Great post. I simply can't listen to his podcast anymore, especially the political ones - no matter how compelling the guest is (e.g. Mearsheimer) as an analyst. The guest will make some interesting, well informed point, and then Fridman will cut in with some recycled platitude like "but how do we increase the amount of love in the world?" and it's all I can do not to just blow my fucking brains out when this animatronic doll goes on talking like that. I can only assume he's some kind of nth dimensional psyop but lord knows for who exactly.
On the contrary, it's "anything's ok" positivity that led people to not read.
People could use more shaming for not reading, and proportionally, someone like Lex Fridman should have more shaming for not having read the basics expected from a man in his position and educational background.
> Witness Tyler Cowen, who, in his own 2023 reading list, includes “Many books in Indian history, for the 1600-1800 period,” “Twentieth century Polish poetry,” and Goethe in the original German. Cowen is “reading in projects,” as they say, using his love of the written word to propel his own understanding in realms he’s curious about.
Cowen's list is, if anything, more embarassing.
Fridman's is the list of an elite-yet-rube catching up with vanilla basics any random intellectually active young person would have already read by his 20th birthday in 1970.
Cowen's is the kind of trite "reading in projects" that leads to crude half-arsed understanding of the world of the kind that's par for the course in modern American academic "intellectuals" and people like Gladwell. Plus a totally transparent childish desire to impress other uncultured fellows. "Goethe in the original German" is as impressive in intellectual terms as a sixteen year old who can play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the piano would be among child prodigies. Someone like George Steiner could do that with his eyes closed.
I agree with almost every word you wrote! I also think that people should be encouraged read whatever gets them excited and engages their mind, because reading books is one of the few good things left in our world! There's always room to branch out to different kinds of books, but not if you don't start reading something!
Good stuff here as usual. The other take I have seen from readers and writers is that having a very set out schedule for reading (reading a book a week, purposely reading books under 200 pages to read a certain amount each year) is just a weird way to consume and interact with art. I honestly think most people are overthinking these things. I suppose it can be helpful to set a certain goal for oneself if they are just getting back into reading because it can be motivating. People should honestly just read more and read widely.
Lmao brilliant 😭
Great post. I simply can't listen to his podcast anymore, especially the political ones - no matter how compelling the guest is (e.g. Mearsheimer) as an analyst. The guest will make some interesting, well informed point, and then Fridman will cut in with some recycled platitude like "but how do we increase the amount of love in the world?" and it's all I can do not to just blow my fucking brains out when this animatronic doll goes on talking like that. I can only assume he's some kind of nth dimensional psyop but lord knows for who exactly.
Most of the world is becoming functionally illiterate and people are savaging a guy sharing his love of books.
Negativity is the real pandemic.
On the contrary, it's "anything's ok" positivity that led people to not read.
People could use more shaming for not reading, and proportionally, someone like Lex Fridman should have more shaming for not having read the basics expected from a man in his position and educational background.
Ik right. Criticize him, but don’t look down on him for having a naive point of view on books.
> Witness Tyler Cowen, who, in his own 2023 reading list, includes “Many books in Indian history, for the 1600-1800 period,” “Twentieth century Polish poetry,” and Goethe in the original German. Cowen is “reading in projects,” as they say, using his love of the written word to propel his own understanding in realms he’s curious about.
Cowen's list is, if anything, more embarassing.
Fridman's is the list of an elite-yet-rube catching up with vanilla basics any random intellectually active young person would have already read by his 20th birthday in 1970.
Cowen's is the kind of trite "reading in projects" that leads to crude half-arsed understanding of the world of the kind that's par for the course in modern American academic "intellectuals" and people like Gladwell. Plus a totally transparent childish desire to impress other uncultured fellows. "Goethe in the original German" is as impressive in intellectual terms as a sixteen year old who can play Mary Had a Little Lamb on the piano would be among child prodigies. Someone like George Steiner could do that with his eyes closed.
I agree with almost every word you wrote! I also think that people should be encouraged read whatever gets them excited and engages their mind, because reading books is one of the few good things left in our world! There's always room to branch out to different kinds of books, but not if you don't start reading something!
I also forget to say I appreciated Jennifer Frey's take on all this.
Good stuff here as usual. The other take I have seen from readers and writers is that having a very set out schedule for reading (reading a book a week, purposely reading books under 200 pages to read a certain amount each year) is just a weird way to consume and interact with art. I honestly think most people are overthinking these things. I suppose it can be helpful to set a certain goal for oneself if they are just getting back into reading because it can be motivating. People should honestly just read more and read widely.