14: Notes To Self

Yo!

Here is your weekly dose of 5 things I’m pondering and exploring. Click on each link to dive further on that topic.

1. A Banger Tweet Putting Human Civilization Into Context (Tim Urban)

Everything we call civilization was invented in the last 500 generations—way too short a time for our bodies and brains to re-optimize. We're a bunch of primates in a totally unnatural environment, trying our best.

Good thing to keep in mind!

2. Good Things Come To Those Who Write (Nathan Barry)

Every once in a while, I come across an article that makes all of the time I spend reading worth it. It packages an idea that hits me in the face and yells, “Don’t forget about me!”

This was one of those articles.

The idea?

Good things come to those who write. It officially convinced me that I want writing in public to be a common thread line throughout my life.

Here’s my sparknotes:

• Nathan’s writer friends make more than anyone he knows.

• Unless you’re writing a novel, good writing is about teaching. Most of his friends who make their living from writing wouldn’t necessarily consider themselves writers. Instead they are developers, freelancers, hobbyists, marketers, designers, and business owners. They just realized they had valuable skills and started teaching them to anyone who wanted to listen.

• The reason is simple — writing is how you get attention. And in today’s world, attention is the most valuable resource.

• Major companies spend billions of dollars on advertising for a chance at getting attention for their products.

• Writers get that for free. They have tens of thousands of people raising their hands to say, “Sign me up. I want to read everything you write. You have my attention.”

• Then when the writer uses a small portion of that attention to promote something else that will benefit the reader, hundreds or thousands of them buy it.

3. Rivers Are Really Interesting

I like to think the mind looks like this picture. It’s got a few big rivers and a bunch of small little tributaries.

The rivers determine common thought patterns, and the tributaries add nuanced details to those thoughts.

It also has a certain amount of area it covers (aka how much you know). And towards the edges, the tributaries get smaller. You don’t know much. But, you know there’s so much to learn!

It makes me think:

Where do I want to add more rivers & tributaries?

PS: This analogy helps with conversation. Find someone’s sweet spot topic and traverse through the rivers with them like Lewis & Clark!

4. 6 Minutes Of A Random High School Football Coach’s Phrases (Bob Green)

My favorite one-liner: “His attitude’s positive. He thinks he could take on Hell with a squirt gun.”

5. A Quote That Reminded Me That You Create Your Own Reality

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space you can choose your response.” - Victor Frankl

Thanks for wanting to know more today than you did yesterday! If you liked this edition, send it over to a friend who would like it too 🤝 

Cheers,

Luke

PS: Have a topic you think I’d like learning about? Send it to me here.

PPS: Got questions you want me to answer? I made an anonymous form for that.

PPPS: you can find more rabbit holes here & my writing here.