Daniel Schmachtenberger, the co-founder of is back on the show to explain what the generator functions of existential risk are and how to solve them in order to design a viable civilization. You're in for a treat, listen up:
Conversation
1/ Very nice and intuitive expression of complex ideas. One nitpick was his statement that he is against discussion of changing structural incentives. Seems like falling into the 'liberal innocent' trap that talks about...
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2/I get that a problem with 'top-down' policy solutions that try to change incentives are problematic because it is manipulative and reality is too complex. But don't pretend that trying to change peoples intrinsic motivation for better emergent properties isn't also manipulative
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This is such an essential point.
Especially considering turning that particular lever is such a basic indoctrination technique, virtually every time mass manipulation takes place in an organization.
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Tried to work at a recruitment agency for a while. Didn't fit in.
Big part of the reason why was the "greed is good", "fuck work/life balance" & "focus on your financial mid-long term" creed didn't rub off. They were *very* keen to have everyone treat these ideas as axioms.
And, funnily enough, looking through my remaining acquaintances from that gig:
- More than half quit or got fired within a few months
- The remainder developed weird cult-like quirks (or had them to begin with)
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