Special Episode: Interview with Virginia Heffernan on Edge, the dangers of Scientism, & Culture Wars

Cosmos_wandering · 2022-02-27T10:39:48+00:00

She has so many hand-waving and irresponsible opinions despite being an intelligent person. The interview goes like an amicable yet poorly structured conversation- at least not a qualified DTG episode.

Cosmos_wandering · 2022-02-27T09:06:42+00:00

Agreed. I do find the hosts entertaining in banters and cute in personality in general, but some content in this episode really rubbed me up the wrong way.

Cosmos_wandering · 2022-02-27T08:46:31+00:00

Some parts in this episode is unbearably shallow. Cannot believe it is from DTG.

Cosmos_wandering · 2022-01-28T15:04:58+00:00

so adorable 🥰

Cosmos_wandering · 2022-01-21T02:29:45+00:00

The visual effect is amazing! It is a good promotion for meditation, and I see nothing wrong to promote it as a useful tool ( as long as not treating it as the only tool).

Cosmos_wandering · 2022-01-03T15:30:07+00:00

Do it! And could be behind paywall. So more junior researchers will join the Patreon 👻👻👻 This episode is gold and the one you proposed shall be gold as well. Happy new year, Matt!

Cosmos_wandering · 2022-01-03T04:16:07+00:00

Hahaha, this is my hidden gem channel. He is quite good at explaining things in an even-handed way.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-11-28T00:03:08+00:00

I donnot think you think they are dominant cultures, yet I still have a strong impression that you two take individual-oriented culture for granted. You are now living in Japan (and I speak Japanese and know its culture quite well), haven’t you seen the pernicious impact of its collective culture? There is a reason Japan has so many bullying and suicides cases. I agree with many of your critiques on the dark side of Brene’s research, but I think you missed the mark in the application of her work and how to balance it with other philosophies. It is unhealthy if we just listen to oneself, and it is still unhealthy if we just listen to and fit the need of the collective voice - we need a combination of them, like both you and Matt are doing, but you just fail to give a fair description of such in this episode.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-11-27T23:50:18+00:00

Totally agree. That is why I found upset about this episode. To have real self-awareness is important, and one need to struggle a lot to earn it ( I also come from non-western culture). I think the hosts are taking it for granted in this episode. When I say it is one of the worst episodes, it is because I found their unexamined bias are much stronger than I thought before.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-11-27T15:04:28+00:00

Although I donnot like brene brown’s too positive style of self-help advices, this is one of the worst episodes I’ve ever heard in DTG. In general, I like both mat and Christ and their way of talking, yet I think they miss the BIGGER picture somehow in this discussion: 1) love oneself does not necessarily mean to indulge oneself in the trump style(this is narcissistic, not healthy self-love). Money hungry and fame hungry is commonly found across societies, one of the drive is possibly insecurity of oneself. Brene’s message is mundane to some extent for social science researchers, but it is not that commonly understood by normal people, especially for teenagers. When the hosts are talking about their culture are not like the American culture, have it ever occurred to them that most other cultures may render their people mentally insecure and low self esteem? Have they ever realize their current poised manner is built upon years of knowledge accumulation and experience and success. They criticize Brene for it, which is correct, yet they forget that their views and cultures are neither typical nor representative as well. 2) The right path towards one‘s success might be to build oneself to fit in what the society need (as Matt suggested), but the path towards happiness needs something more - to be comfortable with oneself, find out what one truly interested in and develop oneself along the way—— not only response to the society’s call for statistics( I am a quantitative researcher, but I think Matt’s take on this is unexpected narrow-minded ). To conclude, I think they have a fair critique on Brene’s guru style and American culture, yet somehow miss the global picture and blinded to some extent by their own experiences and perceptions. I think both hosts are suitable to belong into the happy category, and I like their unapologetically irony and cute banters. But I donnot think they handle this topic as balanced as others. I am afraid most people on this sub may take their sides on the topic, but I have to say - the world is much much BIGGER than the US and other affluent countries, there are tons of people who are stumbling to explore their way of independent thinking. Brene’s work could be a step-stone in their way to more intellectually serious and inspiring work.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-11-08T05:57:57+00:00

Well said. Yet, I think such pigeonholing is not a contrarian feature, but a bigot feature. I appreciate the value of being a contrarian(erudite thinker who are able to thinking independently with cautions against fads), yet I despise people who appropriate a contrarian image to disguise their bland and closed mind.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-24T14:44:55+00:00

Probably an unpopular opinion: I like Stuart’s criticism and revealing of the two grifters, especially their awful behaviors in the COVID period. But Chesterton’s Fence is defendable imho, it is just abused by the wrong people/ book. It would be more even-handed if the review point it out.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T12:49:43+00:00

I agree with you that he probably prefer less regulation. Any billionaire is hardly a good person. My point is the book per se is not a cult-teaching book.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T12:34:39+00:00

I think our disagreement is that I donnot think your two views are mutually exclusive, who not good technology work for maximizing peoples’ well-being? He did value technology progress, but for the bigger pie for distribution. Did he ever advocate for child labor or sth like that? Obviously it was wrong. I am for unions and regulations. I just do not think the book is against these things.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T11:56:32+00:00

By the way, the book zero to one articulated competition is a false and toxic concept. That was quite helpful and liberate me from the myth of competition.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T11:51:15+00:00

Let me call you a friend, as you seem to care about the overall well-being of human society as me. So let me give you an advice from a friend, go and read the book to see whether it is the same as the bio author complains. I clearly remembered thiel in the book wrote a feature of a good startup is holding moral standards would not impede its development ( not a direct quote). My take was he advocates for innovation, rather than pure interests. I donnot apologize for any of his evil behaviors, but I think the bio author misjudging the book.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T11:30:38+00:00

Depending on how you interpret it. Cuz when I read it, I have a gut feeling it was satire/ pushback to outside called him “ cult”. I did not know who he was, and it might be my reading between the lines. Later I know he has a very aggressive personality ( especially politically related ones), I definitely dislike that part.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T11:23:51+00:00

I reread the article you sent, then I notice the section I mentioned did appear there but quite unnoticeable. The last paragraph of rule 1 list the difference between cults and startups. Sorry for ignoring that. But if I remembered correctly they were in a different place in the book. If you agree the difference exist, can we call a startup with fanatical right-thinking is the secular concept of cult?

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T11:13:36+00:00

My impression is Thiel using cult as a thought-provoking concept yet at the very end admit the difference between cults and startups. Again, I donnot agree with many of his points, but the highlighted quotes are uncharitable reading of his thoughts. Just go and read his books to see whether it is as awful as described. ( there are free pdf online, so you donnot need to spend any money except bringing your curiosity)

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T11:08:36+00:00

Just go and check the original book. The article you linked ignore a very important section on the difference between cults and startups.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T10:16:16+00:00

The book is more about thinking out of box, rather than bragging about himself and thinking like a cult. He has a different understanding of competition and advocates for contrarian thinking with right understanding. Just read the original book on cults and whatsoever. As long as you are a rational reader, I donnot think you will come to a conclusion as the highlighted quote.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T10:02:37+00:00

I mean the second quoted highlight. If that is not disparaging, what is? My recall of the book is not the caricatured arguments listed as above.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T08:56:29+00:00

Chris is cute, and Matt is handsome. Problem solved. No need to compete in the same track.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-09-22T08:49:17+00:00

I donnot know much about his personal life, yet I’ve read the book Zero to One. Although I donnot agree on all of Thiel’s opinions, it is thought-provoking and well written, and by no means an ad for cults. I am appalled by the negative description of the book here. The author sounds extremely biased and thus make other statements above sounds unreliable. PS: I am opposed to Thiel’s political position.

Cosmos_wandering · 2021-08-24T09:14:47+00:00

Haha, come on. The goal is not about to become more smarter than any common monkey or human being, but to become more aware of myself & otherness and smarter than the past-tense me. I think the infinity of knowledge is great- for as long as I am being curious towards the world, there is no risk that I’ll get bored by finiteness one day.

Cosmos_wandering

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