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On this episode of Conversations with Tom, host Tom Bilyeu and guest Daniel Schmachtenberger engage in a fascinating discussion about social media, neural warfare, game theory, power itself, and the ways that our society has over-optimized. In particular, they talk about why it\u2019s so important to stop trying to be right, why we need to start thinking in more complex ways, and why the real battlefield is the human mind.\n\nThis episode is brought to you by: \nBetter Help: Get 10% off your first month at https://betterhelp.com/impacttheory\nSkillshare: Explore your creativity at skillshare.com/impacttheory for 2 free months of Premium Membership.\xa0\n\nSHOW NOTES:\xa0\nDaniel was home-schooled, allowed to study whatever he thought was most important [0:30]\nDaniel\u2019s parents actually referred to his family as an \u201cexperiment\u201d [3:40]\nBy the time a child goes to school, civilization has already been imprinted on them [6:04]\nDaniel advocates that optimization is actually a part of the problem [8:37]\nDaniel details exactly why trying to optimize leads to serious problems [13:14]\nDaniel talks about how to understand civilization\u2019s history through game theory [18:40]\nSome kinds of value can be extracted and lead to power, and other kinds can\u2019t [20:57]\nDaniel uses the example of COVID-19 to illustrate the problems with optimization [25:48]\nHow can we think in complex ways that respect the interconnected nature of existence [30:41]\nIt\u2019s much easier to break things than it is to build complex systems [35:39]\nTom and Daniel discuss whether it\u2019s possible to nudge people in the right direction [38:16]\nSocial media will lead us to war even though no one wants it [46:01]\nDaniel and Tom discuss the connections between high school bullying and terrorism [51:12]\nIf you aren\u2019t considering counter-responses, you are just being emotionally hijacked [58:56]\nPeople\u2019s minds are the battlefield [1:04:17]\nThere are no authorities that are trustworthy enough to just assume they are right [1:09:59]\nDo you want to be effective or do you want to be right? [1:15:15]\nDaniel explains how people become fundamentalist about things they are wrong about [1:19:45]\nDebates are often not about understanding. They are just dogfights. [1:28:48]\nLegitimate power is when I am trying to influence someone to be more self-directed [1:32:03]\nTom explains the relief of focusing on finding the right answers instead of being right [1:35:35]\nIf you want to be right, you are very easy to control. Fragile egos are vulnerable. [1:39:55]\nCapitalism, the Trump campaign and Christianity have all been antifragile so far [1:42:33]\xa0\n\nFOLLOW DANIEL:\xa0\nWEBSITE: neurohacker.com\xa0\nINSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2UxGUo1\xa0\n\nAre You Ready for EXTRA Impact?\nIf you\u2019re ready to find true fulfillment, strengthen your focus, and ignite your true potential, the Impact Theory subscription was created just for you.\nThis is not for the faint of heart. This is for those who dare to learn obsessively, every day, day after day.\nSubscription Benefits:\n\nUnlock the gates to a treasure trove of wisdom from inspiring guests like Andrew Huberman, Mel Robbins, Hal Elrod, Matthew McConaughey, and many, many, more\n\nNew episodes delivered ad-free\n\nExclusive access to Tom\u2019s AMAs, keynote speeches, and suggestions from his personal reading list\n\nYou\u2019ll also get access to an 5 additional podcasts with hundreds of archived Impact Theory episodes, meticulously curated into themed playlists covering health, mindset, business, relationships, and more:\n\n\nLegendary Mindset: Mindset & Self-Improvement\n\n\nMoney Mindset: Business & Finance\n\n\nRelationship Theory: Relationships\n\n\nHealth Theory: Mental & Physical Health\n\n\nPower Ups: Weekly Doses of Short Motivational Quotes\xa0\n\nSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PCvJaz\nSubscribe on all other platforms (Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castro, Downcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Podkicker, and more) : https://impacttheorynetwork.supercast.com/\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices