Thread by @ncasenmare

A new book by @waitbutwhy, 6 years in the making, is out tomorrow (Feb 21)! It's on political polarization:

😱 waitbutwhy.com 😱

I already knew lots on this topic, yet Tim's book *still* gave me fresh angles & insights.

Sharing some highlights in this thread!

🧵1/9

First, why care about polarization?

Well, no matter what big problem you care about — bioweapons, World War 3, environmental damage, AI — we can't fix it if our ability to collectively think & act is wrecked.

Thus: polarization is *the* meta-problem.

🧵2/9

The most fruitful insight from Tim's book:

We should see political questions not as 1D (left-right, pro-anti), but at *least* 2D:

The old axis is *what* we think.

The new axis is *how* we think.

🧵3/9

Low-Rung: think like we're fighting

(ideas are "attacked, defended". don't "give ammo to other side", "infighting" is bad...)

High-Rung: think like we're building

(ideas have "foundations, pillars, steps". it's *good* to critique own team, try outsider alternatives...)

🧵4/9

You may think, that's just @GeorgeLakoff's Metaphors, or @juliagalef's Scout/Soldier Mindset.

Well, yeah.

To paraphrase André Gide: "Everything wise was said before... but folks weren't listening, so say it again, in a new way."

For me, Tim's new book's new way *works*.

🧵5/9

Unlike most anti-polarization essays, Tim makes VERY clear that "high-rung" DOES NOT MEAN "CENTRIST".

There *are* low-rung moderates, and there *are* high-rung radicals.

High-rung thinking, like true science, is a *process*, not Thou Shalt Believe X.

🧵6/9

For years, I wanted to call out the toxicity "on my side", but felt "that's infighting, still Us vs Them", etc

But the book showed me: boundaries are *healthy*. We *need* lines of what's role-model-worthy & not.

But: the line ought not be WHAT we think, but HOW we think.

🧵7/9

The book closes with this humbling, scary loop:

Bad times → Wise folks → Good times → Fools → Bad times

I hope we find a solution out of this cycle. Failing that, I hope we can minimize the depth of the bad times, & get to wisdom soon.

I hope Tim's book helps.

🧵8/9

I read the pre-release copy of "What's Our Problem" in one 6-hour sitting. (Screenshots shared with permission) It's *that* funny & insightful.

Again, it launches tomorrow, Feb 21 Tuesday: waitbutwhy.com/?v=2

Thanks again, @waitbutwhy!

🧵END

p.s: more pix