1x1 = 2

A few weeks ago the actor Terrence Howard was on Joe Rogan's podcast discussing a new model of physics. I didn't follow a lot of it. The phrase 1x1=2 gave me some pause, though he said it was a metaphorical statement. In the days to follow, he got completely decimated by the scientific community. All kinds of names were thrown around. Crazy. Crackpot. Unhinged. Ignorant.

Yesterday, he was on the podcast again, this time with Eric Weistein, a mathematician. They spent four hours going over his ideas. Eric pointed out areas that were incorrect, but also areas where he was creative and clever. Eric took the time to sit down and engage.

I wonder if Terrence has bipolar disorder. That's not a slur. It just means an active, creative mind that makes connections most people don't see, something I very much can relate to. The world needs creative folks to spark innovation and progress. People like us just need some help from methodical thinkers who can separate out the baby from the bathwater.

I was disappointed with the scientific community's response. It demonstrates the arrogance of today's institutions. It's no wonder trust is failing. Not just education. Governments, businesses and religion, too. New ideas are shunned. I don't know why. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's because new ideas introduce chaos. Maybe it's because it disrupts the power dynamic.

When I deconstructed my faith, I found that I needed to leave the church to grow. Rather than bending and being flexible, my relationship with the institution shattered. This is what happens with dogmatic thinking. One small breeze and the house of cards topples.

The best kind of thinking always holds onto the premise: it's possible I could be wrong. Maybe not even wrong, but incomplete. If we want to progress as a species, we need to treat new ideas with curiousity rather than contempt. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. We can help each other grow and become better.

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