Ryan

“The takeaway from all these observations is that our species seems, somehow, to derive more benefit from speaking than from listening.”
― Kevin Simler, The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life

“do well to turn Matthew 7:1 on its head: “Judge freely, and accept that you too will be judged.”
― Kevin Simler, The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life

“Now, your skill as a speaker can manifest itself in a variety of ways. You might simply have encyclopedic knowledge about many topics. Or you might be intelligent, able to deduce new facts and explanations on the fly. Or you might have sharp eyes and ears, able to notice things that other people miss. Or you might be plugged into valuable sources of information, always on top of the latest news, gossip, and trends. But listeners may not particularly care how you’re able to impress, as long as you’re consistently able to do so. If you’re a reliable source of new information, you’re likely to make a good teammate, especially as the team faces unforeseeable situations in the future. In other words, listeners care less about the tools you share with them; they’re really salivating over your backpack.”
― Kevin Simler, The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life

“The price of eternal vigilance is indifference.”
― Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man