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E36: Meritocracy, Modeling Globalization, and The Burden of Knowledge
"The Riff" with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg
The Evolution of a Public Intellectual
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Public intellectuals typically start by writing niche academic books, then transition to broader topics to gain more readership. However, there's a challenge when they attempt to write a 'theory of everything' book, often leading to platitudes or overly narrow focus. Despite this, broad books that apply a unique model across various domains can hold significant value by informing readers of a broader network of thinkers. Writing nonfiction covering diverse topics with an agenda can be beneficial, even though it may have intrinsic difficulties in understanding the world. Specializing narrowly can lead to rich insights or cognitive biases, where one may see examples confirming their beliefs due to confirmation bias. The perception of tasks like optimizing financial transactions or ad targeting can vary greatly among individuals, highlighting the diversity of priorities in the world.
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