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Dwarkesh PodcastAug 31, 2020

Robin Hanson - The Long View

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for Robin Hanson - The Long View on Dwarkesh Podcast.

Guest: Robin Hanson

Notable books mentioned: The Elephant in the Brain, The Meditation Handbook

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The Elephant in the Brain cover
Mentioned at 24:55
The Elephant in the Brain

The host introduces The Elephant in the Brain to explain the idea that people have hidden or distal motives that differ from their stated motives a…

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The Meditation Handbook cover
Mentioned at 25:29
The Meditation Handbook

The host mentions The Meditation Handbook while critiquing books that claim to reveal personal truths without giving concrete examples. They say th…

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Robin Hanson - The Long View
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Episode summary, books & quotes

Robin Hanson - The Long View mentions The Elephant in the Brain and The Meditation Handbook with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

The Elephant in the BrainThe Meditation Handbook
Guest: Robin Hanson
Episode summary
Robin Hanson is a professor of economics at George Mason University. He is the author of The Elephant in the Brain and The Age of Em. Robin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinhanson Robin's blog: https://www.overcomingbias.com/ Robin's website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~rhanson/home.html My blog: https://dwarkeshpatel.com/ My Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwarkesh_sp 00:05 The long view 15:07 Subconscious vs conscious intelligence 20:28 Meditators 26:50 Signaling, norms, and motives 36:50 Conversation 42:54 2020 election nominees 49:25 Nerds in startups and social science 54:50 Academia and Robin 58:20 Dominance explains paternalism 1:09:32 Remote work 1:21:26 Advice for 20 yr old 1:28:05 Idea futures 1:32:13 Reforming institutions Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkesh.com/subscribe
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Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for Robin Hanson - The Long View on Dwarkesh Podcast.

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  • The conversation centers on hidden motives.
  • A second recurring theme is self-deception motives.
  • Referenced books include The Elephant in the Brain and The Meditation Handbook.
  • The strongest audience signal points to Listeners interested in behavioral science, psychology, and social motives—especially those curious about unconscious drivers of behavior and how people rationalize actions. and Readers seeking practical, example-driven guidance on uncovering hidden motives and self-deception through meditation.
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The Elephant in the Brain and The Meditation Handbook are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Top triggers
hidden motives(1)self-deception motives(1)
Mention sentiment
Critical Analysis(1)Deep Dive(1)
Audience signals
Listeners interested in behavioral science, psychology, and social motives—especially those curious about unconscious drivers of behavior and how people rationalize actions.Readers seeking practical, example-driven guidance on uncovering hidden motives and self-deception through meditation

Books Mentioned

The Elephant in the Brain cover
The Elephant in the Brain
Best for Listeners interested in behavioral science, psychology, and social motives—especially those curious about unconscious drivers of behavior and how people rationalize actions.Often cited around hidden motives

“Speaker says: 'we wrote this book the elephant in the brain that takes ten areas of life...' (explicit book title mentioned)”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive
For: Listeners interested in behavioral science, psychology, and social motives—especially those curious about unconscious drivers of behavior and how people rationalize actions.
Key quote: “so you you split uh um so you you split uh um so you you split uh you explained there that we have hidden you explained there that we have hidden you explained there that we have hidden motives where we actually want one thing motives where we actually want one thing motives where we actually want one thing but we pretend we want something else but we pretend we want something else but we pretend we want something else”
The host introduces The Elephant in the Brain to explain the idea that people have hidden or distal motives that differ from their stated motives and that much of behavior is driven by these implicit goals. They use the book to distinguish between proximate (explicit) and distal (implicit) causes of choices and to argue that understanding both levels clarifies why people justify actions publicly while pursuing different private aims.
ASIN: B07H8K4G9G
Buy on Amazon
The Meditation Handbook cover
The Meditation Handbook
Best for Readers seeking practical, example-driven guidance on uncovering hidden motives and self-deception through meditationOften cited around self-deception motives

“Speaker refers to 'the meditation handbook that gives me those long lists of a's and b's' (explicit book-like title mentioned)”

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Sentiment: Critical Analysis
For: Readers seeking practical, example-driven guidance on uncovering hidden motives and self-deception through meditation
Key quote: “the meditation handbook that gives me those long lists of a's and b's and i would then say yep those people seem to get self-deception and hidden motives”
The host mentions The Meditation Handbook while critiquing books that claim to reveal personal truths without giving concrete examples. They say they would be impressed by a meditation book that lists specific mistaken motives (A vs B) and shows how meditation addresses them, rather than offering only vague claims of having 'seen the truth.'
ASIN: 0948006129
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