Aaron Sorkin on “The Social Reckoning”: “Maybe we can’t handle the truth”

Updated on: October 4, 2026 / 10:03 AM EDT / CBS News

Aaron Sorkin offered his remedy for writer's block: "I like to drive around and listen to music, and I try to start arguments with myself, talking out loud. … You're making me sound crazy now!"

But, he adds, that's where some of the best ideas come from. "One out of every 50 times, and I'll take those odds any day," he said.

The odds paid off when Sorkin was working on "The Social Network." Sorkin won an Oscar for screenwriting, and helped define Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg – and an entire industry – in the popular imagination.

Sixteen years later, Sorkin wonders about the unintended consequences.

"I remember talking to Jesse Eisenberg, who played Mark Zuckerberg in 'The Social Network,' and how distressed he was that teenage boys were coming up to him; they wanted him to sign business cards that said, 'I'm CEO, bitch,' the way Mark had it," said Sorkin. "Jesse was saying, 'Wait a second, these people think Mark is a hero in this story and not a tragic hero.'

"Of course, I'm responsible," Sorkin said. "It wasn't my intention."

And perhaps that's one reason…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/