Two Inconvenient Women

Why are we more fixated on capturing life than living it?

35 snips
Sep 26, 2025
Explore the cultural obsession with capturing life over truly living it. The hosts discuss how data fixation impacts education and social media, often distorting our real experiences. They delve into the pitfalls of institutional reporting and the 'cobra effect' of metrics. Worldviews shaped by neuroscience and philosophy highlight the imbalance in valuing data over human perception. With insights on vulnerability in social media and the need for embodied knowledge, they invite listeners to engage more deeply with life rather than just documenting it.
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INSIGHT

Recording Over Living

  • Alan Watts observed that recording life has become more important than living it, shifting focus from experience to capture.
  • Holly and Rachel link this to institutions where admin and metrics overshadow the purpose of work and learning.
INSIGHT

Data Distorts Educational Purpose

  • Schools increasingly prioritise measurable outcomes and paperwork over meaningful teaching and student wellbeing.
  • Rachel argues this data fixation distorts professional practice and harms students' experiences.
ADVICE

Don't Make Measures The Goal

  • Avoid turning measures into the sole target, because people will game systems to meet them.
  • Recognise Goodhart's/Cobra effect: measures become poor guides once they are targets.
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