I have some thoughts on Sam, but more importantly, thoughts on millions just like him who have drastically changed over the past few years.
There are two factors involved that explain Sam’s, and so many other’s, behavior. The first is his outdated mental map of the world, and his reluctance to update. The second is his high level of certainty that he is right.
Many, including Sam, are trying to navigate life with outdated mental maps of the world.
Not only are their maps out of date, they’re also being fed mirage after mirage by the media and social media platforms, which leads them astray and clouds their vision.
What ends up happening is they attempt to “bend” their current map to match what is being fed to them.
In the book Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales says trying to bend your mental map is like trying to add a curve to a sheet of glass.
This means mental maps can only be fully functional if they are rigid and completely matched with reality.
They cannot be bent, so they must be updated.
How does one do that?
Just as a doctor monitors their patients’ vital signs to observe changes in health, you are monitoring your environment through all five senses on top of cognitive and emotional shifts.
It’s a symbiotic relationship between the environment and your brain. As the vital signs of the environment change, so does your brain; act on your present observations to adapt.
What’s required to adapt? Curiosity.
The source of nearly all our troubles comes from looking at the world with certainty instead of curiosity. Curiosity curates what certainty detonates. It’s a practice, a habit, a way of seeing the world. It presents opportunities to update your mental map, where others see dead-ends.
A narrative convinces someone they’re an expert, whereas curiosity forces you to acknowledge reality.
Adios, Twitter
After listening to Sam’s recent podcast explaining his Twitter exit, he appears to be performing some sort of introspection. But, if he truly were, I’m not convinced he’d have landed where he currently stands. I’m surprised by his statements regarding the lack of utility that can be found in independent journalists, scientists - anyone not functioning within an institution. I’m not totally surprised, I suppose, as he’s been consistent in his wishful thinking that institutions will get us out of the mess we are in. This is one of the many areas on his map that need updating. When he looks down at his map, he see’s functioning buildings housing academia and journalism. Yet, the environment we experience and rub noses with paints a very different picture.
Sam is caught in a tough mental spot. He’s quite certain of his views because he clearly dedicates extensive thought to them. So certain that he feels compelled to call sane people crazy and even acknowledge the necessity of updating mental models as the landscape changes. Yet, despite my own due diligence in my observations of Sam, he appears to have stopped updating his map (mental model) in many ways.
I say he’s in a tough mental spot because I think he is able to hear the criticism being lobbed at him from every angle and all the while check his map and perceive he’s still on the right track. There’s a lot at stake for someone who has been so vocal with such a high degree of certainty in what he’s been saying.
So, what’s happening?
I’m venturing to guess the combination of his level of certainty in his views, the duration of time he’s held those views, and the amount of pushback he’s received has resulted in a map loaded with mirages.
It appears in his mind, he’s performing updates to his mental map, but mirages prevent him from truly seeing the newest version. Is it Trump? I think it’s too simplistic to blame this on a case of TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) although it has undoubtedly contributed. Could he simply be quadrupling down to save face? Perhaps. He’s lambasted enough people to warrant feelings of deep regret and shame. It’s not easy to swallow a humility pill that gets bigger with time, especially with millions of eyes and ears watching, judging your every move.
It’s worth pointing out the man Sam has swatted at with not the least bit of soliloquy, Bret Weinstein, has on more than one occasion extended a hand to Sam. He’s provided him a big ol’ glass to wash down the huge humility pill. On a recent DarkHorse podcast, Bret strongly urged Sam to return to Twitter, citing his importance to the necessary discourse to get us through such a confusing and tumultuous time period.
What we are seeing in Sam isn’t reserved for one man. This can be applied to millions of others - high degrees of certainty while operating off an outdated mental map. They’re following a mirage, certain the oasis is just over the next hill as they wander through the center of the Sahara.
What will being them back? What will encourage an update that drives out delusion and egoic certainty? Shouting at them on Twitter won’t do, that’s been tried a time or two. Presenting more data doesn’t seem to do the trick, either.
All that to say, I’m afraid some lessons, if learned at all, can only be learned the hard way. Many of us have already been pushed down the path of social exile, in one form or another, and don’t wish that upon any other fellow human.
I don’t want Sam in social exile. I want him and everyone else in the conversation. We need the collective to collect. We need to humbly engage in discourse to push humanity in the right direction, which needless to say is the opposite of which we are currently headed.
To turn about-face and go the right way, we cannot call for the heads of those who lost their way.
We can only hold up a flame as we march on, so for those who finally take a look back, away from the mirage, and see the fire of forging humanity burning in the night, they will find their way back no matter the depth of the mirages they’ve delved into.