Lines of Retreat and Incomplete Maps (with Anna Salamon)

Oct 13, 2020 1h 26m 7 insights Episode Page ↗
Spencer Greenberg and Anna Salomon discuss strategies for sense-making in a confusing world. They explore "leaving lines of retreat" to overcome motivated cognition, a game to distinguish "map from territory," and how understanding humans as "hive parts" can illuminate societal dynamics.
Actionable Insights

1. Visualize Worst-Case Scenarios

To overcome motivated cognition and anxiety, visualize what you would do if your worst fears or negative outcomes (e.g., job failure, getting lost) actually happened. This practice allows for more flexible thinking and prepares you to act, preventing you from fighting yourself to the death over a belief.

2. Narrate Actions, Question Beliefs

Play the “Whose Map Is Not The Territory” game by narrating your actions from an external perspective, adding “Whose Map Was Not The Territory” after your name. This technique helps viscerally remember that your beliefs are approximations of reality, prompting you to question assumptions and test them against the actual territory.

3. Deep Dive into Information Sources

In times of low trust, avoid relying on single sources or quick checks like Wikipedia. Instead, read multiple sources, dig into details, and examine how numbers or claims were calculated to make your own sense of complex societal issues.

4. Create Hypothesis Documents

To make sense of confusing situations, create documents with bullet points listing different hypotheses that might explain events. Under each hypothesis, note thoughts on how they might relate or overlap, helping to organize complex information.

5. Seek Perspective, Disconnect

Take multi-day chunks of time disconnected from the internet to read older books. This practice provides mental space and a broader historical or philosophical perspective, aiding in understanding current events.

6. Understand Group-Driven Behavior

Adopt a mental model where humans are largely “attempted hive parts” (e.g., 80% hive, 20% individual), following group-generated symbols and norms rather than purely individual models. This helps understand societal and individual behavior, especially when people are reluctant to deviate from group consensus.

7. Analyze Societal Function & Values

When societal norms or institutions are breaking down, consciously strive to understand what structures used to hold things up and what values they embodied. This involves asking what processes historically provided abundance and knowledge, allowing for informed adaptation rather than wanton destruction.