A Bit of Optimism cover image

A Bit of Optimism

Intuition vs. Reason with poker champion Liv Boeree

Sep 5, 2023
Liv Boeree, a retired poker champion and astrophysics graduate, shares her insights on the delicate balance between intuition and logic. She explores how technology is reshaping decision-making in poker and highlights the cognitive biases that affect our choices. Boeree delves into the Moloch trap, explaining how narrow ambitions can harm society and the importance of personal growth over competition. She emphasizes the value of genuine connections and advocates for empathy and collaboration as keys to fulfillment in a competitive world.
50:21

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Balancing gut instinct with rational analysis is crucial in decision-making.
  • A hybrid approach combining centralized and decentralized structures is necessary to address complex problems.

Deep dives

The Trap of Over-Optimizing for a Narrow Metric

The speaker discusses the concept of a Moloch trap, which refers to over-optimizing for a narrow metric to the detriment of other important aspects. Examples include people standing up in a stadium and everyone losing their view or using beauty filters on social media, sacrificing authenticity for likes. The speaker emphasizes the need to find win-win scenarios and prevent the sacrifices associated with competing for a single goal.

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