How to Think Clearly in an Age of Distraction | Sam Harris
5/27/20262 hr 28 min
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sam Harris to discuss how attention, mindfulness, and clear thinking shape performance. We start by separating intelligence from wisdom, then look at how modern technology is rewiring our attentional capacity — including which tools enhance cognition and which compete with it. Sam walks through three approaches to working with the mind: training concentration, practicing mindfulness, and using cognitive reframing. We also get into how to receive criticism without ego, why institutions and the Scientific Process still matter in an era of independent media, and what AI means for our future. This episode is for anyone who wants to think more clearly, feel less hijacked by their own thoughts, and build a more durable relationship to attention. Show notes: https://performpodcast.com/episodes/sam-harris-how-to-think-clearly-in-age-of-distraction Waking Up x Absolute Rest challenge: https://wakingup.com/andy Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction & Sam Harris (00:02:30) Intelligence, Smartness & Wisdom (00:16:13) Outsourcing Cognition: AI as Tool vs. Competitor (00:21:19) The Death of Boredom & the Inner Voice (00:30:07) Mindfulness & Three Paths to Mental Freedom (00:42:20) Overcoming Resistance to Meditation (01:01:25) Psychedelics vs. Meditation (01:09:01) Emotion, Reason & Handling Criticism (01:28:06) Process, Expertise & the Scientific Crisis (01:50:44) Restoring Trust in Institutions (02:02:29) Consciousness, AI & the Hard Problem (02:16:18) Uploading, Teleportation & the Revenge of the Humanities (02:25:14) Closing Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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First 90 secondsSam Harris· Guest0:00
Mindfulness is, you know, to talk about you know, the style of meditation I tend to, to recommend, is just an ability to step back and notice thoughts as thoughts, as appearances in, in the mind. You know perhaps only for, you know, brief moments in the beginning to break the connection between the, the anxious thought and the physiology of anxiety.
Andy Galpin· Host0:22
[instrumental music] The science and practice of enhancing human performance for sport, play, and life. Welcome to Perform. I'm Dr. Andy Gumpert. I'm a professor and scientist and the executive director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University. Today, I'm speaking with Dr. Sam Harris. Sam has a PhD in neuroscience, an extensive background in philosophy, and has spent over 20 years as a public intellect. In today's show, we talk a lot about critical thinking, logic, and reason. We also get into Sam's current position on artificial intelligence and how that is impacting us in the short term as well as in the long term. We also spend a lot of time talking about mindfulness and other tools and practices that you can use to have more control over both your emotions and logic. I know I personally picked up many things from our conversation that are gonna help me in my thinking processes to be more decisive, to be more clear, to be more articulate, and to overall feel like I'm communicating more effectively as both someone speaking to the world as well as someone who wants to listen and be more effective at those tools. So with that in mind, please enjoy today's conversation