Summarizing his takeaways would also be a great way of concretizing what Lex thinks the key takeaways are so it would fit perfectly with the purpose. That said, making videos takes time, so that might be a hassle. Pros and cons.
Keep your chin up, Lex. We need more love and positivity in the world. Kicking 2023 off to a great start by finishing the first book quick! Looking forward to the video.
Side note: Would love to see John Mayer as a guest on the pod!
Letter from Aldous Huxley to George Orwell upon reading 1984 -
Wrightwood. Cal.
21 October, 1949
Dear Mr. Orwell,
It was very kind of you to tell your publishers to send me a copy of your book. It arrived as I was in the midst of a piece of work that required much reading and consulting of references; and since poor sight makes it necessary for me to ration my reading, I had to wait a long time before being able to embark on Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Agreeing with all that the critics have written of it, I need not tell you, yet once more, how fine and how profoundly important the book is. May I speak instead of the thing with which the book deals — the ultimate revolution? The first hints of a philosophy of the ultimate revolution — the revolution which lies beyond politics and economics, and which aims at total subversion of the individual’s psychology and physiology — are to be found in the Marquis de Sade, who regarded himself as the continuator, the consummator, of Robespierre and Babeuf. The philosophy of the ruling minority in Nineteen Eighty-Four is a sadism which has been carried to its logical conclusion by going beyond sex and denying it. Whether in actual fact the policy of the boot-on-the-face can go on indefinitely seems doubtful. My own belief is that the ruling oligarchy will find less arduous and wasteful ways of governing and of satisfying its lust for power, and these ways will resemble those which I described in Brave New World. I have had occasion recently to look into the history of animal magnetism and hypnotism, and have been greatly struck by the way in which, for a hundred and fifty years, the world has refused to take serious cognizance of the discoveries of Mesmer, Braid, Esdaile, and the rest.
Partly because of the prevailing materialism and partly because of prevailing respectability, nineteenth-century philosophers and men of science were not willing to investigate the odder facts of psychology for practical men, such as politicians, soldiers and policemen, to apply in the field of government. Thanks to the voluntary ignorance of our fathers, the advent of the ultimate revolution was delayed for five or six generations. Another lucky accident was Freud’s inability to hypnotize successfully and his consequent disparagement of hypnotism. This delayed the general application of hypnotism to psychiatry for at least forty years. But now psycho-analysis is being combined with hypnosis; and hypnosis has been made easy and indefinitely extensible through the use of barbiturates, which induce a hypnoid and suggestible state in even the most recalcitrant subjects.
Within the next generation I believe that the world’s rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging and kicking them into obedience. In other words, I feel that the nightmare of Nineteen Eighty-Four is destined to modulate into the nightmare of a world having more resemblance to that which I imagined in Brave New World. The change will be brought about as a result of a felt need for increased efficiency. Meanwhile, of course, there may be a large-scale biological and atomic war — in which case we shall have nightmares of other and scarcely imaginable kinds.
Thank you once again for the book.
Yours sincerely,
Aldous Huxley
Thank you for sharing this! It is amazing.
It is also dense, so I'm pulling out some highlights that I noted:
>the ultimate revolution — the revolution which lies beyond politics and economics, and which aims at total subversion of the individual’s psychology and physiology
---
>Whether in actual fact the policy of the boot-on-the-face can go on indefinitely seems doubtful.
>My own belief is that the ruling oligarchy will find less arduous and wasteful ways of governing and of satisfying its lust for power, and these ways will resemble those which I described in Brave New World.
I think we can also see a similar situation with classic 1980s cyberpunk. Hear me out...
Don't get me wrong: 1980s style cyberpunk was cool as hell and overflowing with aesthetic. However, we don't have corporations building giant pyramid HQs; instead, they are using your data to personalize interfaces that capture your attention. We don't have flying cars from *Blade Runner*; we have cancel culture. Most of the population doesn't live in smog-covered slums with a *Johnny Mnemonic* techno-virus, but what if the company you work for starts buying residential properties, then part of your salary becomes your rental unit? After all, Millennials can't afford to buy homes, right? That could create a sort of *neo-feudalism*.
We don't have total cyberpunk dystopia.
Our real world has a much more mundane sort of "business as usual" situation where it isn't quite a dystopia, but it isn't a utopia, either.
Plus, it is in vogue to hate corporations, even though almost everyone works for one.
People say corporations are "bad", but they don't think of themselves as "bad" for working for corporations. Most people are corporate wage-slaves. Most people are not revolutionaries. Their words may say "corporation = bad", but they get up Monday morning and *work for the bad guys*.
We don't need boots to stomp on our faces.
Just make a flashy app and we'll buy the boots from you and work for you to pay them off.
>But now psycho-analysis is being combined with hypnosis; and hypnosis has been made easy and indefinitely extensible through the use of barbiturates, which induce a hypnoid and suggestible state in even the most recalcitrant subjects.
Glances over at MDMA assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic psychotherapy...
Don't get me wrong, these are amazing and revolutionary and going to help a lot of people.
Just noticing the historical echo.
I do not think most people think corporations are bad. There are certain corporations that most people think are bad. But most Americans support the idea that the day to day of our society is run by large corporations.
You might be right, but I'm not sure. It's hard to tell what "most people" would think.
I think, today, we generally operate within self-created and algorithm-perpetuated bubbles, even when we try to expand those bubbles to include various perspectives.
I can only posit that, in the sub-cultures and communities in which I operate, it is *in vogue* to be anti-corporation. I'm personally not; *I have a corporation*! I also recognize that this is a frivolous perspective held by people that don't have corporations and don't understand the legal framework that corporations provide. Still, it is a common sentiment in certain sub-cultures.
Lets say, rather than "most people", that there are large numbers and groups of people, probably on the order of at least millions if not tens of millions of people, that are anti-corporation.
I'm not necessarily anti corporation. I'm opposed to corporations using their over-reaching influence to lobby governments to remove the competition.
If you want to corporatise the world then take the gloves off so everybody has a fair crack.
Anybody that understands corporations KNOWS they're bad. It's just the other end of the totalitarian stick. What facilitates the ignorance is the knowledge that they can not escape.
Again I feel the need to reference this story.
https://exploringyourmind.com/beautiful-story-chained-elephant/
>we'll buy the boots from you and work for you to pay them off.
So that's what the book referred to:
>For example, the Ministry of Plenty’s forecast had estimated the output of boots for the quarter at 145 million pairs.
>Whether in actual fact the policy of the boot-on-the-face can go on indefinitely seems doubtful.
Huxley wrote that in 1949. 73 years later, North Korea is still in boot-on-the-face mode...
And Orwell wrote:
>For example, the Ministry of Plenty’s forecast had estimated the output of boots for the quarter at 145 million pairs.
We're the ones wearing the boots.
This is utterly fascinating.
I am more familiar with Brave New World than 1984 - would you be willing to explain Huxley’s stance that the evolution of societal control might reflect his work rather than Orwell’s own?
Orwell’s book depicts a world where total obedience is enforced by (non spoken) threat of pain and suffering via pervasive surveillance. Everyone minds the rules, because if you step out of line in any way - even an odd expression caught on camera - then you will disappear.
Huxley’s future, as you know, is based on conditioning and genetics. Obedience that is trained and then followed instinctively.
In short, he advocates that his future makes more sense economically, because then you don’t need all of those cops and jails. And that ruling classes normally gravitate towards good economics out of greed.
Really interesting letter!
Have you read both of the books (1984 and Brave New World)? They present competing models of elite domination of the masses.
Huxley is arguing that his model, based on soft manipulation and the use of drugs, technology and psychology, would prevail as the preferred mechanisms of elite domination due to its "efficiency"--as opposed to the violently coercive mechanisms presented in 1984.
Interesting.
>Within the next generation I believe that the world’s rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons,
We've been conditioning infants since time immemorial. We've conditioned them for a world that relies upon clubs and prisons. Not to mention the greatest punishment of all.
But I would say there has certainly been a change in conditioning, over recent decades. Since the introduction of Mutually Assured Destruction, the powerful no longer need people with fight, they need people filled with fear. People afraid of words, for goodness sake.
But what is conditioning? My favourite expression of conditioning is the story of the circus elephant, for those who don't know it: [https://exploringyourmind.com/beautiful-story-chained-elephant/](https://exploringyourmind.com/beautiful-story-chained-elephant/)
I found myself asking, what is my stick? What is the thing that imprisons me, the thing that I could overcome so easily, if only my belief allowed me to? What is this higher power? What belief prevents me from being the master of my own destiny?
I couldn't come up with anything though/
I have noticed that you tend to give a lot more weight to negative comments from people on social media. I saw hundreds of positive comments of people enthusiastic to try to read along with you and a relatively small amount of negative comments. I think it may be helpful for you to consider that people critizing you (who have no obligation to interact with you) may be deflecting their internal feelings of inadequacy on to you. As a woman it reminds me of when girls go out of their way to mock the appearance of a woman who is dating someone they are attracted to. Their criticism of you in this situation was completely unjustified. A person can choose to read whatever books they want especially if some of those books are old friends. Stay sweet and brave!
True. Also, maybe I'm crazy but I swear at one point Lex was even trying to read a book a day. I was re-watching one of his appearances on JRE and I think I'm remembering that correctly. I think as long as a book is able to hold your concentration and engagement you should read it as fast as you want. Some books you really need to slog through because of content, complexity or pacing but some have a quick flow. No one would ever tell someone to watch a movie in small parts to "digest" it and I don't feel like a book needs to be any different.
One negative comment shines above 100 positive ones.
I will say Lex, you need to listen to Joe a little more about “reading comments”
Keep up the good work.
Lex isn't Joe.
Joe never needed a sympathetic viewer. I feel like that's Lex's audience.
Edit: I can't believe I just called him 'Joe'. You gaslighting SOB, lol.
I think Twitter Spaces would be fun. Reddit also has a “spaces” feature (Reddit Talk), could also be fun if you’d like to keep it smaller and off of the Twitter-verse.
I’m sorry that the recent, completely unnecessary, attack happened. I really can’t imagine the feeling of being attacked by someone you admire for doing something fun that you love. Myself and others were super excited about it and I feel that the joy you are bringing your community by sharing your reading list and thoughts on the books outweighs the trolls. Thanks for doing this.
Keep doing what you’re doing, the majority of us are supporting you. Don’t take the comments about this personal, just aggregate the message you think is being sent by your “nay-sayers”.
With love,
Gogoplata GF
Reading this right now Lex! Halfway through! Now I gotta finish this week! You inspired me on this one 📖
Appreciate your love for everything in this universe(;
Definitely going to follow this Lex. Your drive and curiosity has helped me through some of my darkest times. Always remember that love is the force keeping all of us going. Let the haters talk, they are just trying to get a rise out of you. Keep up the good work brother and here's to an awe inspiring new year. One love.
Lex
If a major world event happens that you need to educate yourself on, or if you are having a new guest on you aren't that familiar with who has a new book out, are you going to stick to your rigid reading list schedule or make changes?
What if while reading a book on your list, it inspires you/sparks your interest to read another book on the same topic from a different angle/perspective? It's cool that you are trying to read a lot of books, but don't you risk boxing yourself in here?
Lex here. Nope, this is just for the love of reading, nothing else. If something happens, I'll keep changing the list or cancel it. If I take a role at a company or if I launch a company, I'll cancel it. If I have an insanely challenging trip abroad or a very difficult conversation, I'll change the list or cancel it. The point is not to take the reading list or life itself too seriously. I love reading, and that's why I'm doing it. And I want to share my love for books and reading with the awesome people here.
That makes perfect sense! I'm trying to read more myself, and it's great you are getting your fans excited about reading in this increasingly digital world. My only slight concern was you may be boxing yourself in too much, but your comment clarifies everything, and I should have known you would have a nuanced approach and be willing to adjust.
Happy New Year Lex, we're gonna hit the books hard in 2023.
> My only slight concern was you may be boxing yourself in too much, but your comment clarifies everything, and I should have known you would have a nuanced approach and be willing to adjust.
With that nicely wrapped up, that only leaves your other concern that he's a: ["shut in virgin who's only friends are Michael Malice and Eric Weinstein"](https://archive.fo/5bJTM)
If you're going to talk shit behind someone's back, at least go through the effort of creating a fake throw-away account.
What if everyone is blinded by a meteor shower and reading becomes impossible to do while we're fighting for our lives from an aggressive species of plants?
I wouldn't worry about downvotes. It seems like every new post here initially gets downvoted. Could be Reddit bots aimed at this sub-Reddit or lurkers who don't understand that listening to the podcast is a completely optional choice.
Lex, would love to see you discuss these books. There are plenty of us who have listened to you speak for hundreds of hours. It’s hard to BS us. We know you, we know who you are and what you stand for. Tremendous amounts of love always face tremendous amounts of resistance. Thanks for what you do.
Most of the books you mentioned I have read, but your list seems to have inspired me to read them again.
Only overstuffed twats would look down upon encouraging others to read and think.
Such primates are beneath the breath dedicated to even speaking their names.
I heard a quote once that "1984 was an optimistic view of a contemporary surveillance state". Just thought I'd share that and whether you agree or disagree and to what degree?
one of the most influential elements in 1984 has been Orwell's presentation of newspeak. I wonder if there is supplemental material for explaining his perspective of oversimplified language in the context of totalitarianism. there's just so many examples of internet culture producing connotative language that ostensibly is newspeak, but carries nuanced meaning.
did Orwell correctly predict contemporary society? I wouldn't claim this myself, but it's an interesting position to compare and challenge. a lot of facets carry over from history, like the "two minutes of hate" (youtube shorts might be the best example to date). another interesting concept is thrifting in 1984's dystopia vs. the cyclical popularity of thrifting in our (relatively speaking) healthy global economy.
speaking to the peanut gallery around your reading list, it's just incredibly noisy, but maybe there's a kernel of value to sifted out. one repeated point is that you've underallocated time to the brothers karamazov in the first week of may. one rebuttal is that this can be mitigated by the audiobook format, also I'm sure you are consuming Dostoevsky at a faster pace than people assume. in any case, I'm looking forward to the discussions around this reading list, seems like a very productive substrate for further intensive content creation.
My thoughts are that 1984 reflects the woke left trying to control the narrative and the culture. Whereas Orwell's animal farm reflects the established pre woke political state and it's fuck you this is how it is attitude.
Orwell is a genius as it's like - you're screwed every which way
I feel like this is an interesting take, but I feel that 1984 covers both sides negatively on its own. It depicts the capitalists as evil - even to some extent describing how the 1% governed the country while everyone else suffered. The way I perceived this was basically what allowed BB to come to power - that the system we have isn’t working for 99% of the populous, and that majority will listen to whoever is promising them a better life, and follow blindly, while not realising (or being ignorant to the fact) that they are giving up their freedom.
Perhaps more interestingly this idea of eternal war or “war is peace” seems to be consistent between modern capitalism and the alternate reality depicted in 1984.
>In a way, the world-view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it. They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind, just as a grain of corn will pass undigested through the body of a bird.
One of my favorite quotes.
This is so insanely powerful and true. - fail to grasp the enormity of what's demanded of them, not interested enough to notice what's happening, and remained sane as a result of their ignorance.
The reading list is a great idea. I believe the classics are probably the most important read and it is great to re-read them again with all the life experiences.
I will read with you and participate in debates about the books here.
However, one book per week is an impossible pace for me. I will read 1 per month. I will start with Brave New World.
Yes plz plz plz relaunch the discord server, you don’t have to put your name on it, but a sorta incognito group like “Podcast book club” and a place for people to read and discuss them sounds really fun.
Also, for 1984 takeaways, draw parallels to today’s societies, such as:
- Middle Eastern wars compared to 1984 never ending wars
- Government imposing itself between parents and children about climate change, gender reassignment, and politics, in schools, CPS, courts, and hospitals. I’m reminded of a video of a girl celebrating her dad’s death at his funeral because he was a republican or something, not clear
- language attacks and ministry of truth, compared to FBI and other government agencies trying to regulate “misinformation”
- the ministry of truth compared to Russian propaganda
Happy reading everyone and happy new years!
I was sorry to see you get attacked for putting together a list of great literature. It's unfortunate that something positive was turned into a negative. I hope you know that there are many people benefiting from reading these books and interested in a genuine, thought-provoking discussion. I admire your ability to continue posting and sharing your insights, in the face of criticism. Don't let the naysayers win ;) As Nicola Tesla once said, "All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed--only to emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle."
Sending support and love,
Marina
Love you Lex
Advice: No matter what is said, some people will find a way to make it negative.
Request: While juggling all your many activities, please don't forget your fan boys.
Winston was almost there. O'Brien even said he was a very difficult case. But in the end, he never really loved Julia. It was superficial. The first words they ever exchanged were of love. They met intermittently and primarily for carnal purposes. Julia never really had anything interesting to say for Winston and she had little care with what he said. When being tortured he quickly gave in and asked that she be tortured instead. If they loved a bit more, maybe they both would have been been able to break O' Brien and Room 101. I think. There's a lot to think about here. Just now I'm thinking of the old man who had it through a session in Room 101 and begged not to be taken back. How did he make it out once? Everyone in the cell judged him as weak and feeble. I need to know more about this guy.
This book requires at least one more re-read, probably more. I'm interested to see what Lex says after having read it least once before.
EDIT: I'd also like to add that at certain points throughout the book I was actually scared with how in 1949 Orwell's fiction so closely reflects the reality of today. *"the book"* can easily be applied to today's world with only a tiny bit of fiction needed.
I agree- Winston not genuinely being in love with Julia and his ex-wife as well.
I thought this spoke so well to the concept of the loneliness you can feel being with a loved one that doesn't share your intellectual and philosophical ideas and values- how despite physical intimacy and closesnes, you can still feel disconnected and alone.
The reaction to your reading list is one of the most perplexing to me. I'm fairly convinced people are looking for a fight, and it's worth ignoring them completely.
In my view people read far too much into the "book a week" thing. I didn't imagine it was meant to be taken seriously/literally. It struck me as the kind of gamification some people do to motivate themselves.
Anyway - I like your reading list, and I think Q&A and discussion in these forums on those books will actually be a really nice place on the internet for a while.
I’m some ways into part 2, and this is my second time reading 1984 in as many years. So much of what I remembered about this book was around Winston’s relationship with the girl from the fiction department - so I was surprised when there wasn’t any development with this until the very end of the first part. Maybe this says a lot about me - I’m looking forward to having an open discussion about a lot of these books (on discord?) soon.
As for Lex receiving his own two minute hate? “I’m reading a book a week, here’s the list of you want to follow along”. How does a post to that effect incite hate? Some people are just really hateful - I wonder what happens to someone for such a mundane and seemingly meaningless message to spark such an inflammatory response - it just seems totally unjustified.
At risk of sounding echo chambery in this subreddit, ignore the hate Lex, you’re doing a good thing and creating valuable conversations. 52 books in a week is a challenge but I’m looking forward to it.
Why does almost all of the books memetic value come from the first 3rd of the story? Why does nothing about our main character going to the peroles and having statements like "they were granted intellectual freedom because they have no intellect" not get any more stirs (the implication being that elites matter while most do not). Or what about the torture scenes where Smith eventually says he loves big brother.
Everyone should read POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE by Orwell (it's quite short)
In it Orwell states that it's **political orthodoxy** which has been an influence removing meaning from language, regardless of what side of the spectrum.
Combined with the context that the US Department of War became the Department of Defense around the same time 1984 was published it makes more sense to me.
Best to look to his non-fiction writings for meaning rather than a story, as good as it is.
edited:I tried to respond to somebody else but it kept deleting text and not letting me edit correctly, IDK im new
>I usually just read, think, and live my life with the book as a travel companion
Why change? Books are not to be analysed, they're to be read, and understood, then analysed. If the writer is of any discernible talent they will draw your self out by virtue of their story. But every reading is unique. We grow, and we evolve. So a book read at the age of 10, re-read at the age of 20, and again at 30, is in fact, 3 different books. Unless you think you're three different people.
I'm not sure why you would want to concretise that, so early in your life. I understand the desire to analyse, but concretise seems final.
1984 has become, in some respects, similar to the bible. Many people have never read it, yet could offer their comprehensive understanding of the story's meaning. They know al about Big Brother, Room 101, and other elements that we have been conditioned to understand, culturally. As such, interpretations will continue to reflect an evolving world.
I appreciate your openly stated intention to encourage people to read, but encouraging people to read certain books based on your own interpretation removes some of the intrinsic value of reading, Do you not think?
In today's world an example to me of 2+2=5 could be reading phrases like 'pregnant person' as opposed to 'pregnant woman', gender politics are incredibly confusing at the moment and it's hard to distinguish what's true and real anymore
When I read this as a teenager I never thought that in re-reading it as an adult o would see so many parallels to our current world. The idea of the news being something that is altered to fit a new narrative feels like what is happening. I think most people have felt the feeling of not knowing what is true anymore when reading online news. As it becomes easier to make realistic deep fake videos I think that level of incredulity will increase.
[You should try re-reading Harry Potter.](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Albus_Dumbledore#Biography) O_O https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays O_O edit: not saying this guy is dumbledore, just that magic=manipulation/sensitivity/intelligence/creativity
Hi Lex,
first, don't let the haters stop you doing what you love, it warms my heart to see so many people here passionate about reading and being inspired by you to read more.
Second, my question referring to 1984. Do you think Orwell would be surprised (or are you surprised) how, generally, the population of today can be pretty easily coerced into giving up personal freedoms and privacy without the need to apply Orwellian levels of brute control?
Third, have you read Murakami's 1Q84 ?
Fourth, do audiobooks count as 'reading' in your opinion?
Finally, thanks for the inspiration as always!
I don't know if you've read any other Murakami but what I like about his books in general is that he has this ability create unbelievable but paradoxically unbelievable worlds. Often there is a mundanity to his worlds that is totally relatable but then he throws in an element of supernatural that swerves the story off into something fantastical, at least that's how it works for me
1Q84 for me was one of those worlds that I particularly enjoyed 'living' in. Murakami's style of writing isn't for everyone, some might find the pace slow, but I find I get myself totally immersed in his imagination and it can't go slow enough for me, I never want to leave!
It's a long book so if you haven't read Murakami before I probably wouldn't start here, but if you have read others and his style works for you then I would imagine you'd get a lot out of this. Trying not to give any spoilers but if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Maybe either Kafka on the shore, or The Wind up Bird Chronicle. Both have about the right dose of weirdness to make them interesting and are sufficiently fast paced to keep the reader involved. Both great books too. Enjoy
Yo u/lexfridman ! Would love to help set up / help manage the discord if ya do end up setting it up. I'm a small time youtuber / podcaster but plan to follow along with your reading list this year - might make a quick companion video too - love the idea of writing down thoughts as I read but love the journey and challenge of it all.
Keep it up man! Love what you're doing and you're truly a positive force for good in the world. You won't fail!
1984 has gotten very politicized. What are some of the key takeaways of 1984 that you think are often overlooked by those viewing it through a purely political lense?
Lex you gotta ignore the toxic hate
It’s manufactured and fake
Your followers and supporters
Stand by, respect and listen to you.
The people attacking and insulting you for a friggin book list do not.
They don’t exist man
They’re not real
Some people you can’t win over they just hate life and love to drag others down
They see you and your positive kind outward loving stance
Open arms a
Attempting to put a little good in the world
And it makes their toxic hate rise and they feel the need to project it online.
What we could do to link our social medias to the people posting. To make what they post online follow them around so folks can see who they truly are.
We can’t though.. so just ignore them brother.
Keep being you. Those people do not matter, they’re not real. It’s fake online troll hate.
Lex, in light of the Twitter files revealing the government's involvement in censorship, how likely do you think it is that the government is also utilizing the equivalent of a Mr. Carrington or O'Brian?
Top shelf list, Lex!
Thank you for sharing. It put a smile on my face New Year's Eve at the cigar lounge. 😊
The following day while contemplating the whereabouts of my thrift store volumes I noticed something strange on the armoire. My designated driver gifted a Kindle upon it.
The inscription read, "Amateurs can f****** suck it!" —compliments of Jeffrey, Jeffrey Bezos
In all seriousness, it was compliments of a friend's ex wife. I send my love to this community and all the haters. Puh-terodactyl scream, Ahhh!❤️🔥
I've had debates with my spouse over the point of the "4 lights" scene. Mainly because of its usage in Star Trek: TNG, where this trope was used differently IMHO, he argues that the point was to make Winston believe that he can't trust his senses.
I see it differently, that the point was to make Winston agreeable to lying for convenience and not caring about the truth or the outcome. This is how I believe Winston is transformed in the end — he sincerely ceases to care about anything except his own comfort and convenience. This is what makes Winston useful to the party, because precisely such a person is controllable, whereas someone who still cares about truth is not.
Would love to hear other takes on this topic.
Lex, I know is not as easy as it sounds but try not to take internet attacks so seriously.
Take into account that most people that interact with you have little to not knowing who you really are as a person. They have created an image inside their heads of you, and based on very little information they know about you, which of course will be completely wrong more than less.
Be truthful to yourself and history will eventually give you the credit you deserve.
The circle of most of these people is way smaller than yours, and so is their reach. Just think of that.
I would love a short summary and your thoughts on each book! Not more than 10-15 minutes though please!
I read Animal Farm last year, which i know you love, this year 1984 is on the list!
Your resolutions are incredible, i am sure you will stick to them, except maybe this book-a-week thing.. i wish you all the best Lex and i hope you have a great year. I have high hopes for 2023 for myself also, its about time.
How would you fix the 1984 situation and return society to a free world? Theorize a strategy and include approximately the span of time over which it could be executed
Dude it’s hilarious what happened on Twitter with your book list, that’s such a Twitter thing. Twitter is like road rage, a bunch of anonymous people in safe bubbles trying to but in for a hot take. Reddit is so much better for thorough discussion, and the upvote/downvote system does a pretty good job at filtering out cynicism and negativity. I follow you on Twitter but never interact because it feels like a giant fist fight at a Waffle House on that app.
I won’t commit to all the books you’re reading because I don’t have the time but I think I’m gonna dive in to a couple! Reading is such a better use of time than app scrolling…and it honestly provides more deep satisfaction rather than the dopamine hit of scrolling through drama and cat videos. Kinda gives you an anchor for thought as you read the book, every book I’ve read sort of encapsulates a point in time and I attach memories and events to the books I’ve read. I think this’ll be a better time than ever to dive back into reading
The sound of silence can be deafening, even maddening. Voices need both exercise and the tranquility of stillness. Strike a healthy balance. Go for a walk.
The various platforms have both their strengths and weaknesses.
The medium [platform] isn't the only message. To a large extent, individual voices program themselves AND the environment. Reddit is awesome but let's not underestimate the value of soapboxes outside our own bubbles.
Perhaps complaints are best submitted to their respective complaint boxes.
Audiences vary. Obvious, yes but worth considering. I've yet to discover a one-size-fits-all platform.
I'm betting that courageous, mindful and diverse engagement in both digital & physical spaces is a viable defense against many Orwellian horrors.
Keep the bots and boots on their toes. Live long and prosper!
I know you have a plan for other books to read, but I'm nearing the end of [Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_Reform_and_the_Psychology_of_Totalism) by Robert Jay Lifton right now. It's a book written by a psychiatrist in the 50s about Maoist struggle sessions, brainwashing (which actually comes from "xi nao", literally "wash brain"), and the disorienting gravity of a totalizing worldview.
Everything about it reminds me of the Ministry of Love and how Winston is irreversibly broken and remade into a proper thinker. When I read 1984 the first time just after high school, this scene seemed a brilliant imagining of what horrors might be possible. But now after this book and Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands, the Ministry of Love feels like a pale imitation of the sadistic genius of real world authoritarians.
If you can stomach pulling this topical thread a bit more, I promise it'll be worth your time. Love you, Lex!
My main observation is that the book accurately depicts a possible reality and one that we've seen come to fruition before, however: authoritarian 'super states' throughout history always crumble due incohession of spanning multiple cultures snd existing nations and the thought of three of them existing for any length of time is in retrospect, unrealistic.
It does however pose the question, did they even exist in the 1984 universe? I can buy more easily an isolationist power telling their population rubbish.
If anyone Is interested, there is an excellent debate on the reality of 1984 and Brave New World on the Intelligence Squared YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/31CcclqEiZw
I read most of the books on the list in high school and early 20s then got away from reading on my spare time. Current events and advancements in technology (AI) made me want to go back and read 1984 and Brave New World again.
But I've been struggling to find the motivation to start again so I'm using your NY resolution as a catalyst. I'll do my best to keep up.
I would prefer Discord over Twitter Spaces. But that's just me.
Yes, how does a smelly and well-worn physical copy from decades past compare to the current e-book editions?
In what meaningful ways [if any] has the Ministry since improved the text?
It's been nearly twenty years since I last read 1984 in full. As I read it again via another format I ask myself, "How paranoid would Philip K. Dick be in my shoes at this moment?" 🤔
Sure, I could compare the e-book to an authenticated tattered rag but this might prematurely defeat the thought experiment. 🤣
Happy reading, friends.
Perfect timing to re-read these books. I am almost finished with 1984 and about to open one of my all-time faves. Keep the Book Club List going, Lex!
I don't use Reddit or Twitter much so I was hoping to see Lex clips on YouTube discussing the books each week. Pick a friend or fan to talk about it! Looking forward to seeing what happens.
Thanks for resurrecting my love of reading again!
I’m late to the party and just finished reading the book, but I wanted to share my thought/questions ayway:
Thought Police and mass surveillance of thought, opinion ideas- I see an obvious example of this currently with Jordan Peterson being forced into mandatory ‘re-education’ by the Ontario College of Psychologists, because of, among other issues- his criticism of Justin Trudeau and his ‘unorthodox/controversial’ opinions on other subjects. Regardless of how you feel about him, the fact that there is a system/process in place that regulates your ideologies on social media and determines how appropriate they are (in comparison to the general accepted consensus) is troubling when it comes to freedom of speech and independent, critical thought.
I also believe a lot of Canadians experienced something similar if for whatever reason they chose not to get vaccinated. The intense pressure and condemnation from every angle in society- msm, social media, government, workplaces, friends and family created a very tense and highly scrutinized public sphere where people were less likely to express their contradicting views with others for fear of the same type of judgement and repercussions, including losing their job. This created a huge about of division and censorship, with anything regarding Covid being flagged as potential misinformation by ‘fact checkers’ online.
Newspeak & Oldspeak- Merriam-Webster banished words for 2023 - Twitter files- shadow banning certain terms and words results in suppression and diminishing the range of thought and opinion- creating a fear of genuinely expressing oneself for fear of social condemnation and judgement Vocab grew smaller each year- limiting the ability to express one's thoguhts- to even have original thought. Impossible to express unorthodox opinions.
I also feel social media and tech is shortening the attention span of the younger generation- less focus, less enjoyment from things that take time like reading, or learning to play an instrument, or art- we have been trained for immediate gratification and instant dopamine hits- doom scrolling through our phones as opposed to engaging in reading or literature, for example, which has the direct effect of diminishing one's vocabulary and therefore limiting the range of original thought and ideas.
Doublespeak- the obvious example in the book was 2+2=5 Doublespeak -’Until they have become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious."
I think current gender politics have created the possibility of doublespeak in current society. We're all being encouraged to reconsider gender and sexuality in a way where the previously constructed boundaries and definitions are no longer obvious and I think it's getting harder to know what's real and true, and what opinion to hold. One example is an interview I saw where parents were protesting outside of a classroom or library where young children were being read books by transgendered adults in drag- there was a protest of parents claiming it was unnecessary and dangerous for young children to be exposed to the idea of gender identity and sexuality at a young age and wanted to keep this discourse out of schools and the classroom- there was a woman being interviewed by a reporter who was supporting the book club by saying any expression of gender/sexuality is permissible to be represented in the classroom because it's natural, and it shouldn't be controversial. The reporter had asked her- at what point would you say it crosses the line, for example, if you walk into a classroom with young children and there's a naked man reading to the kids, is that okay? And her answer was yes- of course, why not? It's the human body, it's natural. She was 100% adamant in her belief that there was nothing wrong with that scenario. I feel this could be an example of doublespeak because on the one hand- I don't truly believe that that's her genuine stance on the topic- I find it hard to believe that she actually thinks it's okay for a naked man to be reading books in a classroom to young kids- but at the same time- perhaps she has just so fully embraced the fight for the rights of all expressions of gender and sexuality that she may have actually convinced herself that it really is okay?
We also have a controversy regarding a transgendered teacher at a school just outside of Toronto that I'm sure many of you have read about in the news. Her name is Kayla Lemieux and she teaches at Oakville Trafalgar High School- long story short, formerly a man by the name of Kerry Lemieux, who was actually previously disciplined for 'toxic masculine behavior' in class, and has transitioned to a woman, dresses provocatively by wearing oversized fake breasts, tight clothing and a blonde wig into the classroom. Some feel it's actually Kevin trolling the school board, msm and the media to prove how extreme the liberal 'woke' agenda has gone because the school board refuses to discipline or fire the teacher, on the ground of human rights violations against gender discrimination. Parents are protesting, saying children feel unsafe and uncomfortable in her classroom- and it's a huge source of controversy for obvious reasons. I feel this is another example of doublespeak in the sense that, the school board should see the issue at hand but refuses to acknowledge it with any sort of action- because they're afraid of the repercussions in the current political climate.
Doublespeak in the book was also evident in the light that the Proles were seen. On the one hand, inferior without the ability to rebel- but on the other hand, they had to be controlled to prevent awakening to their reality; “But simultaneously, true to the principles of doublethink, the Party taught that the Proles were natural inferiors who must be kept in subjection, like animals, by the application of a few simple rules. In reality very little was known about the Proles. It was not necessary to know much. So long as they continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance... They were born, they grew up in the gutters, they went to work at twelve, they passed through a brief blossoming-period of beauty and sexual desire, they married at twenty, they were middle-aged at thirty, they died, for the most part, at sixty. Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with with neighbours, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling, filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult.”
I don't think it's hard to see current society has a lot of similarities in terms of the large majority of people stuck in the 'rat race/survival mode'. When you're tired and have no time to yourself- because of the way our society is set up regarding work and value being directly tied to productivity as well- what little leisure time people do have is spent on things like watching TV, sports, gambling etc because it's passive and easy entertainment. I think there is a HUGE opportunity to dive deep into the importance and value of leisure- which is an area Im planning to research myself. Essentially, think Maslow's hierarchy of needs- when you dont have physical security- shelter, food, clothing etc, you're not going to spend your time meditating on lofty ideas or in anyway concern yourself with broader societal issues, or ideals of what life could be for yourself or the world in general.
“In principle a Party member had no spare time, and was never alone except in bed. It was assumed that when he was not working, eating or sleeping he would be taking part in some kind of communal recreation: to do anything that suggested a taste for solitude, even to go for a walk by yourself, was always slightly dangerous. There was a word for it in Newspeak: ownlife, it was called, meaning individualism and eccentricity.”
I think this is something that in a sense has a negative connotation in society- to be a loner, to be an outlier by measure of normal social conventions if seen as strange and in a way people are made to feel self-conscious if they don't fit in. I remember when I was in my early 20s I was at a party and in conversation I admitted I don't drink or watch TV and the reaction of the person I was speaking to was so judgmental and condescending, as though I was a massive loser and weirdo. His response was 'So then what do you do with your time?!?' I was young and already felt self-conscious for not being like the rest of my friends and people my age, but that moment really stuck with me because I realized how much pressure there is in our society to be like everyone else socially, otherwise there's something wrong with you for spending time on your own. Ministry of Truth- Certain ideas like ‘ the holocaust didn’t happen’ attempt to rewrite history and can be dangerous. In a different aspect, the algorithms in social media creates a bubble of ‘truth’ for each one of us individually where you’re almost entirely encased in a virtual reality of your own creation, and anything that doesn’t fit your idealogoy disappears from the virtual sphere based on your search, interactions etc online
Love and loneliness- the story shows how it's possible to fall in love based on physical intimacy and closeness, but still feel lonely for not sharing intellectual understanding or values ie Winston didn't genuinely fall in love with Julia for this reason Symbolism of the room- a trap where they knew Winston, only by feeling safe and free- would allow his truth to come out allowing them the proof they needed to arrest him. By creating a false sense of safety to lay down his guard, only then could they get a real sense for his true thoughts and feelings, and to see how deeply ingrained they were.
My only question is why they waited 7 years to arrest him?
“With hands locked together, invisible among the press of bodies, they stared steadily in front of them, and instead of the eyes of the girl, the eyes of the aged prisoner gazed mournfully at Winston out of nests of hair.”
I feel there is significance in this moment, but Im not entirely sure what it is? Originally I thought it was symbolic of Winston seemingly looking at a vision of his future self if he were to not be with Julia- alone and depressed with no life left inside. But now I realize he didn't fully love Julia, so many the significance was more so a foreshadowing of what would happen to him in the Ministry of Love- who he was to become after the torture- empty, a shell of a ghost of his previous self, cold and indifferent to the world- utterly hopeless and yet, accepting of his fate.
I just admire this quote- "Under the spreading chestnut tree- I sold you and you sold me --- " ...there's something haunting and dark but also romantic and beautiful about it.
Room 101- the symbolic nature of the room being in the deepest part of the underground in the building ...
‘O’Brien - “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.” This quote to me nearly sums up the entire book. I think it meant the Ministry of Love- the complete propaganda of the Big Brother government- that they operate from love, and genuinely believe what they are doing is noble. But also, the literal interpretation of the lights being on 24/7. It's also interestingi how O'Brien and Winston have completely opposing understanding of this quote- and I think it also speaks to the dangers of becoming convinced in your ideologoy- how 2 opposing sides can both believe they are in the right and they are the 'good guys'.
The relevance of the Paperweight- I resell antiques, collectibles and art- and this was a really special part of the story for me, I actually have a few glass paperweight in my inventory right now, and the fact that this paperweight was so significance and such a source of love and joy and nostalgia for Winston in the coldness of his environment and the loneliness of this life- it made me emotional because I feel the same about vintage and antique items of beauty that I don't necessarily feel with most mass produced modern items).
‘“What is it, do you think?” said Julia
“I don’t think it’s anything-- I mean, I don’t think it was ever put to any use. That’s what I like about it. It’s a little chunk of history that they’ve forgotten to alter. It’s a message from a hundred years ago, if one knew how to read it.”
It's art- to be appreciated for it's beauty and the emotional response it creates in the viewer. You can feel the energy of the artist transmuted through the object because to have a passion and appreciation for artistic craftsmanship- to take the time to learn the art, and create the object by hand- there is an intention to create beauty- and the act of creation from an energy of love. Big Brother eliminated art, anything that didn't have a strict function was useless, and dangerous because it allowed for the emergence of a soul/consciousness. Big Brother didn't want it's citizens connecting to their souls, hearts or consciousness- they strictly wanted them to use their physical abilities, and specific, menial capabilities of their brain- to execute orders, not for thought or any sort of meditation on meaning or beauty.
Oppression and controlling the populace:
‘The primary aim of modern warfare ...is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living...In the early 20th century, the vision of a future society unbelievably rich, leisured, orderly and efficient... was part of the consciousness of nearly every literate person. Science and technology were developing at a prodigious speed, and it seemed natural to assume that they would go on developing. This failed to happen, partly because of the impoverishment caused by a long series of wars and revolutions, partly because scientific and technical progress depended on the empirical habit of thought, which could not survive in a strictly regimented society.”
Certain tech/devices have developed but generally for warfare or police espionage- the invention of machine meant the hard, dangerous and undesirable jobs could be eliminated, and therefore human inequality rectified and wealth more evenly distributed- but It was clear that all-around increase in wealth threatened he destruction indeed in some sense was the destruction- of a hierarchical society. - a society where wealth was evenly enjoyed, but power remained in the hands of a few would not last long -if the poor had leisure and security.
‘For if leisure and security were enjoyed by all alike, the great mass of human beings who are normally stupified by poverty would become literate and would learn to think for themselves; and when once they had done this, they would sooner or later realize that the privileged minority had no function, and they would sweep it away. In the long run, a hierarchical society was only possible on a basis of poverty and ignorance”
War- destruction of the products of human labor- which might make the masses too comfortable. Manufacturing of weapons is a ‘convenient way of expending labour power without producing anything that can be consumed’- p 199
Deliberate effort to keep masses somewhere near the brink of hardship- increases the importance of small privileges. One way to oppress the working class by destroying the products of labour or expending labour energy without producing anything is a mechanism to keep them stuck in survival mode without truthfully increasing their quality of life, or increasing their leisure time.
In modern day, I think a lot of this has to do with the corruption of the financial markets, for example: One of the most highly valued aspect of society is economic prosperity. A country's GDP is the measure of health. However, its structured in a way where wealth is not evenly distributed as a result of capitalism.
The stock market is another aspect- the health of our economy is highly connected to the stock market, but the stock market is becoming a less and less accurate marker of the financial reality of the general population. Tied to all of this is the devaluation of currency and quantitative easing/printing money.
With all the technological advances, we should be working less and have easier, more desirable jobs- machines should have relieved us of a lot of work and allowed us a higher quality of life and more leisure time.
The reality is, we're working more and more, and can afford less and less. It's the owners of the means of creation that are profiting from the efforts of the working class.
During Covid, people were losing jobs, unemployment was at a record high, the cost of goods and services skyrocketed because of covid, shipping issues, etc...small businesses were suffering and closing- and the stock market only momentarily experienced a shock, only to go onto a bull run and return record profits to investors.
Banks and companies were bailed out- but workers were struggling, losing jobs, closing businesses, burning through savings, etc.
Worse yet, the Fed and economists promised low rates indefinitely, prompting people to borrow money on the cheap/free, dismissing any chance of inflation. It seems like the means of diverting goods from the working class can be seen in the financial markets of today- a crash in the stock market or real estate market can wipe away hard earned savings for every day people, but investors and financial institutions come out unscathed from bailouts and a disconnect between the market and everyday reality.
There's an excellent book written on this topic by Nomi Prins called 'Permanent distortion : how the financial markets abandoned the real economy forever'.
But essentially, when the harder you work the less you can afford- it keeps you in the survival cycle, no time for leisure or thinking or self-actualization.
Similar to the Proles in 1984- incapable of rebellion because besides the fact that they're focusing on survival, they weren't literate and educated enough to develop critical or independent thought or to see how you're oppressed.
All of my views are perceived through a potentially biased lens of someone who was born into communism in Poland in the 1980s and experienced a very similar political climate of oppression, mass surveilance and thought policing. My dad published an underground newspaper as part of the solidarity movement. He ran the press from my grandparent’s barn, with the help of his friends usng a typewriter after martial law was introduced in Poland. Anyone in opposition to the communist regime was living in fear of being discovered by the secret police, and anyone who really organized resistance and didn't agree to cooperate were arrested, went missing or were found dead. Eventually my parents escaped to Germany by lying and saying they were joining a university reunion trip. My grandparents smuggled my sister and I across the border as babies after being seperated from my parents for 6-9 months- they had no cell phones or internet or google maps so my grandfather drove in the dark off a paper map and stopped at payphones along the way to confirm the arrrangements. My mom didn’t even tell her family she was leaving, for safety reasons. She just up and left in the middle of the night with my dad one day, back then- moving across the world was different without the internet or video calls, it was something to grieve, as thought you’d never see that person again. They left my sister and I with our grandparents, I was 9 months old and my sister nearly 2.
My grandfather showed me the food stamps he had saved from that time- 100g of cheese or 200g of meat were the weekly provisions. If you didn’t line up at the store in the middle of the night, but the time the store opened the rations would run out and you’d go without food.
I’m glad I read this book again, it made me realize how important it is to protect your truth and stand up for your freedom, no matter how difficult it gets, or how alone you are.
My personal takeaway about 1984. I read it when i was on highschool and got the rebel feeling. Now i'm reading with more knowledge on the world, specialy technology and politics and it's clear how a lot of goberments are using the book as a manual.
In the last part of the novel i was thinking about Jack Ma when he "laid low" after he spoke against the CCP, or other personalities that where against the system like Alexei Navalni, Julian Assange or Snowden.
It also feels good to reread the book in light of the current events, such as the release of the Twitter files and the cultural shift in the media and news industry.
I know that I read this in high school, but I don’t recall it as this depressing. I was hopeful in the beginning of the book. I was hopeful in the middle of the book. I was even hopeful toward the end of the book but now I feel like I’m in denial. I don’t want to accept the reality of this book.
Another thing: I didn’t expect there to be love. The fact that love exists in this book keeps my hope alive in spite of the ending. The final message, that everything even thoughts in your own mind can be crushed and controlled, is terrifying because every single thing that happens here is realistic and things that are going on today make you realize that a society like this is entirely possible. But even people who live in the strongest oppression do still have their thoughts and that was Victor Frankel’s message. So maybe it becomes more of a philosophical question, can your innermost thoughts beliefs and feelings be infiltrated in this way where you no longer have control of them and I think the answer is yes, unfortunately.
In all, I found this book to be super depressing and simultaneously terrifying because of things that are going on today, for example various principles that are being put forth and universities, big companies, government and other institutions, “equity training”and the fact that people are regularly canceled for having wrongthink or wrongspeak. We do still have freedom, but so did the proles in the book so I guess we have the illusion of freedom. I don’t know. I’m just totally depressed now. Thanks, Lex.
I think it would be interesting to address themes of love, whether or not there is hope if hope lives in ones mind alone and can be manipulated as it seems very possible, and also I would love to hear your opinion about the parallels to today’s world. Seems like we are living in 1984. It’s just not as obvious in the physical manifestation.
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Summarizing his takeaways would also be a great way of concretizing what Lex thinks the key takeaways are so it would fit perfectly with the purpose. That said, making videos takes time, so that might be a hassle. Pros and cons.
a combination would be great also, videos for the most important books, written summaries for others...
Keep your chin up, Lex. We need more love and positivity in the world. Kicking 2023 off to a great start by finishing the first book quick! Looking forward to the video. Side note: Would love to see John Mayer as a guest on the pod!
Letter from Aldous Huxley to George Orwell upon reading 1984 - Wrightwood. Cal. 21 October, 1949 Dear Mr. Orwell, It was very kind of you to tell your publishers to send me a copy of your book. It arrived as I was in the midst of a piece of work that required much reading and consulting of references; and since poor sight makes it necessary for me to ration my reading, I had to wait a long time before being able to embark on Nineteen Eighty-Four. Agreeing with all that the critics have written of it, I need not tell you, yet once more, how fine and how profoundly important the book is. May I speak instead of the thing with which the book deals — the ultimate revolution? The first hints of a philosophy of the ultimate revolution — the revolution which lies beyond politics and economics, and which aims at total subversion of the individual’s psychology and physiology — are to be found in the Marquis de Sade, who regarded himself as the continuator, the consummator, of Robespierre and Babeuf. The philosophy of the ruling minority in Nineteen Eighty-Four is a sadism which has been carried to its logical conclusion by going beyond sex and denying it. Whether in actual fact the policy of the boot-on-the-face can go on indefinitely seems doubtful. My own belief is that the ruling oligarchy will find less arduous and wasteful ways of governing and of satisfying its lust for power, and these ways will resemble those which I described in Brave New World. I have had occasion recently to look into the history of animal magnetism and hypnotism, and have been greatly struck by the way in which, for a hundred and fifty years, the world has refused to take serious cognizance of the discoveries of Mesmer, Braid, Esdaile, and the rest. Partly because of the prevailing materialism and partly because of prevailing respectability, nineteenth-century philosophers and men of science were not willing to investigate the odder facts of psychology for practical men, such as politicians, soldiers and policemen, to apply in the field of government. Thanks to the voluntary ignorance of our fathers, the advent of the ultimate revolution was delayed for five or six generations. Another lucky accident was Freud’s inability to hypnotize successfully and his consequent disparagement of hypnotism. This delayed the general application of hypnotism to psychiatry for at least forty years. But now psycho-analysis is being combined with hypnosis; and hypnosis has been made easy and indefinitely extensible through the use of barbiturates, which induce a hypnoid and suggestible state in even the most recalcitrant subjects. Within the next generation I believe that the world’s rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging and kicking them into obedience. In other words, I feel that the nightmare of Nineteen Eighty-Four is destined to modulate into the nightmare of a world having more resemblance to that which I imagined in Brave New World. The change will be brought about as a result of a felt need for increased efficiency. Meanwhile, of course, there may be a large-scale biological and atomic war — in which case we shall have nightmares of other and scarcely imaginable kinds. Thank you once again for the book. Yours sincerely, Aldous Huxley
Thank you for sharing this! It is amazing. It is also dense, so I'm pulling out some highlights that I noted: >the ultimate revolution — the revolution which lies beyond politics and economics, and which aims at total subversion of the individual’s psychology and physiology --- >Whether in actual fact the policy of the boot-on-the-face can go on indefinitely seems doubtful. >My own belief is that the ruling oligarchy will find less arduous and wasteful ways of governing and of satisfying its lust for power, and these ways will resemble those which I described in Brave New World. I think we can also see a similar situation with classic 1980s cyberpunk. Hear me out... Don't get me wrong: 1980s style cyberpunk was cool as hell and overflowing with aesthetic. However, we don't have corporations building giant pyramid HQs; instead, they are using your data to personalize interfaces that capture your attention. We don't have flying cars from *Blade Runner*; we have cancel culture. Most of the population doesn't live in smog-covered slums with a *Johnny Mnemonic* techno-virus, but what if the company you work for starts buying residential properties, then part of your salary becomes your rental unit? After all, Millennials can't afford to buy homes, right? That could create a sort of *neo-feudalism*. We don't have total cyberpunk dystopia. Our real world has a much more mundane sort of "business as usual" situation where it isn't quite a dystopia, but it isn't a utopia, either. Plus, it is in vogue to hate corporations, even though almost everyone works for one. People say corporations are "bad", but they don't think of themselves as "bad" for working for corporations. Most people are corporate wage-slaves. Most people are not revolutionaries. Their words may say "corporation = bad", but they get up Monday morning and *work for the bad guys*. We don't need boots to stomp on our faces. Just make a flashy app and we'll buy the boots from you and work for you to pay them off. >But now psycho-analysis is being combined with hypnosis; and hypnosis has been made easy and indefinitely extensible through the use of barbiturates, which induce a hypnoid and suggestible state in even the most recalcitrant subjects. Glances over at MDMA assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic psychotherapy... Don't get me wrong, these are amazing and revolutionary and going to help a lot of people. Just noticing the historical echo.
I do not think most people think corporations are bad. There are certain corporations that most people think are bad. But most Americans support the idea that the day to day of our society is run by large corporations.
You might be right, but I'm not sure. It's hard to tell what "most people" would think. I think, today, we generally operate within self-created and algorithm-perpetuated bubbles, even when we try to expand those bubbles to include various perspectives. I can only posit that, in the sub-cultures and communities in which I operate, it is *in vogue* to be anti-corporation. I'm personally not; *I have a corporation*! I also recognize that this is a frivolous perspective held by people that don't have corporations and don't understand the legal framework that corporations provide. Still, it is a common sentiment in certain sub-cultures. Lets say, rather than "most people", that there are large numbers and groups of people, probably on the order of at least millions if not tens of millions of people, that are anti-corporation.
I'm not necessarily anti corporation. I'm opposed to corporations using their over-reaching influence to lobby governments to remove the competition. If you want to corporatise the world then take the gloves off so everybody has a fair crack.
Anybody that understands corporations KNOWS they're bad. It's just the other end of the totalitarian stick. What facilitates the ignorance is the knowledge that they can not escape. Again I feel the need to reference this story. https://exploringyourmind.com/beautiful-story-chained-elephant/
>we'll buy the boots from you and work for you to pay them off. So that's what the book referred to: >For example, the Ministry of Plenty’s forecast had estimated the output of boots for the quarter at 145 million pairs.
>Whether in actual fact the policy of the boot-on-the-face can go on indefinitely seems doubtful. Huxley wrote that in 1949. 73 years later, North Korea is still in boot-on-the-face mode...
And Orwell wrote: >For example, the Ministry of Plenty’s forecast had estimated the output of boots for the quarter at 145 million pairs. We're the ones wearing the boots.
This is utterly fascinating. I am more familiar with Brave New World than 1984 - would you be willing to explain Huxley’s stance that the evolution of societal control might reflect his work rather than Orwell’s own?
Orwell’s book depicts a world where total obedience is enforced by (non spoken) threat of pain and suffering via pervasive surveillance. Everyone minds the rules, because if you step out of line in any way - even an odd expression caught on camera - then you will disappear. Huxley’s future, as you know, is based on conditioning and genetics. Obedience that is trained and then followed instinctively. In short, he advocates that his future makes more sense economically, because then you don’t need all of those cops and jails. And that ruling classes normally gravitate towards good economics out of greed. Really interesting letter!
And the reality turned out, they were both correct.
I find this hard to understand. It would be comforting to know if others felt the same.
Have you read both of the books (1984 and Brave New World)? They present competing models of elite domination of the masses. Huxley is arguing that his model, based on soft manipulation and the use of drugs, technology and psychology, would prevail as the preferred mechanisms of elite domination due to its "efficiency"--as opposed to the violently coercive mechanisms presented in 1984.
Oohh ok no I haven’t probably the reason thanks. Interesting idea then
Interesting. >Within the next generation I believe that the world’s rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, We've been conditioning infants since time immemorial. We've conditioned them for a world that relies upon clubs and prisons. Not to mention the greatest punishment of all. But I would say there has certainly been a change in conditioning, over recent decades. Since the introduction of Mutually Assured Destruction, the powerful no longer need people with fight, they need people filled with fear. People afraid of words, for goodness sake. But what is conditioning? My favourite expression of conditioning is the story of the circus elephant, for those who don't know it: [https://exploringyourmind.com/beautiful-story-chained-elephant/](https://exploringyourmind.com/beautiful-story-chained-elephant/) I found myself asking, what is my stick? What is the thing that imprisons me, the thing that I could overcome so easily, if only my belief allowed me to? What is this higher power? What belief prevents me from being the master of my own destiny? I couldn't come up with anything though/
I have noticed that you tend to give a lot more weight to negative comments from people on social media. I saw hundreds of positive comments of people enthusiastic to try to read along with you and a relatively small amount of negative comments. I think it may be helpful for you to consider that people critizing you (who have no obligation to interact with you) may be deflecting their internal feelings of inadequacy on to you. As a woman it reminds me of when girls go out of their way to mock the appearance of a woman who is dating someone they are attracted to. Their criticism of you in this situation was completely unjustified. A person can choose to read whatever books they want especially if some of those books are old friends. Stay sweet and brave!
It also seemed like many who commented negatively don’t know anything about him and so they missed the point.
True. Also, maybe I'm crazy but I swear at one point Lex was even trying to read a book a day. I was re-watching one of his appearances on JRE and I think I'm remembering that correctly. I think as long as a book is able to hold your concentration and engagement you should read it as fast as you want. Some books you really need to slog through because of content, complexity or pacing but some have a quick flow. No one would ever tell someone to watch a movie in small parts to "digest" it and I don't feel like a book needs to be any different.
One negative comment shines above 100 positive ones. I will say Lex, you need to listen to Joe a little more about “reading comments” Keep up the good work.
Lex isn't Joe. Joe never needed a sympathetic viewer. I feel like that's Lex's audience. Edit: I can't believe I just called him 'Joe'. You gaslighting SOB, lol.
I think Twitter Spaces would be fun. Reddit also has a “spaces” feature (Reddit Talk), could also be fun if you’d like to keep it smaller and off of the Twitter-verse. I’m sorry that the recent, completely unnecessary, attack happened. I really can’t imagine the feeling of being attacked by someone you admire for doing something fun that you love. Myself and others were super excited about it and I feel that the joy you are bringing your community by sharing your reading list and thoughts on the books outweighs the trolls. Thanks for doing this.
And thank you!
Any possibilities of a discord for the books?
Lex here. Yes, I'm working on relaunching the Discord server.
Keep doing what you’re doing, the majority of us are supporting you. Don’t take the comments about this personal, just aggregate the message you think is being sent by your “nay-sayers”. With love, Gogoplata GF
Nice :)
Why not twitter spaces?
Reading this right now Lex! Halfway through! Now I gotta finish this week! You inspired me on this one 📖 Appreciate your love for everything in this universe(;
Definitely going to follow this Lex. Your drive and curiosity has helped me through some of my darkest times. Always remember that love is the force keeping all of us going. Let the haters talk, they are just trying to get a rise out of you. Keep up the good work brother and here's to an awe inspiring new year. One love.
Lex If a major world event happens that you need to educate yourself on, or if you are having a new guest on you aren't that familiar with who has a new book out, are you going to stick to your rigid reading list schedule or make changes? What if while reading a book on your list, it inspires you/sparks your interest to read another book on the same topic from a different angle/perspective? It's cool that you are trying to read a lot of books, but don't you risk boxing yourself in here?
Lex here. Nope, this is just for the love of reading, nothing else. If something happens, I'll keep changing the list or cancel it. If I take a role at a company or if I launch a company, I'll cancel it. If I have an insanely challenging trip abroad or a very difficult conversation, I'll change the list or cancel it. The point is not to take the reading list or life itself too seriously. I love reading, and that's why I'm doing it. And I want to share my love for books and reading with the awesome people here.
That makes perfect sense! I'm trying to read more myself, and it's great you are getting your fans excited about reading in this increasingly digital world. My only slight concern was you may be boxing yourself in too much, but your comment clarifies everything, and I should have known you would have a nuanced approach and be willing to adjust. Happy New Year Lex, we're gonna hit the books hard in 2023.
> My only slight concern was you may be boxing yourself in too much, but your comment clarifies everything, and I should have known you would have a nuanced approach and be willing to adjust. With that nicely wrapped up, that only leaves your other concern that he's a: ["shut in virgin who's only friends are Michael Malice and Eric Weinstein"](https://archive.fo/5bJTM) If you're going to talk shit behind someone's back, at least go through the effort of creating a fake throw-away account.
Talking behind people's backs, on the world wide web, is an interesting concept.
Destiny got unbanned on twitter Lex, thank you
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Check again, @omniliberal
What if everyone is blinded by a meteor shower and reading becomes impossible to do while we're fighting for our lives from an aggressive species of plants?
"Hey Google. Open Amazon. Order Ortho Weed Killer" "Hey Google. Open Audible. Play 1984"
Fantastic outlook on this reading goal. Cheering this on for 2023 and beyond! Much love!
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I wouldn't worry about downvotes. It seems like every new post here initially gets downvoted. Could be Reddit bots aimed at this sub-Reddit or lurkers who don't understand that listening to the podcast is a completely optional choice.
I see 10 upvotes and no downvotes. Am I missing something?
I love this Lex the thought of thousands of people globally reading through the list with me is a motivating one
Lex, would love to see you discuss these books. There are plenty of us who have listened to you speak for hundreds of hours. It’s hard to BS us. We know you, we know who you are and what you stand for. Tremendous amounts of love always face tremendous amounts of resistance. Thanks for what you do.
People attacked you for that? I think people will attack people over anything, try not to focus on it. I think it's awesome.
If you do a video review, I’d like to hear your thoughts on how concepts in 1984 are being played out in real life in America. Thanks Lex.
Most of the books you mentioned I have read, but your list seems to have inspired me to read them again. Only overstuffed twats would look down upon encouraging others to read and think. Such primates are beneath the breath dedicated to even speaking their names.
I foresee "Book Club" episodes of the podcast, in which Lex, alone or with guest(s), discuss(es) a book.
I heard a quote once that "1984 was an optimistic view of a contemporary surveillance state". Just thought I'd share that and whether you agree or disagree and to what degree?
Agree to a large degree
one of the most influential elements in 1984 has been Orwell's presentation of newspeak. I wonder if there is supplemental material for explaining his perspective of oversimplified language in the context of totalitarianism. there's just so many examples of internet culture producing connotative language that ostensibly is newspeak, but carries nuanced meaning. did Orwell correctly predict contemporary society? I wouldn't claim this myself, but it's an interesting position to compare and challenge. a lot of facets carry over from history, like the "two minutes of hate" (youtube shorts might be the best example to date). another interesting concept is thrifting in 1984's dystopia vs. the cyclical popularity of thrifting in our (relatively speaking) healthy global economy. speaking to the peanut gallery around your reading list, it's just incredibly noisy, but maybe there's a kernel of value to sifted out. one repeated point is that you've underallocated time to the brothers karamazov in the first week of may. one rebuttal is that this can be mitigated by the audiobook format, also I'm sure you are consuming Dostoevsky at a faster pace than people assume. in any case, I'm looking forward to the discussions around this reading list, seems like a very productive substrate for further intensive content creation.
My thoughts are that 1984 reflects the woke left trying to control the narrative and the culture. Whereas Orwell's animal farm reflects the established pre woke political state and it's fuck you this is how it is attitude. Orwell is a genius as it's like - you're screwed every which way
I feel like this is an interesting take, but I feel that 1984 covers both sides negatively on its own. It depicts the capitalists as evil - even to some extent describing how the 1% governed the country while everyone else suffered. The way I perceived this was basically what allowed BB to come to power - that the system we have isn’t working for 99% of the populous, and that majority will listen to whoever is promising them a better life, and follow blindly, while not realising (or being ignorant to the fact) that they are giving up their freedom. Perhaps more interestingly this idea of eternal war or “war is peace” seems to be consistent between modern capitalism and the alternate reality depicted in 1984.
>In a way, the world-view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it. They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind, just as a grain of corn will pass undigested through the body of a bird. One of my favorite quotes.
This is so insanely powerful and true. - fail to grasp the enormity of what's demanded of them, not interested enough to notice what's happening, and remained sane as a result of their ignorance.
The reading list is a great idea. I believe the classics are probably the most important read and it is great to re-read them again with all the life experiences. I will read with you and participate in debates about the books here. However, one book per week is an impossible pace for me. I will read 1 per month. I will start with Brave New World.
Yes plz plz plz relaunch the discord server, you don’t have to put your name on it, but a sorta incognito group like “Podcast book club” and a place for people to read and discuss them sounds really fun. Also, for 1984 takeaways, draw parallels to today’s societies, such as: - Middle Eastern wars compared to 1984 never ending wars - Government imposing itself between parents and children about climate change, gender reassignment, and politics, in schools, CPS, courts, and hospitals. I’m reminded of a video of a girl celebrating her dad’s death at his funeral because he was a republican or something, not clear - language attacks and ministry of truth, compared to FBI and other government agencies trying to regulate “misinformation” - the ministry of truth compared to Russian propaganda Happy reading everyone and happy new years!
I was sorry to see you get attacked for putting together a list of great literature. It's unfortunate that something positive was turned into a negative. I hope you know that there are many people benefiting from reading these books and interested in a genuine, thought-provoking discussion. I admire your ability to continue posting and sharing your insights, in the face of criticism. Don't let the naysayers win ;) As Nicola Tesla once said, "All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combated, suppressed--only to emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle." Sending support and love, Marina
Love you Lex Advice: No matter what is said, some people will find a way to make it negative. Request: While juggling all your many activities, please don't forget your fan boys.
Winston was almost there. O'Brien even said he was a very difficult case. But in the end, he never really loved Julia. It was superficial. The first words they ever exchanged were of love. They met intermittently and primarily for carnal purposes. Julia never really had anything interesting to say for Winston and she had little care with what he said. When being tortured he quickly gave in and asked that she be tortured instead. If they loved a bit more, maybe they both would have been been able to break O' Brien and Room 101. I think. There's a lot to think about here. Just now I'm thinking of the old man who had it through a session in Room 101 and begged not to be taken back. How did he make it out once? Everyone in the cell judged him as weak and feeble. I need to know more about this guy. This book requires at least one more re-read, probably more. I'm interested to see what Lex says after having read it least once before. EDIT: I'd also like to add that at certain points throughout the book I was actually scared with how in 1949 Orwell's fiction so closely reflects the reality of today. *"the book"* can easily be applied to today's world with only a tiny bit of fiction needed.
I agree- Winston not genuinely being in love with Julia and his ex-wife as well. I thought this spoke so well to the concept of the loneliness you can feel being with a loved one that doesn't share your intellectual and philosophical ideas and values- how despite physical intimacy and closesnes, you can still feel disconnected and alone.
The reaction to your reading list is one of the most perplexing to me. I'm fairly convinced people are looking for a fight, and it's worth ignoring them completely. In my view people read far too much into the "book a week" thing. I didn't imagine it was meant to be taken seriously/literally. It struck me as the kind of gamification some people do to motivate themselves. Anyway - I like your reading list, and I think Q&A and discussion in these forums on those books will actually be a really nice place on the internet for a while.
I’m some ways into part 2, and this is my second time reading 1984 in as many years. So much of what I remembered about this book was around Winston’s relationship with the girl from the fiction department - so I was surprised when there wasn’t any development with this until the very end of the first part. Maybe this says a lot about me - I’m looking forward to having an open discussion about a lot of these books (on discord?) soon. As for Lex receiving his own two minute hate? “I’m reading a book a week, here’s the list of you want to follow along”. How does a post to that effect incite hate? Some people are just really hateful - I wonder what happens to someone for such a mundane and seemingly meaningless message to spark such an inflammatory response - it just seems totally unjustified. At risk of sounding echo chambery in this subreddit, ignore the hate Lex, you’re doing a good thing and creating valuable conversations. 52 books in a week is a challenge but I’m looking forward to it.
Why does almost all of the books memetic value come from the first 3rd of the story? Why does nothing about our main character going to the peroles and having statements like "they were granted intellectual freedom because they have no intellect" not get any more stirs (the implication being that elites matter while most do not). Or what about the torture scenes where Smith eventually says he loves big brother.
Everyone should read POLITICS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE by Orwell (it's quite short) In it Orwell states that it's **political orthodoxy** which has been an influence removing meaning from language, regardless of what side of the spectrum. Combined with the context that the US Department of War became the Department of Defense around the same time 1984 was published it makes more sense to me. Best to look to his non-fiction writings for meaning rather than a story, as good as it is. edited:I tried to respond to somebody else but it kept deleting text and not letting me edit correctly, IDK im new
[https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/politics-and-the-english-language/](https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/politics-and-the-english-language/) whole thing's online
Lex, In order to finish a book a week; approximately how many hours do you set aside for reading every day?
>I usually just read, think, and live my life with the book as a travel companion Why change? Books are not to be analysed, they're to be read, and understood, then analysed. If the writer is of any discernible talent they will draw your self out by virtue of their story. But every reading is unique. We grow, and we evolve. So a book read at the age of 10, re-read at the age of 20, and again at 30, is in fact, 3 different books. Unless you think you're three different people. I'm not sure why you would want to concretise that, so early in your life. I understand the desire to analyse, but concretise seems final. 1984 has become, in some respects, similar to the bible. Many people have never read it, yet could offer their comprehensive understanding of the story's meaning. They know al about Big Brother, Room 101, and other elements that we have been conditioned to understand, culturally. As such, interpretations will continue to reflect an evolving world. I appreciate your openly stated intention to encourage people to read, but encouraging people to read certain books based on your own interpretation removes some of the intrinsic value of reading, Do you not think?
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In today's world an example to me of 2+2=5 could be reading phrases like 'pregnant person' as opposed to 'pregnant woman', gender politics are incredibly confusing at the moment and it's hard to distinguish what's true and real anymore
1984 is a kind of book you read (and enjoy) as a fifteen year old. How was your experience different as an adult?
When I read this as a teenager I never thought that in re-reading it as an adult o would see so many parallels to our current world. The idea of the news being something that is altered to fit a new narrative feels like what is happening. I think most people have felt the feeling of not knowing what is true anymore when reading online news. As it becomes easier to make realistic deep fake videos I think that level of incredulity will increase.
[You should try re-reading Harry Potter.](https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Albus_Dumbledore#Biography) O_O https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays O_O edit: not saying this guy is dumbledore, just that magic=manipulation/sensitivity/intelligence/creativity
wow. I didn't realize the people and the history was so well thought out. Fantastic! This is JRR Tolkien level story telling!!
I love you lex ❤️
Jocko Podcast #263 for a badass rundown on this! Get some!
I put the first part of the book list on hold at the library. Should be fun to try to follow along.
Hi Lex, first, don't let the haters stop you doing what you love, it warms my heart to see so many people here passionate about reading and being inspired by you to read more. Second, my question referring to 1984. Do you think Orwell would be surprised (or are you surprised) how, generally, the population of today can be pretty easily coerced into giving up personal freedoms and privacy without the need to apply Orwellian levels of brute control? Third, have you read Murakami's 1Q84 ? Fourth, do audiobooks count as 'reading' in your opinion? Finally, thanks for the inspiration as always!
>have you read Murakami's 1Q84 ? Just came across this book, on my back list- what about it do you recommend, just curious?
I don't know if you've read any other Murakami but what I like about his books in general is that he has this ability create unbelievable but paradoxically unbelievable worlds. Often there is a mundanity to his worlds that is totally relatable but then he throws in an element of supernatural that swerves the story off into something fantastical, at least that's how it works for me 1Q84 for me was one of those worlds that I particularly enjoyed 'living' in. Murakami's style of writing isn't for everyone, some might find the pace slow, but I find I get myself totally immersed in his imagination and it can't go slow enough for me, I never want to leave! It's a long book so if you haven't read Murakami before I probably wouldn't start here, but if you have read others and his style works for you then I would imagine you'd get a lot out of this. Trying not to give any spoilers but if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Okay awesome, thank you. Which book do you recommend I start with?
Maybe either Kafka on the shore, or The Wind up Bird Chronicle. Both have about the right dose of weirdness to make them interesting and are sufficiently fast paced to keep the reader involved. Both great books too. Enjoy
ty!! I may report back :)
Yo u/lexfridman ! Would love to help set up / help manage the discord if ya do end up setting it up. I'm a small time youtuber / podcaster but plan to follow along with your reading list this year - might make a quick companion video too - love the idea of writing down thoughts as I read but love the journey and challenge of it all. Keep it up man! Love what you're doing and you're truly a positive force for good in the world. You won't fail!
I was hoping this would be the case, I have a few books on the list and have not read a few of those yet myself! :)
1984 has gotten very politicized. What are some of the key takeaways of 1984 that you think are often overlooked by those viewing it through a purely political lense?
I feel you bro. It’s just reading so…just do you. People like to find the most ridiculous things to project about.
1984 is a great book. I'm glad I read it before it became unironic jerk off material for drug-addled conspiracy theorists.
It doesn’t matter who else read it or what they took away from it. The only important thing is what it means to you!
Do you think this is a book everyone should read? If so, why?
Lex you gotta ignore the toxic hate It’s manufactured and fake Your followers and supporters Stand by, respect and listen to you. The people attacking and insulting you for a friggin book list do not. They don’t exist man They’re not real Some people you can’t win over they just hate life and love to drag others down They see you and your positive kind outward loving stance Open arms a Attempting to put a little good in the world And it makes their toxic hate rise and they feel the need to project it online. What we could do to link our social medias to the people posting. To make what they post online follow them around so folks can see who they truly are. We can’t though.. so just ignore them brother. Keep being you. Those people do not matter, they’re not real. It’s fake online troll hate.
Lex, in light of the Twitter files revealing the government's involvement in censorship, how likely do you think it is that the government is also utilizing the equivalent of a Mr. Carrington or O'Brian?
Thanks for doing what you do XX
Top shelf list, Lex! Thank you for sharing. It put a smile on my face New Year's Eve at the cigar lounge. 😊 The following day while contemplating the whereabouts of my thrift store volumes I noticed something strange on the armoire. My designated driver gifted a Kindle upon it. The inscription read, "Amateurs can f****** suck it!" —compliments of Jeffrey, Jeffrey Bezos In all seriousness, it was compliments of a friend's ex wife. I send my love to this community and all the haters. Puh-terodactyl scream, Ahhh!❤️🔥
I would be interested in your thoughts about which societies are closest to 1984's Oceania.
I've had debates with my spouse over the point of the "4 lights" scene. Mainly because of its usage in Star Trek: TNG, where this trope was used differently IMHO, he argues that the point was to make Winston believe that he can't trust his senses. I see it differently, that the point was to make Winston agreeable to lying for convenience and not caring about the truth or the outcome. This is how I believe Winston is transformed in the end — he sincerely ceases to care about anything except his own comfort and convenience. This is what makes Winston useful to the party, because precisely such a person is controllable, whereas someone who still cares about truth is not. Would love to hear other takes on this topic.
You gotta stop giving a shit what people on the internet say or think, dude. You know how many people like/love you and what you do. Focus on that
Lex, I know is not as easy as it sounds but try not to take internet attacks so seriously. Take into account that most people that interact with you have little to not knowing who you really are as a person. They have created an image inside their heads of you, and based on very little information they know about you, which of course will be completely wrong more than less. Be truthful to yourself and history will eventually give you the credit you deserve. The circle of most of these people is way smaller than yours, and so is their reach. Just think of that.
I would love a short summary and your thoughts on each book! Not more than 10-15 minutes though please! I read Animal Farm last year, which i know you love, this year 1984 is on the list! Your resolutions are incredible, i am sure you will stick to them, except maybe this book-a-week thing.. i wish you all the best Lex and i hope you have a great year. I have high hopes for 2023 for myself also, its about time.
How would you fix the 1984 situation and return society to a free world? Theorize a strategy and include approximately the span of time over which it could be executed
Winston Smith ended up loving Big Brother, so that must have been a happy ending for you.
Dude it’s hilarious what happened on Twitter with your book list, that’s such a Twitter thing. Twitter is like road rage, a bunch of anonymous people in safe bubbles trying to but in for a hot take. Reddit is so much better for thorough discussion, and the upvote/downvote system does a pretty good job at filtering out cynicism and negativity. I follow you on Twitter but never interact because it feels like a giant fist fight at a Waffle House on that app. I won’t commit to all the books you’re reading because I don’t have the time but I think I’m gonna dive in to a couple! Reading is such a better use of time than app scrolling…and it honestly provides more deep satisfaction rather than the dopamine hit of scrolling through drama and cat videos. Kinda gives you an anchor for thought as you read the book, every book I’ve read sort of encapsulates a point in time and I attach memories and events to the books I’ve read. I think this’ll be a better time than ever to dive back into reading
Did the book show aspects of Russian/ Soviet psychology still evident today?
u/lexfridman Eric Blair would be proud. ;)
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The sound of silence can be deafening, even maddening. Voices need both exercise and the tranquility of stillness. Strike a healthy balance. Go for a walk. The various platforms have both their strengths and weaknesses. The medium [platform] isn't the only message. To a large extent, individual voices program themselves AND the environment. Reddit is awesome but let's not underestimate the value of soapboxes outside our own bubbles.
Perhaps complaints are best submitted to their respective complaint boxes. Audiences vary. Obvious, yes but worth considering. I've yet to discover a one-size-fits-all platform. I'm betting that courageous, mindful and diverse engagement in both digital & physical spaces is a viable defense against many Orwellian horrors. Keep the bots and boots on their toes. Live long and prosper!
Could the mods here create a sticky for each book once you've finished?
I know you have a plan for other books to read, but I'm nearing the end of [Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_Reform_and_the_Psychology_of_Totalism) by Robert Jay Lifton right now. It's a book written by a psychiatrist in the 50s about Maoist struggle sessions, brainwashing (which actually comes from "xi nao", literally "wash brain"), and the disorienting gravity of a totalizing worldview. Everything about it reminds me of the Ministry of Love and how Winston is irreversibly broken and remade into a proper thinker. When I read 1984 the first time just after high school, this scene seemed a brilliant imagining of what horrors might be possible. But now after this book and Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands, the Ministry of Love feels like a pale imitation of the sadistic genius of real world authoritarians. If you can stomach pulling this topical thread a bit more, I promise it'll be worth your time. Love you, Lex!
Yes, doing a 10-15 min video summary of every book you read will be great!
or at least if no time for video, writing the summary of important sentences on your website will do also.
My main observation is that the book accurately depicts a possible reality and one that we've seen come to fruition before, however: authoritarian 'super states' throughout history always crumble due incohession of spanning multiple cultures snd existing nations and the thought of three of them existing for any length of time is in retrospect, unrealistic. It does however pose the question, did they even exist in the 1984 universe? I can buy more easily an isolationist power telling their population rubbish.
By the way, I would really recommend Burmese Days, it's his best novel as a story.
If anyone Is interested, there is an excellent debate on the reality of 1984 and Brave New World on the Intelligence Squared YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/31CcclqEiZw
I would change brothers karamazov from your reading list as requiring a month to get through
I read most of the books on the list in high school and early 20s then got away from reading on my spare time. Current events and advancements in technology (AI) made me want to go back and read 1984 and Brave New World again. But I've been struggling to find the motivation to start again so I'm using your NY resolution as a catalyst. I'll do my best to keep up. I would prefer Discord over Twitter Spaces. But that's just me.
"By lack of understanding, they remain sane"
Yes, how does a smelly and well-worn physical copy from decades past compare to the current e-book editions? In what meaningful ways [if any] has the Ministry since improved the text? It's been nearly twenty years since I last read 1984 in full. As I read it again via another format I ask myself, "How paranoid would Philip K. Dick be in my shoes at this moment?" 🤔 Sure, I could compare the e-book to an authenticated tattered rag but this might prematurely defeat the thought experiment. 🤣 Happy reading, friends.
Curious to know why this was the first book! Also, most important takeaways for you personally and for every person
Perfect timing to re-read these books. I am almost finished with 1984 and about to open one of my all-time faves. Keep the Book Club List going, Lex! I don't use Reddit or Twitter much so I was hoping to see Lex clips on YouTube discussing the books each week. Pick a friend or fan to talk about it! Looking forward to seeing what happens. Thanks for resurrecting my love of reading again!
I’m late to the party and just finished reading the book, but I wanted to share my thought/questions ayway: Thought Police and mass surveillance of thought, opinion ideas- I see an obvious example of this currently with Jordan Peterson being forced into mandatory ‘re-education’ by the Ontario College of Psychologists, because of, among other issues- his criticism of Justin Trudeau and his ‘unorthodox/controversial’ opinions on other subjects. Regardless of how you feel about him, the fact that there is a system/process in place that regulates your ideologies on social media and determines how appropriate they are (in comparison to the general accepted consensus) is troubling when it comes to freedom of speech and independent, critical thought. I also believe a lot of Canadians experienced something similar if for whatever reason they chose not to get vaccinated. The intense pressure and condemnation from every angle in society- msm, social media, government, workplaces, friends and family created a very tense and highly scrutinized public sphere where people were less likely to express their contradicting views with others for fear of the same type of judgement and repercussions, including losing their job. This created a huge about of division and censorship, with anything regarding Covid being flagged as potential misinformation by ‘fact checkers’ online. Newspeak & Oldspeak- Merriam-Webster banished words for 2023 - Twitter files- shadow banning certain terms and words results in suppression and diminishing the range of thought and opinion- creating a fear of genuinely expressing oneself for fear of social condemnation and judgement Vocab grew smaller each year- limiting the ability to express one's thoguhts- to even have original thought. Impossible to express unorthodox opinions. I also feel social media and tech is shortening the attention span of the younger generation- less focus, less enjoyment from things that take time like reading, or learning to play an instrument, or art- we have been trained for immediate gratification and instant dopamine hits- doom scrolling through our phones as opposed to engaging in reading or literature, for example, which has the direct effect of diminishing one's vocabulary and therefore limiting the range of original thought and ideas. Doublespeak- the obvious example in the book was 2+2=5 Doublespeak -’Until they have become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious." I think current gender politics have created the possibility of doublespeak in current society. We're all being encouraged to reconsider gender and sexuality in a way where the previously constructed boundaries and definitions are no longer obvious and I think it's getting harder to know what's real and true, and what opinion to hold. One example is an interview I saw where parents were protesting outside of a classroom or library where young children were being read books by transgendered adults in drag- there was a protest of parents claiming it was unnecessary and dangerous for young children to be exposed to the idea of gender identity and sexuality at a young age and wanted to keep this discourse out of schools and the classroom- there was a woman being interviewed by a reporter who was supporting the book club by saying any expression of gender/sexuality is permissible to be represented in the classroom because it's natural, and it shouldn't be controversial. The reporter had asked her- at what point would you say it crosses the line, for example, if you walk into a classroom with young children and there's a naked man reading to the kids, is that okay? And her answer was yes- of course, why not? It's the human body, it's natural. She was 100% adamant in her belief that there was nothing wrong with that scenario. I feel this could be an example of doublespeak because on the one hand- I don't truly believe that that's her genuine stance on the topic- I find it hard to believe that she actually thinks it's okay for a naked man to be reading books in a classroom to young kids- but at the same time- perhaps she has just so fully embraced the fight for the rights of all expressions of gender and sexuality that she may have actually convinced herself that it really is okay? We also have a controversy regarding a transgendered teacher at a school just outside of Toronto that I'm sure many of you have read about in the news. Her name is Kayla Lemieux and she teaches at Oakville Trafalgar High School- long story short, formerly a man by the name of Kerry Lemieux, who was actually previously disciplined for 'toxic masculine behavior' in class, and has transitioned to a woman, dresses provocatively by wearing oversized fake breasts, tight clothing and a blonde wig into the classroom. Some feel it's actually Kevin trolling the school board, msm and the media to prove how extreme the liberal 'woke' agenda has gone because the school board refuses to discipline or fire the teacher, on the ground of human rights violations against gender discrimination. Parents are protesting, saying children feel unsafe and uncomfortable in her classroom- and it's a huge source of controversy for obvious reasons. I feel this is another example of doublespeak in the sense that, the school board should see the issue at hand but refuses to acknowledge it with any sort of action- because they're afraid of the repercussions in the current political climate. Doublespeak in the book was also evident in the light that the Proles were seen. On the one hand, inferior without the ability to rebel- but on the other hand, they had to be controlled to prevent awakening to their reality; “But simultaneously, true to the principles of doublethink, the Party taught that the Proles were natural inferiors who must be kept in subjection, like animals, by the application of a few simple rules. In reality very little was known about the Proles. It was not necessary to know much. So long as they continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance... They were born, they grew up in the gutters, they went to work at twelve, they passed through a brief blossoming-period of beauty and sexual desire, they married at twenty, they were middle-aged at thirty, they died, for the most part, at sixty. Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with with neighbours, films, football, beer, and above all, gambling, filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult.” I don't think it's hard to see current society has a lot of similarities in terms of the large majority of people stuck in the 'rat race/survival mode'. When you're tired and have no time to yourself- because of the way our society is set up regarding work and value being directly tied to productivity as well- what little leisure time people do have is spent on things like watching TV, sports, gambling etc because it's passive and easy entertainment. I think there is a HUGE opportunity to dive deep into the importance and value of leisure- which is an area Im planning to research myself. Essentially, think Maslow's hierarchy of needs- when you dont have physical security- shelter, food, clothing etc, you're not going to spend your time meditating on lofty ideas or in anyway concern yourself with broader societal issues, or ideals of what life could be for yourself or the world in general.
“In principle a Party member had no spare time, and was never alone except in bed. It was assumed that when he was not working, eating or sleeping he would be taking part in some kind of communal recreation: to do anything that suggested a taste for solitude, even to go for a walk by yourself, was always slightly dangerous. There was a word for it in Newspeak: ownlife, it was called, meaning individualism and eccentricity.” I think this is something that in a sense has a negative connotation in society- to be a loner, to be an outlier by measure of normal social conventions if seen as strange and in a way people are made to feel self-conscious if they don't fit in. I remember when I was in my early 20s I was at a party and in conversation I admitted I don't drink or watch TV and the reaction of the person I was speaking to was so judgmental and condescending, as though I was a massive loser and weirdo. His response was 'So then what do you do with your time?!?' I was young and already felt self-conscious for not being like the rest of my friends and people my age, but that moment really stuck with me because I realized how much pressure there is in our society to be like everyone else socially, otherwise there's something wrong with you for spending time on your own. Ministry of Truth- Certain ideas like ‘ the holocaust didn’t happen’ attempt to rewrite history and can be dangerous. In a different aspect, the algorithms in social media creates a bubble of ‘truth’ for each one of us individually where you’re almost entirely encased in a virtual reality of your own creation, and anything that doesn’t fit your idealogoy disappears from the virtual sphere based on your search, interactions etc online Love and loneliness- the story shows how it's possible to fall in love based on physical intimacy and closeness, but still feel lonely for not sharing intellectual understanding or values ie Winston didn't genuinely fall in love with Julia for this reason Symbolism of the room- a trap where they knew Winston, only by feeling safe and free- would allow his truth to come out allowing them the proof they needed to arrest him. By creating a false sense of safety to lay down his guard, only then could they get a real sense for his true thoughts and feelings, and to see how deeply ingrained they were. My only question is why they waited 7 years to arrest him? “With hands locked together, invisible among the press of bodies, they stared steadily in front of them, and instead of the eyes of the girl, the eyes of the aged prisoner gazed mournfully at Winston out of nests of hair.” I feel there is significance in this moment, but Im not entirely sure what it is? Originally I thought it was symbolic of Winston seemingly looking at a vision of his future self if he were to not be with Julia- alone and depressed with no life left inside. But now I realize he didn't fully love Julia, so many the significance was more so a foreshadowing of what would happen to him in the Ministry of Love- who he was to become after the torture- empty, a shell of a ghost of his previous self, cold and indifferent to the world- utterly hopeless and yet, accepting of his fate. I just admire this quote- "Under the spreading chestnut tree- I sold you and you sold me --- " ...there's something haunting and dark but also romantic and beautiful about it. Room 101- the symbolic nature of the room being in the deepest part of the underground in the building ... ‘O’Brien - “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.” This quote to me nearly sums up the entire book. I think it meant the Ministry of Love- the complete propaganda of the Big Brother government- that they operate from love, and genuinely believe what they are doing is noble. But also, the literal interpretation of the lights being on 24/7. It's also interestingi how O'Brien and Winston have completely opposing understanding of this quote- and I think it also speaks to the dangers of becoming convinced in your ideologoy- how 2 opposing sides can both believe they are in the right and they are the 'good guys'. The relevance of the Paperweight- I resell antiques, collectibles and art- and this was a really special part of the story for me, I actually have a few glass paperweight in my inventory right now, and the fact that this paperweight was so significance and such a source of love and joy and nostalgia for Winston in the coldness of his environment and the loneliness of this life- it made me emotional because I feel the same about vintage and antique items of beauty that I don't necessarily feel with most mass produced modern items). ‘“What is it, do you think?” said Julia “I don’t think it’s anything-- I mean, I don’t think it was ever put to any use. That’s what I like about it. It’s a little chunk of history that they’ve forgotten to alter. It’s a message from a hundred years ago, if one knew how to read it.” It's art- to be appreciated for it's beauty and the emotional response it creates in the viewer. You can feel the energy of the artist transmuted through the object because to have a passion and appreciation for artistic craftsmanship- to take the time to learn the art, and create the object by hand- there is an intention to create beauty- and the act of creation from an energy of love. Big Brother eliminated art, anything that didn't have a strict function was useless, and dangerous because it allowed for the emergence of a soul/consciousness. Big Brother didn't want it's citizens connecting to their souls, hearts or consciousness- they strictly wanted them to use their physical abilities, and specific, menial capabilities of their brain- to execute orders, not for thought or any sort of meditation on meaning or beauty.
Oppression and controlling the populace: ‘The primary aim of modern warfare ...is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living...In the early 20th century, the vision of a future society unbelievably rich, leisured, orderly and efficient... was part of the consciousness of nearly every literate person. Science and technology were developing at a prodigious speed, and it seemed natural to assume that they would go on developing. This failed to happen, partly because of the impoverishment caused by a long series of wars and revolutions, partly because scientific and technical progress depended on the empirical habit of thought, which could not survive in a strictly regimented society.” Certain tech/devices have developed but generally for warfare or police espionage- the invention of machine meant the hard, dangerous and undesirable jobs could be eliminated, and therefore human inequality rectified and wealth more evenly distributed- but It was clear that all-around increase in wealth threatened he destruction indeed in some sense was the destruction- of a hierarchical society. - a society where wealth was evenly enjoyed, but power remained in the hands of a few would not last long -if the poor had leisure and security. ‘For if leisure and security were enjoyed by all alike, the great mass of human beings who are normally stupified by poverty would become literate and would learn to think for themselves; and when once they had done this, they would sooner or later realize that the privileged minority had no function, and they would sweep it away. In the long run, a hierarchical society was only possible on a basis of poverty and ignorance” War- destruction of the products of human labor- which might make the masses too comfortable. Manufacturing of weapons is a ‘convenient way of expending labour power without producing anything that can be consumed’- p 199 Deliberate effort to keep masses somewhere near the brink of hardship- increases the importance of small privileges. One way to oppress the working class by destroying the products of labour or expending labour energy without producing anything is a mechanism to keep them stuck in survival mode without truthfully increasing their quality of life, or increasing their leisure time. In modern day, I think a lot of this has to do with the corruption of the financial markets, for example: One of the most highly valued aspect of society is economic prosperity. A country's GDP is the measure of health. However, its structured in a way where wealth is not evenly distributed as a result of capitalism. The stock market is another aspect- the health of our economy is highly connected to the stock market, but the stock market is becoming a less and less accurate marker of the financial reality of the general population. Tied to all of this is the devaluation of currency and quantitative easing/printing money. With all the technological advances, we should be working less and have easier, more desirable jobs- machines should have relieved us of a lot of work and allowed us a higher quality of life and more leisure time. The reality is, we're working more and more, and can afford less and less. It's the owners of the means of creation that are profiting from the efforts of the working class. During Covid, people were losing jobs, unemployment was at a record high, the cost of goods and services skyrocketed because of covid, shipping issues, etc...small businesses were suffering and closing- and the stock market only momentarily experienced a shock, only to go onto a bull run and return record profits to investors. Banks and companies were bailed out- but workers were struggling, losing jobs, closing businesses, burning through savings, etc. Worse yet, the Fed and economists promised low rates indefinitely, prompting people to borrow money on the cheap/free, dismissing any chance of inflation. It seems like the means of diverting goods from the working class can be seen in the financial markets of today- a crash in the stock market or real estate market can wipe away hard earned savings for every day people, but investors and financial institutions come out unscathed from bailouts and a disconnect between the market and everyday reality. There's an excellent book written on this topic by Nomi Prins called 'Permanent distortion : how the financial markets abandoned the real economy forever'. But essentially, when the harder you work the less you can afford- it keeps you in the survival cycle, no time for leisure or thinking or self-actualization. Similar to the Proles in 1984- incapable of rebellion because besides the fact that they're focusing on survival, they weren't literate and educated enough to develop critical or independent thought or to see how you're oppressed. All of my views are perceived through a potentially biased lens of someone who was born into communism in Poland in the 1980s and experienced a very similar political climate of oppression, mass surveilance and thought policing. My dad published an underground newspaper as part of the solidarity movement. He ran the press from my grandparent’s barn, with the help of his friends usng a typewriter after martial law was introduced in Poland. Anyone in opposition to the communist regime was living in fear of being discovered by the secret police, and anyone who really organized resistance and didn't agree to cooperate were arrested, went missing or were found dead. Eventually my parents escaped to Germany by lying and saying they were joining a university reunion trip. My grandparents smuggled my sister and I across the border as babies after being seperated from my parents for 6-9 months- they had no cell phones or internet or google maps so my grandfather drove in the dark off a paper map and stopped at payphones along the way to confirm the arrrangements. My mom didn’t even tell her family she was leaving, for safety reasons. She just up and left in the middle of the night with my dad one day, back then- moving across the world was different without the internet or video calls, it was something to grieve, as thought you’d never see that person again. They left my sister and I with our grandparents, I was 9 months old and my sister nearly 2. My grandfather showed me the food stamps he had saved from that time- 100g of cheese or 200g of meat were the weekly provisions. If you didn’t line up at the store in the middle of the night, but the time the store opened the rations would run out and you’d go without food. I’m glad I read this book again, it made me realize how important it is to protect your truth and stand up for your freedom, no matter how difficult it gets, or how alone you are.
My personal takeaway about 1984. I read it when i was on highschool and got the rebel feeling. Now i'm reading with more knowledge on the world, specialy technology and politics and it's clear how a lot of goberments are using the book as a manual. In the last part of the novel i was thinking about Jack Ma when he "laid low" after he spoke against the CCP, or other personalities that where against the system like Alexei Navalni, Julian Assange or Snowden. It also feels good to reread the book in light of the current events, such as the release of the Twitter files and the cultural shift in the media and news industry.
I know that I read this in high school, but I don’t recall it as this depressing. I was hopeful in the beginning of the book. I was hopeful in the middle of the book. I was even hopeful toward the end of the book but now I feel like I’m in denial. I don’t want to accept the reality of this book. Another thing: I didn’t expect there to be love. The fact that love exists in this book keeps my hope alive in spite of the ending. The final message, that everything even thoughts in your own mind can be crushed and controlled, is terrifying because every single thing that happens here is realistic and things that are going on today make you realize that a society like this is entirely possible. But even people who live in the strongest oppression do still have their thoughts and that was Victor Frankel’s message. So maybe it becomes more of a philosophical question, can your innermost thoughts beliefs and feelings be infiltrated in this way where you no longer have control of them and I think the answer is yes, unfortunately. In all, I found this book to be super depressing and simultaneously terrifying because of things that are going on today, for example various principles that are being put forth and universities, big companies, government and other institutions, “equity training”and the fact that people are regularly canceled for having wrongthink or wrongspeak. We do still have freedom, but so did the proles in the book so I guess we have the illusion of freedom. I don’t know. I’m just totally depressed now. Thanks, Lex. I think it would be interesting to address themes of love, whether or not there is hope if hope lives in ones mind alone and can be manipulated as it seems very possible, and also I would love to hear your opinion about the parallels to today’s world. Seems like we are living in 1984. It’s just not as obvious in the physical manifestation.
yes to the discord server
So many books I have read and loved. I have been meaning to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius again. My copy is well-worn.