Robin Hanson

Robin Hanson highlights our collective blindness to the decay of cultural systems that sustain societal norms. Using an analogy of passengers on an automated plane, he illustrates how we often fail to recognize underlying systemic issues amidst petty conflicts. A poll reveals that while most worry about government failures, few express concern over the erosion of cultural variety, status norms, and activism - the bedrock of cultural evolution. Hanson argues that this oversight allows harmful social drifts, like declining birth rates driven by misaligned status incentives. Raising awareness of impending 'system decay' across vital cultural spheres is crucial for course-correcting societal trajectories.