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Today's guest is Andy Norman, philosophy professor at Carnegie Mellon University and the author of a fascinating book, Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites and the Search for a Better way to Think. Andy argues that it's possible to immunize the mind against harmful beliefs, just as it's possible to immunize the body against germs. He and Eric discuss the evolutionary origins of skepticism, ideas that weaken the reasoned inquiry, how to decide whether a belief is reasonable, and applications of mental immunity in real life.Join Eric's 'Truth, Disinformation & The 2024 Election' Class at The University of ChicagoIt's open to everyone via Zoom. It will discuss what's going on in the coverage of the election, with a wonderful collection of guest speakers, educators, prominent political reporters and polling experts.It will convene every Monday evening, Central US time, in the nine weeks leading up to the US election and one week afterwards. Don't miss out...Register now: https://masterliberalarts.uchicago.edu/landing-page/noncredit/trust-and-media/Website - free episode transcriptswww.in-reality.fmProduced by Sound Sapiensoundsapien.comAlliance for Trust in Mediaalliancefortrust.com
Andy Norman, PhD, is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, public radio, The BBC's Naked Scientist, and The Young Turks. In this episode, Andy and I debate Trump vs Biden and discuss Elon Musk's Woke Mind Virus. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakenewfieldSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4k9DDGJz02ibpUpervM5EYApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-sake-of-argument/id1567749546Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeNewfield --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jake-newfield/support
Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE). This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology.In the last 20 years, humans have developed a set of mental challenges for themselves unlike any other in human history. The internet age has created a vast array of complications that our minds have not yet adapted to or evolved to process. Bad actors and those who wish to hijack the human mind and spirit have designed methodologies that manipulate traditional cognitive functions to push their agendas. To learn more about how can we protect ourselves and strengthen our mental immunity, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think and founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE) about the science of mental immunity. This episode is proudly sponsored by:
Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE). This episode is part of a series exploring disinformation, media literacy, and the emerging science of cognitive immunology.In the last 20 years, humans have developed a set of mental challenges for themselves unlike any other in human history. The internet age has created a vast array of complications that our minds have not yet adapted to or evolved to process. Bad actors and those who wish to hijack the human mind and spirit have designed methodologies that manipulate traditional cognitive functions to push their agendas. To learn more about how can we protect ourselves and strengthen our mental immunity, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think and founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE) about the science of mental immunity. This episode is proudly sponsored by:
On this special weekend podcast, John interviews Andy Norman who directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. He studies how ideologies short-circuit minds and corrupt moral understanding. Then he develops tools that help people think together in more fruitful ways. They discuss his new book: "Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think". Then, he speaks with Evgeny Afineevsky who is an Israeli-American film director, producer and cinematographer. In 2018, he received the Cinema for Peace Award for the most valuable documentary of the Year for his movie "Cries from Syria". They discuss the filming of his latest documentary "Freedom on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom". See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Andy Norman, PhD, is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, public radio, The BBC's Naked Scientist, and The Young Turks. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He likes to help people develop immunity to bad ideas. Andy directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and is the founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. About the Mental Immunity Project mentalimmunityproject.org About the Science of Cognitive Immunology cognitiveimmunology.net #cognitiveimmunology, #mentalimmunity, #AndyNorman
On episode 180, we welcome Andy Norman to discuss the principles of mental immunity, how ideas spread like viruses, why critics of the paradigm believe the fear of widespread misinformation is another overblown moral panic, learning how to play role of devil's advocate effectively and ethically, how gurus and cult leaders attract their audience, whether we should debate fringe theorists, Alen's tendency to empathize with every perspective and how doing so hurts and helps him, if people like RFK Jr are genuine truth-seekers, and how reframing debates as dialogues helps foster collective inquiry and knowledge. Andy Norman teaches philosophy and directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also known for his guest appearances on the Joe Rogan Experience and the Michael Shermer Show. He is the author of "Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites and the Search for a Better Way to Think," available now. http://andynorman.org/ | Andy Norman | ► Website 1 | https://andynorman.org ► Website 2 | https://mentalimmunityproject.org ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/DrAndyNo ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/andynormanauthor ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/andynormanauthor ► Mental Immunity Book | https://amzn.to/3Y3M8Y5 Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast
On this episode I have a returning guest, Dr. Andy Norman, who's group CIRCE is taking on a new challenge to fight the world's disinformation problem. As an ally of The Rational View, Andy's group of dedicated experts is looking for ways to boost society's mental immunity against parasitic memes and the ever growing threat of misinformation. Returning guest Andy Norman is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Psychiatric Times, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, NPR, and The BBC's Naked Scientist. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He is the founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE), a global think-tank leading the effort to inoculate humanity against cognitive contagion. Support the podcast at patron.podbean.com/TheRationalView Join the Facebook discussion @TheRationalView #TheRationalView #podcast #disinformation #alternativefacts #polarization #cognitiveimmunity
Andy Norman, PhD, is back and this continuation of our last chat was enlightening, thought-provoking and educational. And if I do say so myself, mildly entertaining. Andy is the award-winning author of ‘Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think'. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, public radio, The BBC's Naked Scientist, and The Young Turks. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He likes to help people develop immunity to bad ideas. mentalimmunityproject.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr. Andy Norman, PhD, is the award-winning author of ‘Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think'. Andy and I are kindred spirits; both fascinated with the vastness of the human mind and this chat is hands-down in my top twenty TYP episodes. I recently listened to him chat with Joe Rogan for over three hours (and was totally captivated), so to spend an hour with him exploring topics and ideas that fascinate me, was a privilege. We spoke about mental immunity and mind parasites (of course), confirmation bias, the impossibility of (total) objectivity, conspiracy theories, the idea of truth, identity protective cognition (it's a thing), what fear does to our thinking, the wisdom of the Stoics, the costs and benefits of fitting in and lots more. Enjoy. andynorman.orgcognitiveimmunology.netSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What is true is not always what some choose to believe. There are some people who subscribe to the ignorance is bliss philosophy and others have difficulty discerning which information is born in conspiracy or in science. To gain a better understanding of those who wish to remain passionately ignorant and willfully disinformed, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two authors who specialize in the science of the mind. In Andy Norman's book, Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think, he examines what makes some groups more susceptible to mind ‘bugs' and mental hijacking. His cognitive hygiene concept offers mental immunity to those who prefer to think rationally and want to protect themselves from conspiracy theories. Sociologist Renata Salecl shares the core theme of her book, Passion for Ignorance: What We Choose Not to Know and Why. Her research studies why in this modern age of big data, genetics, and neuroscience people still choose to be ignorant about things that affect them and their health.
I grew up with very strong beliefs and I viewed being resolute and concrete in them as a strength. In our culture today we see this played out every moment of every day as the media pits one side against the other and everyone's belief as right or wrong, even to the point of the other side as being flat out evil. Social media isn't a place of consideration, but of unabashed opinionating. In this episode I'm with Andy Norman, a PhD who is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, public radio, and The BBC's Naked Scientist. His research is on the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. Bottom line, Andy is striving to help people develop immunity to bad ideas. My focus is really on the harm we do to ourselves and others when we are so rigid in our beliefs we won't consider anyone who differs. Andy showcases how many, if not most of our beliefs, are more tied to our self-image than truth, and how this hurts us and everyone else. It's ok to have strong beliefs, but if you feel strong in them and it's not just to support your personal bias, then wouldn't you be strong enough to allow someone to explain their differing beliefs and actually seek to understand them? Even if you don't change your belief, you are showcasing it by being willing to understand another side. And in doing so, you'll help your own peace of mind and build better relationships. Andy directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and is the founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. You can find him at andynorman.org. Self-Help(ful) is presented by Ziglar, the most trusted brand in personal and business development impacting over 250 million people worldwide. Visit Ziglar.com to see how they can inspire your true performance. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
In this episode I speak with Andy Norman, public philosopher and author of, "Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think," whose through line and wakeup call was going into philosophy because he was fascinated about the difference between human wisdom and foolishness. https://andynorman.org/mental-immunity
My guest today is Dr Andy Norman, who is the award-winning author of ‘Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think'. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. Currently, Andy directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and is the founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. Some of the topics we covered include: Andy's entry into philosophy The mind's ‘immune system' Definition of ‘mind parasites' Manipulation gone to scale Simple conspiracy vs complex reality The challenge of debating against conspiratorial thinking The incentives that fuel misinformation How to prevent mind infections Determining whether a belief is ‘reasonable' Evolutionary origins of our capacity to ‘reason' Dangers of confirmation bias Factors that make us vulnerable to ‘mind parasites' The dangers of hitching belief to identity Developing a ‘mind vaccine' The ‘New Socratic Method' During the show, Andy and I discussed a paper he wrote in response to Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber's book ‘The Enigma of Reason'. You can download that paper here. ----- If you like what you hear, please consider liking and reviewing the show wherever you get your pods. You can also support the show on our Patreon and Buy Me A Coffee page on the links below: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thevoicesofwar Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thevoicesofwar
Check out my interview with Researcher, Philosopher, and Award-Winning Author Andy Norman as we discuss the recent controversy with Joe Rogan and Spotify. What responsibilities do influencers with very large audiences have to "get it right", and are we doing enough as a society to combat irrational thinking? Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think by Andy Norman Purchase Mental Immunity here: https://amzn.to/3plCkso KF94 Masks: https://amzn.to/3HTgrYN Samson Meteorite USB Condenser Microphone, Chrome: https://amzn.to/3GMiTig A Promised Land, by Barack Obama: https://amzn.to/3LA3EwK --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thanksforthewords/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thanksforthewords/support
Our Guests: Andy Norman is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, NPR, and The BBC's Naked Scientist. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He is the founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE), a global think-tank leading the effort to inoculate humanity against cognitive contagion. Learn More About Andy: https://andynorman.org/ Read the Book: http://www.harperwave.com/mi Kellan Fluckiger Coming through decades of depression, addictions, life-threatening illness and a near-death experience, Kellan has become the ultimate catalyst to help motivated people melt barriers, move mountains and mobilize superpowers to achieve their true desires. As a coach and keynote speaker, Kellan's masterful approach helps people get past old stories, change beliefs and create a life context to reach even goals that seemed impossible. https://www.kellanfluckiger.com/ Annie Larson, as featured on television, radio, podcasts, magazines and most recently the Washington Post newspaper, provides intuitive counseling using her innate abilities as a psychic medium. Her passion is to bring healing and closure via readings and help others hone their intuitive voice through her extensive development and mentoring classes. She has many tools to help you find peace through readings and Reiki energy healing; find your life's purpose through astrology and past life regression therapy; and fulfill your goals through life coaching with intuitive guidance. Learn More: https://www.mediumannielarson.com/ Dr. Ryan D'arcy is the Co-Founder of HealthTech Connex. Trained in neuroscience, neurotechnology, and medical imaging, Dr. D'Arcy also holds a BC Leadership Chair in Medical Technology, is a full Professor at Simon Fraser University, and a member of the DM Centre for Brain Health at the University of British Columbia. He has published more than 260 academic works, attracted more than $85 Million in competitive research and innovation funding, and been recognized through numerous awards and distinctions. Dr. D'Arcy is a 3X TEDx speaker, who speaks frequently on brain health innovations around the world. Dr. D'Arcy is widely recognized for co-founding the Health Sciences and Innovation initiative at Fraser Health's Surrey Memorial Hospital, which led to co-founding Innovation Boulevard along with the Health and Technology District (the District). In addition to his role as President and Chief Scientific Officer at HealthTech Connex, he also leads the District's BrainNET initiative to connect advances in neuroscience research to innovations in brain health. Learn More: http://www.healthtechconnex.com/ Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D. is a research associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering and the executive director of the Center for Neurotechnology at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA). He is a neuroscientist who also works with teachers to create materials to help people learn about the brain. Learn More: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html
https://www.alainguillot.com/andy-norman/ Andy Norman is an award-winning author and public philosopher. His book is Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. Get the book here: https://amzn.to/3evkAVT
Andy Norman (@drandyno) directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, is the founder of CIRCE, and is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. What We Discuss with Andy Norman: Like our bodies, our minds and cultures have immune systems, and they can break down under certain conditions. How the root cause of contemporary divisiveness is a compromise of these mental and cultural immune systems. What it takes for certain ideologies to weaken our mental and cultural immune systems. Why, if you want to effectively persuade others, you must also show your willingness to be persuadable. How you can inoculate your mind (and help others protect themselves) against divisive ideologies to build the mental rigidity to withstand their influence. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/590 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!
Misinformation is like a virus, spreading quickly and propagating in a way that doesn't benefit its host. Andy Noman describes harmful ideas as acting like “mind parasites” that deploy clever tactics to infect our thinking by circumventing our mental immune systems. And we're even more susceptible to bad ideas than we realize. So how do we immunize ourselves against mind parasites? Can we reach herd immunity? Can we critically think our way out of this epidemic of unreason? After 30 years of research on this topic, Andy has concluded that the traditional models of critical thinking are not up to the task in our hyper-connected world. We need a more comprehensive framework for inoculating our minds against viral nonsense. Andy Norman is an award-winning author who teaches philosophy at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University. He has recently published his new book, “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think”: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU. We are thrilled to welcome Andy as part of our series on understanding more about Conspiracy Theories. Our conversation with Andy reveals details of his framework for strengthening our own mental immunity. We hope you enjoy listening! Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on your podcast player so you are notified about our new episodes. Next week we will be hearing from Prof. Eric Oliver about how to talk to our friends and family about conspiracy theories. If you are a regular listener to Behavioral Grooves, please consider donating to our work through our Behavioral Grooves Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. We also love reading your reviews on the podcast, which help others find our content. Topics (3:37) Welcome and speed round questions. (6:20) We are experiencing an epidemic of unreason. (8:17) How can we immunize ourselves against disinformation? (14:10) How our identity can affect our mental immunity. (17:54) A framework for mental immunity. (21:11) Thinking in probabilities instead of in black & white. (26:08) Why acknowledging other people's truths can have a surprising effect. (29:38) The objective difference between a good idea and a bad idea. (32:25) Arguing with someone who only cares about themselves. (38:54) Is there a chance we will reach mental herd immunity? (44:13) What music is on Andy's playlist? (47:11) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim talking about how to apply Andy's work. © 2021 Behavioral Grooves Links “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think” by Andy Norman: https://amzn.to/3o6OjbU Ludwig Wittgenstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein Socrates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates Dan Kahan, “Identity Protective Cognition”: https://bit.ly/2YxM3Sk Episode 176: Annie Duke on How to Decide: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/annie-duke-on-how-to-decide/ Musical Links Mark Knopfler “Piper to the End”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsrKWwx3x7o
Guest Andy Norman is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, The BBC's Naked Scientist and The Young Turks. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division and directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and is the founder of CIRCE the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. A Viking Dog Production VikingDogEntertainment.com Open Highway, Viking Dog merch and more! Also help raise money for wolf rescue! - TheVikingDogStore.com https://www.patreon.com/theopenhighway JOIN THE VIKING DOG MAILING LIST
During this episode, Andy Norman presents the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE) and his work on cognitive immunology, which studies the mind's resistance to bad ideas. After describing how the name of his organization was inspired by Circe, the goddess who helped Odysseus avoid the temptations of the siren's song, Andy discusses mental immunity, how epidemics of irrationality occur, and how present cultural conditions exacerbate the spread of bad ideas. Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-68 Guest Bio: Andy Norman is the author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He is also Founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. Andy Norman, PhD, is the award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Psychology Today, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. He has appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, public radio, The BBC's Naked Scientist, and The Young Turks. His research illuminates the evolutionary origins of human reasoning, the norms that make dialogue fruitful, and the workings of the mind's immune system. He champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. He likes to help people develop immunity to bad ideas. Andy directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and is the founder of CIRCE, the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.
On episode 104, we welcome back philosopher Andy Norman to discuss how we can protect ourselves from infectious ideas and mind parasites, the Socratic system of rational inquiry and why it's the most effective truth detector, how people become conspiracy thinkers, anti-vaxx sentiment and the importance of challenging it by doubting the doubters, how skepticism becomes extreme and useless when we question everything, the political divide and our different standards for accepting propositions, Andy's appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience and how Joe became a more mature thinker over the years, and how Alex Jones admittedly manipulates his audience. Andy Norman teaches philosophy and directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also known for his guest appearances on the Joe Rogan Experience and the Michael Shermer Show. He is the author of "Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites and the Search for a Better Way to Think," available now. http://andynorman.org/ Andy Norman | ► Website 1 | https://andynorman.org ► Website 2 | https://cognitiveimmunology.net ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/drandyno ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/andynormanauthor ► Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think | https://andynorman.org/mental-immunity Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment
As our bodies ward off disease, our minds are also poised to fight bad ideas. Andy Norman, director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways conspiracy theories can corrupt sound thinking – and how we can strengthen ourselves to fight back against bad ideas. His book is “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think.”
Andy Norman teaches philosophy and directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the author of “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites and the Search for a Better Way to Think,” available now. Check out his book at https://andynorman.org/***TIMESTAMPS***3:05 - Science behind mental immune systems and the idea of what is a ‘mind parasite' 12:05 - Mind Parasites and its connection with Cults such as the Rajneesh Cult and politics; good vs dangerous ideas19:00 - How to treat a mind parasite and the way to approach the strengthening of mental immunity; do you ever give up?28:45 - QAnon and the crazy-ness behind this group and how they formed and the mind parasite taking place35:00 - Socratic method and the ability to question an idea until it no longer makes sense41:50 - Why Andy made the book about mind parasites and learning about the science behind the mental immune system 51:00 - The concept of following the money and the corruption within institutions and the idea of “indoctrination” taking place~YouTube EPISODES & CLIPS:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ/videoshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_2mktRli1yyQ1mBNB_7PXg~Song provided by: Ooyy, Come 2gether
Aired: June 2, 2021 A special Sustain What episode with two scientists, a journalist and a songwriter offering ways to navigate turbulence, polarization and disinformation with the fewest regrets. Join Andy Revkin of Columbia's Climate School with Carnegie Mellon philosopher Andy Norman; solution-focused journalist Amanda Ripley; Columbia University psychologist and conflict dissector Peter Coleman, and songwriter and storyteller Reggie Harris. Send feedback and ideas for future shows: http://j.mp/sustainwhatfeedback Here's more on our guests: - Peter T. Coleman, a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University, will discuss lessons from his new book, “The Way Out - How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.” Coleman holds a joint appointment at Teachers College and the Earth Institute and directs two research centers. He is also the author of “Making Conflict Work: Harnessing the Power of Disagreement” (2014) and “The Five Percent: Finding Solutions to Seemingly Impossible Conflicts” (2011), among other books. He says “The Way Out” is “about why we are stuck in our current cultural riptide and what we can do to find our way out. It will explain how patterns of intractable polarization can and do change, and offer a set of principles and practices for navigating and healing the more difficult divides in your home, workplace and community.” Learn more: https://thewayoutofpolarization.com/ - Reggie Harris is a longtime folk singer and songwriter, storyteller and educator who has worked and sung for racial understanding, human rights and justice for decades. He'll speak about his experiences at the interface of love and hate, Black and White and maybe sing a song or two. He describes his new album, “On Solid Ground,” as a “call for personal and national grounding in the explosion of racial and civil unrest and the growing worldwide death spiral that was 2020.” Explore Harris's music, writing and activities: https://reggieharrismusic.com/ - Andy Norman teaches philosophy and directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. He says his focus is studying how ideologies short-circuit minds and corrupt moral understanding and developing tools that help people reason together in more fruitful ways. Norman will describe insights offered in his new book, “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think." Learn more: https://andynorman.org/ - Amanda Ripley is a solutions-focused journalist and bestselling author who has become a champion of a new style of journalism sifting less for sound bites and more for pathways to insight amid complexity. Her new book is “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out.” Here's Ripley's summary of this concept: “When we are baffled by the insanity of the ‘other side'—in our politics, at work, or at home—it's because we aren't seeing how the conflict itself has taken over. That's what ‘high conflict' does. People do escape high conflict. Individuals—even entire communities—can short-circuit the feedback loops of outrage and blame, if they want to. This is a mind-opening new way to think about conflict that will transform how we move through the world.” Explore: https://amandaripley.com/high-conflict Sustain What, produced and hosted by Andy Revkin, is a series of conversations seeking progress where complexity and consequence collide.
As our bodies ward off disease, our minds are also poised to fight bad ideas. Andy Norman, director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways conspiracy theories can corrupt sound thinking – and how we can strengthen ourselves to fight back against bad ideas. His book is “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think.”
Michael Berry doles out compliments and criticism of the Olympic games; Berry plays an interview he did with legendary MLB pitcher Nolan Ryan about his infamous scuffle with Robin Ventura; Andy Norman, director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, joins the show to discuss his book “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think.”
In this episode, we feature Andy Norman, a public philosopher, director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, founder of the Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative, and award-winning author of “Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think.”It's no secret that social media is amplifying toxic ideas from all sides of the political spectrum. We've seen harmful orthodoxy take hold before in human history, but never quite at the scale and speed the digital age has made possible. We're once again at a critical inflection point where the values of objective, rational thinking are under attack by tribalism, illogic, and dogma. Andy champions the emerging science of mental immunity as the antidote to disinformation, propaganda, hate, and division. Tune in to learn how you can sharpen your thinking, disagree with others more productively, and help safeguard our future from societal dysfunction. ====================0:00 Intro 2:34 How Andy became interested in philosophy5:06 Is it too late to open people's minds?8:09 How do we distinguish between good and bad ideas?10:43 It's not all relative 11:51 Looking at the cons as well as the pros of an argument13:51 What is Mental Immunity? 16:20 The mind's antibodies are questions 19:04 How to effectively challenge a claim 22:23 Why you shouldn't want to win an argument 25:33 Andy's groundbreaking work on the purpose of reasons28:39 Are we living through the Dark Ages 2.0?32:52 We should all feel safe questioning our beliefs34:46 What are the pitfalls of critical thinking?35:59 Can philosophy be taught in elementary school? 38:48 It's easier to criticize a hypothesis than create your own40:00 Learning isn't just additive, it's subtractive43:53 What is identity protective cognition?48:02 How can we redesign social media?53:14 Should the digital age change the way we think about free speech?57:25 Is woke culture unhealthy for our minds?1:00:39 How do we avoid creating a thought police?1:03:46 Wrap-up 1:04:52 “One Final Question”====================Buy the book! Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to ThinkAndy Norman====================LinkTree to support us (thank you!)Let's get in touch! Join the discussion in the episode comments on our YouTube channel or social media pages...InstagramTwitter
Why do conspiracy theories spread? Andy Norman on the mental immune system and his new book Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. Andy Norman explains why conspiracy theories spread and why those who have a weak mental immune system believe and spread conspiracy theories online. TLDR: Mental immunity, why conspiracy theories spread, why people believe in conspiracies, & conspiracy theories explained. Subscribe to The Welcome Home Podcast with Takis: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClI47mgefRuLsOElux1HXjA?sub_confirmation=1 Connect with Takis: https://www.instagram.com/petertakis/ https://www.instagram.com/welcomehome.podcast/ https://twitter.com/petertakis https://www.takismusic.com/ Contact Takis: welcomehometakis@gmail.com Takis (real name Peter Takis) is a DJ/ producer from Winnipeg, Canada.
Andy Norman is a philosopher and award-winning author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. He studies how to help people develop immunity to bad ideas and believes that this is the key to growing wiser together. Andy directs the Humanism Initiative at CMU. He's done research on the evolutionary origins of human reasoning and the norms that make dialogue fruitful. He's published in Scientific American, Skeptic, Free Inquiry, and The Humanist. Buy the book Mental Immunity here: https://geni.us/64iWZzx Links from the discussion in the episode: https://cognitiveimmunology.net (the science of mental immunity and efforts to apply its findings (CIRCE)) Practical steps to mental immune health: https://cognitiveimmunology.net/applied-ci The New Socratic Method (1-page guide) https://bit.ly/3xjIKKp Connect with Andy here: Website: https://andynorman.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andynormanauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andynormanauthor Subscribe for more content like this! ---------- https://instagram.com/unleash.love https://www.facebook.com/unleashlovepodcast https://www.quora.com/profile/Unleash-Love https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleash-love Read our blog articles, contact us and more at https://unleash.love. You can also join our Clubhouse rooms by visiting https://bit.ly/3sWNEeh. If you're interested in being a part of our #DiaryOfAWoman interview series and tell your story, please book a session with Clément here: http://bit.ly/diaryofawoman Lastly if you're looking for help with your mental health or relationship and you'd like to talk with Clément, you can book a consultation here: http://bit.ly/unleashtherapy --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashlove/message
Episode Notes How do we prevent the spread of bad ideas? And how do we immunize ourselves from being infected by bad ideas? That's exactly what we discuss today with the philosopher Andy Norman as we dive into some great topics from his brand new book Mental Immunity. Follow Andy on Twitter @DrAndyNo Follow Andy's author page on Facebook @AndyNormanAuthor Get a copy of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think Visit Andy's website For the interview transcript visit www.TheRewiredSoul.com/interviews Follow @TheRewiredSoul on Twitter and Instagram Support The Rewired Soul: Get books by Chris Support on Patreon Try BetterHelp Online Therapy (affiliate) Donate
Mental Immunity Leigh Martinuzzi · 989 Andy Norman – Mental Immunity In this interview I talk with Andy Norman about his book Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. Hailed as “a feast for thought,” Mental Immunity melds cutting-edge work in science and philosophy into an “astonishingly enlightening … Continue reading 989 Andy Norman – Mental Immunity
June 16, 2021--Host Joy LaClaire speaks with Director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, Andy Norman, to discuss his latest book, MENTAL IMMUNITY: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think.
Mental Immunity In this interview I talk with Andy Norman about his book Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. Hailed as “a feast for thought,” Mental Immunity melds cutting-edge work in science and philosophy into an “astonishingly enlightening and productive” solution to the signature problem of our age. A practical guide to spotting and removing bad ideas, a stirring call to transcend our petty tribalisms, and a serious bid to bring humanity to its senses. Please enjoy! Guest Bio. Andy Norman directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. He studies how ideologies short-circuit minds and corrupt moral understanding. Then he develops tools that help people reason together in more fruitful ways. He's done research on the evolutionary origins of human reasoning and the norms that make dialogue fruitful. He works to clarify the foundations of responsible thinking about what matters, and likes to engage audiences on topics related to science and human values. In his new book Mental Immunity, Andy lays out the conceptual foundations of cognitive immunology—the emerging science of mental immune health. He's currently testing a “mind vaccine”—a way to inoculate minds against the worst forms of ideological contagion.
--On the Show: --Andy Norman, author of the book "Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think," joins David to discuss mental and cultural immune systems, rhetorical tactics, trust in media, media literacy, and much more. Get the book: https://amzn.to/3iuLC2L --San Jose, California, Mayor Sam Liccardo proposes mandatory gun insurance and annual fees after another mass shooting --Fox News produces what is possibly their most humiliating segment yet, sending reporter Griff Jenkins to the US-Mexico border to make futile attempts to speak Spanish with migrants in order to prove some unclear political point --Notable discussions from the David Pakman Show subreddit, including about mask wearing and the psychological effect of following American news and politics --Donald Trump's favorite economist, Art Laffer, appears on Fox News to say that many minorities "aren't worth" $15 per hour --A new Politico/Morning Consults poll shows that 30% of Republicans believe Donald Trump will be reinstated as President sometime this year --Another attempt at "proving" their vaccine conspiracy theories fails during a hearing in Ohio over a bill to ban any vaccine requirement or recommendation from businesses, employers, and schools --Voicemail caller cites Chipotle increasing prices by 4% to provide all employees a $15 minimum wage --On the Bonus Show: Biden announces donation of 500 million vaccines to countries in need, capitol rioter's family sues for records of officer who shot her, Rep. Val Demings announces Senate challenge of Marco Rubio, much more...
------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Andrew Norman teaches philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University. He works on the conceptual and historical foundations of humanism. He has published widely on the nature of reason and the teaching of wisdom, and written books on critical thinking and the structure of dialogue. He is the author of Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think. In this episode, we focus on Mental Immunity. We first get into what cognitive immunology is, and some aspects of how our cognition works, like epistemic vigilance, and the fact that our reasoning functions better in social contexts. We discuss how we determine that something is a “bad idea”. We also discuss what reason is, and how we can determine what a “reasonable belief” is. We talk about critical thinking, and ideological thinking. We then go into how we can justify holding beliefs that are not supported by the evidence, and the psychological benefits of “wrong” beliefs. We talk specifically about religion, the Enlightenment, and moral values. Finally, we discuss strategies to improve cognition, both individually and collectively, including the concept of “mind vaccine” and heard immunity. -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, PER HELGE LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, RUTGER VOS, RICARDO VLADIMIRO, CRAIG HEALY, OLAF ALEX, PHILIP KURIAN, JONATHAN VISSER, JAKOB KLINKBY, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, PAULINA BARREN, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ARTHUR KOH, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, SUSAN PINKER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, PABLO SANTURBANO, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, JORGE ESPINHA, CORY CLARK, MARK BLYTH, ROBERTO INGUANZO, MIKKEL STORMYR, ERIC NEURMANN, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, BERNARD HUGUENEY, ALEXANDER DANNBAUER, OMARI HICKSON, FERGAL CUSSEN, YEVHEN BODRENKO, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, DON ROSS, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, OZLEM BULUT, NATHAN NGUYEN, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, J.W., JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, IDAN SOLON, ROMAIN ROCH, DMITRY GRIGORYEV, TOM ROTH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, ADANER USMANI, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, MIRAN B, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, MAX BEILBY, AL ORTIZ, NELLEKE BAK, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, AND ADRIAN JAEGGI! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, IAN GILLIGAN, SERGIU CODREANU, LUIS CAYETANO, TOM VANEGDOM, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, VEGA GIDEY, AND NIRUBAN BALACHANDRAN! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MICHAL RUSIECKI, ROSEY, JAMES PRATT, AND MATTHEW LAVENDER!
Breaking news! FFRF won its lawsuit against a Texas judge who opens his courtroom sessions with a prayer. We hear Christopher Hitchens talking about facing death, and then a “funny" song about death by Dan Barker called "No Hurry To Die." Then we speak with philosopher and author Andy Norman about his new groundbreaking book Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think.
(5/21/21) Astonishingly irrational ideas are spreading. Covid denial persists in the face of overwhelming evidence. Anti-vaxxers compromise public health. Conspiracy thinking hijacks minds and incites mob violence. Toxic partisanship is cleaving nations and climate denial has pushed our planet to the brink. Meanwhile, American Nazis march openly in the streets, and Flat Earth theory is back. What the heck is going on? Why is this all happening and why now? More importantly, what can we do about it? In his new book Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think, director of the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University Andy Norman reveals these diverse phenomena all share a root cause. Join us for a look at why we live in a time when the so-called “right to your opinion” is thought to trump our responsibilities and what we can do to overcome this phenomenon in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.
Andy Norman teaches philosophy and directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the author of "Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind Parasites and the Search for a Better Way to Think," available now. http://andynorman.org/
In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Andy Norman, the author of "Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think", to discuss inoculating our minds against the worst forms of ideological contagion. Andy Norman teaches philosophy at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University. He works on the conceptual and historical foundations of humanism and is a skilled facilitator of collaborative inquiry. He has published widely on the nature of reason and the teaching of wisdom, and written books on critical thinking and the structure of dialogue. Andy is also a serial entrepreneur: his educational software company built an early “thought processor” for strengthening reasoning skills, and he currently runs popular character education programs for children. Andy is the former Director of CMU’s Ethics, History and Public Policy program, and is interested in constructive engagement with the religious & in developing naturalistic alternatives to destructive religious mythologies. He speaks regularly on such topics as reason and faith, science and religion, the foundations of ethics, and the evolutionary, cultural, and attitudinal roots of prosocial behavior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Astonishingly irrational ideas are spreading. COVID-19 denial, anti-vaxxers compromising public health, conspiracy thinking hijacking minds and inciting mob violence, toxic partisanship cleaving our nations, the return of Flat Earth theory… What the heck is going on? Why is all this happening, and why now? More important, what can we do about it? Does our “right to our opinion” trump our responsibilities? Does the resulting ethos effectively compromise mental immune systems, allowing “mind parasites” to overrun them? Are conspiracy theories, evidence-defying ideologies, and garden-variety bad ideas all species of mind parasites, each of which employs clever strategies to circumvent mental immune systems? In this conversation, based on the book Mental Immunity, Andy Norman shows that minds and cultures have immune systems, and that they really can break down. Fortunately, he assures us that they can also be built up: strengthened against ideological corruption. Can his ideas revolutionize our capacity for critical thinking?
With their guest Andy Norman, Bob and Julia discuss the idea of applying biomedical concepts such as infection, immunity, and inoculation to what happens when humans are exposed to invasive false, misleading and harmful ideas and beliefs. Andy Norman is the author of the recent book: Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think and the founder of CIRCE, The Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative.
New Socratic Method Socrates used direct questioning to make ancient Athenians reflect critically on their views, which often made people look foolish. The New Socratic Method is a kinder, gentler version that can actually change people’s minds without resentment. Clarifying questions can reveal why ideas are bad without antagonism. The New Socratic Method can be used to strengthen mental immunity and root out bad ideas. Reason’s Fulcrum Reason’s Fulcrum is a key part of the mind’s mental immunity. It states that if two people have differing points of view, the one with the best reasons supporting their argument will “win” and the loser must reflect and change their mind. When Reason’s Fulcrum is used, good reasons can change people’s minds. When it isn’t working, people lose the sense that speech and actions have accountability, and it becomes very difficult to change minds. Substantive Collaborative Dialogue One of the best ways to strengthen mental immunity in yourself and others is to have the difficult conversations you might otherwise shy away from. Asking hard and often philosophical questions like “What is a bad idea?” or engaging with family and friends who hold bad ideas can actually boost your mental immunity. Collaborative reasoning and exchanging honest dialogue is the best way to spread good ideas and build mental immunity. FIND OUT MORE: Andy Norman, Ph.D., directs the Humanism Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University. A public philosopher and award-winning author, he is developing the conceptual foundations of cognitive immunology—the emerging science of mental immunity. He thinks this science explains how demagogues short-circuit minds and how ideologies corrupt moral understanding. In his book Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think, he identifies several mental immune disorders and develops the kind of mind-vaccine that could inoculate future generations against the worst outbreaks of viral nonsense. You can follow him on Twitter @DrAndyNo.