Date: 15.06.2022

Are you applying information, or are you solely consuming it?

Most commonly, we do the latter.

Don't worry. It's not entirely our fault.

OK, maybe it is.

Since there is so much to read and watch. When you are reading something. Your motive - even if you don't realize it at the moment - is not to understand and apply what you're reading. But to finish this current piece so you can move (scroll) to the next piece.

Our metric for success here is quantitative, not qualitative.

That's why you'd prefer to read 20 tweets on random subjects rather than immersing yourself in a book that gives you the complete picture of one specific problem.

Our appetite for content never depletes but where does this leave us?

Reading yet another article on habit change without ever doing anything about our habits.

Like in design, less is better. 

Read fewer books. Fewer articles. But do more with what was suggested.

• Anxiety by Fritz Riemann: Anxiety by Fritz Riemann was originally published under the title Grundformen der Angst (Basic forms of fears). It’s a book about human behavior, fear, and how to control, mitigate, and overcome the feelings of fear. The author explains the origin of our fears, how they influence our daily lives, and aim to help us get rid of the things that frighten us most

Full text for members only.

Interesting books I recently added to my reading list (and hopefully will read at some point):

• Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior: by Judith Martin: Not sure how to behave? Get this book. Judith Martin explains the reasons behind the need for etiquette. The text will also arm you with subtle weapons to force good behavior in others.
• No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard C. Schwartz: According to this book, there isn't just a single you, in you. As the author says: "All of us are born with many sub-minds. They are individuals who exist as an internal family within us—and the key to health and happiness is to honor, understand, and love every part."

Pericles

Pericles (495-429 B.C.) was a Greek politician and general during the Golden Age of Athens. Described as a brilliant general, orator, patron of the arts, and politician - "the first citizen" of democratic Athens.

Pericles transformed his city’s alliances into an empire and graced its Acropolis with the famous Parthenon.

Big Idea: Master Your Emotions

Pericles believed that every human has a special need to worship something. A need to direct his attention toward something of value to him. Commonly, we choose to follow our ego, our families, a religious figure, our community.

Pericles?

He worshiped nous - a word from ancient Greek meaning "mind" or "intelligence".

In moments of hesitation. When influenced by a strong emotion. Pericles learned to retreat and not react when emotions clouded his mind. By doing so, he invited calmness. The ability to orient his thoughts toward the perfect idea that will grand him victory.

In essence, nous stands for rationality. The greatest gift that could make any mortal act with divine wisdom.

Or in his own words, "What I fear is not the enemy’s strategy but our own mistakes."

From my desk:

• Why Is It So Difficult to Cross The Plateau of Latent Potential?: "The truth about success – of any kind. Is that it takes time. It takes time to progress. To patiently do the boring fundamentals so you can reach a black belt in the field you want to be recognized for."

From around the web:

• Are You Playing to Play, or Playing to Win?: A great piece that will reveal if you're self-sabotaging your progress and how to prevent that.
• The Spacing Effect: How to Improve Learning and Maximize Retention: "We are not taught how to learn in school, we are taught how to pass tests. The spacing effect is a far more effective way to learn and retain information that works with our brain instead of against it. Find out how to use it here."

Machiavellianism

Attributed to Niccolò Machiavelli when he wrote his book The Prince. Machiavellianism is a personality trait that denotes cunningness. In short, imagine an amoral person who is strategically manipulative and unempathetic.

Individuals who have a high Machiavellianism score have low moral and ethical standards. What really matters for such people is them. They focus on money, power, and aim to win at any cost.

They present themselves as carrying and understanding but this is just a facade. They don't befriend people. They use them. Move them like pieces on a chessboard. Their only ambition is to maximize opportunities for their own personal interests. In general, people high in Machiavellianism will attempt to achieve their goals by whatever means necessary.

Strategy to protect yourself from such hazardous people?

Only one: cut them off completely!

I just finished listening to The Knowledge Project podcast Ep. #138 with Luke Burgis.

It was worth all the 2 hours and 13 minutes.

If you want to know about how your wants are formed. Why you desire certain things over others. You'll find this episode quite intriguing.

Luke Burgis is the author of the book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. A book where he explores why we want what we want. The title is based on the theory of Rene Girard.

I've explored the idea myself in my summary of René Girard’s Mimetic Theory by Wolfgang Palaver.

Regards,

Ivaylo Durmonski

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