How many times have we been placed in uncomfortable situations, and in which ones can we confidently say that we had the knowledge we needed to exit the circumstance with grace? Sometimes, our minds take shortcuts when we need to work through complex problems so that we do not overburden ourselves— but when we start relying on ducking into the side alleys to get to the destination, we do not get a full perspective of what we are truly dealing with.
In this episode, Alexander McCaig and Jason Rigby discuss the harmful tendency to live lives within our little bubbles, comfort zones, and echo chambers. They point to how data can show us the ultimate truth and the objective reality—and why we need to start paying attention.
Right off the bat, Alexander and Jason kickstarted the discussion by comparing the function of our choices to the number line, with zero as the space where there is no value. The positives lie to the right dimension of zero, while the negatives make up the left dimension. This makes zero, as the middle point, an inter-dimension of sorts.
We choose to pivot one way or another when faced with difficult events and circumstances in life. However, we may not always have the full capacity to make the best informed choice. It is human nature to sit within our own comfort zones and echo chambers, because we like information that validates us and exchanges where we know what to do.
Our best solution lies in harnessing the power of data. Regardless of religion, political affiliation, or social class, data is capable of making us question the distorted lens we view reality with. We have the opportunity to hold ourselves responsible for our thought processes and interactions with the help of data, instead of continuing to live our lives in a passive manner.
It is difficult to face the reality that we may not be making the most out of our lives now. After all, procrastination is a natural human instinct.
“When you stagnate and you don’t afford yourself new catalysts. It’s like you’re working with the same old data set every single day. What’s there to be learned? The data sets [have] stopped.” Alexander explained.
We underestimate the power of an objective and apolitical observer in our lives, which is what data represents. It captures our thoughts, actions, and perceptions— even the ugly parts of us that are distorted. This could be caused by a subconscious adherence to tradition, lifestyle, beliefs, values, ignorance, and others.
These misconceptions affect our openness to other people. We may become upset because they do not follow the same thought processes or behavioral patterns we do. In the long term, it could isolate us from other people or communities because it feeds into an us versus them mentality.
A lack of self-awareness does not just have an impact on our quality of life, or the lives of those around us. We slowly become vulnerable to the whims of more influential figures, who do not have any qualms with exploiting the minorities and pandering to the needs of the masses for personal gain.
Since data represents the ultimate truth, we need to harness its power for ourselves. It can empower us to make better decisions on so many levels.
We deserve the truth and the ability to make better choices.
While the capacity to make better choices is a reward in and of itself, it can now be an opportunity to be financially compensated as well. The TARTLE marketplace is a way for us to earn from contributing to the ultimate truth. It is a platform that encourages us to be more collaborative over authentic information.
We are in need of tools and platforms that give us the opportunity to see beyond ourselves. It is time for us to take a step forward. Understanding the truth behind our circumstances gives us a glimpse of what is timeless, of the objective reality around all of us. We no longer need to think in abstractions or to bend over backwards to justify our emotions when we can be energized by what is present in the here and now.
What’s your data worth?
In this episode, Alexander McCaig and Jason Rigby discuss the harmful tendency to live lives within our little bubbles, comfort zones, and echo chambers. They point to how data can show us the ultimate truth and the objective reality—and why we need to start paying attention.
Alexander McCaig (00:07):
... always getting fired up on responsibility.
Jason Rigby (00:10):
Responsibility? It seems like it always goes there, isn't it? It's the [crosstalk 00:00:13]
Alexander McCaig (00:13):
What's does it boil down to?
Jason Rigby (00:14):
It boils down to a zero.
Alexander McCaig (00:16):
Yeah. It boils down to a zero.
Jason Rigby (00:17):
That really fucked up the mathematicians when zero came out.
Alexander McCaig (00:20):
Yeah. Who was the... Was he...?
Jason Rigby (00:22):
We'd have to look him up. Yeah.
Alexander McCaig (00:23):
Was he in India? [crosstalk 00:00:24] The guy that came up with zero?
Jason Rigby (00:24):
Yeah. And then they're like, "Ah."
Alexander McCaig (00:27):
Are you sure about that? It doesn't have a value.
Jason Rigby (00:31):
Yeah, because you have first principles. But there's a zero principles too, that people don't understand [crosstalk 00:00:38] but we won't get into that.
Alexander McCaig (00:39):
I look at it like, "Well, I'm going to get into it." I look at it like this; everything to the right on the number line to the right is zero, the positives-
Jason Rigby (00:46):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (00:46):
... that's one dimension. Everything to the left and the negatives, that's another dimension. Zero sits in the inter- dimension.
Jason Rigby (00:52):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (00:53):
That inter-dimension is essentially like that function of choice area. Where's the value going to go to? If you're looking at that curve over towards infinity-
Jason Rigby (01:03):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (01:03):
... what direction you going to take?
Jason Rigby (01:04):
Oh, you're teeing me up right now.
Alexander McCaig (01:05):
It's always directional.
Jason Rigby (01:06):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (01:07):
Okay? It's always a function of choice. So if you're going to sit in that inter-dimension and you're going to choose one side to polarize to-
Jason Rigby (01:12):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (01:13):
... positive or negative, which way you're going to go?
Jason Rigby (01:16):
And that's the question and data solves that.
Alexander McCaig (01:18):
Of course, data solves that.
Jason Rigby (01:19):
And TARTLE marketplace solves this because whenever we look at humans, we accept what it means to be human, and follow me on this. We accept what it means to be human but our reality is distorted. People live their life whether it's... It could be a religion. It can be a government. It could be lots of different things that they live. People will come out of something. They'll come out of a workplace and they're like, "I can't believe that was such an abusive place to work. I didn't recognize it when I was there." You know?
Alexander McCaig (01:55):
Yeah.
Jason Rigby (01:56):
And it's the same thing. It's like we have this distorted reality because we don't know what to value [crosstalk 00:02:03] but data comes in... Do you see what I'm saying?
Alexander McCaig (02:05):
And helps remind you of what should be valued and it's not saying, "Go value this."
Jason Rigby (02:14):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (02:14):
That is still up to you. Remember we talked about responsibility in the previous episode?
Jason Rigby (02:18):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (02:19):
It'll say, "This does carry much, much more value and benefit for your life, judging by what you have helped capture through your process and interaction with data." It'd say that this is probably something that should be a value to you.
Jason Rigby (02:33):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (02:33):
... within your mindset, in your perspective and in your actions. And you've been blind to these things because you've pushed away value that was truly beneficial, value that was beneficial for your evolution, value that was beneficial for your friends, family, coworkers, people that were collectively close to you.
Jason Rigby (02:50):
Even the energy of money-
Alexander McCaig (02:52):
Yes.
Jason Rigby (02:53):
... creating value and how we can push that away.
Alexander McCaig (02:56):
Yeah, we push that away all the time because we [crosstalk 00:03:00]
Jason Rigby (02:59):
Choose to goof off, be lazy.
Alexander McCaig (03:02):
Right. And being lazy... Listen, we're not saying you have to work all the time and be a hardo-
Jason Rigby (03:07):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (03:07):
... go close on some homes or some deals. That's not it. Just understand your laziness. Well, it's not even laziness. Understand that stagnation, retirement leads to quicker death. Okay. It leads to a lack of thought. It-
Jason Rigby (03:24):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (03:25):
... hinders your evolution. When you stagnate yourself and you don't afford yourself new catalysts, right?
Jason Rigby (03:30):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (03:30):
It's like you're working with the same old data set every single day. What's there to be learned. The data sets stopped.
Jason Rigby (03:36):
Yes.
Alexander McCaig (03:37):
Does that make sense as a metaphor?
Jason Rigby (03:38):
Oh, it makes perfect sense. I do that with Google ads every day. Same old stagnant bullshit. Dude, don't get me started.
Alexander McCaig (03:47):
Hey Google, can you guys stop messing with our ads at two o'clock in the morning because you think you have control over everything?
Jason Rigby (03:55):
You have a better idea? Your AI has a better idea?
Alexander McCaig (03:58):
It doesn't.
Jason Rigby (03:58):
It's a distorted reality and it does not provide me any value.
Alexander McCaig (04:02):
Yeah. It does not provide any.
Jason Rigby (04:04):
So when we look at this as reality and what we value, then we have to look at data as being our data, or your data or my data, is the ultimate truth.
Alexander McCaig (04:21):
Here's the cool part about data being the ultimate truth, like you say. Data captures my thoughts-
Jason Rigby (04:28):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (04:29):
... it captures what I do and it also captures how others perceive me.
Jason Rigby (04:34):
Yes. Yeah.
Alexander McCaig (04:36):
We walk around in our world, in our sometimes distorted reality and think that what I'm doing is correct, or it's the absolute truth-
Jason Rigby (04:46):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (04:46):
... and then you're upset because you have this idea that other people should be acting like you, but they don't.
Jason Rigby (04:50):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (04:51):
Data has the ability to bring multiple perspectives together at once and then refine that into a picture specific to you as an individual.
Jason Rigby (05:02):
Well, here's a perfect example. I was talking to somebody... A food allergy test. So he took a food allergy test in spinach. He happens to be... They did three tests on him and spinach just knocks him through the roof with... You know this more than I do, but food in and of itself can be an irritant to the body-
Alexander McCaig (05:25):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jason Rigby (05:25):
... or it can heal the body and be nourishment.
Alexander McCaig (05:28):
Yeah. It can inflame it.
Jason Rigby (05:29):
Yes. And that's what they're testing, the inflammation of certain things. Well, for him, spinach just happens to inflame. Carrots are fine, acidic foods are fine with him, jalapenos. All of that. Some people are really [crosstalk 00:05:41]. Yeah, same here. I have all kinds of peppers in there for my salad. But for him it was like spiking it to the roof, so anytime he had... Some people are really allergic to breads-
Alexander McCaig (05:52):
I am.
Jason Rigby (05:53):
... yeah, with gluten.
Alexander McCaig (05:54):
I'll tell everybody right now. If I eat bread, I can't go to bathroom. It shuts my digestive tract down.
Jason Rigby (05:58):
Yeah.
Alexander McCaig (05:59):
My whole body breaks out in a huge rash. [crosstalk 00:06:01] It's a shame because I love baguettes. You know what I mean?
Jason Rigby (06:03):
I love the baguettes.
Alexander McCaig (06:06):
Oh man.
Jason Rigby (06:06):
But no, so everybody's unique and different-
Alexander McCaig (06:10):
Precisely correct.
Jason Rigby (06:11):
... and data is the ultimate truth. How we interpret the data can be false, but the data in and of itself is the truth.
Alexander McCaig (06:18):
Because the data... What is truth then?
Jason Rigby (06:24):
Yeah. Oh, here we go.
Alexander McCaig (06:26):
Because that's where this heads.
Jason Rigby (06:30):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (06:31):
Truth is timeless. Truth aligns with the objective reality around all of us.
Jason Rigby (06:40):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (06:41):
It does not sit outside of nature. Truth is not abstract.
Jason Rigby (06:45):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (06:46):
It's clear. It's straightforward. It doesn't need to be in metaphors, okay? Truth is energizing.
Jason Rigby (07:00):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (07:02):
Truth is uncomfortable.
Jason Rigby (07:06):
It can be comfortable too, though.
Alexander McCaig (07:07):
No, I know, mainly uncomfortable-
Jason Rigby (07:09):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (07:09):
... and almost at all times, truth is unpopular-
Jason Rigby (07:13):
Oh yeah. People die for the truth.
Alexander McCaig (07:15):
... because truth forces people to be very honest with themselves.
Jason Rigby (07:20):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (07:21):
When I say people, that could be businesses, that could be individuals, collectives in the planet as a whole.
Jason Rigby (07:26):
Well, [LOCs 00:07:28] are considered humans, according to the courts.
Alexander McCaig (07:32):
So when you say data is truth, it absolutely is. It's doesn't have a dogma. It doesn't have some sort of distorted perspective. It is completely agnostic. It records what is absolutely happening in fact.
Jason Rigby (07:52):
And I think we need to... Let's delve into this a little bit more, this distorted reality that we live in. We all have neurochemical states. It's all biochemistry that's acting on our emotions and everything else. So now I want to use the perfect example of this and data sets is where we can look at, so [crosstalk 00:08:11]
Alexander McCaig (08:11):
What triggers the chemicals?
Jason Rigby (08:12):
Well, yeah. So let's take TARTLE's marketplace and we're doing a study and we take these suicidal people. Let's say, out of 700 million people, let's say we have a study of 10,000 people-
Alexander McCaig (08:22):
And they are at risk for suicide.
Jason Rigby (08:23):
... and they say, "Yes, I could commit suicide at anytime." Out of 10,000 of them and then we're doing a study with this organization on this. And let's say this is five years from now and we have [variables 00:08:35] and futures and stuff like that, where we can collect a lot of data from them.
Alexander McCaig (08:37):
Right.
Jason Rigby (08:38):
Now, all of a sudden, we begin to find these collected correlations on data saying, "Oh wow, they drank alcohol five nights in a row. They're eating really bad, shitty food.
Alexander McCaig (08:52):
They don't see much sunlight.
Jason Rigby (08:54):
Yeah, they're not seeing... Yeah. Exactly. There's lots of variables and we're just making shit up right now. It could have nothing to do with that [crosstalk 00:09:01] as far as mental health goes-
Alexander McCaig (09:03):
I have no idea how a suicidal person lives their lifestyle.
Jason Rigby (09:03):
... but we do know, a hundred percent, that emotions are derived and neuroscience tells us that it's neurochemical.
Alexander McCaig (09:11):
Correct.
Jason Rigby (09:11):
There is there's off. And some people have more of a tendency to be more positive and some people have a tendency to be more negative.
Alexander McCaig (09:18):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jason Rigby (09:18):
I mean some people can... [Alexi 00:09:21] was talking about this the other day. He's like, "I feel like I'm on drugs all the time." It's just the weirdest thing because he goes, "I can look at my cup and have ultimate joy in the morning when I go to pour coffee. And I just feel so excited." He goes, "I just have this tendency always to be in this, like I'm happy all the time. And then I have this other side where I get too happy and I have to calm it down."
Alexander McCaig (09:43):
Right.
Jason Rigby (09:43):
So I imagine if you have that spectrum, you also have the other side of the spectrum, where somebody is like, "I don't even know what joy is. I've never really felt that."
Alexander McCaig (09:51):
Never experienced it.
Jason Rigby (09:52):
And so now we're guessing-
Alexander McCaig (09:54):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jason Rigby (09:56):
... but what if we had data? And what if we could begin to see personal data on people with lots of subsets of data on different things that are happening in the body? I mean, you're going to have toilets collect data. That would be the number one thing-
Alexander McCaig (10:08):
The best thing would be like-
Jason Rigby (10:09):
Like every time we take a shit or a piss [crosstalk 00:10:11].
Alexander McCaig (10:11):
... it going to just analyzes it.
Jason Rigby (10:12):
It's going to analyze everything.
Alexander McCaig (10:13):
Dude, that is a business.
Jason Rigby (10:14):
Yes.
Alexander McCaig (10:15):
That's brilliant.
Jason Rigby (10:16):
Yeah.
Alexander McCaig (10:16):
No, but you're correct though. You know, these [crosstalk 00:10:20]
Jason Rigby (10:19):
Prick our finger in the mornings. All that stuff.
Alexander McCaig (10:21):
Yeah. What we look at is waste. Right?
Jason Rigby (10:24):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (10:25):
These things that are like, "Why would anyone look at that? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."
Jason Rigby (10:28):
You're going to clip your fingernails-
Alexander McCaig (10:30):
Clip your fingernails and no-one's going to look at it.
Jason Rigby (10:31):
... and then you can clip a little bit of hair and it's going to analyze shit every day.
Alexander McCaig (10:33):
How often you clip them, how much comes off, growth rate of your nails, all that stuff.
Jason Rigby (10:37):
Yeah, all that stuff. There's so much. The human has... We haven't even begun to understand ourselves. We're at 0.000001% of understanding the freaking universe.
Alexander McCaig (10:49):
And listen, we don't understand our oceans.
Jason Rigby (10:52):
No.
Alexander McCaig (10:52):
We don't understand how to respect one another. We don't understand the universe. We don't understand our DNA. None of these things.
Jason Rigby (11:00):
But data helps understanding.
Alexander McCaig (11:02):
Yes, of course it does, because it doesn't get lost. It's like the great diary of mankind.
Jason Rigby (11:08):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (11:08):
That's what data is. And it's a diary that we all have access to. We've all written it individually. But through the sharing of this truth allows us all to evolve all, to look past those distortions.
Jason Rigby (11:22):
I also think when we look at connectivity, when we can assign data... So if these 10,000 people decided, this suicidal 10,000 people decided to say, "Hey, we're going to start a Facebook group and we're going to talk about this-
Alexander McCaig (11:40):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jason Rigby (11:40):
... and some of us are going to stay anonymous and some are just going to be open." And then through the data, they're like, "You know what? I'm not... Bill feels the same way too. And you know, Ludmila in Ukraine feels the same way too. You know, I'm not alone."
Alexander McCaig (11:57):
Yeah.
Jason Rigby (11:57):
You see how data collectively brings-
Alexander McCaig (12:00):
It bridges it.
Jason Rigby (12:00):
... the connectivity to ourselves.
Alexander McCaig (12:03):
Because you thought you were one-of.
Jason Rigby (12:05):
Yes. Yes.
Alexander McCaig (12:06):
You are very special in your characteristics, which makes you-
Jason Rigby (12:10):
Super valued.
Alexander McCaig (12:10):
... super valuable and you need to understand that there are many other people, many and the probability's so high, given how many there are of us that share those same thoughts and emotions.
Jason Rigby (12:22):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (12:23):
And if the data can bring people together to show them, in a very real sense, that there are others that are trying to work on this same thing that is challenging them, let data do that.
Jason Rigby (12:32):
And then, could you imagine, data turns around and says, "This is not your reality."
Alexander McCaig (12:38):
Correct.
Jason Rigby (12:39):
"This is... You and 10,000 other people have this biochemistry thing that's off in your brain, but that those chemicals are not your reality."
Alexander McCaig (12:47):
No. And it's not-
Jason Rigby (12:48):
"They're making you feel this [crosstalk 00:12:49] emotion when you want to blow your head, but..."
Alexander McCaig (12:50):
And we're not blaming you.
Jason Rigby (12:52):
Right.
Alexander McCaig (12:52):
There's no blame here-
Jason Rigby (12:53):
No, that's the good part about data. It brings the truth.
Alexander McCaig (12:55):
This is biochemical. It's like, "It's okay."
Jason Rigby (12:57):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (12:58):
But now that we have recognized what is going on, let's work together to keep ourselves healthy, to find that balance again.
Jason Rigby (13:06):
Mm-hmm (affirmative). Well, human cognition is the largest dataset. We were talking about that off the air-
Alexander McCaig (13:10):
Yeah.
Jason Rigby (13:10):
... so when we look at societal needs, the only answer to that is TARTLE marketplace.
Alexander McCaig (13:17):
That's the only way you would ever understand the needs of society.
Jason Rigby (13:19):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (13:20):
It's the only way you'll ever understand the migratory patterns of society.
Jason Rigby (13:25):
And when we look at TARTLE because everybody, every investor you talk to and everybody that you talk to... They would say, "Well, this is the future. This is going to be the next big thing or whatever." But I believe that TARTLE and data is the next scaffolding to bring us to the next level for humanity.
Alexander McCaig (13:47):
You're right.
Jason Rigby (13:47):
Human 2.0, if you want to call it that. Through data, through TARTLE is... Right now, we're setting up that scaffolding to bring 2.0.
Alexander McCaig (13:56):
I love that. Yeah, it's the support structure.
Jason Rigby (13:59):
Right. Well, we're the baseline. You have to have a baseline.
Alexander McCaig (14:03):
I don't know. I've got to tell you right now. I think TARTLE will afford humanity the next step in its natural evolution-
Jason Rigby (14:09):
Yes.
Alexander McCaig (14:10):
... right there. And I have great, great hope in human beings.
Jason Rigby (14:17):
Oh yeah.
Alexander McCaig (14:18):
I have great hope in our ability to adapt to change-
Jason Rigby (14:22):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (14:22):
... and I have great hope that we will continue to preserve this planet and our own lives further into the future.
Jason Rigby (14:28):
Well, solutions are mapped by data.
Alexander McCaig (14:32):
They're all mapped by data.
Jason Rigby (14:32):
They're visualized by data. If you have to go in a direction, you need a map.
Alexander McCaig (14:38):
Correct, which is data, statically put on a piece of paper. Right?
Jason Rigby (14:43):
Yeah. And reasoning comes from this collective data.
Alexander McCaig (14:48):
Yeah.
Jason Rigby (14:49):
It comes from you as an individual and it comes from those around. So if you want logic and sound reasoning, you go to the data.
Alexander McCaig (14:57):
You look to the data. You go to that source.
Jason Rigby (15:00):
And TARTLE... And I want you to speak to this because this is an important word and then we'll have to end this episode. But TARTLE will help you get past the illusion.
Alexander McCaig (15:15):
What you thought was real in your world, what you thought was helping or harming you, there may very well be an untruthful perspective about what's really going on.
Jason Rigby (15:27):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Alexander McCaig (15:29):
Going on TARTLE will afford you the opportunity to reflect on your actions. It will afford you the opportunity to earn from truth that you are creating. And then from that, it will give you the opportunity to be responsible with your actions going forward. And remember, TARTLE will not do those things for you. TARTLE will allow you to do those things for yourself. And there are very few tools or platforms that will afford that sort of opportunity and awareness to eradicate an illusion of reality, that is essentially creating harm to yourself and others.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Thank you for listening to TARTLEcast with your hosts, Alexander McCaig and Jason Rigby, where humanity steps into the future and the source data defines the path. What's your data worth?
