Modern Wisdom #980 - David Pinsof - This is Your Brain on Bullsh*t
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Aug 14, 2025 David Pinsof, a UCLA research scientist and co-creator of Cards Against Humanity, dives deep into the nature of our opinions and beliefs. He argues that much of what we think is manufactured nonsense, exploring the real motivations behind our thoughts. Discussions include how incentive structures shape human behavior and the role of social status in forming opinions. Pinsof also critiques the art of argumentation, revealing the prevalence of pseudo-arguments and the importance of genuine discourse in navigating our complex social landscape.
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Happiness Is A Recalibration Tool
- Happiness is not the internal carrot driving behavior; evolution wired us to seek external incentives like food, sex, and status.
- Happiness functions as a recalibration mechanism after prediction errors, not as a primary motivator.
Why Happiness Fades With Exposure
- Happiness evolved to update expectations after surprising positive outcomes, reducing future prediction errors.
- The more we obtain an outcome, the less happy it makes us, so we don't pursue happiness itself.
Follow Incentives Not Feelings
- Follow incentives rather than chasing internal states to predict human behavior.
- Map incentive structures in time and space to understand motivations like status and belonging.