What Will Future Generations Laugh at Us For?

The author Paul Graham explores the concept of moral fashions and the ideas that are considered taboo in our society, but that future generations might find ridiculous. He argues that throughout history, every era has believed things that were just ridiculous, and that it would be a remarkable coincidence if our time were the first era to get everything just right.

The Conformist Test

The author suggests a test: Do you have any opinions that you would be reluctant to express in front of a group of your peers? If the answer is no, then you might want to stop and think about it. If everything you believe is something you're supposed to believe, could that possibly be a coincidence? It's more likely that you just think what you're told.

Moral Fashion

Moral fashions, like ordinary fashions, are often invisible to those who are immersed in them. They are often mistaken for good design or good. Moral fashions can get you fired, ostracized, imprisoned, or even killed.

Discovering the Unthinkable

The author provides various methods for discovering the unthinkable ideas that are taboo in our society:

• Look at the things that get people in trouble for saying.
• Analyze the labels used to shoot down ideas before anyone has a chance to ask if they are true or not.
• Diff present ideas against those of various past cultures and consider which ideas might be true.
• Compare the thoughts of a worldly person with those of a well-behaved teenager, noting the differences.
• Examine the mechanism of how moral fashions arise and how they are adopted.

The Future's Perspective

Graham asserts that it's likely that visitors from the future would agree with at least some of the statements that get people in trouble today. He urges us to keep track of opinions that get people in trouble and to start asking, "Could this be true?" This may be heretical, but might it also be true?

The Importance of Questioning Conventions

The author argues that it is beneficial to our brains to be able to question assumptions and to be willing to consider shocking ideas. This is especially important in competitive fields, where seeing things that others daren't can lead to significant success.

Avoiding the "Yellowist" Label

Graham suggests that when we discover something that is unthinkable, we should not necessarily say it. He uses the analogy of the "yellowist" movement, where any idea related to the color yellow is denounced as heresy. Instead of arguing for or against the color yellow, one should focus on other questions and avoid being distracted by the label.

The Value of Open-Mindedness

The author emphasizes that open-mindedness is a crucial skill, yet one that most people are not good at. It is essential to be able to see society's bad moods from a distance, just as we learn to discount our own bad moods.

The Future is Unpredictable

Graham concludes by saying that it is important to always be questioning and to ask ourselves, "What can't you say? And why?" This questioning helps us to see the wave when we are the water, and to avoid the pitfalls of moral fashions.