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#644: Jonathan Haidt — The Coddling of the American Mind, How to Become Intellectually Antifragile, and How to Lose Anger by Studying Morality

The Tim Ferriss Show

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The Fall of the Tower of Babel

  • Complex systems, like the weather or the economy, are inherently unpredictable, and applying simple mechanical understandings to them is insufficient.
  • Social media shifted from connecting people to prioritizing performance and virality around 2009 with the introduction of features like the Like and Retweet buttons.
  • This shift transformed social media into a platform for public performance, incentivizing users to seek fame and prestige through provocative content.
  • The introduction of threaded comments on platforms like Facebook in 2014 amplified conflict, fostering an environment akin to a barroom brawl where everyone is fighting everyone.
  • These changes have contributed to a post-Babel world characterized by a lack of shared understanding and collapsing institutions, impacting democracy and universities.
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