EconTalk Primal Intelligence (with Angus Fletcher)
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Nov 3, 2025 
Angus Fletcher, a Professor of story science and author, brings a unique perspective to intelligence, focusing on our ability to plan amid uncertainty. He discusses how narrative techniques from Shakespeare to military training enhance our adaptive thinking. Fletcher reveals the power of storytelling in cultivating 'primal intelligence' and explains how improvisation is essential for elite military operators. He also highlights how reading challenging literature rewires our brains, showing how creativity can solve real-world problems.
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Primal Intelligence Redefined
- Modern intelligence is not just logic over full data; it's the brain's ability to act with limited information.
- Fletcher calls this capacity "primal intelligence," emphasizing planning and invention under uncertainty.
Army Special Ops Invitation
- The U.S. Army Special Operations invited Fletcher to test his theory and fund research inside their teams.
- They wanted training that helps operators invent new plans when initial plans fail in combat.
Train The Planner, Not The Plan
- Plan to train your ability to adapt, not to lock in a single plan.
- Use decentralized, practice-under-pressure exercises so planners can invent effective new actions on the fly.
