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Published · transcript-backed

Speaker unverified: belief

12 Jul 2025 Lex Fridman Podcast #474 – DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Ruby on Rails, Productivity & Parenting

“I think, Young, with this whole theory of the shadow was really spot-on that we all have that capacity in us and accepting that it’s our job to attempt to cultivate the better parts of our human nature is weighed against our propensity to some time be the worst of ourselves.”

— Speaker unverified

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Speaker
Speaker unverified
Attribution
Not verified from this transcript
Claim type
belief
Recorded
12 Jul 2025
Publisher
Lex Fridman Podcast

Transcript context

…When I watched the Netflix documentary, Chimp Empire, and how there’s a hierarchy of chimps, all of that looks eerily similar to us humans. We’re recent descendants. So these experts, some of the chimps got a PhD, others don’t. Others are really muscular. Others are beta male kind. They’re sucking up to the alpha. There’s a lot of interesting dynamics going on that really maps cleanly to the geopolitics of the day. They don’t have nuclear weapons, but the nature of their behavior is similar to ours. So I think we barely know what’s going on, but do think there’s a basic will to cooperate as a basic compassion that underlies just the human spirit that’s there. And maybe that is just me being optimistic, but if that is indeed there, then we’re going to be okay. The capacity is certainly there. Whether we choose that capacity or not, who knows and in what situation. I think accepting that we all have the capacity for both ways, for both incredible generosity and kindness and also cruelty. I think, Young, with this whole theory of the shadow was really spot-on that we all have that capacity in us and accepting that it’s our job to attempt to cultivate the better parts of our human nature is weighed against our propensity to some time be the worst of ourselves. I’m excited to find out what’s going to happen. It’s so awesome to be human. I don’t want to die. I want to be alive for a while to see all the cool shit we do. And one of the cool things I want to see is all the software you create and all the things you tweet, all the trouble you get yourself into on Twitter. David, I’m a huge fan. Like I said, thank you for everything you’ve done for the world, for the millions of developers you’ve inspired and one of whom is me, and thank you for this awesome conversation, brother.…

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