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Hey folks,
This one was a fun—and honestly pretty necessary—conversation. I sat down with social scientist Matthew Facciani to talk about something we’re all swimming in right now: misinformation, why people fall for it, and what the hell we can actually do about it. We got into psychology, social media algorithms, why our politics feels so weird right now, and the surprisingly simple skills that can help you keep your sanity in an internet full of nonsense.
Here are a few moments you won’t want to miss:
00:01:07 — We kick off with the big question: how do rational people stay grounded in reality when misinformation is everywhere?
00:03:07 — Matthew explains how overlapping social identities shape our biases—and why disagreement can actually make us smarter.
00:07:21 — Why the internet rewards the weirdest behavior imaginable—and how social media algorithms amplify outrage.
00:12:52 — Practical skills you can start using today: “critical ignoring,” lateral reading, and how to avoid getting sucked into online nonsense.
00:23:02 — Ending on a hopeful note: why getting offline, meeting people, and doing real work in communities can rebuild trust and optimism.
This episode is really about how we stay human in a very strange moment—when algorithms push the loudest voices, politics feels disconnected from everyday life, and a lot of people are just trying to keep their heads above water.
Matthew brings a social scientist’s lens to it, but the takeaway is pretty simple: diversify your experiences, understand your biases, don’t feed the trolls, and spend more time with real people solving real problems. If you value honest conversations like this—and want more of them—help me keep building Endless Urgency.
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With urgency,
—Mike
