Episode 23: The Uncomfortable Magic of Uncertainty

Hey Jacob, Hi Scott

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about cognitive dissonance, the ease with which we disregard information that goes against our ingrained understanding of things, or of ourselves. They talk about the importance of not being so fixed in our ideas, in holding space for openness, in being willing to learn, even when it’s uncomfortable to do so. The friends discuss the importance of being proactive when approaching a new reality, asking good questions, setting oneself up for successful transitions with intentional communication and action. They also talk about our deep connection to the natural world, the endless lessons being provided to us by nature, and the deep truth that it is not nature but humans that need the saving.

Reading, from The Overstory, by Richard Powers

We found that trees could communicate, over the air and through their roots. Common sense hooted us down. We found that trees take care of each other. Collective science dismissed the idea. Outsiders discovered how seeds remember the seasons of their childhood and set buds accordingly. Outsiders discovered that trees sense the presence of other nearby life. That a tree learns to save water. That trees feed their young and synchronize their masts and bank resources and warn kin and send out signals to wasps to come and save them from attacks. “Here’s a little outsider information, and you can wait for it to be confirmed. A forest knows things. They wire themselves up underground. There are brains down there, ones our own brains aren’t shaped to see. Root plasticity, solving problems, and making decisions. Fungal synapses. What else do you want to call it? Link enough trees together, and a forest grows aware.