

(08:08) Examples of how common knowledge spreads and is suppressed

(10:54) How dictators repress common knowledge through censorship 

(12:44) Politeness vs. kindness when it comes to common knowledge 

(14:55) The threat of cancel culture to academic freedom

(19:39) What happens when people are afraid to speak up

(23:04) Why we fall for misinformation 

(25:11) Arthur’s 4 big takeaways on common knowledge for wellbeing 

(29:02) The problem with collective illusion

(31:20) What the Populace survey reveals about how groups of Americans really feel

(33:39) Bridgewater Capital’s policy of radical honesty 

(36:15) How the 4 principles from Common Knowledge relate to happiness

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Referenced:

• Leadership and Happiness course: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1885.html

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN

• The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language: https://www.amazon.com/Language-Instinct-Creates-Perennial-Classics/dp/0061336467/ 

• The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Angels-Our-Nature-Violence-ebook/dp/B0052REUW0

• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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