From Triathlons to Philosophy: Doran Shafrir's Unconventional Path to Teaching Critical Thinking and Geopolitics
An interview
Doran Shafrir’s career is a testament to the power of blending seemingly diverse pursuits into a cohesive and impactful journey. With an unorthodox approach to expertise, he has excelled in fields that, at first glance, appear unrelated.
As the founder, manager, and coach of a high-performance triathlon club, Doran has guided athletes competing at the international level, fostering excellence in a demanding sport. Simultaneously, he built one of the largest educational YouTube channels in Hebrew, focusing on History, Philosophy, and Geopolitics. His ability to distill complex ideas into engaging content has made him a leading voice in the field of public education.
Doran is also the author of a best-selling book on Philosophy, The Story of Human Thought (working title in English). Though yet to be translated, the book reflects his lifelong passion for exploring the evolution of ideas and making them accessible to a wide audience.
How did you first become interested in this area?
My true passion has always been philosophy, though I can't pinpoint a single moment when I "first became interested." It was more of a gradual and evolving process.
I pursued a bachelor's degree in philosophy and psychology, though at the time, philosophy felt more like a necessity than a genuine love. Over the years, I’ve come to realize how profoundly my philosophical training has shaped my perspective on life and the world. This realization inspired me to pursue a master’s degree in philosophy and to share philosophical discourse with a broader audience through my YouTube channel.
What are the most important concepts or ideas that you teach others?
I think that in today’s climate, the one thing I take pride in when connecting with others is my ability to encourage critical thinking. By that I mean that we can, and should, criticise our own opinions about things.
Are you a die hard right-winger? Here are the best left-wing points.
Are you a lefty? Try to deal with strong versions of right-wing arguments.
Do you have strong feelings about a particular country? Well, here’s a look at how they might view you.
Do you take everything for granted? Here’s why you think the way you do—perhaps it’s not as simple as it seems.
By cultivating a persona (and indeed, a personality) or not really caring personally either way, I have managed to become a place for people to come, listen, and learn this skill along the way. I believe that if I were very strongly politically aligned, this would have become impossible.
Do you have a favorite quote that you use?
I tend to apply it more to myself than to others, but I often reflect on Marcus Aurelius’ words: my task each day is to “do the work of a human being.” (Meditations Book 5, Section 1)
I am no different than anyone else in that sometimes it’s not easy to get work done. I try to remind myself that even some of the best people who have ever lived sometimes had to remind themselves of that. I guess I am in good company.
Another one I like is Genesis 4, verse 7:
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
I am not a particularly religious person, but I like this ancient idea of realizing that sin (as in, something bad) is literally crouching at my door, and desires to have me, and that I must rule over it. How? By doing the work of a human being, I guess.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to learn more about what you do?
I have an English YouTube channel in which I conduct conversations, and show some older influences that pop up behind the scenes, sometimes without people realizing. You can find it here.
Also, if you happen to speak an ancient resurrected language (Hebrew), you can also find me do History, Geopolitics, and Philosophy, here.
Suppose you were able to give a talk or workshop at the original location of Plato’s Academy, in Athens.
I’d faint upon receiving the invitation. Only to come back to my senses and immediately start preparing for my talk!
So how would I feel about that? Pretty good!
What question would you like to leave us to think about?
This one might be very old, but still relevant: is there an objective “good” in the universe? Or, are good things only good because of the way we feel about them or experience them? The answer to this question is probably impossible to get. And its an important one, given that all we do (both as individuals and as a society) is try to achieve results that seem good to us. But is there really a good, or does it only seem so?
Personally, I prefer to act as if there is such a thing. But sometimes I wonder, is there really?
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