Key Moments
Global Meet-Up #8 (Hong Kong): The Occult of the Meritocracy
Predictive HistoryKey Moments
The meritocracy, designed to create a 'heaven on earth' through reason, is failing, leading to anti-intellectualism and the destruction of childhood, prompting a shift towards AI for societal control.
Key Insights
The meritocracy, which claims fairness, actually discriminates in favor of high IQ and good memory, discarding students with different characteristics, according to Professor Jiang.
Elite universities, once bastions of intellectualism, are becoming anti-intellectual, prioritizing pathways to success (law, medicine, Wall Street) over curiosity and open debate.
The SAT, originally intended to find the 'best and brightest,' is a key mechanism of the meritocracy, pioneered by figures linked to Freemasonry and the cabalistic idea of creating a 'temple' through reason.
The concept of IQ is unscientific, originating from a French psychologist's concern about social inequality, and was later weaponized in the US to standardize academic performance and pervasively spread reason.
The current meritocracy model is failing for children, leading to a 'death of childhood' due to intense pressure from an early age, and a shift is occurring towards AI and digital control systems.
A proposed alternative to the meritocracy centers on nature, the occult, and great books, aiming to foster a child's purpose and the parent-child bond, rather than conformity and material success.
The disillusionment with the meritocracy's promise of fairness
Professor Jiang begins by sharing his personal journey, highlighting his own success within the meritocratic system, which he acknowledges changed his life. However, he expresses deep reservations about the meritocracy's current state and its impact. He argues that the meritocracy, despite its appearance of fairness, actively discriminates against individuals based on metrics like IQ and memory, neglecting other crucial human qualities such as passion, curiosity, and emotional intelligence. This overemphasis on standardized testing, like the SAT, leads to a system that is fundamentally unfair and exclusionary, failing to recognize or nurture diverse talents and interests, which he believes is a significant departure from its original intent.
The anti-intellectual turn of elite education
A core critique leveled against the meritocracy is its perceived anti-intellectual nature. Jiang contends that universities, particularly elite institutions like Yale and Harvard, have abandoned their role in fostering genuine intellectual habits. Instead of encouraging curiosity, speculation, and open debate, these institutions have become pipelines to conventional success, narrowly defined by careers in law, medicine, or finance. This pursuit of success stifles the capacity for failure and deep learning, creating graduates who are often unwilling to engage with new ideas or challenge existing paradigms. The speaker laments the decline of public intellectuals, suggesting that elite education's narrow focus contributes to this void, producing more financiers than thinkers.
The occult and esoteric roots of the meritocracy
Jiang proposes a more controversial explanation for the rise of the meritocracy: its occult and esoteric origins, particularly influenced by Freemasonry and Kabbalistic ideas. He traces this back to a shift from medieval eschatology, which focused on divine punishment and penance, to a modern understanding where individuals could 'become God' and create 'paradise on earth.' This shift was facilitated by groups like the Freemasons, who sought to promote reason and individualism. The SAT, developed by figures connected to these circles, became a tool to identify individuals possessing 'reason,' equated with a high IQ, to build a 'temple' of perfectibility. The idea was that by filtering individuals through reason and IQ, society could be perfected, creating a rational and ordered world.
The corruption of IQ and the rise of AI control
The speaker delves into the unscientific nature of IQ, highlighting its arbitrary creation and subsequent adoption as a standard. He argues that while the original conception of the meritocracy aimed to use IQ and standardized tests to spread reason and perfect society, its practical application has led to increased divisiveness and inequality. Furthermore, he suggests that the perceived failure of the meritocracy is not seen by its proponents as a flaw in the concept itself, but rather as a result of external factors like family and culture corrupting the experiment. This leads to a shift in strategy, moving from educational meritocracy to artificial intelligence, aiming to control and 'rationalize' individuals through AI systems, thus continuing the pursuit of a 'holy empire of reason' through technological means.
The detrimental impact on childhood and human potential
The lecture pivots to the severe negative consequences of the meritocracy on children. Jiang critiques three core beliefs driving modern parenting and education: children as blank slates, children as 'mini-mes' of their parents, and the emphasis on critical thinking and creativity as a means to outperform AI. He argues these beliefs are counterproductive, leading to unhappy children. The current educational system, focused on reduction and categorization, fails to foster true creativity, which he defines as a 'leap of imagination' or 'channeling.' Children are not blank slates but possess an innate connection to the divine, and their purpose should be central to their upbringing and education, not the pursuit of external validation or narrow definitions of success.
An alternative vision: focusing on purpose and love
As an alternative, Jiang proposes a system that places the child's purpose and the parent-child bond at its center. He emphasizes that children come with their own destinies and that parents are uniquely equipped to guide them. This vision entails a radical shift away from the state-controlled, standardized system towards one that values individual uniqueness. The proposed framework for a new school includes three fundamental pillars: nature, the occult, and the great books. These elements, combined with a focus on nurturing the love between parent and child and helping each child discover their individual purpose, aim to cultivate a new generation of intellectual artists and thinkers capable of leading humanity forward.
The future of society: collapse and reconstruction
Jiang predicts the collapse of the current mass industrial society, driven by forces like nationalism, religion, and AI, which are disrupting global financial capital. He foresees a fragmented future with diverse systems, including AI-controlled states, corporate states, and potentially resurgent religious cults. In this chaotic transition, he believes that communities focused on fostering the parent-child bond and individual purpose will be more resilient. The core principle for this reconstruction is valuing and celebrating diversity and individuality, rather than conformity. He draws a parallel to Jewish communities, highlighting their investment in each member's success as a model for future societal structures that prioritize human potential over exploitation.
The nature of happiness and spiritual resilience
In discussing happiness, Jiang posits that it stems from the harmonization of one's body, soul, and spirit, aligning actions with one's true self and purpose. He suggests that unhappiness and illness arise from betraying one's inner calling. Resilience against adversity, particularly against 'evil' forces, is cultivated through faith in a loving and forgiving God, enabling self-forgiveness and freeing individuals from shame and guilt. This belief system encourages risk-taking and growth, contrasting with the fear-driven mindset that arises from a lack of faith. He concludes that the elite's pursuit of power through struggle, as exemplified by figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, is a flawed Faustian conception that will eventually break down, paving the way for leaders with imagination and empathy.
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Common Questions
The speaker argues that meritocracy is unfair because it discriminates based on IQ, is anti-intellectual by stifling curiosity and debate in elite universities, and leads to 'involution' by destroying childhood and mental health due to intense competition for elite schools.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
The current location of the meetup, described as a diverse community with much enthusiasm and energy. Later described as a safe, compliant, and well-organized place compared to New York City.
Described as insular in global crises, opting to turtle up. Controls the Tibetan plateau, which is a major water source for Southeast Asia. The speaker recounts his challenging teaching experience there, where he was discriminated against as an Asian teacher.
Speaker and his son flew from Toronto, speaker's childhood home, and later mentioned as a potential future city-state.
Mentioned as a destination for many graduates of elite universities, indicating a narrow definition of success.
The speaker spent three months on an 'end of the world tour' meeting viewers in various cities.
A city in North America visited during the speaker's tour.
Anticipated to face mass famine in a few months.
A city in North America visited during the speaker's tour. Later compared to Hong Kong regarding safety and compliance, and mentioned as a potential future city-state.
Mentioned in the context of a heating up war, disrupting global supply chains, and as an example of a conflict that can only be explained through messianic eschatology.
Experiencing anti-incumbent right-wing revolutions.
A city in North America visited during the speaker's tour.
The war in Ukraine is escalating.
Cited as an example of a Nordic country with a better education system focused on vocational training.
Mentioned as an existing city-state that could be a model for future autonomous regions.
A city in North America visited during the speaker's tour.
Experiencing riots, protests, and revolts.
A city in North America visited during the speaker's tour.
A poor fishing village where the speaker was born in 1976, at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution.
The source of fresh water for most of Southeast Asia, controlled by China, posing a geopolitical vulnerability for the region.
Praised for spending most resources on vocational colleges and training for trades like plumbers and electricians, better accommodating the majority of students.
Its historical education system with Ivy League, research, and A&M schools is praised. Later, it's described as founded by pilgrims and Freemasons seeking to build a 'new Jerusalem' based on eschatology.
Standardized tests criticized for discriminating in favor of high IQ, and for being central to the meritocracy's exclusionary design.
A digital currency service mentioned as an example of how corporations are issuing tokens.
A standardized test created by ETS.
A standardized test created by ETS.
Believed by the powerful elite to be the new tactic to make everyone 'reasonable' after the failure of meritocracy. Later, the speaker explains that AI is not conscious, but a recursive statistical loop used for digital currency, digital ID, and tracking.
A standardized test created by ETS.
A great author whose works every child should read, described as a spiritual portal into divine consciousness. Wrote Paradise Lost, reinterpreting Satan as a liberator.
Promotes the concept of the 'network state,' a society run by a corporation, which is one of the new models emerging after system collapse.
Cited as an example of an irresponsible parent who got high on cocaine, leading to state intervention and the removal of her child.
Mentioned as someone with a 'reality distortion projector,' capable of imposing his reality onto others.
Tasked by James Conant to create the SAT, later became the first president of ETS (Educational Testing Service).
A great author whose works every child should read, described as a spiritual portal into divine consciousness.
Mentioned as someone to believe in for self-forgiveness.
Predicted to lose to Flavio Bolsonaro.
The speaker talked with him for three hours to hear his perspective, demonstrating his willingness to engage with controversial figures.
A French psychologist who created the concept of IQ to address social inequality.
A great scientist who, according to the speaker, believed in channeling divine knowledge rather than strictly following the scientific method.
A comedian whose podcast the speaker appeared on to broaden his perspective.
Mentioned as a philosopher whose works most people don't want to read in school.
A journalist and author, former colleague of the speaker in Beijing, whose book Rivertown became an instant bestseller.
Mentioned as an example of a charismatic individual with a 'reality distortion field,' believing in a Faustian struggle. The speaker made predictions about his presidency and a possible third term, which he uses as a 'litmus test' for his own model's validity. Not seen as a happy person.
His death in 1976 marked the end of the Cultural Revolution.
A great scientist who, according to the speaker, believed in channeling divine knowledge rather than strictly following the scientific method.
A great scientist who, according to the speaker, believed in channeling divine knowledge rather than strictly following the scientific method.
A comedian whose podcast the speaker appeared on to broaden his perspective.
Mentioned as an author whose works most people don't want to read in school. The Divine Comedy is later highlighted as a great book and a 'spiritual portal into the divine consciousness' and Dante is cited as a 'prophet' and 'revolutionary' who democratized knowledge.
President of Harvard in the 1930s, who pioneered the SAT to find the best and brightest students for a scholarship program. Suspected to be a Freemason.
Famous actor quoted as saying 'fame freezes you in time'.
Mentioned as an example of a powerful individual with a 'reality distortion field,' believing in a Faustian struggle, and not seen as a happy person despite his achievements.
One of Elon Musk's achievements, cited by the speaker as an example of how the elite believe they are contributing to humanity's development.
Mentioned as promoting a new AI service called Muse.
A personal AI service promoted by Facebook, envisioned by the elite to guide individuals to be 'good' and 'reasonable' from birth.
One of Elon Musk's achievements, cited by the speaker as an example of how the elite believe they are contributing to humanity's development.
Corporation that can issue tokens and is shifting power away from banks in the context of digital currency.
Corporation that can issue tokens and is shifting power away from banks in the context of digital currency.
Students in China were drawn into its cosmos, demonstrating that great books resonate universally. Dante wrote it in vernacular to spread truth to everyone.
Goethe's epic poem, described as influential among the elite, illustrating the Faustian concept of unending struggle to avoid the devil claiming one's soul.
Peter Hessler's book that became an instant bestseller, making him famous.
A great book that every child should read, described as a spiritual portal into divine consciousness. Also used by Cabalists to explain cosmic significance and by Jewish people to illustrate that the path to goodness can be through evil.
Students in China identified with Achilles when reading it, demonstrating that great books resonate universally.
The speaker believes its entire focus is on how family is the purpose of life.
Cited as a historical 'research university' where smart people went to become professors and scientists, doing great work.
The speaker received a full scholarship to study here, which changed his life. He now critiques it as part of the failing meritocracy, and would not want his children to attend.
A private company specializing in standardized testing, responsible for TOEFL, GRE, SAT, and MCATs. Its first president was Henry Chauncey.
A publication for which Peter Hessler started writing after the success of his book.
Mentioned as an elite university that historically protected great books, but is no longer doing so.
Cited as a historical 'research university' where smart people went to become professors and scientists, doing great work.
Mentioned as an elite university that historically protected great books, but is no longer doing so.
Mentioned as an elite university that is part of the meritocracy system, which the speaker criticizes. Historically, its president James B. Conant pioneered the SAT.
Students there reportedly skip class, smoke cannabis, and play video games, suggesting burnout from 'helicopter parenting' and pressure.
Described as powerful people in the United States who believe they can bring about 'heaven on earth' through reason and the meritocracy. Later, the speaker identifies Freemasonry as 'the religion of capitalism' that created science and the meritocracy.
An eschatological concept deriving from gnostic or hermetic philosophy applied to the Bible, forming the basis for the Freemasons' belief system.
Philosophy that the Cabala applies to the Bible, based on the idea that 'we are all consciousness,' inverting the common belief that body gives rise to consciousness.
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