2018 Was a Year to Forget. Really.

Our memory for the details of real-life events is poor, according to a recent study.

Seven MIT students took a one hour walk through Cambridge, MA. A day later, they were presented with one second video clips they may or may not have seen during their walk (the “foils” were taken from another person's recording). Mean recognition accuracy was 55.7%, barely better than guessing.¹

Minimal recognition memory for detailed events. Dashed line is chance performance. Adapted from Fig. 2 of Misra et al. (2018).


How did the researchers capture the details of what was seen during each person's stroll about town (2.1 miles / 3.5 km)? They were fitted with eye tracking glasses to follow their eye movements (because you can't remember what you don't see), and a GoPro camera was mounted on a helmet.

from Fig. 1 (Misra et al., 2018).

One problem with this setup, however, was that the eye tracking data had to be excluded. The overwhelmingly bright summer sun prevented the eye tracker from obtaining accurate images of the pupil. Thus, Experiment 2 was performed inside the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with a separate group of 10 students.

from Fig. 1 (Misra et al., 2018).

Recognition performance was better in Experiment 2. Mean accuracy was 63.2% — well above chance (p=.0005) — but still not great. Participants correctly identified clips they had seen 59% of the time, and correctly rejected clips they hadn't seen 67% of the time. One participant (#4) was really good, and you'll notice the individual differences below.

Dashed line is chance performance. Adapted from Fig. 2 of Misra et al. (2018).

In Exp. 2, the investigators were able to look at the influence of eye fixations on memory performance. Not surprisingly, people were better at remembering what they looked at (fixated on), but this only held for certain categories of items: talking people, objects rated as “distinctive” (but not distinctive faces), and paintings (but not sculptures).

Fig. 4 (Misra et al., 2018).

How do the authors interpret this finding? We don't necessarily pay attention to everything we look at.

“What subjects fixated on also correlated with performance (Fig. 4), but it is clear that subjects did not remember everything that they laid eyes on. There is extensive literature showing that subjects may not pay attention or be conscious of what they are fixating on. Therefore, it is quite likely that, in several instances, subjects may have fixated on an object without necessarily paying attention to that object. Additionally, attention is correlated with the encoding of events into memory. Thus, the current results are consistent with the notion that eye fixations correlate with episodic memory but they are neither necessary nor sufficient for successful episodic memory formation.”

For me personally, 2018 was a year to forget.² Yet, certain tragic images are etched into my mind, cropping up at inopportune times to traumatize me all over again. That's a very different topic for another time and place.


May your 2019 brighten the sky.

The number 2019 is written in the air with a sparkler near a tourist camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on January 1, 2019. (The Atlantic)


Footnotes

¹ However:

“Two subjects from Experiment I were excluded from the analyses. One of these subjects had a score of 96%, which was well above the performance of any of the other subjects (Figure 2). The weather conditions on the day of the walk for this subject were substantially different, and this subject could thus easily recognize his own video clips purely from assessing the weather conditions. Another subject was excluded 260 because he responded 'yes' >90% of the trials.”

² See:

I should have done this by now...

The Lie of Precision Medicine

Derealization / Dying

There Is a Giant Hole Where My Heart Used To Be

How to Reconstruct Your Life After a Major Loss


Reference

Misra P, Marconi A, Peterson M, Kreiman G. (2018). Minimal memory for details in real life events. Sci Rep. 8(1):16701.

We forget most of our lives... Misra et al, Scientific Reports 2018. https://t.co/iK3E6c8mvB pic.twitter.com/ern3QQVWJm

— Gabriel Kreiman (@gkreiman) November 16, 2018

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CT Ranks High on Study of Psychopathy by Location

Washington D.C. has the highest number of psychopaths, according to a nation-wide study. But Connecticut ranked second overall and first per capita. The research, conducted by Ryan Murphy, Ph.D., research...

from Psych Central Professional http://bit.ly/2BTXWml
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The Vitamin That Helps Prevents Depression

Increased intake of this vitamin is particularly important for reducing depression risk.

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Can Self-Care and Hard Work Co-exist?

Self-care. Hard Work. We don’t normally think of them together.

We think of self-care as passive and sensitive: relaxing, taking “us” time, listening to our bodies.

Hard work, we associate with action and strength: digging deep, never losing focus, going for the goal. Compared to hard work, self-care feels “soft.”

Yet many of history’s most accomplished people considered self-care an integral part of their success. Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule designated time for reading, music, conversation, and diversion. Oprah starts each morning with twenty minutes of meditation. During his time in the White House, Barak Obama woke up 2 hours early to exercise. These people exemplify those who see self-care as a necessary piece of their lives. So why do so many of us think self-care is a luxury?

First, we think self-care is optional.

Self-care has become associated with R&R, rest and relaxation. We picture spas, long walks, and cups of tea. Indulgence. Something for people who have time to relax, time to “be happy.”

Second, we think hard work means sacrifice.  

We believe in order to work hard, we must deprioritize our happiness. By abandoning self-care, we show the world that we value our goal(s) more than we value self-indulgence. We see people who prioritize self-care as lazy, unwilling to put in the sacrifice it takes to be successful.  

It’s time to change that thinking.

What is Self-Care Really?

Begin with the definition of self-care: “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness.” The key word is active. Self-care is not a passive practice. It is actively identifying and fulfilling our needs.

What are needs? Needs are the things our bodies and minds request to operate at the level of well-being we desire. When your blood sugar is low, your need is to raise it. When you’re tired, your need may be to rest, or to engage in energy-raising activity.

When we do not address our needs, they weigh on us. We can ignore them for a while, but it takes energy. Energy we would rather use for hard work.

Self-care occurs anytime we recognize a need and address it. If you need to raise your blood sugar, your self-care is to eat. If you’re tired, your self-care might be a nap, going to the gym, or any activity that makes you less tired. Self-care is a tool. It allows us to maintain our well-being and focus our attention where we want it. Self-care is hard work’s wingman.

Sometimes self-care isn’t as effective as we want. Humans are complicated. We misidentify a need, or the self-care we think will work simply doesn’t, or we just have a low day. But like any tool, the more we use it, the more effective it becomes.

The Two Types of Self-Care

One way we can break down self-care is to divide it into two categories: growth and recovery.

• Growth Self-Care: This is self-care we perform with the intention of self-improvement: exercise, taking a class, seeing friends, making something, etc. These tend to involve some level of energetic output.
• Recovery Self-Care: When we have used a lot of energy, recovery self-care is how we recharge. Taking a shower, playing video games, changing into comfortable clothing, a nap… often times recovery self-care includes more traditional R&R practices.  

Some activities fit both categories. To one person, playing an instrument might be growth self-care, if he or she focuses on improvement. To another, there’s no desire to improve but playing provides recovery self-care that helps them unwind. 

When our needs change, our self-care changes. After a boring day at the office, growth self-care may give us energy. After a busy day, a stay-at-home parent may require recovery self-care, a chance to rest and recharge. On the other hand, an exhausting day at the office may call for recovery self-care, and a slow day at home may result in a craving for growth.

We often believe that growth self-care is “better,” which makes sense–our society values dedication and effort. It is more in our nature to tell ourselves “I worked hard at the gym today” than “I worked hard lying on the couch watching TV today.” There’s nothing wrong with preferring one type over the other, as long as we acknowledge each has a time and place.

Choosing the Right Self-Care

The trick to self-care is learning to identify the self-care practices that work for us. This is harder than it sounds — is wearing your favorite sweater self-care? Petting a neighborhood cat? Ignoring a text? Taking a taxi instead of the subway?

We can explore our self-care using 3 steps: collecting data, categorizing, and reflecting.

• Collecting Data: Start a log of 3-5 things you enjoyed throughout the day. Some people call this a gratitude journal, but it doesn’t require any journaling, a simple list will do. This is a concrete way to begin acquiring an understanding of a very basic thing–what makes you feel good? It doesn’t need to be activities- it can be something as simple as a thought (“I enjoyed thinking about what I’m going to wear during my vacation next month”) or an experience (“I enjoyed the taste of my chocolate chip cookie.”) For many of us, we think well-being is abstract, and we have no idea about the small, day-to-day things that bring us enjoyment. Yes, a spa day is a lovely occasion, but for many of us a hot shower is a reality we can experience every day.
• Categorizing: After keeping a journal for a few weeks, sit down and categorize it into growth or recovery self-care. Reorganizing your closet? Probably growth. Coming home and changing into pajamas? Perhaps recovery. Some things may fall into both categories, which is fine. This isn’t black and white, just a way to see how we use the tool of self-care.
• Reflecting: Once you’ve categorized your self-care, explore it. This is the fun part! Are there repetitions? Is growth or recovery more common? If so, can you guess why? Was it hard to make a list every day? Are there self-care practices that feel more potent than others?

When we do this, we begin to explore whether our current self-care strategies meet our needs. For example: you feel lonely and decide to spend time with friends, but afterwards feel exhausted. Perhaps you need a different form of self-care, or additional self-practices to address this feeling.      

Take It Slow

We do best when we don’t jump into any big changes, but start looking at self-care with curiosity. The worst thing we can do is attempt a “self-care makeover,” declaring 10+ new things we will do every day. Like any extreme lifestyle change, it often fails. Instead, we can begin by asking three simple questions:

1. What is my hard work today?
2. What are my needs today?
3. What self-care could fulfill them?

When we explore these concepts gradually, we begin to see how they work (and don’t work) for us. Each of us is different, with our own needs and self-care practices.

Finally, do self-care and hard work HAVE to co-exist?

The answer is… maybe. It depends on how we define hard work, and how we identify our needs. For one person, spending 15 hours focused on a task may leave them perfectly happy. For others, it may leave them needing to address several needs.

When we start to understand the relationship between self-care and hard work, we see the value in letting them work together. Self-care is not an obstacle to hard work; our needs are the obstacles. Self-care is the way we clear the path.

Most importantly, recognize that self-care is not indulgent; it is a tool. Don’t leave it in the corner. Pull it out, learn to use it, and build.  

from Psych Central http://bit.ly/2CI0Vjc
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How Do I Cope?

From a teen in Indonesia: I am a 19 y.o. female who experiences abuse since childhood (verbally and physically) from my caregiver and was diagnosed with chronic depression. However, I feel like my symptomps are more compatible with C-PTSD. Another disturbing feeling I experienced but not listed in the C-PTSD symptomps is a sense of sadness and loss of momentary joy when I part with my friends. I also feel like though I have friends that (supposedly) dear me, I also feel like I’m alone and can’t depend/open up to them because I feel like I’m being bothersome. I feel like I have no one I could really rely on and it could be frustratingly lonely sometimes. I have a difficult time putting my feelings to words and I feel like nobody can really understand.
My question is: are those normal feelings someone with C-PTSD experiences or is there something else going on with me?

I live in a small city in South Asia and the psychiatrists I saw are not familiar with C-PTSD. Please kindly help answer my worries. Thank you.

I’m very glad you wrote. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) identifies complex PTSD as a separate condition, though the DSM-5 currently does not. Although you believe that your doctors are unfamiliar with the disorder, I suspect they are. If not, they can learn about it on the internet just as you did.

I don’t know enough about you to answer whether it is an appropriate diagnosis for you.  What matters to me is not the label but your level of distress and your level of functioning.

Some of what you describe is common for someone your age. The teen years are a time when people figure out who they are and who they feel most comfortable with socially. It is not unusual to go through periods of doubt about friends, feelings of being misunderstood, and worries about how to express one’s own feelings. Because it is usual doesn’t make it any less painful. But it’s important to sort out what is mental illness and what is developmental. Your provider can help you with this.

I hope you are able to see a therapist regularly to learn ways to cope with depression. You might also find it supportive to join one of the forums here at PsychCentral.

Just a friendly reminder: Get enough sleep. Eat well. Get outside for some exercise each day. I know. I know. This may not sound like psychological advice. But, trust me. Taking care of the body is an important part of taking care of our mental health. If you wait until you “feel like” doing these things, they aren’t likely to happen. It’s important to do the best you can to do them every day whether you “feel like it” or not. Doing them will make you feel at least somewhat better.

I wish you well.
Dr. Marie

 

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Podcast: New Year’s Resolutions from a Bipolar and a Schizophrenic

Just because your living with mental illness, doesn’t mean you don’t believe in all the weird superstitious customs our society loves so much. In this episode our hosts discuss their hopes for the new year, the resolutions they made, and how to have a good 2019 in spite of living with bipolar or schizophrenia.

Listen in now!

 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

“If you’re not going to keep your resolutions, don’t beat yourself up by making them!”
– Gabe Howard

 

Highlights From ‘Bipolar & Schizophrenic New Year’s Resolutions’ Episode

[1:00] What are a Michelle and Gabe doing For the New Year?

[3:00] What are our New Year’s resolutions?

[9:00] Personal opinions on New Year’s resolutions

[14:30] Gabe and Michelle pick resolutions for each other (hilarity ensues)

[21:00] Should we thank people from the past?

[23:00] What are some nice things we can do for ourselves?

Computer Generated Transcript for ‘Bipolar & Schizophrenic New Year’s Resolutions’ Show

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript has been computer generated and therefore may contain inaccuracies and grammar errors. Thank you.

Announcer: [00:00:07] For reasons that utterly escape everyone involved, you’re listening to A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast. Here are your hosts, Gabe Howard and Michelle Hammer.

Gabe: [00:00:19] Happy New Year everyone! Well, almost. New Year’s Eve is tonight. Or if you’re listening to this, like, on January 5th, New Year’s Eve was a week ago. But for Michelle and I, we are going to celebrate New Year’s Eve in America in less than 12 hours. Oh yeah. And you’re listening to A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast. I’m Gabe. I’m bipolar.

Michelle: [00:00:43] And I’m Michelle I’m schizophrenic.

Gabe: [00:00:45] And Michelle is from a New York City, so her New Year’s Eve plans are just infinitely better than mine. Michelle, are you going to go to Times Square and watch the ball drop?

Michelle: [00:00:55] Absolutely not.

Gabe: [00:00:57] Have you done it?

Michelle: [00:00:58] Never have never will.

Gabe: [00:01:00] Wow. So even though the entire country is watching this thing and it’s like a half an hour from your house you’re just avoiding the whole thing.

Michelle: [00:01:07] You have to get there before 6:00.

Gabe: [00:01:10] Oh, so you’re already you’ve already missed it.

Michelle: [00:01:12] Yeah.

Gabe: [00:01:12] You’ve already missed it. But you’ve never been, even though you’ve lived in New York your entire life?

Michelle: [00:01:17] Correct. Why would I want to stand outside, in the freezing cold, squished?

Gabe: [00:01:22] Have you ever been to the Rockefeller Christmas Tree?

Michelle: [00:01:25] I’ve seen it.

Gabe: [00:01:26] So you’re Jewish, and you’ve gone to the Christmas tree but you’re an American in New York and you’ve never seen the ball drop?

Michelle: [00:01:32] The only time I’ve been to the Christmas tree was that I was with my friend from New Zealand who was visiting and she says she wants to see the tree.

Gabe: [00:01:39] Gotcha. So if I come to New York, you’ll go to Times Square to watch the ball drop because I will be visiting.

Michelle: [00:01:46] No, it’s too cold.

Gabe: [00:01:47] Oh, you should make a New Year’s resolution to go out in the cold. Just because you weigh 90 pounds doesn’t mean that you have to freeze. They have excellent technology in coats.

Michelle: [00:01:58] Get me a heated coat.

Gabe: [00:01:59] Get you a heated coat?

Michelle: [00:02:01] Let me know. Yeah.

Gabe: [00:02:02] I’m going to buy you a coat. Set it on fire and put it on you.

Michelle: [00:02:07] Great idea. Gabe, yes. That’s exactly the way you should do it. Light a coat on fire. Yeah. In Times Square. Great. Great plan there. Yeah.

Gabe: [00:02:18] I didn’t say it was a great plan.

Michelle: [00:02:20] A coat on fire in the middle of Times Square on New Year’s. You’re not gonna cause any ruckus.

Gabe: [00:02:25] That’s funny. Michelle, what are your New Year’s resolutions? Now we took some time with this. We just,like, planned this out. We thought long and hard about New Year’s resolutions and we came up with our own New Year’s resolutions and then we each came up with a New Year’s resolution for each other.

Michelle: [00:02:44] Oh, we did?

Gabe: [00:02:45] Oh. I mean, I came up with several for you.

Michelle: [00:02:47] But I came up with a few for you.

Gabe: [00:02:47] Yeah?

Michelle: [00:02:47] Yeah, I can come up with a few for you.

Gabe: [00:02:50] [unintelligible]

Michelle: [00:02:50] [unintelligible] Even now you don’t even know what we are.

Gabe: [00:02:54] You get one.

Michelle: [00:02:54] Huh-uh.

Gabe: [00:02:56] No, you get one.

Michelle: [00:02:56] Huh-uh.

Gabe: [00:02:57] You get one.

Michelle: [00:02:58] Huh-uh.

Gabe: [00:02:58] You get one.

Michelle: [00:02:58] Huh-uh.

Gabe: [00:02:59] You get one. What is your first New Year’s resolution, Michelle?

Michelle: [00:03:01] Our resolutions, that we decided on, are kind of to improve our mental health in a way. What resolution could we do that will improve our mental health in some sort of way? Well here’s our resolution I have for myself; I will not sleep but definitely get up at 10 a.m. in the morning.

Gabe: [00:03:21] That one’s a lie. Oh wait, we’re not we’re not playing “Two Truths and a Lie.” I thought we were playing Two Truths and a Lie. I apologize.

Michelle: [00:03:30] That is my resolution.

Gabe: [00:03:30] That one’s the lie.

Michelle: [00:03:32] I want to add to my resolution. It’s my resolution! You don’t believe in my resolution, Gabe?

Gabe: [00:03:37] No. No I don’t.

Michelle: [00:03:41] This is nice. I was not meant to be funny. That is not a joke!

Gabe: [00:03:45] [Laughter]

Michelle: [00:03:51] What is your resolution? I wish. I’m going to visit. See my hair doesn’t grow red. And then maybe like that is a lie.

Gabe: [00:03:58] Actually I could meet that resolution because since I started working with you I have a lot of white and grey hair growing in.

Michelle: [00:04:04] You sound like one of those old people now.

Gabe: [00:04:07] I am one of those old people now.

Michelle: [00:04:09] Well, I don’t like that you don’t like my resolution.

Gabe: [00:04:10] I didn’t say that I didn’t like your resolution. It is an excellent resolution. I just that it was a lie.

Michelle: [00:04:19] But it’s a resolution, not a lie. It’s a resolution. Will it happen?

Gabe: [00:04:25] There is some psychological research on achieving resolutions. So step one is to have a New Year’s resolution. Your resolutions is to get up by 10:00 a.m. every day. Step two is to have a plan for how you plan to achieve it. So we’ve established step one what is your plan for achieving this resolution, Michelle?

Michelle: [00:04:45] You see, I haven’t come up with that yet. I was going to set some alarms and then remember my New Year’s resolution.

Gabe: [00:04:54] Do you remember when I showed you that subscription service that will call you until you wake up? It’s like twenty four dollars a month and it will literally just keep calling you until you recite the alphabet.

Michelle: [00:05:05] That would have been a really nice holiday gift.

Gabe: [00:05:08] I don’t? We don’t exchange for Hanukkah or Christmas. Why would I get you a gift?

Michelle: [00:05:11] Because of Judah Maccabee.

Gabe: [00:05:17] Judah Maccabee?

Michelle: [00:05:23] Torah character.

Gabe: [00:05:23] I’d like to inform our listeners that we had an attempt to make a joke, but it really just kind of came out anti-Semitic and we apologize. Moving right along. Michelle, so you don’t have a plan but you have a hope. What you have is a wish you wish that you could wake up by 10:00 a.m. but without a plan you are likely to fail at this.

Michelle: [00:05:47] I guess.

Gabe: [00:05:49] Now do you want to fail? Is this something that you’re saying on the podcast like, “[mockingly] I want to get up by 10:00 because I’m going to be a better person.” Or is it is this an actual goal of yours?

Michelle: [00:05:58] I really want to get up at 10.

Gabe: [00:06:01] I know that you really want to get up at 10:00, and I really want to lose weight. But my plan so far is to eat as many cupcakes as I can and hope the weight magically drops off. My New Year’s resolution this year is not to lose weight. You know why? Because I have no plan. I’m never going to lose the weight. I’m just a fat ass and I’ve accepted it. Also, have you seen the pictures of us together? There is no way I can lose enough weight to not look ridiculous. I am 6 foot 3 and you are 5 foot 2. And even if I lost 100 pounds, I would still look ridiculous standing next to you. So I’ve just given up. I’ve just given up. I’m gonna get fatter.

Michelle: [00:06:36] I don’t think that’s the way you should look at it. Your saying that you could never achieve the perfect body so you should just get fatter.

Gabe: [00:06:44] No, I’m saying that standing next to Michelle Hammer and in all of our publicity photos, I’m always gonna look fat and ridiculous because you’re so compact and tiny. Also, you’re pretty and I am not. So I think that rather than look like the guy who’s trying to look good standing next to the attractive young woman, I should just be the ugly guy. I’m basically – I’m Steve Buscemi. I’m just trying to Steve Buscemi this. He didn’t try to be handsome. He just stared right into the ugly.

Michelle: [00:07:11] Yeah. So what is your resolution?

Gabe: [00:07:16] My resolution, and I think that you will appreciate this resolution, is to be more understanding of all the deadlines that you miss because you overslept. My plan to achieve this is to raise all of my medications to a higher level and to practice radical acceptance. I accept that you suck.

Michelle: [00:07:40] That is the stupidest resolution I’ve ever heard.

Gabe: [00:07:45] What would be an example of a good resolution? I’m going to start getting up at 10 with no plan even though I never have in 30 years on this planet?

Michelle: [00:07:51] Listen, you think you know. But you have no idea.

Gabe: [00:07:56] That actually brings us to another psychological trick to help keep New Year’s resolutions, and that is consequences. Consequences for action. It sort of works on the swear jar basis. So if you swear, you put a dollar in the jar. What is the consequence if you break your New Year’s resolutions? So if you sleep past 10 what punishment are you going to impose on yourself?

Michelle: [00:08:17] What did they call [unintelligible] flatulence? Flat lists?

Gabe: [00:08:21] You’re gonna fart? What?

Michelle: [00:08:30] The people that whip themselves. I just saw on TV the other day. You know the witches.

Gabe: [00:08:37] So, if you sleep past ten you’re going to beat yourself?

Michelle: [00:08:41] What’s that called when you beat yourself with the whip or something?

Gabe: [00:08:47] Schizophrenia. You need to be reasonable in your consequence. Otherwise you won’t follow it. Like in the swear jar. You have to put in a dollar. A dollar will be like, “Oh my God I’ve got to put in a dollar.” There’s the act of putting it in and then in front of, like, your peers.

Michelle: [00:09:03] Why do people do swear jars? What’s so wrong about swearing? Can we talk about that? You didn’t like my new year’s resolution, but yours sucks, so I don’t really understand. Give me a real resolution.

Gabe: [00:09:17] My real resolution this year is not to make any resolutions.

Michelle: [00:09:21] That’s dumb.

Gabe: [00:09:24] That’s true. My honest to goodness New Year’s resolution is [unintelligible].

Michelle: [00:09:27] That would have been your last year’s resolution.

Gabe: [00:09:29] I didn’t make any last year for this very reason. I am so tired at failing. Because then you know, that that’s the thing. If you’re not going to keep your resolution don’t beat yourself up. And I think this is important especially for our community to understand.

Michelle: [00:09:42] It’s called a measurable goal.

Gabe: [00:09:43] Well it is. One, it is called a measurable goal but to if you’re not going to do it like for example let’s use that everybody’s favorite New Year’s resolution is weight loss. If you have no plan to actually lose weight or be healthier, don’t make the resolution because now you’re not going to lose weight and you’re gonna beat yourself up for failing. So instead of having one problem, which is that you’re overweight, you have two problems. That you’re an overweight failure. So it’s better just not to make the resolution. But sincerely, my honest resolution this year is to get up earlier as well. Now I can’t get up at 10 o’clock, but I’ve noticed that I am more productive if I get up earlier. You know my wife gets up at 5:00 a.m.

Michelle: [00:10:22] That’s – she cray.

Gabe: [00:10:23] Yeah. She’s straight up cray. I’m bipolar she’s nuts. Yeah, it works.

Michelle: [00:10:27] I’m schizophrenic, I don’t wake up at 5:00. She cray.

Gabe: [00:10:29] Yeah. But, I would like to get up by 6:30.

Michelle: [00:10:36] You cray.

Gabe: [00:10:36] I just, I do think that I’m more productive in the morning. As the day drains on, I get less and less productive. So that tells me that I would probably accomplish more if I got up earlier. But it is difficult, because you are more of a . . .  well you don’t get up untill noon most days.

Michelle: [00:10:53] I stay up late.

Gabe: [00:10:54] Yeah, but you don’t work late. It’s not like you get a lot of work done overnight and I wake up in the morning to it.

Michelle: [00:11:00] This is true.

Gabe: [00:11:03] Just out of curiosity, can one of your New Year’s resolutions be to have work hours? I don’t care what they are. Your work hours can be midnight to 8. But right now your work hours are – eh.

Michelle: [00:11:12] My work hours are flexible.

Gabe: [00:11:19] Yeah. Another word for flexible is, I don’t know when to work so I don’t.

Michelle: [00:11:25] Then how is this podcast playing for these people right now who are listening?

Gabe: [00:11:29] Because I did all the work.

Michelle: [00:11:30] No you didn’t.

Gabe: [00:11:31] You’re not even here.

Michelle: [00:11:33] You did not upload this.

Gabe: [00:11:35] I have a Casio synthesizer with all of Michelle’s catch phrases in it and I just press them.

Michelle: [00:11:40] That’s not even funny, because you never know what I’m going to say.

Gabe: [00:11:44] Yeah, that was B flat.

Michelle: [00:11:45] No, it’s not.

Gabe: [00:11:46] That was C.

Michelle: [00:11:46] D E F G where I want to know a [unintellible] says takes a popping.

Gabe: [00:11:55] Remember that plan we had? We were gonna record you, like, apologizing? Like you’re right, Gabe, I shouldn’t have done that. We’re just gonna record them all and give them to our producer so that anytime there was a podcast where you were just unrepentantly awful, we would just, you know. You’re just like I beat up a guy and I kicked him. Do you feel bad about it now? And we just insert, yes, I feel bad. I should not have done that that would have been phenomenal. Can we do that? Record some right now?

Michelle: [00:12:22] I’m really sorry Gabe. It was the wrong thing to do.

Gabe: [00:12:29] Yes.

Michelle: [00:12:29] I really deserved to be fired that time.

Gabe: [00:12:33] Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

Michelle: [00:12:36] I shouldn’t have yelled at that person.

Gabe: [00:12:37] Mm hmm. Maybe throw one in for your mom. My mom was right, I was mean to her. Good good good. Maybe another one now.

Michelle: [00:12:53] She’s really good at cooking.

Gabe: [00:12:56] That’s it? The only thing you can say about your mom? Maybe one of your New Year’s resolutions should be to be nicer to your mother.

Michelle: [00:13:02] Perhaps. Maybe, maybe, I need to be a little more understanding.

Gabe: [00:13:05] Do you have a plan to be more understanding?

Michelle: [00:13:08] Well, you just told me this right now, Gabe. So I didn’t come up with a plan within three seconds.

Gabe: [00:13:14] So that’s a no. I just don’t think you’re prepared. I’m sorry I’m gonna have to let you go.

Michelle: [00:13:18] Pause right there we have to hear from our sponsor.

Announcer: [00:13:25] PsychCentral.com is the internet’s largest and oldest independent mental health online resource. Since 1995, our completely free, award winning website, has been run by mental health professionals offering reliable trusted information as well as over 250 support groups to people living with mental illness. From professional articles to personal stories, PsychCentral.com is worth your time checking out and is the generous sponsor of this podcast.

2nd Announcer: [00:13:56] This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.com. Secure, convenient, and affordable online counselling. All counsellors are licensed accredited professionals. Anything you share is confidential. Schedule secure video or phone sessions plus chat and text with your therapist whenever you feel it’s needed. A month of online therapy often costs less than a single traditional face-to-face session. Go to BetterHelp.com/PsychCentral and experience seven days of free therapy to see if online counselling is right for you. BetterHelp.com/PsychCentral.

Gabe: [00:14:26] We’re back. Just listen to this moron keep going. Your resolution should be to stop drinking soda soda.

Gabe: [00:14:34] What’s wrong with soda?

Michelle: [00:14:38] Google it.

Gabe: [00:14:39] OK. So, before we continue along this, remember we each get one New Year’s resolution for the other person. Is this what you want your New Year’s resolution for Gabe Howard to be?

Michelle: [00:14:48] Yes.

Gabe: [00:14:49] So you want the New Year’s resolution for me to be to stop drinking Diet Coke?

Michelle: [00:14:53] All soda because then you would just be like, “Oh man, I drink diet Pepsi.”

Gabe: [00:14:58] No, that would never happen. That would totally not happen, but fine. You want me to give up Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, diet anything? Also if it has fizzy bubbles it’s out.

Michelle: [00:15:09] You can have seltzer.

Gabe: [00:15:10] Oh, I can just drink straight up seltzer water?

Michelle: [00:15:12] Like Pellegrino too.

Gabe: [00:15:14] Oh, you think I’m your dead grandpa. Is that what happened here? Am I Al? Did he drink seltzer? He did didn’t he? I don’t even know. I didn’t intend it. He’s got it. I know he did.

Michelle: [00:15:23] I’m not really sure. I don’t know.

Gabe: [00:15:25] We could ask Blanche. Blanche, did Al drink Seltzer?

Michelle: [00:15:28] No.

Gabe: [00:15:29] Well I guess I was wrong. OK. So now if you made a plan for me to stop drinking Diet Coke what would it be? Because cold turkey is never going to work. I’m not going to stop drinking Diet Coke cold turkey.

Michelle: [00:15:41] Smaller increments.

Gabe: [00:15:43] Ok.

Michelle: [00:15:43] Today if you have it. How many glasses of Diet Coke do you drink in a day?

Gabe: [00:15:48] So they come in, they come in 30 ounces. And I drink 30 a day.

Michelle: [00:15:53] Just down by one every day.

Gabe: [00:15:55] So in a month or so. So twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven? So, so, roughly in February I would be down to zero?

Michelle: [00:16:01] Yes.

Gabe: [00:16:01] Now what should I drink when I go out? Like when I go to the movies and I order popcorn? What should I drink with the popcorn?

Michelle: [00:16:07] Water.

Gabe: [00:16:08] OK. Is anybody in the history of time ever had popcorn and water?

Michelle: [00:16:13] I have.

Gabe: [00:16:14] No, you haven’t.

Michelle: [00:16:15] Yes, I have.

Gabe: [00:16:16] You lie.

Michelle: [00:16:16] No, I have.

Gabe: [00:16:17] Are you drinking a soda right now?

Michelle: [00:16:18] Doesn’t matter. This is not my New Year’s resolution. And next to my soda is my water.

Gabe: [00:16:25] Yeah, but I’m drinking a water next to my soda as well. Yes.

Michelle: [00:16:28] How many sodas have you had today?

Gabe: [00:16:30] Today? I mean, it’s early so seven.

Michelle: [00:16:34] How many have I had?

Gabe: [00:16:34] I don’t know. What?

Michelle: [00:16:36] This would be number one.

Gabe: [00:16:39] [unintelligble] But, this actually illustrates a really good point, and I think it’s worth discussing. Your New Year’s resolution for me is unattainable. It is absolutely unattainable. I am never going to completely, 100 percent, give up Diet Coke. It’s not a realistic goal. But as you have pointed out, and as you are correct, and I will admit to the audience, and you can you can frame this on your wall. Michelle Hammer is correct. I drink an unhealthy amount of diet soda. It is true. She is right. But you would be better off saying, “You know, Gabe, why do you get up in the morning and go drink Diet Coke? Maybe you should just limit your diet coke intake to the movies or as a special treat a few times a week? Or maybe when you go out to dinner?” Don’t you think that would have been like much more reasonable and maybe more attainable for me to achieve?

Michelle: [00:17:26] Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Those are better ideas.

Gabe: [00:17:29] Yeah. But since you didn’t come up with them, you’re going to have to wait until the end of next year to offer this. Assuming that we haven’t gotten canceled.

Michelle: [00:17:36] Ok.

Gabe: [00:17:37] Fair enough. OK. So now here is my new year’s resolution for you; I want you to stop vaping? OK? Completely.

Michelle: [00:17:48] How do you? How do I go about doing this?

Gabe: [00:17:49] You stop.

Michelle: [00:17:51] How?

Gabe: [00:17:51] Well, are you addicted to vaping.

Michelle: [00:17:52] Yeah.

Gabe: [00:17:54] Wait, I thought that the advantage of vaping was that it was non addictive.

Michelle: [00:17:58] No it’s that there’s not smoke.

Gabe: [00:17:59] But it’s still addictive?

Michelle: [00:18:01] Yeah. There’s nicotine in it.

Gabe: [00:18:03] So you’re still taking nicotine? Sucking it into your lungs and breathing it out? And that’s supposed to be healthier for you?

Michelle: [00:18:10] It’s that they don’t know the long term effects entirely. But it’s supposed to be healthier because it’s not smoke entering your lungs.

Gabe: [00:18:17] I love how they’re like they don’t know, but it’s supposed to be. You know it will be worse for you.

Michelle: [00:18:23] You never know. Who knows?

Gabe: [00:18:24] Why did you pick this up in the first place?

Michelle: [00:18:28] I don’t know

Gabe: [00:18:28] I want you to stop smoking everything. There should be just no.  No smoke, no vape, no puff. Just no. There is no reason to inhale a foreign substance into your lungs. That is what I want for Michelle Hammer. I think you’d be happier.

Michelle: [00:18:45] Why?

Gabe: [00:18:47] Because you are kind of a health nut. It always kind of surprised me that you were willing to do this anyway. I mean, you once walked up 100 flights of stairs. You were in Lacrosse magazine. This is how serious you take your physical health, and then you’re just like, “carcinogens are good.” Like, what’s up with that? Like this does not fit your personality. So it also makes me worry about you on a mental health level.

Michelle: [00:19:11] Yeah. I think it’s more mental than it is physical.

Gabe: [00:19:15] So the first thing that I would suggest is addressing why you need this crutch. Because I think you very much use it as a crutch. Because whenever we’re doing a lot of work and there’s a lot of stress and there’s people around us, you you start puffing on that thing like nothing. This is your bankie.

Michelle: [00:19:31] You’re a little bit right about that one, Sugar.

Gabe: [00:19:33] You are Linus and that thing you’re sucking on is that blue blanket.

Michelle: [00:19:38] Mm hmm. Hit the nail on the head, why dontcha?

Gabe: [00:19:45] I want you to say, “Gabe you’re right.”

Michelle: [00:19:46] I’m not going to say that.

Gabe: [00:19:49] Say, “Thanks for looking out for me.”

Michelle: [00:19:51] Uh, brains.

Gabe: [00:19:57] This awkward silence is brought to you by Michelle not wanting to admit that she was wrong and Gabe not letting it go. She also just puffed on her vape pen and blew it in my face. Which is impressive because she’s in New York. So mean. That is so mean. Let’s switch gears for a moment and talk about some New Year’s resolutions that would help our mental health. And we don’t wanna spend a lot of time on them. We just gonna want to put them in people’s heads. Because people tend to think about like big things, like saving more money, or losing weight, or stop smoking, or stop drinking Diet Coke, or stay away from junk food. But what are little things that we can do? And the biggest example I have, and one that you know we really do promote a lot on this show. What about making amends with somebody? What about, you know, pulling out, like, a card you can buy one for a dollar at Wally World and writing a note to somebody that says, “Look, I’m sorry that I hurt your feelings. I was wrong?” And mailing it off? Do you think that could be, like, a powerful new year’s resolution?

Michelle: [00:21:04] It could be. That I don’t know. I, personally, would never do such a thing.

Gabe: [00:21:06] But why? Why would you never do it? Because I know you, Michelle. I mean, we’re friends and we’ve worked together for a long time and you do have regrets. There are people that you feel badly for the way that you treated them. What would be so hard about just writing, “You know I’m really sorry for the way that I treated you. And I hope you’re OK. Sincerely, Michelle” and dropping in the mail? The whole thing would cost you like two bucks and 20 minutes.

Michelle: [00:21:28] I don’t think there’s anyone I really need to do that for.

Gabe: [00:21:32] What about a thank you note? What about a thank you note to somebody that’s no longer in your life? What about, like, you know, I’m going to use your lacrosse coach because you talk about her all the time. What about dropping her a note to say, you know, thanks for looking out for me when I was in college. Because of you, I’m a better person?

Michelle: [00:21:47] I speak with her, still. It’s not like I don’t talk to her.

Gabe: [00:21:50] Have you ever thanked her?

Michelle: [00:21:51] Yes.

Gabe: [00:21:52] What about your mom? You ever thank her?

Michelle: [00:21:53] Probably.

Gabe: [00:21:54] Probably? That was like like for real. Every single person that heard that probably was like bullshit like like seriously like like all 20 thousand of our listeners all said bullshit at the exact same time. There is not a person within the sound of your voice and it’s recorded. So they’re like backing it up listening to it again and saying bullshit again. They can’t believe that you won’t even thank your mom on this show. She’s not even here.

Michelle: [00:22:23] Thank you, Mom.

Gabe: [00:22:24] Thank you, Mom. Because of you I am alive.

Michelle: [00:22:28] She didn’t do anything else for you?

Gabe: [00:22:29] I think that’s a lot. I mean you know birth and all. She also cooks.

Michelle: [00:22:35] I mean, it’s pretty easy to make you. I’m just saying.

Gabe: [00:22:37] Wow. That’s not how I’ve heard the story. Oh, God! There was a Dodge Charger and a parking space in rural Pennsylvania there was –

Michelle: [00:22:51] What?

Gabe: [00:22:51] Yeah. It was a mess. It was a mess. I was not conceived in love. I was conceived in some sort of, like, cold lusty Valentine’s Day in 1970. It was a mess. It was just a mess.

Michelle: [00:23:03] That’s really hot. Gabe tell me more.

Gabe: [00:23:06] That’s one of those pre-recorded ones that Adam just stuck in.

Michelle: [00:23:12] [Laughter]

Gabe: [00:23:13] Michelle, what are some easy New Year’s resolutions that anybody can do that will have lasting improvements on our mental health? And that’s relatively simple?

Michelle: [00:23:23] How about being more open with your therapist?

Gabe: [00:23:27] That would be a good one.

Michelle: [00:23:28] I mean, don’t you think that you’ve ever been at little, maybe, quiet with your therapist on certain topics? And there’s things you don’t talk about, even though you know you’re supposed to talk about the things you don’t want to talk about?

Gabe: [00:23:41] I completely agree. What about writing a nice note on your mirror every morning for you to see when you get home? Something like, “You’re a good person. I like you. You did great today. You’re awesome? Don’t forget to listen to A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a podcast ?” You know, stuff like that. What about. I mean they’re daily affirmations.

Michelle: [00:24:01] A note for yourself?

Gabe: [00:24:02] Yeah. Like write it in the morning and that way when you get home from work or school or the activities of the day you see it on the mirror. Like in your bathroom.

Michelle: [00:24:10] Yeah, but I have a roommate.

Gabe: [00:24:12] Okay. I mean, that one would be creepy. I mean, he might think that you’re hitting on him.

Michelle: [00:24:15] I know. That would be, like, really weird.

Gabe: [00:24:17] So that only works if you have your own bathroom. But you can also write it on a calendar. You can also write it. You can send an email to yourself every day. You can use like Gmail has a scheduling feature so you can you can schedule an email to just automatically send it to you later. Or just literally just write it on a calendar. Go buy one of those paper calendars and every day at the end of the day write a note about something that you did well. It forces you to think about why you’re a good person. That would be an easy New Year’s resolution.

Michelle: [00:24:46] To write myself notes?

Gabe: [00:24:48] Positive affirmations. To write a positive affirmation about yourself or your day.

Michelle: [00:24:53] Ok.

Gabe: [00:24:55] But it’s easy. It’s not hard.

Michelle: [00:24:57] It’s a lot of, lot of, notes. I don’t need to be writing myself all these notes. I don’t need to do that.

Gabe: [00:25:02] Look, I didn’t say write yourself a love letter. I said write a sentence. You can’t come up with one positive sentence every day?

Michelle: [00:25:07] Why do I need to write one positive sentence every day? I don’t need that in my life.

Gabe: [00:25:11] You don’t need to hear one positive thing everyday about Michelle Hammer?

Michelle: [00:25:15] I hear it from other people.

Gabe: [00:25:16] Really?

Michelle: [00:25:17] Yeah.

Gabe: [00:25:18] People are just following you around complementing you?

Michelle: [00:25:19] All the time. All the time.

Gabe: [00:25:21] Wow!

Michelle: [00:25:21] My Instagram comments.

Gabe: [00:25:23] Is this in your heart?

Michelle: [00:25:23] Heart, heart  heart, heart. All of my Instagram, haha.

Gabe: [00:25:27] Yes, we all know that social media is the best place to get positive affirmation.

Michelle: [00:25:32] Well, it’s better than my mirror. For my roommate who put up positive things about himself and I thought they were mine. Just kidding.

Gabe: [00:25:40] If he starts doing it we know he listens to the show.

Michelle: [00:25:41] Oh my God. That would be so funny. Gabe?

Gabe: [00:25:44] Yes.

Michelle: [00:25:44] All in all, do you just not like New Year’s resolutions?

Gabe: [00:25:49] I think that New Year’s resolutions are kind of a trap. But I think that they can be made to work for us because if it makes us think, “Hey, I need to do something nice for myself and I’m going to take positive steps to make it work.” I think it can be a very positive thing. But I also think it’s kind of sad that we only want to make ourselves better once a year. I mean, why do we only have New Year’s resolutions? What about trying to make ourselves better in February, or March, or April. or November, or I don’t know some other month I can’t think of right now? Why do we only want to be better now? We started thinking about it for two weeks in December and then we fail miserably in January and then we beat ourselves up the rest of the year. And I think that that’s kind of nonsense. And I think there’s a lot of data that says that one, we reach way too high and two, we don’t have a plan. I sincerely hope that you get up at 10 a.m. every day, Michelle. And I do think that you can do it. But I don’t think you’ll do it if you don’t have a plan. And I think that I can drink less Diet Coke, but I don’t think that I’ll do it without a plan. And my New Year’s resolution for you is for you to get up earlier because I think you waste a lot of the day and that you don’t get a lot of stuff done. Like really valuable stuff. Valuable stuff for you, valuable stuff for the podcast, valuable stuff for the mental health community. And it just kind of bums me out that you sleep the day away. But I practice radical acceptance and I know that that’s none of my business.

Michelle: [00:27:15] Yup.

Gabe: [00:27:16] You should totally subscribe to that service where they call you though. Mama Hammer, if you’re listening, I give you permission to call your daughter every morning at 10:00 a.m. to wake her up. It is her New Year’s resolution, and we want to put her in a position to succeed. Michelle, what are you gonna say at 10:00 a.m. every morning when your mom calls?

Michelle: [00:27:35] Is not that late yet.

Gabe: [00:27:38] Honey, it’s 10:00. It is. It’s totally 10:00.

Michelle: [00:27:40] Yeah, liear.

Gabe: [00:27:40] No, I’m not lying.

Michelle: [00:27:42] In five minutes.

Gabe: [00:27:44] No, it’s not five more minutes.

Michelle: [00:27:45] I don’t want to get up.

Gabe: [00:27:46] You can do it. Gabe believes in you.

Michelle: [00:27:48] No.

Gabe: [00:27:49] That’s true. He thinks you’re going to fail. Don’t you want to get up to prove him wrong?

Michelle: [00:27:54] No.

Gabe: [00:27:54] You really want Gabe to be right?

Michelle: [00:27:56] I don’t care.

Gabe: [00:27:56] And you know what happens when Gabe’s right, he never lets it go.

Michelle: [00:27:59] Who cares?

Gabe: [00:28:01] You should get up.

Michelle: [00:28:02] I sleep. Me sleep.

Gabe: [00:28:04] Wow. Even from this vantage point right now, you have already described failure. You did not even describe your New Year’s resolution as a success. I asked you five different times and gave you every opportunity to succeed in your mind. Even in your dream you could not succeed. I see great things. Thank you everybody for listening to this week’s episode of A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast. We hope you have a great 2019! If you make no other New Year’s resolutions, go to store.PsychCentral.com and resolve to buy a shirt to support the podcast. Define normal. We don’t want you to do it. We do want you to wear the shirt. Thank you everybody. And we will see you next week.

Michelle: [00:28:52] Happy 2019!

Announcer: [00:28:53] You’ve been listening to A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast. If you love this episode, don’t keep it to yourself. Head over to iTunes, or your preferred podcast app, to subscribe, rate, and review. To work with Gabe go to GabeHoward.com. To work with Michelle, go to schizophrenic.NYC. For free mental health resources and online support groups, head over to PsychCentral dot.com. The show’s official Web site is PsychCentral.com/BSP. You can e-mail us at show@PsychCentral.com. Thank you for listening and share widely.

Meet Your Bipolar and Schizophrenic Hosts

GABE HOWARD was formally diagnosed with bipolar and anxiety disorders after being committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003. Now in recovery, Gabe is a prominent mental health activist and host of the award-winning Psych Central Show podcast. He is also an award-winning writer and speaker, traveling nationally to share the humorous, yet educational, story of his bipolar life. To work with Gabe, visit gabehoward.com.

 

MICHELLE HAMMER was officially diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 22, but incorrectly diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 18. Michelle is an award-winning mental health advocate who has been featured in press all over the world. In May 2015, Michelle founded the company Schizophrenic.NYC, a mental health clothing line, with the mission of reducing stigma by starting conversations about mental health. She is a firm believer that confidence can get you anywhere. To work with Michelle, visit Schizophrenic.NYC.

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Yuval Harari - "21 Lessons.." abstracted - Part 1 - The Technological Challenge

In this and the next four posts I'm passing on the result of something I do for myself when reading an interesting book - attempt to get the essence of the arguments by assembling summary clips of text, in this case reducing the contents of each chapter to a single paragraph. (The clips are taken from Harari, Yuval Noah. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Kindle Edition, Random House Publishing Group.) My idiosyncratic choices of text miss many important points, and don't begin to replace a full reading of the chapter. I find that re-reading the clips is a nudge to my memory of the whole chapter. To avoid posts of excessive length, I am using five posts, once for each section of the book. Here is the first installment:

Harari - 21 Lessons for the 21st century 

Part I - The Technological Challenge - Humankind is losing faith in the liberal story that dominated global politics in recent decades, exactly when the merger of biotech and infotech confronts us with the biggest challenges humankind has ever encountered.

Chapter 1 Disillusionment - The end of history has been postponed

 …during the twentieth century the global elites in New York, London, Berlin, and Moscow formulated three grand stories that claimed to explain the whole past and to predict the future of the entire world: the fascist story, the communist story, and the liberal story. .. since the global financial crisis of 2008 people all over the world have become increasingly disillusioned with the liberal story…In 1938 humans were offered three global stories to choose from, in 1968 just two, and in 1998 a single story seemed to prevail. In 2018 we are down to zero…Just as the upheavals of the Industrial Revolution gave birth to the novel ideologies of the twentieth century, so the coming revolutions in biotechnology and information technology are likely to require fresh visions.

Chapter 2 Work - When you grow up, you might not have a job.

If we manage to combine a universal economic safety net with strong communities and meaningful pursuits, losing our jobs to algorithms might actually turn out to be a blessing. Losing control over our lives, however, is a much scarier scenario. Notwithstanding the danger of mass unemployment, what we should worry about even more is the shift in authority from humans to algorithms, which might destroy any remaining faith in the liberal story and open the way to the rise of digital dictatorships.

Chapter 3 Liberty - Big data is watching you

As algorithms come to know us so well, authoritarian governments could gain absolute control over their citizens… Not only will the regime know exactly how you feel, but it could make you feel whatever it wants. … Even if democracy manages to adapt and survive, people might become the victims of new kinds of oppression and discrimination.. more and more banks, corporations, and institutions are already using algorithms to analyze data and make decisions about us…just as Big Data algorithms might extinguish liberty, they might simultaneously create the most unequal societies that ever existed. All wealth and power might be concentrated in the hands of a tiny elite, while most people will suffer not from exploitation but from something far worse—irrelevance.

Chapter 4 Equality - Those who own the data own the future

If we want to prevent the concentration of all wealth and power in the hands of a small elite, the key is to regulate the ownership of data…The race to obtain the data is already on, headed by data giants such as Google, Facebook, Baidu, and Tencent...Perhaps the very same scientists and entrepreneurs who disrupted the world in the first place can engineer some technological solution. For example, might networked algorithms form the scaffolding for a global human community that could collectively own all the data and oversee the future development of life? As global inequality rises and social tensions increase around the world, perhaps Mark Zuckerberg could call upon his two billion friends to join forces and do something together.

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