When to Say What You Think (And When Not To) with Harvard Psychologist Steven Pinker

In this episode of "The Essential Habits of High Performance," Damian Hughes interviews Dr. Steven Pinker, a cognitive scientist from Harvard, about the concept of common knowledge and its importance in communication and coordination. Pinker explains that people often rely on hints and innuendo instead of direct communication to manage relationships and avoid creating explicit common knowledge. They discuss how common knowledge is essential for coordination, using examples like meeting for coffee or driving on the same side of the road. Pinker also introduces Alan Fiske's theory of three types of human relationships: communal sharing, authority, and transactional, and how understanding these types can improve social skills. The episode concludes with a discussion on human progress and the importance of empathy and self-control in overcoming violent impulses.