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Decoding the Gurus
Special: Interview with Sam Harris on Gurus, Tribalism & the Culture War
Oct 30, 2021
03:06:09
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Experiential insight through meditation does not necessarily translate into ethical behavior.
- The subjective nature of personal experiences must be recognized while staying open to different perspectives in introspective practices.
- Gurus may possess spiritual insights but lack ethical boundaries, cautioning against the dangers of charismatic and abusive leaders.
- The one-year free offer of the Waking Up app is not a marketing technique but a genuine attempt to make meditation accessible.
- To fully understand extremism, it is crucial to consider the significance of personal experiences and faith in shaping extremist beliefs.
Deep dives
The Potential Influence of Meditation Practices and Ethical Behavior
Sam Harris discusses the potential influence of meditation practices on ethical behavior and the challenges of separating the two. He acknowledges that some individuals may claim meditative insights but exhibit unethical behavior, indicating a disconnection between spiritual experience and ethical conduct. Harris emphasizes the importance of recognizing that experiential insight does not necessarily translate into ethical behavior and that living a good life requires more than just meditative insights.
The Complexity of Evaluating Personal Experiences and the Role of Self-Report
Harris acknowledges the challenges of evaluating personal experiences, particularly in the context of introspective practices. He compares it to the optic blind spot, where individuals rely on self-report to understand their own experiences. Harris highlights the subjective nature of personal experiences and the need to rely on individual accounts in areas such as psychological science and meditation practices. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing the limitations of self-report while staying open to the possibilities of different perspectives and experiences.
The Contradictory Nature of Gurus and Spiritual Abuse
Harris addresses the contradictory nature of gurus who may have deep spiritual experiences but also engage in abusive or unethical behavior. He provides examples of spiritual leaders who may possess genuine insights but lack ethical boundaries or adhere to outdated traditions. Harris cautions against the dangers of charismatic and abusive gurus and highlights the importance of seeking ethical teachers who prioritize compassion and honesty. He also discusses the concept of 'crazy wisdom' and how some teachers may try to justify unethical behavior through spiritual claims.
Clarification on the Waking Up App's One-Year Free Offer
Harris clarifies misconceptions regarding the one-year free offer of the Waking Up meditation app. He notes that the offer is not a marketing technique but a genuine attempt to make the practice accessible. While some users switch from the free to paid version, the majority do not. Harris acknowledges the significant number of free subscriptions and the dedicated customer service team that handles them. He adds transparency by recognizing that the percentage of users moving from free to paid subscriptions is in the single digits.
Importance of understanding the true motivations of extremists
When discussing extremism and terrorism, it is important to accurately understand the motivations behind these actions. Some researchers discount the role of ideology and focus more on political and economic factors, but this overlooks the deep convictions and spiritual yearnings that some individuals possess. Personal experiences and faith can greatly influence extremist beliefs, and discounting the significance of religious ideology can lead to a limited understanding of the problem.
Challenges in researching extremism
Researchers who do not possess a deep spiritual or religious background may struggle to fully grasp the impact of faith on extremist individuals. Some researchers may discount the propositional content of religious beliefs or assume that individuals are only pretending to believe in their ideologies. However, dismissing the profundity of spiritual experiences linked to these beliefs hinders a comprehensive understanding of extremist behaviors.
Applying different standards to ideologies
When discussing ideologies, it is essential to maintain a consistent approach and apply the same level of scrutiny and understanding to all belief systems. While some researchers are quick to discount the influence of religious ideology, devoting more attention to political and economic factors, this approach can lead to an incomplete analysis. Ideological beliefs, when deeply held, can have a profound impact on an individual's actions, regardless of whether observers fully understand or agree with those beliefs.
Evaluating motives in extremist events
When examining events such as the Christchurch shooting, it is crucial to carefully evaluate the motivations behind the actions. While factors such as mental illness or trolling can play a role, to truly understand the deeper reasons behind extremist acts, it is important to consider the religious, ideological, and spiritual beliefs that may be driving individuals. Overlooking or discounting these motivations can limit our ability to fully comprehend and address the issue of extremism.
Criticism of Sam Harris
A listener expresses disappointment in the podcast and criticizes the analysis as empty and superficial, claiming that the Weinsteins have superior intellect.
Acknowledging Flaws and Appreciation
A listener shares how the podcast has helped them see flaws in certain thinkers and appreciate the importance of scientific consensus.
10.
The Opis Are Very Well Designed in the Sense of Psychological Rewards and Reminders
2min
18.
Is There a Difference Between Introspective Meditation and Intuitive Meditation?
5min
23.
I'm a White Guy Who Is T S on These Issues of Racial Justice and Systemic Racism
2min
34.
The People That You've Extended Charity to - You Don't Know, but You're Not Going to Pass Judgment
3min
35.
I'm Not Going to Endorse Everything That Christian Did, but I'll Tell You How Whyt.
3min
37.
Iki, I'm Not the Most Afraid Person on Twitter, No, You're Way More Disagreeable on on Twitter Than You Are on Your Podcast
2min
40.
Anis, I'm Sorry, but I've Had a Few Memorable Collisions With Anthropologists at Conferences.
5min
60.
Poltao Mogtbe Tange, I'm a Saint Dono, I'm Saying That a Good Principle, a Good Value, Could Easily Lead You Into a Coldcita Tribe
2min
Sam Harris probably needs no introduction in our neck of the info-sphere as he is seemingly never far from the spotlight... or the occasional controversy.
We’ve had some nice things to say about Sam, but we’ve also made some harsh criticisms, particularly regarding a short episode he released which seemed to suggest it was necessary to practice introspective meditation in order to fully understand why his political and culture war views were correct.
Although we’ve never done a ‘proper’ episode on Sam, we have always stated that anyone we discuss is welcome to come on the show and discuss (or dispute) our charges – which is exactly what Sam is doing here!
This interview is split into two sections. In the first, we discuss Sam’s app and whether it might encourage guru dynamics and the role of meditation and (non) self-awareness in forming an accurate political outlook. We put some of our criticisms to Sam especially regarding guru dynamics, issues of introspective verification of truth claims, and the potential for abusive practices and manipulation by gurus.
In the second section, we turn to some of the more controversial topics that have sprung up around Sam over the years. Sam responds to proposals that he might be as tribal as the rest of us suckers, and he defends himself against accusations that he might have selective empathy and blind spots towards the rightish side of the political spectrum. We talk about tribalism and the potential distorting effects of personal relationships, as well as anthropologists, Islamism, wokism, right-wing extremism, and how political biases manifest themselves on the left and right.
Although the format is an interview, it does get quite ‘debate-y’ at times. And it’s probably true that we don’t come to a grand reconciliation of views at the end. However, nobody storms off, so what you get is a frank and friendly but robust exchange of views.
We hope you enjoy it.
Links
- Embrace the Void 170: State of the IDW with Chris Kavanagh
- Article by Stuart Hayashi on Stefan Molyneux's views about the Holocaust
- Stefan Molyneux profile on the Daily Beast
- Our episode on Douglas Murray
- Our episode on Gad Saad
- Polite Conversations with Eiynah 17: Sam Harris Episode
- Washington Post Article on Maajid's Promotion of 'Stop The Steal'
- Guardian article on Maajid's growing interest in Conspiracies
- Making Sense 243: A Few Points of Confusion (Sam's meditation episode)
- Making Sense AMA 17 (Sam's episode about debating conspiracy theorists)
- Making Sense 225: Republic of Lies (Sam's episode retiring from the IDW)
- Robert Wright's article on Sam's supposed tribal biases
This Week's Sponsor
- Check out the sponsor of this week's episode, Ground News, and get the app at ground.news/gurus.
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