one of my favorite people in the world has died. his impact on my life cannot be overstated.
default trust
Scott sent me his YouTube password 7 years ago when i built Ditch YouTube. Google was banning creators and he wanted to back up 100s of episodes of his daily show.
despite never meeting, he default-trusted me. this is a value (torch) i’ve carried ever since.
more than a fan
Cernovich said it best: “Scott Adams is not liked, he is loved.” i can point to handfuls of writers, artists, thinkers, founders i respect deeply, have learned from, and support with my finances or time. but i would never write about them. why?
Scott’s work elicits another type of appreciation. his ideas cut deeper than entertainment or “quick tips.” he was 68 years into a study of society, human nature, and purpose. then his research was cut short. even with ample forewarning about his health, he didn’t hang his hat and go to the beach. until his last breath he shipped value.
Scott Adams’ contribution is so large that he even helped people who (think they) hate him.
discovery
beyond general awareness of Dilbert, i first took a deeper look at Scott in 2015 while living in San Francisco. my boss started sending me blog posts by this cartoonist guy who was predicting the 2016 election in real time. Scott had endorsed Hillary for president, then switched sides to endorsing Trump.
it was around then that Scott began presenting the concept of “2 movies, 1 screen.” how you and i can observe the same events but perceive them differently. he also began articulating the shape of truth itself. for example in one blog post, Scott wrote about a tiny pink elephant. and how, if you saw this elephant but your friend didn’t, then your friend was probably correct.
but he goes further. if 100 people in a room saw a tiny pink elephant, then you walked in and did not see the elephant, you are probably correct. because there is a higher objective probability of something unreasonable not existing than existing. forgive me for butchering his argument.
supporting Scott
after he was canceled i subscribed to his Locals. obviously he didn’t need the money but i like to think he got a kick out of building a private tribe of morning coffee co-sippers.
in December 2023, the week i started my current company, i told myself: one day you’ll work up the courage to approach Scott and license Dilbert on TRMNL.
that day never came, because apparently i’m a coward. i would give up a lot to have clocked a “No” before he passed.
black pill
when Charlie Kirk died, leftists stomping on his grave was expected. Charlie made a living making ~50% of the population uncomfortable. but the reaction tracked. disappointing, yes, understandable, also yes.
but this week’s passing of Scott Adams hits different. he was an incredible human who helped even his detractors live a better life. yet the same group of leftists are back to celebrate his death.
as i scrolled dozens (100s?) of RIP and not-so-RIP tweets last night i started to wonder… what’s even the point? you can do so much good, and then when you die a blue-haired atheist at the NYT writes a headline “popular until he made racist comments.”
today i jolted awake at 4am. during my usual routine of drinking coffee and reading non fiction i saw this:
maybe it’s too soon to black pill.
eternity
Scott was an outspoken fan of Simulation Theory, which is interesting to think about but not a view shared by this author. fans encouraged him for years to consider Christ instead, and in Scott’s final days he appears to have become a Christian.
in his own words he accepted the creation story after evaluating Pascal’s Wager. we don’t know how Scott will be judged, so i won’t comment further.
immortality
like others before him, Scott’s greatest contribution may be ahead of us. as his death creates a ripple effect that circulates his ideas far and wide, i have no doubt Scott’s legacy will age like wine.
to jump feet first into some of his perspective i recommend:
- Akira the Don’s meaningwave renditions
- Scott’s books, especially Loserthink
- clips like this, turned into songs like this one
Scott Adams is a legend. The goat. A patriot. And God willing, in heaven.