The secret of humanity? It's common knowledge (Steven Pinker)
- Nov 3, 2025
- 1 min read
I just finished listening to the episode of People I (Mostly) Admire featuring Steven Pinker, and wow, what a guest! He’s both fascinating and soothing to listen to. There were so many moments I loved. It’s a light, refreshingly interesting episode, and honestly, I think you’ll really enjoy it. Just trust me!
It will make you think, and then think again, about the everyday behaviours and assumptions we all encounter (or enact ourselves).
Around the 40-minute mark he talks about cancel culture, and says soemthing that really stuck with me:
“It’s more natural for people to think that what you believe or express is a sign of whether you’re a good or a bad person.”
He also puts it this way:
“How can you pass some moral judgment on a claim of something being either true or false? You might be wrong, but you’re not bad.”
That idea captures so much of what
Think & Think Again is about; recognising that disagreement doesn’t make someone a bad person. It’s about creating space to listen, learn, and realise that most people, even when we see things differently, are just… people. (Though yes, there are always a few odd ones out there!)
This is a good piece. My sense of what common knowledge is these days is that there is little common knowledge. Tribalism seems to be the ethos these days, where opinions are hardened creating dysfunctional societies.
This was fascinating, thank you!