“What's Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for Societies”
By Tim Urban, FAIR Advisor
“From the creator of the wildly popular blog Wait but Why, a fun and fascinating deep dive into what the hell is going on in our strange, unprecedented modern times… The book provides an entirely new framework and language for thinking and talking about today’s complex world. Instead of focusing on the usual left-center-right horizontal political axis, which is all about what we think, the book introduces a vertical axis that explores how we think, as individuals and as groups. Listeners will find themselves on a delightful and fascinating journey that will ultimately change the way they see the world around them.”
“Hi, I’m Tim. I write the blog Wait But Why, where I write about all kinds of things. But in the middle of 2016, I started thinking about a new topic: why my society sucked. As technology soared ahead, it seemed like we were going backwards in wisdom. Tribalism was flaring up everywhere, mass shaming campaigns were roaring back into fashion, politicians were increasingly clown-like, public discourse had become a battle of one-dimensional narratives. I decided to write about it, which plunged me into a rabbit hole like no other. Six years later, I emerged with this book. The book introduces a new framework for thinking about our complex political environment. With dozens of new terms and concepts and 303 drawings, it’s a toolbox for understanding our societies, our group dynamics, and our own minds.”
Related:
Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps and Tim Urban. Tim Urban’s first appearance on this show remains one of the all-time favourites. Now, this explosive thinker of cosmic, civilisation-level thoughts returns with a book: “What's Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for Societies”. He and Josh wrestle with what’s going wrong. Why is everything a mess? Why is everyone acting like a baby? When did things get so tribal? Why do humans do this stuff?
