Making Sense with Sam Harris - Subscriber Content

#349 - Generosity, Cynicism, and the Future of Doing Good

6 snips

Jan 16, 2024

Sam Harris and Chris Anderson discuss the rise of cynicism in tech, the problems with DEI, the science of generosity, the leverage of the Internet, mixed motives in giving, digital business models, wealth inequality, the ethics of billionaires, problems with Effective Altruism, and how to improve our digital lives.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Chris Anderson's Book and Professional Background

02:06 • 2min

Reflections on the Emotional Toll and Lessons Learned from the Dot-Com Crash

03:53 • 2min

The Rise of Cynicism and the Failure of Altruism in the Age of the Internet

05:44 • 28min

The Science of Generosity and its Ripple Effects

34:01 • 24min

Monetization Models and the Value of Digital Content

57:31 • 9min

Radical Generosity and Wealth Inequality

01:06:34 • 33min

The Impact of Social Media on our Digital Lives

01:39:24 • 9min

Gratitude, Impact, and Inspiring Philanthropy

01:48:47 • 2min

Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/349-generosity-cynicism-and-the-future-of-doing-good

Sam Harris speaks with Chris Anderson about generosity in the age of the Internet. They talk about the new spirit of cynicism in tech and finance, the problems with DEI, the Coleman Hughes controversy at TED, the norm of color blindness, the science of generosity, the leverage of the Internet, the false opposition between selfishness and selflessness, mixed motives in giving, results vs reward, the importance of intentions, looking for the good in people, digital business models, the economics of TED, TEDx, wealth inequality, the ethics of billionaires, philanthropy at scale, the power of pledges, the arguments of Peter Singer, the Sam Bankman-Fried scandal, problems with Effective Altruism, how to improve our digital lives, and other topics.

Chris Anderson is the curator of TED. Trained as a journalist after graduating Oxford University, he launched more than 100 magazines and websites before acquiring TED through his nonprofit foundation in 2001. His TED mantra—"ideas worth spreading"—continues to blossom on an international scale, with over 3,600 videos free on TED.com and 100,000 more on YouTube. He is the author of The New York Times bestseller TED Talks and has overseen the introduction of, among others, the TEDx program, the TED-Ed initiative, and the Audacious Project, a bold new philanthropic model to inspire change at scale. His latest book is Infectious Generosity.

Website: https://www.infectiousgenerosity.org/

Twitter: @TEDchris

Related Link: Both the income pledge and the 2.5% wealth pledge can be signed at givingwhatwecan.org

Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.