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Aug. 6, 2025 - Freedomain Radio - Stefan Molyneux
04:10
How Is It Possible That 2 + 2 = 5?!?
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Time Text
All right.
Tell me how it is possible that two and two make five.
Let's see.
If you have two point rounding errors.
No.
Two and two make five.
No, no rounding.
You can't introduce rounding errors because then you would say, you know, 2.24 plus 2.
2 and 2 make 5.
Now, is it possible that two and two make five?
I couldn't explain why.
Again, that is such a bulletproof, simple thing.
You said that you're open.
You said that it's possible that 2 and 2 might not equal 5.
Sorry, you said it's possible that 2 and 2 could equal 5.
So I'm asking you, how do you reason that it's possible?
I don't know how it would not be possible, but maybe an advanced mathematician knows something I do.
No advanced mathematic, no mathematician will ever tell you that two and two make five.
Or that contingency.
I'm sorry?
I'm leaving that skepticism for the contingency that maybe someone does.
Maybe there's some math genius who figures out in some multiple dimension.
You know, again, we get this is woo.
This is not practical stuff that affects our real world stuff.
Okay, so you've told me that it's really important for me to keep an open mind and I have a limited perspective, right?
Yes.
Okay.
So you don't know that two and two make five, but you know for sure that I have to keep an open mind and that I have a limited perspective.
That's insane.
No, you're an open mind.
You could be manipulated into the matrix if you're not keeping an open mind, maybe.
And that's being manipulated into the matrix.
So you're not certain that two and two make five, but you're certain that I'm wrong?
No, no, I didn't say that.
Yeah.
I'm saying I have a limited perspective.
You didn't say there's some chance that you have.
You said, Steph, you have a limited perspective.
Oh, my gosh.
You must keep an open mind.
Why?
You don't even know that two and two make four.
Who are you to tell anyone about anything?
You don't even know that you exist.
You don't know that one and one make two.
You don't know that the world is round.
You don't know anything.
You don't know anything, but you have the arrogance to tell me what I'm right or wrong about.
Wow.
No, I didn't say you were right or wrong.
I said you're free to do what you want.
Why are you instantiating more to that than you can keep an open mind?
Or not to?
You said it's important for me to keep an open mind, right?
Yeah.
Okay.
How do you know?
How do you know it's important?
You don't even know that two and two make four.
Who are you to tell me what I should or shouldn't do with my mind when you don't even know basic math?
You're not even certain of basic math, but you're certain it's important for me to keep an open mind?
Really?
Like, if you don't know that two and two make four, why would I listen to you about anything?
That is radical epistemological skepticism.
You don't know that I exist.
You don't know that you exist.
You don't know that you're not a brain in a tank.
You won't even say that two and two make four.
Why would I take your advice about anything when you can't do your times table with any certainty?
Well, because you're making all this stuff certain like there's no possibility of all this stuff.
Yeah, there's no possibility that two and two make anything other than four.
There's absolutely no possibility.
And let me tell you this, brother.
I don't mean to sound harsh.
I'm actually here to try and help you because this is bad for your brain.
It's really fucking bad for your brain to have this radical skepticism.
So the reason it's bad is that you are kept alive, literally kept alive, by people who accept that two and two make four.
Because that's what delivers your electricity.
That's what delivers your food.
That's what delivers your prices.
That's what undergirds your economic transactions.
That's what keeps your car running.
So you are kept alive by people who say two and two make four.
Apps are fucking lootly 100%.
Your bridges work because two and two make four.
Airplanes stay in the sky because two and two make four.
All of it.
Your house runs.
Everything runs.
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