Nov 3, 2022
Edward Slingerland is a University
Scholar and Professor of Philosophy at the University of British
Columbia. He has authored a number of books, including ‘Trying Not
to Try’ and ‘Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to
Civilization’. He joins the show to discuss the paradox of
effortless action, the history of Chinese philosophy, the benefits
of alcohol, and a whole lot more.
Important Links:
Show
Notes:
- The paradox of trying not to
try
- Western equivalents to
wu-wei
- The difference between wu-wei and
flow
- How to cultivate
wu-wei
- How technology makes it harder to
find wu-wei
- Why were Confucianism and Daoism
so successful?
- Utilitarianism, China and the
panopticon
- The right amount of rationality,
choking
- Shutting down the prefrontal
cortext
- The evolutionary origins of our
love of alcohol
- The power of
psychedelics
- Ecological niches, cooperation,
creativity and honesty
- An alternative model of
honesty
- Stop pushing so hard, go walk in
the woods
Books
Mentioned:
- Trying Not to Try: The Ancient
Art of Effortlessness and the Surprising Power of Spontaneity; by
Edward Slingerland
- Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced and
Stumbled Our Way to Civilization; by Edward
Slingerland
- The Dao De Jing; by
Laozi
- The Status Game: On Human Life
and How to Play It; by Will Storr
- The Science of Storytelling: Why
Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better; by Will
Storr
- The Master and His Emissary; by
Iain McGilchrist
- Choke: What the Secrets of the
Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To; by Sian
Beilock
- The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name; by Brian C. Muraresku