Sam Harris · 2026-10-14

More From Sam: Bond Villains, Useful Idiots, Firing Squads, and More (Ep. 498)

In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events.

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More From Sam: Bond Villains, Useful Idiots, Firing Squads, and More (Ep. 498)

Sam Harris

Oct 14, 2026

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Paid

In this latest episode of the

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PREDICTED REACTION

Neutral

Why this might be for you

The article is a paywalled podcast episode preview featuring Sam Harris and Jaron discussing various current events and topics such as a documentary on Elon Musk, antisemitism, political figures, and tech leaders. Although it touches on current events and intellectual themes, the preview lacks specific examples or depth about personal agency, creative work, feedback loops, or detailed institutional analysis that align with the preference rule. The format is conversational and topical rather than a thoughtful essay with original analysis or lived experience developing into useful ideas, limiting its fit with the reader's stated preferences. Given the limited available text and lack of substantial analytic content, the reaction is Neutral rather than Like or Dislike, recognizing some intellectual engagement but no strong alignment with the profile's priorities.

Matching preferences

current events discussion
intellectual conversation
philosophy and neuroscience connection

Potential mismatches

lack of thoughtful essay format
absence of detailed analysis or original reporting
no clear focus on agency, creative work, or feedback loops
paywalled content limits substance evaluation

How this was scored

Rule: María’s reading compass · v2
Provider / model: openai / gpt-4.1-mini
Scored: 2026-10-17T18:46:09+00:00
Source text: Revision 120 · paywall_preview
Text selection: All available text
Prompt / schema: reader-1 / reaction-1
Settings: {"max_output_tokens":800,"store":false}
Tokens in / out: 1896 / 219
Estimated cost: $0.001109
Run: #6

Exact rule used

This is an editable starter reading profile inferred from my existing subscriptions and a set of articles shared with me. Treat the examples as exploratory positive signals, not as confirmed favorite articles or evidence that I agree with their arguments. Prioritize thoughtful essays about agency and how people build a life: learning, feedback loops, creative work, finding one's craft, relationships, friendship, conversation, and attention. Look for specific lived experience that develops into an interesting, useful idea. Make room for literary criticism, art, design, history, institutional analysis, and substantial book reviews. Also consider AI, technology, startups, product strategy, and venture investing, reflecting my subscription mix. Favor explanations of mechanisms, concrete examples, original reporting or analysis, and arguments that acknowledge uncertainty. A piece should offer more than a headline, a trend summary, or a promotional pitch. Do not infer my political views or endorsement from the sources I follow. Reward clear, distinctive prose and real intellectual substance. Both reflective personal writing and technically detailed analysis can fit. Length is fine when it earns its space. As an initial hypothesis, downrank repetitive advice, vague inspiration, generic hot takes, and hype unsupported by evidence. These style preferences are provisional and can be corrected with my feedback. Evaluate English and Spanish writing on substance without preferring one language. When explaining a prediction, identify the specific connection to these themes and any mismatch. Do not give a high score solely because an author appears in my subscriptions or examples. Evaluate only the supplied article text; a title or paywall preview is not proof of the full argument. Reference titles (sample signals; not actual ratings): - For a long time, nothing. Then, suddenly one has the right eyes. - Love is to be invested in someone’s continual expansion - How to walk through walls - Book Review: From Bauhaus To Our House - half the world's writing should remain unpublished - We think better when our minds are entwined - The Hacking Will Continue While Market Morale Improves - the delight of specificity - Why we ended up homeschooling - Bangers from Gibbon - searching for your life's work is a multi-turn endeavor - Why I Changed My Mind About AI Risk - The hyperlocal - The Specter Of Neuralese - Your Book Review: Lee Kuan Yew's Memoirs - Agentic fragments - Average moments of a long-term meditator - a case for sharing your dreams with friends - the best conversations help you hear yourself - First we shape our feedback loops; then they shape us - timing

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More From Sam: Bond Villains, Useful Idiots, Firing Squads, and More (Ep. 498)

Sam Harris

Oct 14, 2026

∙

Paid

In this latest episode of the

Input metadata

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Recommendation history

María’s reading compass · v2Current · 2026-10-17Neutral