Making Sense with Sam Harris #192 — A Conversation with Paul Bloom
Mar 17, 2020
Paul Bloom, a renowned psychology professor, joins the conversation to dissect the psychological impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. He discusses the troubling analogy between COVID-19 and the flu, and the misinformation that has proliferated during this time. Bloom examines how political biases shape our perceptions and responses to crises, while exploring the economic ramifications of the pandemic and lessons for addressing climate change. The episode also addresses the need for systemic healthcare reforms and the ethical dilemmas in how we respond to crises.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Intergenerational Responsibility
- Even if COVID-19 only mildly affects young people, ignoring its impact on older populations is cruel.
- Acknowledge that older people's lives matter and your actions can affect their health.
Offline Obliviousness
- Sam Harris recounts a friend who was oblivious to the pandemic's severity despite reading the newspaper.
- It took much effort to convince the friend to cancel travel plans.
Paradox of Mitigation
- The "panic is worse than the virus" argument is flawed.
- Effective mitigation, like social distancing, always seems unreasonable at the time it's needed.