Freedomain Radio - Stefan Molyneux - How Is It Possible That 2 + 2 = 5?!?
Aired: 2025-08-06
Duration: 04:10


=== Why 2+2 Might Not Equal 5 (03:34) ===

[00:00:00]  All right.
[00:00:01]  Tell me how it is possible that two and two make five.
[00:00:10]  Let's see.
[00:00:10]  If you have two point rounding errors.
[00:00:15]  No.
[00:00:16]  Two and two make five.
[00:00:18]  No, no rounding.
[00:00:18]  You can't introduce rounding errors because then you would say, you know, 2.24 plus 2.
[00:00:24]  2 and 2 make 5.
[00:00:25]  Now, is it possible that two and two make five?
[00:00:34]  I couldn't explain why.
[00:00:36]  Again, that is such a bulletproof, simple thing.
[00:00:39]  You said that you're open.
[00:00:40]  You said that it's possible that 2 and 2 might not equal 5.
[00:00:45]  Sorry, you said it's possible that 2 and 2 could equal 5.
[00:00:48]  So I'm asking you, how do you reason that it's possible?
[00:00:52]  I don't know how it would not be possible, but maybe an advanced mathematician knows something I do.
[00:00:57]  No advanced mathematic, no mathematician will ever tell you that two and two make five.
[00:01:02]  Or that contingency.
[00:01:03]  I'm sorry?
[00:01:05]  I'm leaving that skepticism for the contingency that maybe someone does.
[00:01:09]  Maybe there's some math genius who figures out in some multiple dimension.
[00:01:15]  You know, again, we get this is woo.
[00:01:17]  This is not practical stuff that affects our real world stuff.
[00:01:22]  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?
[00:01:29]  Yes.
[00:01:30]  Okay.
[00:01:30]  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.
[00:01:38]  That's insane.
[00:01:39]  No, you're an open mind.
[00:01:41]  You could be manipulated into the matrix if you're not keeping an open mind, maybe.
[00:01:45]  And that's being manipulated into the matrix.
[00:01:50]  So you're not certain that two and two make five, but you're certain that I'm wrong?
[00:01:54]  No, no, I didn't say that.
[00:01:56]  Yeah.
[00:01:56]  I'm saying I have a limited perspective.
[00:01:58]  You didn't say there's some chance that you have.
[00:02:01]  You said, Steph, you have a limited perspective.
[00:02:03]  Oh, my gosh.
[00:02:04]  You must keep an open mind.
[00:02:05]  Why?
[00:02:06]  You don't even know that two and two make four.
[00:02:07]  Who are you to tell anyone about anything?
[00:02:09]  You don't even know that you exist.
[00:02:11]  You don't know that one and one make two.
[00:02:12]  You don't know that the world is round.
[00:02:14]  You don't know anything.
[00:02:15]  You don't know anything, but you have the arrogance to tell me what I'm right or wrong about.
[00:02:19]  Wow.
[00:02:20]  No, I didn't say you were right or wrong.
[00:02:22]  I said you're free to do what you want.
[00:02:24]  Why are you instantiating more to that than you can keep an open mind?
[00:02:30]  Or not to?
[00:02:33]  You said it's important for me to keep an open mind, right?
[00:02:36]  Yeah.
[00:02:36]  Okay.
[00:02:36]  How do you know?
[00:02:37]  How do you know it's important?
[00:02:38]  You don't even know that two and two make four.
[00:02:40]  Who are you to tell me what I should or shouldn't do with my mind when you don't even know basic math?
[00:02:45]  You're not even certain of basic math, but you're certain it's important for me to keep an open mind?
[00:02:52]  Really?
[00:02:52]  Like, if you don't know that two and two make four, why would I listen to you about anything?
[00:02:58]  That is radical epistemological skepticism.
[00:03:01]  You don't know that I exist.
[00:03:02]  You don't know that you exist.
[00:03:03]  You don't know that you're not a brain in a tank.
[00:03:05]  You won't even say that two and two make four.
[00:03:07]  Why would I take your advice about anything when you can't do your times table with any certainty?
[00:03:15]  Well, because you're making all this stuff certain like there's no possibility of all this stuff.
[00:03:20]  Yeah, there's no possibility that two and two make anything other than four.
[00:03:23]  There's absolutely no possibility.
[00:03:25]  And let me tell you this, brother.
[00:03:26]  I don't mean to sound harsh.
[00:03:27]  I'm actually here to try and help you because this is bad for your brain.
[00:03:30]  It's really fucking bad for your brain to have this radical skepticism.

=== Two And Two Make Four (00:36) ===

[00:03:34]  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.
[00:03:43]  Because that's what delivers your electricity.
[00:03:45]  That's what delivers your food.
[00:03:47]  That's what delivers your prices.
[00:03:48]  That's what undergirds your economic transactions.
[00:03:51]  That's what keeps your car running.
[00:03:54]  So you are kept alive by people who say two and two make four.
[00:03:59]  Apps are fucking lootly 100%.
[00:04:02]  Your bridges work because two and two make four.
[00:04:04]  Airplanes stay in the sky because two and two make four.
[00:04:08]  All of it.
[00:04:09]  Your house runs.
[00:04:10]  Everything runs.