No. 537 — Aug 13th, 2023 — Read on FS — Free Version

FS

Iatrogenics:

"A simple rule for the decision-maker is that intervention needs to prove its benefits and those benefits need to be orders of magnitude higher than the natural (that is non-interventionist) path. We intuitively know this already. We won’t switch apps or brands for a marginal increase over the status quo. Only when the benefits become orders of magnitude higher do we switch."

— Source

Insight(s)

1.

On being vulnerable:

“Write the story that you were always afraid to tell. I swear to you that there is magic in it, and if you show yourself naked for me, I'll be naked for you. It will be our covenant."

— Dorthy Allison

2.

The entropy of prosperity:

"Sometimes it seems that it might be better to go back to those simpler days, that one might get more out of a less complex life. But it cannot be done. One changes with prosperity. We all think we should like to lead the simple life, and then we find that we have picked up a thousand little habits which we are quite unconscious of because they are a part of our very being-and these habits are not in the simple life. There is no going back-except as a broken man."

— Harvey Firestone, Men and Rubber (1926)

Tiny Thought

Don't let where you are become a ceiling on where you can go.

(Click here to share on Twitter)

TKP

Frank Slootman is one of the best CEOs and operators in the world. This no-nonsense conversation is full of insight, inspiration, and actionable takeaways. While it took nearly a year to get Frank on, the conversation was even better than I could have imagined.

"Performance is something that we will give more time; behavior we won’t. And that’s because behavior is a choice, not a skill set."

One of my favorite parts of the conversation starts at 7:05 on the audio version.

— Listen and Learn or read the transcript.

ETC.

Unintended consequences:

"By dramatically reducing the number of ship tracks, the planet has warmed up faster, several new studies have found. That trend is magnified in the Atlantic, where maritime traffic is particularly dense. In the shipping corridors, the increased light represents a 50% boost to the warming effect of human carbon emissions. It’s as if the world suddenly lost the cooling effect from a fairly large volcanic eruption each year, says Michael Diamond, an atmospheric scientist at Florida State University."

— Source

My book, Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results, comes out in 51 days. It teaches you how to position yourself for success and unlock your capabilities. Through stories, mental models, and repeatable behaviors, I reveal the missing link between behavioral science and real-life outcomes. Not only will you learn how to avoid the traps that hold most people back, but you'll learn how to live a more intentional life (if you want proof, read the review from Brent Beshore on how a concept from the book literally changed his life).

Thanks for reading,
— Shane

P.S. This made my kids laugh.