E81: Status, Sacred, and Neglected Truths with Robin Hanson

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Sep 28, 2024

Robin Hanson, an economist and futurist renowned for his work on prediction markets, dives into the intricacies of human behavior. He discusses the concepts of status and self-deception, advocating for reforming academia with innovative betting markets to prioritize genuine contributions. The conversation also touches on the cultural shifts affecting fertility and marriage trends amidst rising women's income, and the impact of societal norms on innovation and knowledge acquisition. Hanson challenges listeners to confront their hidden motives and explore neglected ideas.

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INSIGHT

Intellectual Arbitrage

The intellectual world tends to clump, with everyone discussing the same popular topics.
Explore neglected areas, as they offer intellectual arbitrage opportunities.

INSIGHT

The Sacred as an Obstacle

Robin Hanson became interested in the concept of "sacred" because it obstructed his proposed changes.
People resist change that interferes with sacred values.

INSIGHT

The Sacred and Social Cohesion

Durkheim theorized that sacredness facilitates social cohesion by allowing people to see things the same way.
Construal level theory explains how people view things differently based on proximity (near vs. far).

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In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg is joined by economist and futurist Robin Hanson.

They dissect the intricacies of human motives, the psychology of status, and the profound impact of self-deception on behavior. Robin shares his revolutionary ideas for reforming academia and his pioneering work on prediction markets and his thoughts on the future of innovation amidst falling fertility rates.

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LINKS:

The Elephant in the Brain, Robin Hanson and Kevin Simler https://amzn.asia/d/82WLQX6

Robin Hanson and Agnes Callard’s podcast Minds Almost Meeting https://mindsalmostmeeting.com/

Agnes Callard on Upstream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g2F0e-LZjM

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(04:25) How Robin developed his theory of the Sacred