Theo Jaffee Podcast #11: Bryan Caplan - You Will Not Stampede Me: Essays on Non-Conformism
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Feb 26, 2024 
Bryan Caplan, Professor of economics, discusses nonconformism, rationality, AI risk, polyamory, academia, education, and societal norms, challenging conformity and advocating for independent thinking. He shares insights on writing, natalism, and hedonic adaptation, emphasizing the importance of originality and unique perspectives in various professional and academic environments.
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Crusades Need A Shock To Ignite
- Large public crusades need a shocking triggering event to take off and are rare.
- Bryan Caplan notes we haven't had a true full-blown crusade since COVID and timing matters greatly.
Protect Debate, Avoid Purges
- Defend platforms as centers for argument rather than purging unpopular views.
- Resist pressures to ban groups because purges create dangerous slippery slopes and brand damage.
Slippery Slopes Depend On Exception Spread
- Slippery-slope outcomes depend on which exceptions spread, not on a universal rule.
- Caplan argues wokeness produced expanding exceptions that made once-normal ideas taboo.