The Long Game 93: New Theses on Sleep, Behavioral Activation, Going Back to the Fundamentals
The Long Game 93: New Theses on Sleep, Behavioral Activation, Going Back to the Fundamentals🎥 Kanye West, Germany & Ukraine, Strength Standards, Love, Tim Urban, Beautiful Neighbourhoods, and Much More!Hi there, it’s Mehdi Yacoubi, co-founder at Vital, and this is The Long Game Newsletter. To receive it in your inbox each week, subscribe here: In this episode, we explore:
Let’s dive in! 🥑 Health💤 Theses on Sleep & Being Open-MindedI really liked Alexey Guzey’s Theses on Sleep article. I have no idea whether he’s right or wrong (although I’d predict he’s right on a couple of things) but what I liked is the challenging of scientific facts. It’s key to remember that the half-life of a scientific fact is around 45 years. It means a lot of what we believe true today will end up being false. How will we find out what’s false if we adopt the “Trust the Science™” mindset? There is no such thing as trusting the “Science.” It’s about trusting the scientific process, and the scientific method is about proving your hypotheses with verifiable facts and replicable experiments. Here’s the summary
I found the comparison of sleep with hunger excellent:
I used to sleep the normal 7.5 hours a day. Over the last 180 days I have slept an average of 5 hours 57 minutes per day.
So, after 2 years of experimentation and occasional deep dives into the scientific literature, here are my theses on sleep: 🌱 Wellness✨ Behavioral ActivationHow to feel motivated and energized when you’re not? Brad Stulberg gives an interesting perspective:
It’s not so much about forcing yourself to have positive thoughts, this is actually a misguided strategy, but about accepting how you feel without considering it to be your fate forever.
🧠 Better Thinking🎯 On Goals, Advice, and LifeIn April of 1958, Hunter S. Thompson was 22 years old when he wrote this letter to his friend Hume Logan in response to a request for life advice. This is one of the most powerful texts on giving advice I’ve read: On giving advice:
On goals:
On choosing the right path:
⚡️ Startup Stuff🥇 Going Back to The FundamentalsIt’s so easy to get distracted these days. Between daily announcements of funding, IPOs, and acquisitions, people can forget what actually matters. I liked this timely reminder from Fred Wilson, calling to return to the fundamentals:
With all these distractions, with all those companies announcing massive rounds at massive valuations (sometimes even before product-market fit), it can be tempting to chase the wrong goal.
📚 What I Read🔮 it's beautiful, I just don't always see itA great piece from Ava:
🏡 Why Did We Stop Building Beautiful Neighbourhoods?Governments lack the incentive, businesses usually lack the power, and almost everyone seems to lack the skill:
💰 Minsky Moments in Venture CapitalAn excellent piece on cycles in VC:
🎙 Podcast Episodes of the WeekThis week in podcasts:
🍭 Brain Food🔍 Google Search Is DyingI really enjoyed this article arguing that google search results are getting worse and worse. You might disagree with this, but I think it’s fascinating and essential to understand when the tide is turning for some tech giants. One thing is sure: all of those trillion-dollar companies will die at some point, and this article might be describing how Google will become less relevant in the future. More convinced of this thesis now. Block explorers will eventually disrupt Google Search, because:
1) blockchains are easier to index than both the open web & the social web
2) they're now branching out beyond financial data to (eg) social media data
3) Google doesn't get crypto Balaji Srinivasan @balajis Blockchains are much easier to search index than the open web, which is in turn easier than closed social networks. And GPT-3 can generate better-than-search results on the fly. So, it sounds cliche, but “blockchain and AI” really are a long-term pincer attack on Google Search. https://t.co/9xdfHDG8u1
A recent small medical issue has highlighted how much someone needs to disrupt Google Search. Google is no longer producing high quality search results in a significant number of important categories. 🎥 What I’m Watching🇩🇪🇺🇦 Why Germany Won’t Help UkraineGuess what the consequences of closing all of your nuclear energy power plants are? Well, it means you’re now emitting more greenhouse gases, and on top of that, you depend on Russia for your natural gas supply. The obsession of the Greens for removing nuclear is very hard to understand. Once again, it’s around identity and not facts. 🎥 jeen-yuhs: A Kanye TrilogyA must-watch documentary. For another definition of relentlessness, watch the Kanye documentary. Some people will just not stop. 🔧 The Tool of the Week💪 Strength StandardsI’ve been enjoying switching my training to focus on strength lately. As natural lifters, getting a solid foundation of strength is a must. It will definitely take you time to reach the Advanced level, but the journey will be worth it. Here are some strength standards you might want to reach. Pair with:
Time to shift back the focus to strength training for the next 6–9 months.
Goal: get my powerlifting total (squat, bench, deadlift) to 1,350+ lbs. Will share updates. 🪐 Quote I’m Pondering
— V. E Frankl If you enjoyed this newsletter, make sure to subscribe if you haven’t 👇 👋 EndNoteThanks for reading! If you like The Long Game, please share it on social media or forward this email to someone who might enjoy it. Podcast reviews are also gratefully received. You can also “like” this newsletter by clicking the heart just below this, which helps me get visibility on Substack. Feel free to email me or find me on Twitter if you have any feedback or questions. Until next week, Mehdi Yacoubi PS: Lots of newsletters get stuck in Gmail’s Promotions tab. If you find it in there, please help train the algorithm by dragging it to Primary. It makes a big difference. If you liked this post from The Long Game by Mehdi Yacoubi, why not share it? |
Older messages
The Long Game 92: Managing People, Surrogate Endpoints, Complaining, Heuristics
Monday, February 14, 2022
📦 Drone Delivery, Good Climate News, Writing, North Pole, TikTok & Teens, AskAnything, and Much More!
The Long Game 91: Fitness but Free, Loneliness Epidemic, Optimism, No Filter
Monday, February 7, 2022
🐐 Michael Jordan, Old Music, Taiwan, Turkey, New Social Apps, Panama, International Sanctions, and Much More!
The Long Game 90: Improving HRV, Moving in Sync, Wanting, Early-Stage Lessons
Monday, January 31, 2022
🧬 Software in Life Sciences, Russia/Ukraine, Carbon Tax, Online Privacy, South Korea, and Much More!
The Long Game 89: Infertility & Lifestyle, Amp It Up, Exercise & Anxiety
Monday, January 24, 2022
👩🔬 Scientific Funding, Timing of Books, Ukraine, Intimacy, Arctic Silk Road, Chinese Efficiency, and Much More!
The Long Game 88: Cooking & Air Quality, Expectations, Quitter's Day & Walking, Defaults
Monday, January 17, 2022
🛸 Where Is My Flying Car, Notion Health Tracker, Minimalism, the Problem with Lithium-Ion Batteries, and Much More!
You Might Also Like
99c ~ KU ~ Hey Diddle Diddle, the Runaway Riddle: A Retired Sleuth and Dog Historical Cozy Mystery by P.C. James
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Page-turning first book in the One Man and His Dog Cozy Mysteries series Welcome to
Forget high-stakes. Try this instead.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Introducing “medium stakes”
6 Minimalist Hacks to Curate an Uncluttered Home
Saturday, April 27, 2024
6 Minimalist Hacks to Curate an Uncluttered Home Last week, in my Google feed, multiple articles emerged that outlined minimalist hacks. The hacks, while helpful, all held an unusual similarity. Each
[Electric Speed] The cream doesn’t always rise
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Plus: Clone your voice | Four Thousand Weeks
Strategies in Australia
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Staying on Top (a free supplement to The Strategy Toolkit) ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Book of the Day Promos w/an individual newsletter & social media posts
Friday, April 26, 2024
Reserve your date... Email Marketing for Authors by ContentMo enable images to see this "Books of the Day" Promotions for Authors and Publishers with Social Media Extras! Dates Fill Up Fast,
🎙️ Find That Pod #259
Friday, April 26, 2024
Check out these 5 great podcasts...and bring some awesomeness to your ears. Let's take a look at this week's recommendations. ADVERTISEMENT 5 great podcasts to discover… Welcome to the 259th
On Rewatching TV Shows
Friday, April 26, 2024
It's the Now I Know weekender
🎤 SWIPES Email (Friday April 26th, 2024)
Friday, April 26, 2024
The SWIPES Email Edition: Friday, April 26th, 2024 An educational (and fun) email by Copywriting Course. Enjoy! 🎤 Listen to this email here: Swipe: On one hand, this seems like a bad billboard
Forget a Pedestal; Put Your Audience on a Ladder
Friday, April 26, 2024
Say no to customers and yes to members in your business strategy.