What's Our Problem? cover art

What's Our Problem?

A Self-Help Book for Societies

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What's Our Problem?

By: Tim Urban
Narrated by: Tim Urban
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About this listen

From the creator of the wildly popular blog Wait but Why, a fun and fascinating deep dive into what the hell is going on in our strange, unprecedented modern times.

Between 2013 and 2016, Tim Urban became one of the world’s most popular bloggers, writing dozens of viral long-form articles about everything from AI to colonizing Mars to procrastination. Then, he turned his attention to a new topic: the society around him. Why was everything such a mess? Why was everyone acting like such a baby? When did things get so tribal? Why do humans do this stuff?

This massive topic sent Tim tumbling down his deepest rabbit hole yet, through mountains of history, evolutionary psychology, political theory, neuroscience, and modern-day political movements, as he tried to figure out the answer to a simple question: What’s our problem?

Six years later, he emerged from the hole with this book. Narrated by the author, What’s Our Problem? is a deep and expansive analysis of our modern times, in the classic style of Wait but Why, packed with original concepts and sticky metaphors. The book provides an entirely new framework and language for thinking and talking about today’s complex world. Instead of focusing on the usual left-center-right horizontal political axis, which is all about what we think, the book introduces a vertical axis that explores how we think, as individuals and as groups. Listeners will find themselves on a delightful and fascinating journey that will ultimately change the way they see the world around them.

Anyway, he wanted to say a lot more about all of this, but there was a word limit on this book description, so just go listen to the book.

©2023 Tim Urban (P)2023 Tim Urban
Politics & Government Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Thought-Provoking Feel-Good Self Help Societies

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All stars
Most relevant  
An honest and unbiased challenge to hold ourselves to higher standards of thinking.

important to read, even if you don't agree, actually, especially if you don't fully agree with his point of view. as that's the whole point. hiding from valid argument or criticism only serves to blind us from reality and enables very dangerous behaviours from all sections of society.

Puts all my recent feelings into simple words

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Well written and narrated. Unpacks the mechanisms the many politicians use.
It's a pity that he focuses on BLM movement almost entirely rather than balancing the far left and the far right.
But as he's a great friend of Elon Musk I guess that's not too surprising.

Great insights into some key challenges we face

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Potentially the most important book of the decade or even this century. I only hope another book like this needs to be written because we can learn all we need to here. However, I somehow doubt this will be the end of SNF. Perhaps the beginning of the end though. Thanks for efforts.

Every potential student should read this

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Really interesting, I love Tim’s Waitbutwhy blog and this is written in the same style but with much more depth into just one topic. He sums it all up so clearly and has actually really changed my view on things. I’ll be recommending this to all my friends, 5 stars!

5 stars!

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... in an otherwise noisy world.

Tim's intellectual honesty can be felt throughout despite falling a little short at times in my opinion, but at the end of the day he's aware that he's human too and clearly strives to take the nuanced approach to understand what's really going on in the US (but also the west more generally, albeit to a lesser extent) right now. Excellent book, highly recommended esp if you've always felt somewhat "In the middle" when everyone around you is telling you to take sides.

A much needed dose of clear thinking...

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Do we expect anything less from Tim? The illustrations are amazing and the content richly educational.

Great, as always

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A deep dive on the threat to democracy and freedom by extreme ideas and ideologis. Should be read by all people living in the free world.

How democracy dies

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Takes the “taking everything back to first principles” concept which I always loved about the wait but why posts, and applies it to the biggest issue facing the world over the last few years. Enlightening

Spot on

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I have already recommended this book to many others and am about to start listening again. A much needed exploration of many issues and challenges emerging today and some ideas about how to navigate them.

This is the book I needed to hear!

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A concise interpretation of political and cultural representation in societies, well researched and delivered. God help us!

Genius. Thank you Tim

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