The Rabbi and The Shrink

Episode #4: Civility with Accountability?

April 15, 2021 Yonason Goldson and Margarita Gurri Episode 4
The Rabbi and The Shrink
Episode #4: Civility with Accountability?
Show Notes

1:00 Have we confused assertiveness with aggression?

How do we balance being assertive with being civil and respectful?


Civility is the root of civilization

Does cancel culture promote or undermine civil society?

How do we hold one another accountable with objectivity?


4:30 Is hate speech ever comparable to terrorism?


6:00 We can’t have informed opinions if we are uninformed?


7:30  “Who gets to say…” = “no one gets to say.”

Jewish jurisprudence answers how to approach objective consensus


11:00 We want to preserve free speech while promoting civility

Ethics allows us to strike a path forward


13:00 What happens to humor when we are afraid to give offense?


14:00 “Derech eretz” -- the way of the land: standards and values are interwoven with social norms

The history of shifting standards

Conventions provide minimum standards for society


17:30 The anonymity of social media posting demands responsibility but promotes irresponsibility


20:00 Democracy and freedom also function if we take responsibility for ourselves


22:00 “Don’t you just hate it when your morality gets in the way of your life?”

Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch: freedom = moral discipline


24:00 Why is once-accepted speech suddenly unacceptable while once-banned speech has become normative.


27:00 Why isn’t ethics a required course of study?


28:30 Arnold Schwartneggar’s call for personal responsibility

Movies and TV shows depict ethical dilemmas

The responsibility of the media and entertainment industry


32:00 Do we judge others by their best day or their worst day?

There’s no easy answer, but it’s the discussion that benefits us


34:00 The purpose of government is to serve, not get reelected


36:30 The job of comedians is to challenge boundaries.

Sometimes that helps society progress; sometimes it erodes our moral foundations

There is a world of difference between asking “what can I do?” and “what should I do?”


40:00 Ethics is the source of all our problems and their solutions


42:00 Demonstrate to others the cause and effect of making ethical choices


46:00 “The Social Dilemma” shows the unintended side effects and consequences of new technology.

Collective responsibility comes from an ethical mindset

We need to talk more about responsibilities and less about rights


49:00 Ideally, we should listen to others and rearticulate before we express our own ideas.


50:00 Word of the day: anatidaephobia -- the fear that a goose or duck is watching you.

People are always watching us, and some of them fall into the goose or silly goose category, and will misrepresent us and our words; so we need to be mindful and careful with our words.


56:00 Steps for promoting ethics:

Further the discussion

Awareness

Call to action


57:30 The most successful ad campaign ever: delittering Hong Kong


1:00:00 When we ask others how they’re doing and they respond “fine,” probe further by asking for more information.