80,000 Hours Podcast

#59 Classic episode - Cass Sunstein on how change happens, and why it's so often abrupt & unpredictable

Dec 27, 2021
Cass Sunstein, co-author of 'Nudge' and a leading legal scholar, explores the surprising nature of social change. He discusses how movements like #MeToo and the Arab Spring emerge from seemingly resistant contexts. Delving into concepts like preference falsification and group polarization, he explains that hidden opinions and variable thresholds can trigger abrupt shifts. Sunstein emphasizes the importance of open dialogue, social media's role, and the complex dynamics that shape collective action, making activism feel more hopeful and compelling.
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ANECDOTE

Saudi Arabia Wives Working

  • In Saudi Arabia, most young men approved of wives working, but believed others disapproved.
  • When informed of the true views, women's job applications increased drastically.
INSIGHT

Social Change Drivers

  • Social change is driven by preference falsification, diverse thresholds, and interdependencies.
  • These factors make it hard to predict when and how change will happen.
ANECDOTE

Diverse Thresholds Example

  • Sunstein and a friend witnessed a man hitting a child.
  • Sunstein's friend, having a low threshold, immediately intervened.
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