Spoiler alert: You’re about to listen to a Behind The Podcast (BTP) of Episode EF5, which was Season 1, Episode 3 of the Evolve Faster Podcast titled The Truth is Clay in the Hands of a Sculptor. The driving question of this episode (and this BTP) for you to think through is … what is the truth?!
As a reminder about Episode EF5: Truman, an ordinary man with a regular job, is caught lying in a country where lying is illegal. Thanks to his actions, he ends up facing a mandatory Truth Course to get him back on the track. Terrified, Truman slowly realizes the truth is not what we all grew accustomed to believe. Is it possible that truth is nothing more than a piece of clay molded by someone’s interests? Time is running out for Truman, and the sculptor of truth might just hold the power to mold his future.
The third episode of the first season of the Evolve Faster Podcast Episode is driven by the big question What Is The Truth? Although many of us believe we should stick to the truth, many believers of the same idea often have their “truths” clashing. Why is that? If we agree to follow what’s true, why does it seem we’re doing such a bad job?
To peek behind the curtain of Episode 5, we’ll dissect the following submitted questions:
How can we know what is true and what is not?
Why the question “What is the truth? Why do I believe what I believe?” and how did the episode come to be?
In what ways does twisting of the truth directly affects us as individuals?
Is there a definition of the truth that actually works?
How did you figure out how to interplay the two stories?
Who/what is Truman based on? Is this like Kafka’s trial?
Was there any chance that Truman was going to get out of the Truth course? Why leave it unresolved?
What does George write onto the book the statue is holding that “only the statue can read?”
What’s on the screens?
The “in god we trust” is what Truman hates?
Why does George swipe the face off? 12. What is the metaphor of a faceless statue?
And more…
dedication
DEDICATION: Episode EF5 is dedicated toAi Weiwei, a Chinese contemporary artist who successfully brings his work way outside the barriers of art. Through the mysterious “lies” of artistic creativity, he provides light on the truth around him. Weiwei is in constant feud with the Chinese government, actively opposing their stance on democracy and human rights. Supposedly, people can’t type his name in Chinese-domestic web search.
Weiwei is a true dissident in his own country thanks to the perpetual battle with the authorities. But instead of silencing him, Weiwei’s influence is steadily growing despite the constant lock-ups and beatdowns. For the last 30 years, Weiwei creates art to keep the real truth alive – the one that helps humanity, instead of destroying it.
Weiwei is a master at transforming difficult ideas into obvious truths using only a few words. Mainly active through social media, Weiwei’s innovative usage of social tools is almost ironic considering the political limitations. Besides through art, in 2016, Weiwei took his activism online with social commentaries and essays for three straight years. Unsurprisingly, his voice became even louder and his reputation even more notorious.
It seems that instead of truth, honesty is what the World needs, and Weiwei has more than enough of that rare resource. Although our world is far from an Orwellian or Huxleyan dystopia, it is cruel and often silences words everyone needs to hear. Especially in the world where the ones with power regularly stomp the weak.
HOW AI WEIWEI INSPIRES EF5
In Episode EF5, the hidden protagonist discovers that truth, personal opinion and work are often more than a single truth carved in the stone. Although he isn’t facing struggles similar to Weiwei’s, he represents the struggles we all face in one shape or the other.
To follow up on Weiwei’s life and work, I highly suggest you check out links below:
INSPIRATIONS: Joseph Heller, a novelist most famous for his novel Catch-22 and revealing that absurd and contradictory life situations are more than common. George Orwell, a writer who made every future dystopian writer’s job extremely hard. Franz Kafka, a writer who destroyed his fascinating work in scorching flame and was plagued by flames of existential truth. Immanuel Kant, a philosopher who tried to simplify and help us with the existential mess by creating the Categorical Imperative. Episode EF5 was further inspired by David Hume, William James, The Truman Show, Jack Smart, The Matrix. For a full list of data and references please see Episode EF5 Show Notes.
Season One: The journey begins as we embark on 11 episodes on big questions relating to MIND. What is the truth? Can we trust reason? Why do we have emotions? Does happiness define the good? What is identity? What is creativity?
(EF1) Trailer: The Evolve Faster Podcast (Extended) Trailer
(EF2) Intro: Life is a Near Death Experience: Welcome to The Evolve Faster Podcast
(EF3) S1-E1: All Aboard the Experience Machine: Destination…Unknown (Season One, Episode One)
(EF4) S1-E2: The Decapitation of Reason: A Skeptic’s Guide (Season One, Episode Two)
(EF5) S1-E3: The Truth is Clay in the Hands of a Sculptor (Season One, Episode Three)
(EF6) S1-E4: Information Mainlining and the Folly of Modern Wisdom (Season One, Episode Four)
(EF7) S1-E5: Sleight of Mind: The Black Magic of Rhetoric (Season One, Episode Five)
(EF8) S1-E6: Without a Compass: All Who Sail the Seas of Identity Are Not Lost (Season One, Episode Six)
(EF9) S1-E7: I Feel Therefore I am: Capsized by the River Emotion (Season One, Episode Seven)
(EF10) S1-E8: The Road to Happiness is Inked in Suffering (Season One, Episode Eight)
(EF11) S1-E9: When the Lights Go Out: The Blinding Light of an Artificial Future (Season One, Episode Nine)
(EF12) S1-E10: Wired to Fail: Leveling Up in the Game of Life (Season One, Episode Ten)
(EF13) S1-E11: The Bloody Fingerprint of Creativity (Season One, Episode Eleven)
(EF14) BTP: Behind the Evolve Faster Podcast - The Making of a Speculative Fiction Meets Philosophical Nonfiction Podcast
(EF15) AMA: Ask Me Anything: About Scott Ely and Evolving a Philosophy for Life
(EF16) BTP: On Creative Writing, Video Games and the Future of the Evolve Faster Podcast (About Antonio Rozich)
(EF17) BTP-EF3: What Am I Supposed To Do Free Will and Other Everyday Problems Behind the Podcast of Episode EF3
(EF18) AMA-EF3: The Mystical Allure of Converting to Buddhism and Speculating about Quantum Mechanics Ask Me Anything for Episode EF3
(EF19) BTP-EF4: Head Transplantation and Finding Inspiration for Speculative Fiction - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF4
(EF20) AMA-EF4: The Declining Value of Information and Taking Risks to Determine What is the Truth Ask Me Anything of Episode EF4
(EF21) BTP-EF5: Should Lying be Made Illegal and the Importance of Figuring Out Why You Believe What you Believe --Behind the Podcast of Episode EF5
(EF22) AMA-EF5: Defeating Fake News and Critical Thinking as the Superpower the World Needs Most Ask Me Anything of Episode EF5
(EF23) BTP-EF6: Scaling Mount Wisdom Without Suffocating Under an Avalanche of Ego Behind The Podcast of Episode EF6
(EF24) AMA-EF6: Is Less Really More When it Comes to the Pursuit of Wisdom or is Ignorance Bliss - Ask Me Anything of Episode EF6
(EF25) BTP-EF7: The Power of Propaganda and Rhetoric to Divide Us and the Quest for a Better World - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF7
(EF26) AMA-EF7: The Impossibility of Honest Politicians and Protecting Our Kids from The Most Insidious Fake News Ask Me Anything for Episode EF3
(EF27) BTP-EF8: Who are You and is it Possible to Upgrade Your Identity as an Adult? - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF8
(EF28) AMA-EF8: Drugs, Consciousness Manipulation and Cheating Your Way To a Better You - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF8
(EF29) BTP-EF9: Waging War Between Reason and Emotions and the Importance of Leaving Things Unresolved Behind the Podcast of Episode EF9
(EF30) AMA-EF9: Emotional Manipulation Tribalism and Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Think Before you Feel - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF9
(EF31) BTP-EF10: Dharma Modifying Negative Thinking and the Never-Ending Pursuit of Happiness by Embracing Suffering - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF10
(EF32) AMA-EF10: Mind Control Through a Well Chosen Tattoo and the Unlikely Case of Being Happy Enough - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF3
(EF33) BTP-EF11: The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Creativity - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF11
(EF34) AMA-EF11: On Perfection, the AI Alignment Problem, and the Possibility of Quantum Leaps of Creativity - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF11
(EF35) BTP-EF12: Cryptocurrencies Gaming and Leveraging Failure to Help Us Define Who We Are - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF12
(EF36) AMA-EF12: Pyrrhic Victory and Finding the 10% of Your Mind that Defines Who You Are - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF12
(EF37) BTP-EF13: Where Creativity Comes From and How to Find Your Uniquely Bloody Fingerprint - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF13
(EF38) AMA-EF13: Flow, Creative Improvisation and Other Altered States of Consciousness Ask Me Anything for Episode EF13
(EF39) S2-E0: LIFE, UPGRADED: Welcome to Season Two of the Evolve Faster Podcast
(EF40) S2-E1: Dehumanized: The Search for Self in the Devil’s Looking Glass
(EF41) S2-E2: Transhuman Fallibility: The Existential Risk of a Superhuman Future
(EF42) S2-E3: Civil Individualism: Loneliness Atop Mount Empowerment
(EF43) S2-E4: Evil Urges: The Fiery Duality of Human Nature
(EF44) S2-E5: Reality Unchained: Smashing the Icons of Social Delusion
(EF45) S2-E6: Weaving Society’s Web: Purpose in a Future Without Work
(EF46) S2-E7: Empathetic Distortion: Rigging the Scales of Justice
(EF47) S2-E8: Infinite Regress: Drawing Back The Veil of Perception
(EF48) S2-E9: Checkmate: A Child’s Guide to the Good Life
(EF49) S2-E10: The Domino Effect: The Momentum of an Unstoppable Future