Dumb As An Interview: The Guinea Pig Diaries Author A.J. Jacobs
For the past 15 years, author and Esquire editor A.J. Jacobs has lived his life doing experiment after experiment- on himself.
For his book The Year Of Living Biblically he spent a year following the rules of the Bible. In The Know It All Jacobs describes his quest to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.
His new book The Guinea Pig Diaries talks about some of the other experiments that he has done over the past 15 years, including following George Washington’s personal list of civility and decent behavior, engaging in a program called Radical Honesty and even outsourcing his entire life to workers in India. He was kind enough to answer some of our questions.
Many of your experiments seem to be combinations of high concepts designed to entertain the readers of your books and essays, along with genuine attempts to better yourself and learn something in the process. What’s more important; getting the laugh or learning something?Can I say it’s a tie? Remember that word "edutainment?" Part education, part entertainment. I liked that word, even though it eventually became a punchline. Maybe I’d change the word to ‘entertation.’ Does that sound better?
Seeing as this is Dumb As A Blog, what is the dumbest thing you ever did in one of your experiments?
Probably stoning an adulterer. I was trying to follow the rules of the Bible as literally as possible, and Leviticus says we should stone adulterers. So I did. I used pebbles, so as not to get prosecuted.
From your experiences following the rules of the bible, living by the guidelines of George Washington’s rules of civility, to Radical Honesty, to even allowing your wife Julie to write a rebuttal chapter, it seems that you have a bit of an obsession with satirizing the concepts of rules, ethics, honesty and fairness. As ridiculous as many rules are, doesn’t society need them?Excellent question. I actually am a big fan of rules. I’m wary of people who take rules too literally, and who don’t allow for change or debate. I’m wary of people who say “The Bible says homosexuality is a sin, therefore it’s a sin forever and ever.”
But my experiments have actually made me more of a fan of rules than before. We often talk about freedom of choice. But there’s a beauty in having a structure, a set of rules, that limit our choices. I think it makes us happier. For instance, George Washington’s 110 rules of life are really wise – they’re all about self-restraint, self-sacrifice, respect. And not adjusting your crotch in public. That is literally his rule number two. And I’ve found it serves me well.
After 15 years of these experiments, have you come up with any rules that govern your own behavior when selecting a new experiment, or ethics about how you go through with it?
I want my experiments to have the potential to give me real insight. I want them to change my life for the better, even if just a little. It can’t be something like – I’m going to eat a cruller at every Dunkin’ Donuts in America and write about it (Though my wife does keep suggesting that I should take her to every restaurant in New York as my next book.)In your experiment called “The Rationality Project,” you pasted pictures of eyes all over your house because a study showed that people behaved more ethically when they saw pictures of eyes, as it tricked their brains into thinking they are being watched and judged. You noted that your kids liked to get into staring contests with the eyes. Have your children been affected by any of your other experiments?
First, I do think having my walls adorned with pictures of eyes made my family behave a bit better. (Also, my book actually has big pictures of eyes on the cover, so just having it in the house can have a beneficial effect on your family. Just FYI). Overall, though, I try to keep my kids out of my experiments as much as possible. I don’t want to warp them. Sometimes it can’t be helped, of course. During my year of living biblically, I had this enormous beard, and when I shaved it off, my son was freaked out for a week or so. Who is this stranger in the apartment with his smooth cheeks?In your books you come off as a fairly normal, semi-geeky guy with a good sense of humor about not just the world, but yourself, combined with a willingness to leap into extraordinarily wacky situations. You also have several cute kids, a skeptical but loving wife and a smoking hot nanny. I’ll put it out there; I smell sitcom. The only thing missing is you tripping over the ottoman as your theme music plays. Any plans in the works?
I like that ottoman idea! Let me know if you’re interested in working on a spec. I’ve had discussions about a sitcom, but I’m actually more interested in developing something unscripted. I’m working with the delightful Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me and 30 Days fame.
If your life was to become a sitcom would you want to play yourself? If not, who would you like to play you?
Well, The Year of Living Biblically has been optioned for a movie by Paramount, and they’ve attached Marlon Wayans. I went out to lunch with him and had a great time. It’s an interesting choice, because if you look at our pictures side by side, you could probably – and I’m going out on a limb here – tell us apart.
