What is Sam Harris's stance on debating election fraud claims?

Harris considers it irresponsible to debate election fraud claims, stating that the core issue was Trump's unwillingness to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, and that continuing to platform such discussions legitimizes baseless conspiracies.

Why does Sam Harris believe COVID- vaccines are safe and effective?

He argues that while no medical intervention is risk-free, the data clearly shows that vaccinated individuals have a significantly reduced risk of severe disease or death compared to unvaccinated individuals, and he criticizes the anti-vaxx movement for amplifying natural concerns.

What is Sam Harris's view on deplatforming figures like Trump and Alex Jones?

Harris supports the right of private platforms like Twitter to remove users who violate terms of service, especially those spreading dangerous misinformation or inciting harm, like Trump and Alex Jones. He distinguishes this from free speech principles.

How does Sam Harris avoid 'audience capture' on his podcast?

He prioritizes speaking what he believes is true and useful, even if it risks offending or alienating parts of his audience. He actively guards against letting audience reactions dictate his content to prevent bias.

What are the biggest threats facing society, according to Sam Harris?

Harris is concerned about our societal response to crises, citing the pandemic as a 'dress rehearsal' for potentially worse events. He highlights the breakdown of trust and coordination problems as critical issues that need addressing proactively.

What is Sam Harris's new initiative involving NFTs?

He is launching an initiative with his app 'Waking Up' that will create NFTs for individuals who take the 'giving what we can' pledge, aiming to incentivize charitable giving and create a community around ethical action.

What are the potential benefits of Sam Harris's NFT project?

The project aims to solve digital ownership and scarcity problems, using NFTs as a way to recognize and potentially reward individuals committed to charitable giving. It could also create secondary markets where a portion of sales benefits effective charities.

Key Moments

On Disappointing My Audience (Episode #272)

Sam Harris

Science & Technology3 min read47 min video

Jan 11, 2022|143,145 views|3,493|6,384

sam harris sam harris podcast waking up podcast waking up waking up with sam harris sam harris waking up waking up sam harris sam harris jordan peterson sam harris joe rogan author neuroscientist philosopher

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Sam Harris defends his podcast's editorial direction, explaining choices on Trump, COVID, and NFTs.

Key Insights

Sam Harris explains his decisions not to host certain "both sides" debates on Trump and COVID, deeming them irresponsible during critical moments.

He argues that the "election fraud" narrative surrounding Trump and the hesitancy towards COVID vaccines are examples of misinformation that shouldn't be platformed uncritically.

Harris defends his stance on deplatforming figures like Trump and Alex Jones, framing it as a private company's right, not a free speech violation.

He introduces a new initiative with NFTs for the 'Waking Up' app, aimed at promoting charitable giving and the 'Giving What We Can' pledge.

The podcast discusses the challenges of "audience capture" in the media landscape, emphasizing the importance of speaking truth over pleasing listeners.

Harris expresses concern about the ongoing threat to democracy from certain political factions and the need to address societal trust issues.

ADDRESSING AUDIENCE DISAPPOINTMENT AND EDITORIAL CHOICES

Sam Harris begins by acknowledging listener feedback indicating disappointment with his podcast's content, specifically regarding topics like Donald Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic. He clarifies that this isn't a contradiction but a recalibration of his approach, asserting his continued faith in conversation. However, he believes certain historical moments, when one side of a debate is clearly illegitimate or improbable, do not benefit from a "both sides" treatment, especially when democracy or public health is at risk.

THE IRRESPONSIBILITY OF PLATFORMING MISINFORMATION

Harris specifically addresses the 2020 election fraud claims and the anti-vaccine movement as examples where platforming certain narratives would be irresponsible. He argues that giving credence to theories about election theft or questioning vaccine efficacy, especially when scientific consensus and court rulings reject them, actively harms public discourse and trust. He views these as instances where the pursuit of truth and public safety outweighs the need for open debate with bad-faith actors.

DEPLATFORMING AND THE RIGHT OF PRIVATE PLATFORMS

The discussion shifts to the controversial topic of deplatforming, with Harris defending his support for removing figures like Donald Trump and Alex Jones from social media. He distinguishes this from a free speech issue, characterizing it as the right of private companies to curate their platforms. He argues that individuals like Trump and Jones have repeatedly violated terms of service through credible threats, harassment, and the spread of dangerous misinformation, making their removal a reasonable action for platforms.

INTRODUCING NFTS FOR CHARITABLE GIVING AND COMMUNITY BUILDING

Harris introduces a new initiative involving NFTs and the 'Waking Up' app, aiming to foster charitable giving. He proposes creating NFTs for users who take the 'Giving What We Can' pledge, committing to donate at least 10% of their earnings. These NFTs could serve as digital art and social signaling, potentially unlocking real-world benefits and incentivizing further donations, with a portion of secondary sales going to effective charities.

COMBATING AUDIENCE CAPTURE AND MAINTAINING INTEGRITY

A significant portion of the podcast is dedicated to the concept of "audience capture," where podcasters may tailor content to please their listeners or financial backers, compromising their integrity. Harris states his commitment is to truth and usefulness, not to avoiding offense. He contrasts his approach with those who might stick to one topic for economic reasons, emphasizing his dedication to speaking his mind, even if it alienates parts of his audience, citing criticism he's received from both the left and the right.

CONCERNS FOR DEMOCRACY AND SOCIETAL TRUST

Harris expresses deep concern about the state of democracy, referencing recent analyses suggesting ongoing threats to electoral integrity following the 2020 election and January 6th. He highlights the need to address societal issues of trust, misinformation, and polarization, viewing the pandemic as a dress rehearsal for future, potentially more severe, crises. He plans to discuss these concerns further with other writers, emphasizing the urgency of proactive measures over reactive emergency responses.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Products

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●Books

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

Sam Harris explains that he has recalibrated his approach to certain topics, such as Trump and COVID-19, deeming it irresponsible to give equal weight to baseless claims or misinformation, which has led to disappointment among some audience members.

Topics

Mindset & Self-Improvement Technology & Innovation Society & Philosophy Public Health Free Speech Effective Altruism Audience Capture Digital Ownership

Mentioned in this video

Books

Mueller Report

Mentioned in the context of past investigations related to Trump and Russian interference, asserting that its findings did not negate the fundamental threat to democracy.

Organizations

MSNBC

Mentioned in the context of media coverage errors regarding the 2020 election aftermath, which the speaker suggests should not distract from core issues.

The Atlantic

A publication featuring articles on the threat to democracy, including those by Barton Gellman and George Packer.

People

Brett Weinstein

Invited to a podcast in the past to debate COVID issues, but the speaker now believes such debates are not currently the right approach.

Mike Pence

His potential action to reject state votes in the 2020 election is discussed as a critical moment where constitutional crisis was averted.

George Packer

Author of an article in The Atlantic questioning the future of democracy, discussed in the context of potential threats.

Steve Bannon

Mentioned as an example of someone the speaker would not invite to debate election fraud claims due to the nature of spurious facts.

Rudy Giuliani

Mentioned as an example of figures associated with election fraud claims that the speaker considers irresponsible to platform.

Ricky Gervais

Mentioned as a collaborator on 'Absolutely Mental,' a show with a third season upcoming.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Mentioned as someone who took the 'giving what we can' pledge and previously discussed effective altruism on the podcast.

Rachel Maddow

Mentioned as an example of media figures whose 'topspin' and errors related to the 2020 election, while criticized, do not negate the core issues.

Alex Jones

Mentioned as an example of someone Sam Harris believes should be deplatformed due to spreading harmful misinformation, specifically regarding Sandy Hook.

Barton Gellman

Author of an article in The Atlantic discussing Trump's potential ongoing coup and the threat to the 2024 election.

Software & Apps

Waking Up

Sam Harris's meditation and mindfulness app, which is planning to launch an initiative involving NFTs and the 'giving what we can' pledge.

finance

Non-Fungible Tokens

The technical term for NFTs, explained as a new technology with the potential to revolutionize digital ownership and scarcity.

Cryptopunks

An NFT collection mentioned alongside Board Apes as examples of popular digital assets.

NFTs

Non-fungible tokens are discussed as a technology that solves digital ownership and scarcity, with potential for ethical applications like the Waking Up pledge initiative.

Media

Absolutely Mental

A show co-created with Ricky Gervais, with a third season forthcoming, mentioned at the end of the podcast.

Blade Runner

A science fiction movie mentioned as an example of future settings in childhood sci-fi.

Concepts

Omicron

Mentioned as a variant of COVID-19 that is perceived as relatively benign, especially for vaccinated and boosted individuals.

'giving what we can' pledge

A pledge to donate at least 10% of lifetime earnings to effective charities, which Waking Up plans to integrate with an NFT initiative.

Companies

Twitter