What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies

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Now let’s have a look at the political left. It’s hard to argue with the basics of the liberal social justice movement – striving to right the wrongs of an unequal system has to be a good thing. The problem comes with what Urban calls Social Justice Fundamentalists. These thinkers see society as run by a fundamental social force – patriarchy or heteronormativity, for example – that’s as present and undeniable as gravity. A Social Justice Fundamentalist wouldn’t ask, Did racism happen here? They’d ask the loaded question, How did racism happen here? When you’re on the top rung, your higher mind is in complete control. Here, you logically observe evidence and reach conclusions with a clear desire to find the truth –no matter what it is. Let’s call this “thinking like a scientist.” The central piece to being a scientist is being open to experimenting and changing beliefs, not identifying strictly with your own.

We need to change the way we think. We live in a world unsuited to the methods and motivations of the primitive part of our minds, but too many people are letting that part of their brain control their beliefs and actions. This has resulted in extreme tribalism, particularly in US politics, which is delaying, stopping, or reversing any positive progress in society.I wrestled internally with how to rate this book. What wins me over is that the book calls itself out on the things about the book that piss me off, which I appreciate. It makes it feel more like a conversation than a presentation, which is nice. Courage level 3: Go public … Class. Work. Church. Book clubs. Dinner parties. This isn’t an encouragement to become the insufferable person who always brings up politics. But if you’re in a setting where a conversation is happening and your Inner Self is screaming ‘I disagree!’—start saying, ‘I disagree.’ I can almost guarantee that at least some other people in the room will secretly be harboring the same thoughts, and they’ll respect the shit out of you for saying it out loud. You could go even bigger. Start a blog. Start a podcast. Write a book. Tweet a tweet. Spend six years writing a 120,000-word ebook/audiobook. If you already have a platform, start laying your Inner Self on it.”

Altogether, the media and social media perpetuate the narrative of Republicans vs. Democrats, right vs. left, Us vs. Them, and exacerbate the polarization. The massive technological rise has added fuel to this fire through the ease at which we can now find and consume media. When news is designed to entertain a specific group or push a political agenda, it’s easy for people to tune into the relevant media outlet for their echo chamber. Courage level 1: Stop saying stuff you don’t believe … Saying things you don’t believe because others want you to is disrespecting your Inner Self. And your Inner Self deserves better.” Have you ever seen a moth flying uselessly into a light? Stupid moth, right? Well, what’s causing the moth to do that is its primitive instincts – an urge to fly toward the light of the moon. Unfortunately for the moth, its instincts haven’t caught up with changes in the world – the relatively recent introduction of many nonmoon lights.But there are clear observables that could be used as the basis for social norms re "high" vs "low" thinking. Conduct of debate! It is NOT a perfect book: e.g., the left vs right model (progressive vs conservative) is obviously too simplified, and the general perspective is too much focused on US. BUT, it doesn't invalidat Now, this can be a touchy subject, so Urban asks that you approach it with an open mind. In the interest of upsetting everyone equally, let’s look at modern lower-rung thinking from both sides of the political spectrum.