Go read my friend Eyal's recent post on Rehumanization

+ some thoughts on the idea of a humanity-first view of the future.

Feb 01, 2023

My friend

—dialectician, guide, and podcast host—has been producing some spicy pieces lately, and I think you should read them, especially his last one on Dehumanization vs Rehumanization.

Deep Dive Podcast

We've Been Dehumanized for Too Long

“Hey Eyal, tell that joke again, it’s hilarious.” I wasn’t in the mood for telling that joke, though. And being told to felt *dehumanizing* in some way, you know? You know. When we are asked to do something that is strictly for someone else’s self-perceived benefit, we feel more like a tool than a living being…

3 years ago · 3 likes · 8 comments · Eyal Shay 🔥

Eyal argues that we have lost touch with a part of our humanity by focusing too much on money (or what awesome things money can get you).

I agree with his premise and have even written about that in the past—one of my first essays, 3+ years ago, actually—where I argue that we should take a humanity-first approach to build a brighter future. In that essay, I argue that we’ve leaned too much on technology to “save us,” to the detriment of our humanity.

We’ve seen it over recent years even, with members of the Effective Altruism movement realizing that not everything can be rationalized or designed (by us puny apes) into an effective or altruistic outcome without unforeseen second-order effects.

using money as a way to measure “goodness” is putting the cart before the horse.

So Eyal’s idea is not totally new to me, but he describes it with eloquence, detail, and great analogies—like the dialectician he is.

Regards,

Jibran

Jibran's Journal

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