The Least Interesting, Interesting Thing
My concernâyou know that I play this game, which is called, "what is the least interesting, interesting thing about X?" where I take a person, and I take their top characteristic. So for example, the least interesting interesting thing about Dolly Parton is that she's busty. The most interesting things is she's a genius level songwriter, and a fantastic singer and entertainer, and a great businesswoman, doesn't matter. But the key point is we get hung up on some stupid, superficial characteristic, and we don't see the actual interest or majesty in a person. And I feel like that has happened to you. I feel like at some level, having known you for a very long time, you are an incredibly interesting person for totally different reasons than the reasons for which you have become famous.
- Eric Weinstein on The Portal Ep. 19: Bret Weinstein
Someone smarter than me told me about the idea of âthe least interesting, interesting thing.â We humans tend to be pre occupied with the least interesting interesting thing. When you get to know someone, their race, or where they were born, very quickly becomes lessâŠ
âŠinteresting than what they think, andâto use a clichĂ©âwho they really are on the inside. Their arbitrary birth status may be interesting at first but is ultimately the LEAST interesting, interesting thing about them. That is always true.