Scott Adams

Now, if it's somebody who is really close to you, and you already know their views, and you're just saying something you know they're going to agree with, that's fine.

But you would not enter, let's say, a cocktail party without knowing the people.

and launch into a political conversation because your odds of, you know, they're being on your side or, you know, 25% or something.

So people will stay away from it in person.

All right, now let me turn that into a mechanical process.

So I described it on a social conceptual level.

Now I'm going to turn it into a machine.

What would be your experience if you got into a political conversation and it turned ugly?

you would produce cortisol.

Your body would produce cortisol.

And that makes you feel bad.

Because it'd be tense.

So tension makes you feel bad and trains you not to do it.

So that's why we don't do it in person.

Now let's go to social media.

When I see a tweet from Rob Reiner, and I think, you know, I'll bet I could make my followers laugh with this clever cutting rejoinder.

And they'll send my little post.

And I'll get a bunch of positive reinforcement retweets and hearts.

And I'll get a bump of dopamine.

So when I'm in person, I don't cause division.