Chris Hayes

So, yeah, that's basically – That's how I think about compelled involuntary attention. And I do think that because I think we're more familiar with it in the context of our appetites and hungers, I think it's a really useful and grounding metaphor because I think it functions in a very similar way.

So, yeah, that's basically – That's how I think about compelled involuntary attention. And I do think that because I think we're more familiar with it in the context of our appetites and hungers, I think it's a really useful and grounding metaphor because I think it functions in a very similar way.

So, yeah, that's basically – That's how I think about compelled involuntary attention. And I do think that because I think we're more familiar with it in the context of our appetites and hungers, I think it's a really useful and grounding metaphor because I think it functions in a very similar way.

Yeah. I mean, I think the reason that it's so foundational, social attention, and I think it's slightly counterintuitive because I think people have very different attitudes and personal dispositions towards social attention. Lots of people don't like it. But the foundational truth about being a human is we come into the world utterly helpless and dependent completely on care.

Yeah. I mean, I think the reason that it's so foundational, social attention, and I think it's slightly counterintuitive because I think people have very different attitudes and personal dispositions towards social attention. Lots of people don't like it. But the foundational truth about being a human is we come into the world utterly helpless and dependent completely on care.

Yeah. I mean, I think the reason that it's so foundational, social attention, and I think it's slightly counterintuitive because I think people have very different attitudes and personal dispositions towards social attention. Lots of people don't like it. But the foundational truth about being a human is we come into the world utterly helpless and dependent completely on care.

And the thing prior to that care is attention. Right. And the best way to see this is the child's wail. The most powerful tool that the newborn has is the cry. And the reason they have the cry is it's their siren. It compels our attention.

And the thing prior to that care is attention. Right. And the best way to see this is the child's wail. The most powerful tool that the newborn has is the cry. And the reason they have the cry is it's their siren. It compels our attention.

And the thing prior to that care is attention. Right. And the best way to see this is the child's wail. The most powerful tool that the newborn has is the cry. And the reason they have the cry is it's their siren. It compels our attention.

And the reason that it compels our attention and the reason they have to have the ability to compel our attention is because without attention, they will perish. And that is our human inheritance. That need from the moment we come gasping into the world for others' attention, that is foundational to every single one of us.

And the reason that it compels our attention and the reason they have to have the ability to compel our attention is because without attention, they will perish. And that is our human inheritance. That need from the moment we come gasping into the world for others' attention, that is foundational to every single one of us.

And the reason that it compels our attention and the reason they have to have the ability to compel our attention is because without attention, they will perish. And that is our human inheritance. That need from the moment we come gasping into the world for others' attention, that is foundational to every single one of us.

Okay. This is really, I think, a key thing to think about. So before civilization, you got social attention from people that you knew that you had relationships with. There weren't really strangers. And you might be able to put your social attention on someone you don't know, like a kind of godlike figure or a mythic hero that tales were told of.

Okay. This is really, I think, a key thing to think about. So before civilization, you got social attention from people that you knew that you had relationships with. There weren't really strangers. And you might be able to put your social attention on someone you don't know, like a kind of godlike figure or a mythic hero that tales were told of.

Okay. This is really, I think, a key thing to think about. So before civilization, you got social attention from people that you knew that you had relationships with. There weren't really strangers. And you might be able to put your social attention on someone you don't know, like a kind of godlike figure or a mythic hero that tales were told of.

So you can put your attention on a person you don't know. But the social attention you received was all from people that you had a relationship, a bilateral relationship with. What happens with the dawn of what we might call fame, and there's an amazing book about this that I – Leo Braude. Yeah, Leo Braude's great book. He says Alexander basically is the first famous person, and he explains why.

So you can put your attention on a person you don't know. But the social attention you received was all from people that you had a relationship, a bilateral relationship with. What happens with the dawn of what we might call fame, and there's an amazing book about this that I – Leo Braude. Yeah, Leo Braude's great book. He says Alexander basically is the first famous person, and he explains why.

So you can put your attention on a person you don't know. But the social attention you received was all from people that you had a relationship, a bilateral relationship with. What happens with the dawn of what we might call fame, and there's an amazing book about this that I – Leo Braude. Yeah, Leo Braude's great book. He says Alexander basically is the first famous person, and he explains why.

But fame is the experience of receiving social attention from people you do not know and at scale. Now, this is a very strange experience. And the reason I know this is because I happen to live it. And so in the sort of progression of civilization, you start to have famous people. And more and more people can be famous with the dawn of industrial media, movie stars, pop stars, all this stuff.

But fame is the experience of receiving social attention from people you do not know and at scale. Now, this is a very strange experience. And the reason I know this is because I happen to live it. And so in the sort of progression of civilization, you start to have famous people. And more and more people can be famous with the dawn of industrial media, movie stars, pop stars, all this stuff.