Decoding The Gurus
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Listener Feedback & A Grumble
🕑 Added 2021-07-19 05:54:55 +0000 UTCThis is a little bit petty and I (Chris) apologise for that in advance but what is the point of having a Patreon if you can't occasionally post something that is a little indulgent.
These are some tweets from an FYI thread I got tagged into on Twitter. The person responsible has 4 followers so I'm not going to put them on blast. I am however going to complain a bit here...
I don't have any issue with receiving critical feedback about the show. The vast majority of feedback we receive is positive but still it's fine to have criticisms and people inevitably have different preferences and perspectives. For some the extended banter segments are an annoying distraction, for others they are part of the podcast's charm. Matt and I don't completely ignore feedback, there is often valid points being made, but we also want to still enjoy making the podcast so that means things like banter and sarcasm are non-negotiable because without that we wouldn't be acting like ourselves.
So when I receive feedback like the above I can't help thinking about how myopic the person's perspective is. If you say 'For me...' then fine but when you declare things like 'the Sam Harris episode fell flat' (it really didn't it was one of our most popular episodes, received praise from various people we respect who know Sam personally, and even briefly had Sam following our accounts) or sarcasm is never funny as if they are indisputable facts, you just come across as someone who doesn't have a sense of perspective.
I'm critical of a lot of the content I consume but I'm always clear that my criticisms are just my opinions but I frequently encounter people online who seem to lack that level of self awareness. If I was being cruel, I would say they appear to lack appropriate theory of mind abilities to entertain that their opinions ≠ objective facts, but I don't think that is true. In most cases the people are perfectly capable of entertaining alternative views, it's just that they don't bother too. This is why I have no issue calling it myopic...
Sarcasm, cynicism, and banter are non-negotiable components of the podcast (and my personality) so if you don't like those... might be best to find another podcast that is more suited to your tastes. That this person finds my 'sledgehammer' wit to require effort to parse is perhaps most telling but in any case... yep, this is just a rant. Sorry y'all!
Sometimes you just gotta grumble!
Comments
Maarten Wesselius
Nederlanders vind je overal! The Dutch are everywhere!
Suzan Lemont
Ask your pals at Conspriituality - they do it for theirs. And it's really helpful also when you want to play just a segment for someone or play it back and take notes!
Suzan Lemont
Hey Maarten Wesselius nice to see another Nederlander here! (I'm not really; I'm an imposter who's lived here for 25 years). Wat leuk!
Paul Bowman
Can't even take the weather seriously https://twitter.com/ClaireAllan/status/1416423369600274439
Christopher Kavanagh
I can feel the Irish-ness of this comment in my soul.
Paul Bowman
Jesus. Better tell Mr No Craic never to come to Ireland. They'd never make it through the first day.
Maarten Wesselius
Yeah, should be fine in this case. I wasn't sure if you were aware of it.
Rob Franks
I’m here for the sarcasm and banter. But who knows, most Patrons are bias. To me this feels like a Sam fan that can’t admit his flaws
Christopher Kavanagh
It feels too self indulgent to like this. But appreciate the compliment! Personally, I think Matt is the MVP... he's extremely witty and also manages to keep me from being too grating!
Christopher Kavanagh
Oh I noticed that and would edit but I think its fine on here. If I was posting on Twitter I'd be more careful but I don't imagine the 200 odd people on here are going to be motivated to hunt down and harass the person.
Christopher Kavanagh
lol, you guys can relax we have gotten MUCH worse criticism than this and you have heard a peep about it. This was just a self-indulgent grumble, as mentioned in the post itself(!). If I was Sam Harris, this wouldn't be a post directed at 200 odd people on Patreon it would be a segment on the podcast in which I inserted my extended explanation for why the person was wrong and an unreliable source after I conducted my interview with them. If I posted this on Twitter, even with better blocking, I'd be issuing the complaint to a couple of thousand people, some of whom might decide to respond to the person which is not my intent.
KMD
I love your podcast because you laugh, and make me laugh. So many of your subjects do not deserve to be taken seriously… and you reveal that in your approach! How many “gurus” have a TRUE sense of humor? Wait, is that on the gurometer?
Ian Steinberg
Shallow irony, cynicism, and sarcasm are disingenuous ways of seeming smarter than one actually is, it's a knowing wink or postmodern juxtaposition that tries to masquerade as depth but doesn't stand up to any inquiry. That stuff is annoying for sure. Matt and Chris don't do that at all! They make jokes that are backed up with clever insight. Humour is a rich way to deliver new ways of thinking about something and it makes the pod more enjoyable to listen to. Keep it up!
Gus Bog
Agree, I love this podcast and the hosts' humour and struggle to see the point in broadcasting an extensive response to some random twitter comment with zero likes? For people that support the podcast to read? With success comes criticism and now I'm bound to wonder how they'll handle the larger amounts of criticism that will come when the podcast (inevitably!🤞) gains more traction lol
Jesse Hodges
Please never stop. Proper delivery of sarcasm and cynicism in good humor is very difficult indeed. Chris is obviously a master and Matt flies under the radar a bit but occasionally demonstrates he's no slouch, either. I always thought it would be funny to add an "/s" to the end of the podcast title.
Samantha Rae
If we didn’t have your signature wit & sarcasm I’m afraid some of the episodes would be too dreary to listen to just by virtue of the nature of some of the gurus e.g. Scott adams 🥱 ignore them, we love u guys ❤️
William LEGRAIN
“Each of us finds his unique vehicle for sharing with others his bit of wisdom.” - Ram Dass
Dayan Weller
Man, not that I disagree but it's a pretty Harris move to get so bothered by some guys who don't like you online. Why give em the energy when they won't even see it? :)
Christopher Kavanagh
Never!
Carolyn Reeves
Jesus Mary & Joseph 🤦🏻♀️ I think that those of us who have no clout (four followers) sometimes assume an air of undue authority (presenting boring personal opinions as hot take indisputable facts) within the relative anonymity of online communication forums the same way someone might buy a flashy sports car to compensate for personal shortcomings. Personally, I’m here for the sarcasm, banter, and cynicism as much as anything else; and I (with the full expression of my undue authority) commend you on your strong statement of unwavering commitment to these fine qualities of your excellent show.
Duncan
"If I *were* being cruel". Save the subjunctive!
Yuki
I think taking things too seriously could be pernicious —— never forget that some bad gurus always want people to take themselves in an extreme serious way that almost laughable. Chris and Matt has done a great job of using sarcasm and banters to reveal those gurus’ presentation styles. Also, those banters could serve as a reminder that our hosts are also human with their own interesting personalities and backgrounds, which make the show more enjoyable and relatable! To conclude: keep being yourself!
Andrew Mac
I am all for people challenging themselves in what they consume but why somebody would listen to something and that was on balance not for them seems strange. The banter, sarcasm and cynicism are great.
Christopher Kavanagh
I want to add timestamps but haven't been able to work out how to do it yet! We are genuinely that technically incompetent. If anyone knows the relevant software please inform!
Chris Spanos
An Irishman grumbling? I'm shocked!
Patrick Dunlop
I dig the banter and dry humour on your show (maybe coz I'm an Aussie!) but I have found banter can be distracting on other podcasts where I just want the content. I also think that sometimes the banter in a podcast series can act as a 'barrier to entry' for new listeners who might be wondering what all the in-jokes are about. Matt Smith might know what I'm talking about here. But there is an easy solution: you could add time stamps to the show notes so people who don't like it know where to jump to. As for jokes -you should make the show as funny or as serious as you want! It's your show damnit!
Mihai Nițu
I would absolutely love there to be no sarcasm on the show. Humor is a petty thing that plebs indulge in. Serious intellectuals like Sam Harris don't waste brain cycles on humor. Instead, they waste brain cycles on shallow takes on religion, wokeness, and self-actualization.
Maarten Wesselius
Agreed, the sarcasm and banter are part of the reason I'm a patreon. By the way, you didn't properly black out the Twitter name / handle in all the screenshots, it can still be read quite easily. Perhaps there's still time to correct that!
Cesare, But Def Not A Borgia
Man please don't lose the banter. It's one of the best parts.
