Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais The Psychology of Truth In a World of Lies | Sam Harris
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Mar 25, 2026 
Sam Harris, neuroscientist, philosopher, and author who created the Waking Up app, joins for a wide-ranging conversation. They probe a disciplined form of honesty and how truth builds high-performing cultures. They also tackle tribalism, AI and deepfakes, the value of expertise, critiques of religious dogma, and the inner work of mindfulness that separates pain from suffering.
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Say What Is True And Useful
- Do speak truthfully while still saying what is useful; honesty needn't mean broadcasting every thought.
- Harris recommends editing toward 'true and useful' communication rather than brutal honesty or compulsive disclosure.
Build Honest Team Cultures For Performance
- Do build cultures of honesty in teams to create high-performance environments where people can't hide.
- Michael Gervais notes locker rooms are honest because there's nowhere to hide, while coaching rooms often harbor more deceit.
AI Will Reprice Human Expertise
- As AI improves, many human expert contributions will be devalued because machines can produce higher-quality outputs faster.
- Harris compares the shift to chess where engines surpassed humans and human-plus-computer pairings lost advantage.