Human power comes from our intelligence and ability to tell stories and cooperate. But are these truly our best qualities? For all our power, we are still on the verge of destroying ourselves and our ecosystem. Our deepest insights come from compassion and introspection. Our best qualities are non-verbal. Listen to this podcast conversation with @lexfridman, from July 2023, on bit.ly/ynhfridman #humanintelligence #storytelling #humanity #writing #stories #writer #compassion

2023 has been a very exciting year. That’s a big problem. The word “exciting” is the most misunderstood word in today’s English. When you meet someone new, it is common to say “I am so excited to meet you”. When you visit a new place, you say “I am excited to be here”. When you want to praise an idea you say “what an exciting idea”. Apparently, people think “excited” means happy, and excitement is always good for us. But excitement can sometimes be the opposite of happiness. Negative emotions like outrage and fear greatly excite people. When the body senses danger, the nerves flash emergency messages, the neurons fire rapidly, and the whole body is excited. In 2023 the entire world has been far too excited. Nowhere is the epidemic of excitement more evident than in politics. The world is flooded with exciting politicians who create exciting news. We desperately need more boring politicians. To flourish, humans certainly need to be excited sometimes – about people, places, and ideas – but we also need to wind down. Next time you meet someone, try saying “I am relaxed to meet you”. I hope 2024 will be a relaxing year.