The Jordan Harbinger Show 892: Tim Urban | What's Our Problem (And How Do We Solve It)?
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Sep 7, 2023 
Tim Urban, author of "What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies" and the mind behind the blog Wait But Why, unpacks the chaos of modern society. He discusses the alarming rise of political polarization and the perils of echo chambers fueled by social media. Urban emphasizes the need for higher-quality thinking and proposes creating personal "idea labs" to escape tribalism. The conversation also delves into the historical context of our current issues and the importance of engaging with diverse perspectives for genuine understanding.
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The Dark Valley of Hidden Harm
- New media paradigms cause initial euphoria followed by chaos due to unintended consequences.
- Societies eventually adapt, but the rapid pace of technological change keeps us in a constant "dark valley of hidden harm".
The Book of Humanity
- Human history, likened to a 1000-page book, reveals that technological progress accelerates exponentially.
- Page 1000, representing the last 250 years, is an anomaly, suggesting an inflection point towards either utopia or catastrophe.
The Cyclical Nature of Wisdom
- Technology progresses linearly, while wisdom is cyclical, leading to the repetition of historical mistakes.
- Societies become complacent during periods of stability, forgetting hard-learned lessons, making them vulnerable to repeating past errors.
