Lex Fridman 'A Day in the Life'
Added 2022-06-15 05:23:17 +0000 UTCHi everyone,
Just a heads up for the forthcoming episode we are using the video linked above and the longer interview with Jonathan Haidt that can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0un-l1L8Zw
This should give us a good mix of guru-ish content and one of Lex's better interview episodes (plus a tech themed topic and a guru-ish guest).
If you have anything else you want us to consider then please comment or email with suggestions. We won't clip another full episode but can deal with isolated clips/events.
Also interested just in general about anyone's thoughts on the content!
That's all!
Comments
I want to ask Lex if he’s ever tried a thing we used to call a ‘well-balanced diet’ in adequate portions. It’s old-school but you generally don’t need to go shopping for supplements.
Lina Neild Robinson
2022-07-06 03:11:21 +0000 UTCHomework!!!
Sue Sutton
2022-06-27 21:43:42 +0000 UTCIt's not just his fans - I don't think anyone with even a modicum of self awareness or humility would say something like: "I know this is a 'day in the life video', but, uh... that's also my days. As often as possible I try to think deeply about history, about the state of the world today about my own mind, about the science that I'm fascinated with - which is the science of intelligence, and the science of engineering intelligence." ...without trying to cultivate a certain persona to their audience. It just reeks of an inflated sense of self regard and self importance. But I'm also cynical as all hell, so I could very well be off base.
Ryan Goss
2022-06-17 01:59:02 +0000 UTCI think his fans want him to be one, and that he's networked to several gurus to whom he is a bit sychophantic, including IDW-space ones. Nonetheless, I think he's going to score low in and of himself, but am also excited to see what our gurus of assessing gurus think.
Bronwyn Snefjella
2022-06-17 01:06:33 +0000 UTCSurprised to see so many folks coming to Lex's defense here in the comments. From what I've seen/heard of him, he absolutely is a guru - or at least, really wants to be one. The "day in the life" video linked was one of the first things I saw of his, and the comment section just heaping praise onto him for his "warrior-intellectual" persona made me cringe. He is incredibly self-aggrandizing, galaxy-brained, and deceitful in his credentials, among other things. Lex may not check all the boxes of the gurometer, but he very much rate highly on most of the rankings in my estimation. Excited for this one.
Ryan Goss
2022-06-16 18:14:17 +0000 UTCI listen to a lot of Lex Fridman's interviews and like him - he's well intentioned and kind and when he's interviewing scientists and academics the interviews are good because he let's them talk - they are the talent. However, he is sort of naive and thus a vector for gurus. He's friends with Joe Rogan and Elon Musk and tends to put them on a pedestal. His commentors are also terrible and sychophantic. I do not think he's a guru, but I do think he's someone at risk of drinking the koolaid. I actually think one of his biggest problems is that he doesn't seem to sleep enough and his interviews suffer as it seems he's not really paying attention at times. I did notice in a recent interview (a very polarizing one based on the YT comments) with the "Bad Vegan" he interrupted and talked over her repeatedly and it was offputting and I haven't felt like watching him since. It's great when interviewers challenge guests but not so much when they are dismissive of them. I found it possibly reflective of some latent sexism and also a lack of knowledge about abusive relationships. Not that Bad vegan is a saint or does not bear some responsibility for defrauding investers but I though the more interesting story was missed in how Lex interviewed because he couldn't seem to distinguish between love making people do crazy things and abusive situations where people are actively being primed for manipulation.
Bronwyn Snefjella
2022-06-16 18:02:54 +0000 UTCI never heard of this fellow Lex Fridman. I don't know how well regarded he is in the field of AI or how he achieved his guru status, though 1.78M subscribers (if real) might qualify him. As far as his youtube videos go: - In the "Day in the Life", he really needs to work on his delivery. I'm not sure how excited I would ever get about him reading, but to me he came off like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh. There were a few what seemed to me incoherent ramblings about Nazi Germany and how AI might save us, it didn't seem to amount to fear mongering. - The Jonathan Haidt interview was really interesting. Fridman interviews a lot of interesting people. In the Haidt interview, Haidt did most of the talking, he might make a good subject for decoding academia. Edit: I take back the implication that he might not deserve his guru status. He does. I don't take back he needs to improve his delivery.
Kat
2022-06-16 15:41:50 +0000 UTCI actually thought Haidt was the more interesting person to decode in that interview. I found he has quite a patronising/all knowing way about him. Almost, one might say, as if he thought himself a guru or some type.
Scott Stacey
2022-06-16 07:37:09 +0000 UTCYoutube really pushes his content, sometimes I start watching a youtube video on how to grill burgers and the next recommended video is a Lex interview. It is kind of annoying that this is what youtube pushes to me.
MaxPlan
2022-06-16 03:18:26 +0000 UTCprobably because of his guests and because he was interviewed by him
MaxPlan
2022-06-16 03:04:50 +0000 UTCThis is what I think should be considered for a fair shake at Lex Friedman. From my clearly subjective perspective: He's probably board line undiagnosed autistic in a way I'm not unfamiliar with: A few JRE episodes back he talked about Khabib and Mcgregor. He actually defended Mcgregor and thought Khabib was in the wrong for responding so harshly. As if it was Khabib who should understand that Mcgregor wouldn't be able to understand how personal he would take those attacks. While I disagree wholeheartedly with his conclusion, I understand the impulse to try and understand people who do horrible things. And think that maybe there is a different way I could have handled a situation where I wasn't in the wrong. If I were to guess it comes from Lex's own inability to communicate. I think this trait of his also manifests as his disgust towards elitism and looking down on others, even while selectively choosing who has fallen victim to these traits. He's a lot like the Liberal's he and his guests are always after. After the Russia invasion of Ukraine he released a long apology infront of one of his episodes that would be indistinguishable from an apology out of 'Wokeistan'. It was filled with sincere humility, and promises to in the future to "be more careful with his language"," 'Do the work' and listen to opposing views' and actually be better (whatever that means). I think he's very persuadable by people he idolizes and does not do well with conflict. He is very warped inside his own bubble. He's not a good interviewer. The right was furious with how he interviewed the Pfizer CEO, oddly enough the Pfizer CEO seemed pretty annoyed he was brining up fringe conspiracy theroies. I thought he had a very good intro to that interview where he explained why he interviewed the way he did. Last thing. I literally do not know how this man functions in daily life. As I said earlier, I see a lot of him in me. He is so indecisive. I've found ways to turn off this crippling trait but he seems to see it as a virtue. He once said he has trouble not reading every anonymous email he receives because what if the long ass Machine Learning paper he was sent by a no name really does unlock Artificial Intelligence like it claims to? If his actions truly match his rhetoric I would expect him to be dead right now due to not prioritizing basic nutrition and hygiene. Sorry for the run on sentences. I can't help it....And self conscious about it after you called someone else out on it during your last episode :)
Tom
2022-06-15 17:51:21 +0000 UTCI remember watching that day in the life video and thinking, riiiiight :)
Nick Wiebe
2022-06-15 14:30:35 +0000 UTCLove the ergonomic management keyboard... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkK23-g-r7A
Robert Andrews
2022-06-15 13:07:10 +0000 UTCI always chalked up his unusual demeanor, idealized thoughts on love, emotional immaturity/gullibility and lifestyle to being on the spectrum. Seems like a sincere guy whose heart is in a good place and is genuinely trying to be the very best Lex he can be. Eccentric and kind.
jill leslie
2022-06-15 11:38:23 +0000 UTCHe has really low affect, the Travis Bickle of influencers. Possibly just permanently exhausted from his brutal regime of self-control! That said, he's oddly likeable too. It'll be fascinated to hear what you think.
Gavin Boyter
2022-06-15 10:33:31 +0000 UTCMaybe tough one? Seems self aware and just kinda an odd human, but then yeah, the vibes are off putting? Looking forward to your breakdown! :) thanks for the stimulating convos, cheers
bron stoll-engelsen
2022-06-15 08:32:11 +0000 UTCGood TWIV episode to note below, but Prof Racaniello's pick of the week has perplexed me for sometime: 01:44:15 to 01:47:43 Keep your ears going for 01:46:35 on, inconsistent with hospitality commitment statement in Lex tensor keto YouTube. https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-796/
Nobody
2022-06-15 07:13:00 +0000 UTCI’ve been wary of Lex for a while, without much to go on beyond his IDW-infused guest list, icky Michael Malice bromance, and apparent inability to push back on anyone ever. Another waver of the calm-soft-spoken-guy-just-asking-questions red flag, his recent Rogan appearance—complete with appalling thoughts on gun violence—helped clarify why he’s not usually the interviewee. Psyched for this one!
Rasterisk
2022-06-15 06:22:31 +0000 UTC
