Jacob welcomes Adam Mastroianni onto the show to discuss his 2023 article in Nature about how it is human nature to assume that the world is always getting worse. This is that rare bit of content that is entirely optimistic – it invites you to consider that our perception of the world is grounded not in what is actually happening in the world but in how we are programmed to think about it.

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Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction to Adam Mastriani
00:15 - The Illusion of Moral Decline
00:31 - Human Psychology and Moral Perception
04:38 - Survey Findings on Morality
02:03 - Understanding Cooperation and Negativity Bias
14:03 - Exploring Political Polarization
11:28 - The Role of Social Media in Perception
42:26 - Conclusion: Optimism in a Complex World

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Referenced in the Show:

Link to article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06137-x

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

CI Site: cognitive.investments

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Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients’ material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).

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#240 - The Illusion of Moral Decline