The @lexfridman Israel/Hamas debate episode was great. Well worth watching. The only frustration I have is how difficult it is to get people to map out their arguments as it relates to the underlying base assumptions that drive their positions. I get it though. It is very difficult to slow an emotionally charged conversation down so the participants can address the building blocks rather than the window dressing. This is the same thing that happens to couples. They argue about the surface stuff - what’s the definition of a given word - versus the underlying conflicting beliefs or values. If you don’t debate the building blocks of someone’s world view you will waste time yelling about the downstream effects and make no progress. This debate seemed to hinge on opposing views on whether a Jewish state should exist at all. One side believes yes, the other believes no. What I would like to have seen was less name calling and more time spent on the philosophical underpinnings that lead each side to believe what they believe. It might have been less entertaining, as drama is very attractive, but it’s the only way to make progress. Debating facts and figures will never lead to progress if people have opposing world views that cause them to see different things in the same facts and figures. youtu.be/1X_KdkoGxSs?si…
@TomBilyeu @lexfridman Very frustrating… I don’t envy your position of having to listen to two opposing worldviews without seeing progress in at least understanding one another’s viewpoints at a basic level. I have listened to things like this live, and it’s painful for me.
@TomBilyeu @lexfridman I am three hours into it. I only wish that he chose someone other than Destiny.
@TomBilyeu @lexfridman Perfect! This is our problem when "intellectuals" talk generally....it's bullet points and digs mostly. Love that you wanna get to the roots...lets do it! What metaphysical belief allows one to wish death upon another at a global scale, Materialism or Idealism?
@TomBilyeu @lexfridman I imagine conversations with AI will likely be very helpful in this regard. Imagine if as part of a debate "protocol", the individuals involved spent 20 minutes off-loading their thoughts/feelings into an AI first... 1. then, had the AI summarize into bullet points...
I totally agree. I love that Lex is willing to host these conversations and I hope he continues to do so! However, I was a bit disappointed in this particular conversation because, as you say, they never really got into the depths of the conversation. I’m not sure I actually learned anything new about the conflict…
@TomBilyeu @lexfridman I don’t think it was moreso they believed a Jewish state should exist and moreso the foundation of the Jewish state. The Arabs believed this to be a European problem that was dumped on them which in a way it was. But I agree with you on a majority of this
@TomBilyeu @lexfridman You said it. The a priori is that some believe Israel should exist and some should not. Everyone proceeds from some level on the hierarchy of abstraction, and prioritizes that, but it is ultimately an act of “faith.” Some say history takes precedence, some metaphysics.