What's Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for Societies

Tim Urban — 2023

Between 2013 and 2016, Tim Urban became one of the world's most popular bloggers, writing dozens of viral, long-form articles about everything from AI to colonizing Mars to procrastination. Then, he turned his attention to a new topic: the society around him. Why was everything such a mess? Why was everyone acting like such a baby? When did things get so tribal? Why do humans do this stuff? This massive topic sent Tim tumbling down his deepest rabbit hole yet, through mountains of history, evolutionary psychology, political theory, neuroscience, and modern-day political movements, as he tried to figure out the answer to a simple question: What's our problem? Six years later, he emerged from the hole holding this book. What's Our Problem? is a deep and expansive analysis of our modern times, in the classic style of Wait But Why, packed with original concepts, sticky metaphors, and 300 drawings. The book provides an entirely new framework and language for thinking and talking about today's complex world. Instead of focusing on the usual left-center-right horizontal political axis, which is all about what we think, the book introduces a vertical axis that explores how we think, as individuals and as groups. Readers will find themselves on a delightful and fascinating journey that will ultimately change the way they see the world around them. Anyway he wanted to say a lot more about all of this but there was a word limit on this book description so just go read the book.

Reviews

Mohammad rahdar@mr-rahdar

Apr 7, 2024

Finished it two days ago. And this book really fascinates me. As an Iranian I learned so much from this book that I never have thought about. Dear Tim. It took 6 years for you to write and 6 months for me to read it. And I want to tell you that I enjoyed every sentence of it.

Vlad Kyshkan@vladkyshkan

Apr 7, 2024

-1 star because some chapters are very US-specific. The rest of the book is good

Jason Long@jasonlong

May 12, 2023

It's pretty rare to come across someone diving right into the middle of our polarized world to skewer both sides of the political divide. I appreciate how Tim lays out a foundation for the four types of thinkers and how they apply to so many things in society. Alt-right insanity gets equal treatment with "Social Justice Fundamentalism" and other leftist topics.

Sebastian Stockmarr@stockmarr

Apr 11, 2023

I really liked the book. It put some theory behind feelings that I have been having about the social justice movement.

The reason why I'm not 100% comfortable saying I agree with this way of viewing the world is exactly the reason why you should read it.

Frederik De Bosschere@freddy

Apr 1, 2023

First off, I love Tim Urban’s writing, and this book offers his signature Simple Concepts To Explain Big Things. That said, the book (like the essays it’s based on) drags on for too long. Which brings me to my big disappointment: I appreciate how this book about the culture wars zooms in on fundamentalism on both sides of the political spectrum. But the author analyzes the Republicans’ descent into pure bigotry in 1 chapter. He then proceeds to be an anti-woke record on repeat for the remaining 6. We get the point, Tim, but I had expected a more neutral view of you.