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The James Altucher Show

The Cure for America's Societal Problems | Tim Urban

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Education, Business

4.62.7K Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2023

⏱️ 54 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of the James Altucher Show, James sits down with Tim Urban, author of the popular blog "Wait But Why" to discuss his latest book What's Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for Societies.Tim Urban is known for his ability to explain complex topics in a relatable way, and this interview is no exception. James and Tim explore a variety of societal issues, including the increasing polarization of American society in the past decade. They delve into the reasons behind this polarization, including the concept of societal echo chambers versus idea labs.One of the key insights that Tim shares from his book is that there are two games being played in the socio-political world. The first game, which Tim calls "Political Disney World", is the game that both the left and the right are playing with each other. In this game, each side views themselves as heroes and the opposition as villains, with no middle ground. The second game, which is the unspoken nuance that many individuals silently agree with but are scared to voice their opinions for fear of being expelled from their spoken tribe, is what Tim calls "Game 2".Tim emphasizes the need for players of "Game 2" on both sides of the political spectrum to push back against "Game 1" because the current state of affairs is actually harmful to effectively promoting the ideals of either in the present.James and Tim also touch upon the concept of an idea spectrum, which gravitates between thinking like a scientist on one pole, a sports fan in the middle, and a zealot at the other pole. They discuss how individuals can move away from a zealot mindset and towards a more scientific mindset, which involves seeking out new information and being open to changing one's beliefs based on that new information.Throughout the conversation, Tim shares practical solutions for creating a more cohesive and harmonious society, emphasizing the importance of empathy and communication in solving societal issues.Listen on for a fresh perspective on the challenges we face as a society and actionable solutions for creating a better future. Buy What's Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for SocietiesRead Tim's Blog "Wait But Why?"------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book Skip the Line is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe  to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsStitcheriHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on Social Media:YouTubeTwitterFacebook ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0

What is our problem?

0:09.0

What is the problem with society and what can we do about it?

0:12.6

So Tim Urban who writes the huge blog, Wait but Why?

0:17.0

I mean millions of people read his blog every month.

0:19.4

He just wrote a book, What's our problem?

0:21.9

A self-help book for societies.

0:24.0

I happen to agree with him that this is a huge problem in society.

0:28.6

The bifurcation of everybody's either on one team or another.

0:34.8

And everyone just assumes that they're right and the other 150 million people are wrong.

0:41.0

We talk about why this is a problem, the history of it.

0:44.3

And Tim offers an excellent guide on what a solution could be.

0:48.0

But I think it's more not just a self-help book for societies.

0:51.4

It's ideas for how you and I can improve our lives in the way we think about the problems

0:58.4

in our lives as well as society.

1:00.5

I view this as a self-help book for me.

1:02.7

This podcast improved me.

1:05.0

But was super excited to have Tim on.

1:07.2

I've been a fan of his blog for almost 10 years.

1:10.4

Here he is.

1:14.2

This isn't your average business podcast and he's not your average host.

1:19.0

This is the James Altiger show.

1:29.4

Is this your first kid?

...

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