Daniel Schmachtenberger: "Bend Not Break Part 5: Criteria and Categories for Response"
Episode 50
December 19, 2022
(Conversation Recorded on November 17, 2022.)
On this 5th and final installment of the Bend Not Break series with Daniel Schmachtenberger, we unpack the framework and mindset needed to begin thinking about responses. This conversation touches on what it means to work on personal development in the light of a polycrisis, and how it is truly a never ending but necessary challenge. Finally, Daniel and Nate break down a 3x3 grid on time frame and category of responses.
Whilst this is the end of this series, there is, of course, much left to be unpacked. If there are any specific topics you want covered in a follow up Daniel/Nate conversation, we encourage you to leave your questions in the comments of the Youtube video, which can be found here -> https://youtu.be/Kep8Fi_rUUI
About Daniel Schmachtenberger
Daniel Schmachtenberger is a founding member of The Consilience Project, aimed at improving public sensemaking and dialogue.
The throughline of his interests has to do with ways of improving the health and development of individuals and society, with a virtuous relationship between the two as a goal.
Towards these ends, he’s had particular interest in the topics of catastrophic and existential risk, civilization and institutional decay and collapse as well as progress, collective action problems, social organization theories, and the relevant domains in philosophy and science.
00:40 - Daniel Schmachtenberger info + TGS episodes part 1 and part 2 and part 3 and part 4 + Overview of Nate’s story: Animated videos, Economics for the Future - Beyond the Superorganism + 3x3 Grid:
01:13 - Youtube Video
03:04 - Long term climate geographic projection models
05:42 - Marvin Harris, Cultural Materialism
05:50 - Marx
13:52 - Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs
23:22 - War in Eastern Europe, Moving backwards on climate change
26:20 - OODA loops
37:43 - Daniel’s list of questions for how to understand a problem space and a solution space
42:55 - Richard Haass, CFR
44:55 - First Order/second order effects
46:52 - David Bohm and J. Krishnamurti
53:18 - System thinking
54:01 - Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
57:30 - Unexpected externalities of the smart phone
57:53 - Precautionary Principle
58:25 - Diversity of Perspective and Pluralism
1:04:12 - Rachel Carson
1:06:38 - Tragedy of the Commons
1:13:35 - Negative talk about an opponent is an effective campaign strategy
1:40:40 - Juliet Schor, The Overspent American
1:43:10 - Degrowth vs Post-growth
1:48:40 - Geography of the Amazon and largest threats to its existence
1:51:00 - Effects of the loss of the Amazon as hydrological pump
1:55:30 - Nelson Del Rio, Prosperity of the Commons
1:56:50 - The World Bank
2:07:00 - Leaded gasoline and its eventual outlaw
2:09:17 - Larry Lessig
1:09:55 - Rank Choice Voting, gerrymandering, campaign finance reform
2:19:02 - Tomas Bjorkman, TGS Episode