Agency
Everything in our world is there because someone decided it needed to exist. We all have things we know need to exist. What stops us from making them exist?
Agency
A big secret is that you can bend the world to your will a surprising percentage of the time—most people don’t even try, and just accept that things are the way that they are.
People have an enormous capacity to make things happen. A combination of self-doubt, giving up too early, and not pushing hard enough prevents most people from ever reaching... See more
People have an enormous capacity to make things happen. A combination of self-doubt, giving up too early, and not pushing hard enough prevents most people from ever reaching... See more
Sam Altman • How to Be Successful
"I could have done it, but I didn't try."
Of all the stories people tell themselves, this is the most harmful.
The truth is: If you didn't do it, and you haven't done it, then you can't do it (yet).
Until you face this harsh reality, you won't make the necessary... See more
Channing Allentwitter.comOne of the biggest sources of discontent is a mental motion that many do continually:
Planning what decision you will make ahead of when the time comes to make the decision.
Lulietwitter.comAnalysis paralysis takes different forms. Delaying action or preempting action are means of avoiding action.
Do It Scared
I believe many young people struggle with the insecurity of being intelligent. They often feel the need to prove their intelligence by overthinking, excessively planning, and acquiring knowledge before taking action. However, this approach is a waste of time. The more you research, the more you realize how... See more
jason liux.comAsk culture and guess culture are vastly different in behavior and expectations. Here are some highlights:
Ask culture expectations
Ask culture expectations
- Ask for what you want, even if it seems out of reach or like a big unreasonable request
- Take care of your own needs, and others will take care of theirs
- It’s fine to make requests that people will probably say no to
- People
Jean Hsu • Ask vs Guess Culture
There's obviously a balance to be had here. But it you want to accomplish things that are hard, you should lean towards ask.
Why is this?
Hard things require overcoming a lot of obstacles. It requires diligence and time. If you're going to hear a lot of no’s, it's better to hear them upfront than hope there's a yes lurking around the corner. There usually isn't.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare."
–Muhammad Ali
The 4-Hour Life
lindynewsletter.beehiiv.com
How much of a constraint is consistency space on agency?
The 4 hours aren't always 4. The energy you have in those 4 hours isn't always the same.
In payoff space, you can focus your energy for bursts of effort. Or you can focus your recharge/recovery times around your work.
The availability of rest after work likely affects how hard one is able/willing to work. The allure of rest is likely different.
Rest as an escape from work vs Rest as a place to prep for work
Athletes will perform differently in teams depending on if the system is built around them or they are recruited for the system; if the level of pressure is suited to their person; and if the coach is willing to be patient for them to adapt to their situation.
I'm reminded of that Mourinho press conference:
“Look at how they play, where they play, if they play”
Lots to ponder…
h/t @emmettshear, via @joshualelon on Twitter
Most people understand that a forest "doesn't exist" in the sense that humans made up that word (the trees exist in a concrete way that the "forest" does not. Same with a "lake" vs water etc)
It just occurred to me that "a person" is more like a forest than a tree
Defendertwitter.comMeta on self and agency