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Flinching in the Shower

2012-06-15 · Hank, Ze Frank · watch on YouTube · Everyday life · reflection essay

After Foo Camp, Hank recounts the book Flinch's argument that our anxieties are vestigial, takes its cold-shower test, and argues that people fail to act on the world's problems because acting is hard and scary; he asks viewers to leave the problems they see and relaunches the summer Nerdfighter book club with Fahrenheit 451.

What is said

00:00:00 — Greeting with Ze; Hank was at Foo Camp last weekend and was afraid of being judged and found wanting

  • ★★ Hank says he was at Foo Camp last weekend, as far as he can tell a gathering of cool people; his first reaction to the invitation was that it sounded hard and scary. (hedged) — 00:00:04
  • ★★ Hank says he was clearly afraid of something at Foo Camp: having nothing interesting to say, being uncomfortable, being judged by amazing people and found wanting; we feel fear like that all the time. — 00:00:23

00:00:32 — The book Flinch: anxieties are vestigial, we evolved for an unchanging, dangerous world; its first homework is a cold shower

  • ★★★ Hank summarizes Flinch, a very short non-fiction book by another Foo Camp attendee, free on the Kindle store: we just need to get over our anxieties because they are stupid and vestigial. — 00:00:32
  • ★★★ Per the book, humans evolved in a world that never changed within a lifetime and was far more dangerous, so we are programmed to stick with comfortable ways, though almost anything we do carries a very low chance of dying. — 00:00:49
  • ★★ Following the book's first homework assignment, meant to help identify the flinch feeling, Hank turns his shower cold and gets in on camera. — 00:01:15

00:01:29 — Hank takes the cold shower; easier to stay in than to get in; Foo Camp was like a cold shower

  • ★ Hank says hot water coming out of the wall is a wonderful convenience that we should be thankful for every day. (playful) — 00:01:53
  • ★★ Hank finds it was much easier to stay in the cold shower than to get in, though less pleasant; Foo Camp was like a cold shower: never comfortable, but refreshing and interesting. — 00:02:01

00:02:18 — Nerdfighteria as inspiration; identify problems, think about solutions, act; people don't volunteer because it is hard and scary

  • ★★★ In the description Hank states his point: we have to become more effective people, not for ourselves, but because the world needs more effective people. — 00:00:00
  • ★★★ Hank says Nerdfighteria has been a primary source of inspiration for him for five years, and he has become obsessed with ideas bigger than us: identify problems, think creatively about solutions, then act. — 00:02:18 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★★ Hank argues that acting will be more uncomfortable than a million cold showers: people don't avoid volunteering for lack of time or belief, but because it is hard, scary and uncertain. — 00:02:34

00:02:48 — Ask: leave the problems you see in the comments; points for uniqueness and for rare commenters

  • ★★★ Hank asks people to leave the problems they see, from small ones like YouTube's subscription system to big ones like hunger, with (not actual) points for uniqueness and for rarely commenting. — 00:02:51 · YouTube, Vlogbrothers

00:03:12 — Summertime Nerdfighter Book Club returns with Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury; Fifty Shades of Grey outselling him); sign-off and outtake with Ze

  • ★★★ Hank announces the brothers are reinstituting the Summertime Nerdfighter Book Club, reading Fahrenheit 451 together. — 00:03:17 · Nerdfighter Book Club
  • ★★ Hank says they chose the book in honor of Ray Bradbury's amazing life, and because Fifty Shades of Grey outselling Bradbury is 'messed up'. — 00:03:22
  • ★★ Hank says that, apparently, Fifty Shades of Grey, basically Twilight fan fiction turned into a novel, has now sold more books than Ray Bradbury did in his entire life. (hedged) — 00:03:27
  • ★★ Hank asks viewers who don't have a copy to order it now or buy it at their local independent bookstore. — 00:03:41

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