The fourth of the 10 Questions of Human Existence is “What Matters"?

Everything we do says something about what we value. Everything is a choice to do one thing instead of another. But if that’s the case, then why is it that we seem to spend so much time on bullshit? In this chapter, we discuss the difference between instrumental and intrinsic value, distinguishing the signal from the noise, scratching that sholezard itch, how to recognise bullshit, and explore the question - what makes certain things great? 

Our lives may not be nasty and brutish, but they are short. We owe it to ourselves to devote as little as possible of our precious time to meaningless bullshit, and focus our attention on experiences that bring us real and lasting value.

References:

Harry Frankfurt, “On Bullshit”

Viktor Frankl, “Man’s Search For Meaning”

Aristotle, “Nicomachean Ethics”

Plato, “Gorgias”

Aesop, “Collected Fables”

David French, “The Signal and the Noise”

Music:

Additional music provided by Anchor

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The third of the 10 Questions of Human Existence is "How Do I Know"? 

Knowledge is the key connector between our subjective minds and the world beyond our consciousness. Yet we constantly undervalue it, and don't realise how rare and precious it is to actually know something. Too often, we take our certainties for granted, forgetting how easy it is to be wrong ... even when we are deeply convinced that we are right. In this episode we explore the role of knowledge in holding our world together, the differences between knowing and believing, and the paradox of certainty - the worrying truth that while certainty gives us the stability we need to lead functional lives, more often than not, it leads to ruin.  

Intro Music: Down the Spiral by Jon Bjōrk 

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The second of the 10 Questions of Human Existence is "What is Real"?  

From prokaryote to proctologist, something all life forms share is an ability to react to their surroundings. Building a picture of the world and its dangers and opportunities is a necessary precondition to all action. In this episode, drawing on insights from philosophy, biology and cognitive psychology, we explore how questions about external reality underlie our every moment, and how external reality may be very different from how it appears.

Intro Music by Anchor

Main Sources:

- Max Tegmark, "Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence"

- Donald D. Hoffman, "The Case Against Reality: How Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes"

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The first of the 10 Questions of Human Existence is "Who Am I"?

A philosophy of self-authorship drives us to be the ones holding the pen in the story of our lives. But how can we write a great story if we don't know the main character?

Drawing upon Heraclitus, Rousseau, Montaigne and Citizen Kane, we explore why self-knowledge is the first step in our path to personal fulfilment and greater understanding. And as we unravel the thread of the self, we run into problems - How can any answer to the question "Who Am I" deal with the inevitability of change? And could the whole concept of "Me" be nothing more than an illusion?

Intro Music by sscheidl from Pixabay

Sources: Bence Nanay, "Know Thyself is not just silly advice, it's actively dangerous"

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In the story of your life, who is holding the pen? 

In this "pilot" episode, Patrick (that's me! hello!) introduces a philosophy of self-authorship and social progress, and discusses how consciously engaging with The 10 Question of Human Existence can help us make a real difference in our lives, our communities, and the world.

This episode was produced by Patrick Daniel and Marc Allen.

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