Summary
Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker joins Dave Asprey to discuss cognitive biases, rational thinking, and the science of human nature, drawing from his work on language, reason, and progress.
Key Points
- Biohacking for optimization
- Technology and biology combined
- Practical implementation
Key Moments
We think we're smarter, more correct, and nobler than we are
Steven Pinker explains that humans systematically overestimate their intelligence, correctness, and moral virtue. Empowering any human with these innate flaws means things are bound to go wrong because we are not omniscient. Understanding common knowledge is key to understanding seemingly irrational behavior.
"We think we're smarter than we are, we think we're more correct than we are, we think we're nobler than we are, all of us."
Cognitive psychology and understanding what makes us tick
Pinker describes his path to cognitive psychology through teenage fascination with human nature, asking fundamental questions: Are we inherently generous or selfish? Violent or peaceful? Evolved traits or societal artifacts? His entire body of work on language, violence, and progress stems from understanding what makes us tick.
"And all of my other interests in language, in violence, in progress are really downstream in my interest in what makes us tick. When I was graduating from my undergrad with a degree in computer information systems with a concentration in AI many years ago, I learned that my school had a cognitive science department. And I was so mad that I'd never heard of cognitive science because I would have."
