NonTrivial

We are often told that if we want to be good at something we should focus more. But a single (real world) task has multiple facets that must be honed, and you cannot learn those facets from the task itself; they must come from other areas of life. In this episode I argue that to be good at any one thing we should do many things. 

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In 2014 there was a debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham regarding whether or not Creationism is a viable explanation for earth's origin. Regardless of which side you agree with, there was what I consider a problematic response from some of the scientific community, which was that the debate never should have happened, because it gave a voice to something counter to the scientific consensus. I argue that such a response is antithetical to science itself, which, above all, is supposed to be a process that welcomes debate and updates its position as needed. I argue that no matter how wrong you believe your opponent to be, public debate and conversation gives us a chance to point out fallacies, educate the public and bring us all closer to the truth.

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Human society has always applied filters, to select who should be in a particular group. This is both evolutionary and required for good social dynamics. But we also apply filters institutionally, using systems of meritocracy to vet candidates both in academia and industry. I argue that these institutional filters are far too narrowly-defined to account for the complexity and high-dimensionality of human intelligence. I argue that today's complex world suffers from such narrow filtering, elevating a kind of "dumbness" in society. What we need now, more than ever, are problem-solving groups, composed of diverse individuals, filtered not by standardized tests and whiteboard exams, but by their ability to contribute to collective problem solving.

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As we go through life we notice things about our ability to perform, like when things work and when they don't. But most people tend to leave at that, hoping they'll gravitate towards the better parts over time. But what really transforms our ability to perform is when we convert the things that work into specific techniques we employ. I'll give an example of just how powerful this is, and discuss how we can all turn the truths we notice into techniques we live by.

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In this episode I challenge the idea that discipline is what's needed to achieve successful outcomes. Discipline requires we act against our instincts and willpower. Anything so opposed to our natural evolution can't be right. I believe that what looks like discipline in successful individuals is really just the behaviour people take-on when they put themselves in the right environment. I argue that the most important decision we can make regarding how to accomplish anything is what environment to place ourselves in.

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Many of us are avid readers, because reading helps us learn about important topics, and more importantly compels us to create things ourselves. 

But today's nonfiction is loaded with so many references and footnotes that their isn't much room left for the author's authentic opinion.

I argue that many creators are researching themselves out of their opinion, leaving us with dry commentary devoid of what matters; the author's rich and messy experiences.

I argue that we need the organic mess as much as any rationalized arguments, and that THIS holistic and imperfect form of communication is what gives us high quality information that has meaning.

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AI is getting impressive. But being impressed is not an objective measure of progress. For a technology to truly bear the mark of innovation it must enable us to create new things. I argue that few people are creating anything new with AI, rather they're just showcasing what it can do out of the box. I'll look at ChatGPT as an example, and put forward how I think AI should be used as a starting point for building something AI cannot do on its own.

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In this episode I argue that true creativity demands that we have less options available in our attempt to build something new. I first acknowledge that creativity requires freedom, and freedom includes having a number of options, but then also discuss the problems that arise by having too many options. I will argue that creativity works better when we are constrained by good structures, and that what might first appear as a set of overly-restrictive constraints, in fact compels our creativity, with increased restriction leading to more imaginative and original work. I'll end, as always, with some ideas on how we can live our lives by building with good restrictions.

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In this episode we look at how neuroscience tries to explain human behaviour by identifying specific regions in the brain. I'll discuss how such targeted approaches are problematic in science, and how Neuroscience is just another example of a complex science acting as though it's far more simple and deterministic than it really is. We'll look at the myth of root causes, why nature doesn't localize behavior and what needs to change to study complex phenomena correctly. 

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We need to contribute to society in order to survive, and that means having a job. But many people hate their job, and find it difficult to feel fulfilled while earning a living. I believe there is a solution that exits at the interface between what we expect from the world and what the world expects from us. There is a way to remain focused on what we love, while still delivering on tasks we don't find enjoyable.

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Members: Join for full access to additional talks, practical exercises, member Q&As, and more at dekyon.io.