What are you talking about? AI & creative work. Building useful skills. Hard things. Rejection, it's a good thing. I know I'm right. Don't be stupid.
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent..
– Calvin Coolidge
1. “Most people don’t know what they’re saying.”
Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life – Alex Kakuyo – (ebook)
I love that takeaway because it’s literal.
Language is nothing more than a circular logic algorithm, a nonsensical mess of symbols and sounds that we use to describe an existence that we can never truly understand.
Word are imprecise at best, and give you a misguided belief you know what you’re talking about at worst. The author uses the sad state of current politics to make the point.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like people can see the big picture anymore. They’re so caught up in words and political movements that they can’t access the peacefulness of the absolute. And they do terrible things to each other as a result.
Ask someone to define what it is they’re so strongly advocating for (or against), and it’s very likely they cannot. And yet that doesn’t stop them from doing horrid things.
Do this: Understand what it is you’re talking about, advocating for, or arguing against.
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2. “AI isn’t the end of creative work.”
The Tools Will Change. Your Craft Doesn’t Have To. – Agustin Sanchez – (Medium)
There are many, many, views on AI, and its potential impact on the future. Sanchez addresses creatives, specifically, worried about AI “coming for their jobs”. And yet, AI is just a tool. A new tool, a powerful tool, but … a tool.
You’re not a great designer because you know the latest tools. You’re great because you know what to do with them. The tool is not the skill.
This is kind of how I approach AI. It’s letting me do things I could do myself, but letting me do them much more effectively. I’m still in charge of what gets created, and (in my line of work) how it’s written. AI’s a tool. I can use it well, or I can use it poorly. But it’s still me in the driver’s seat.
Do this: Approach AI with an open mind.
3. “What skills are you building that will be useful to others?”
Everyone I know is worried about work – Rosie Spinks – (What Do We Do Now That We’re Here)
“Job security” is becoming an oxymoron. The workplace is simply changing too quickly to assume the skills we have today will be of value to current or potential employers in the future. Spinks, a writer, discusses her own journey in what’s become a very tumultuous field.
The takeaway above caught my attention because it’s a side effect of one of her shifts in perspective.
All of this time I’ve spent doing things that don’t impress people on LinkedIn adds up to something else: social currency. It’s a currency you can’t spend in a one-way transaction, but rather give and receive in turns.
For decades, we’ve focused on skill building in the context of a career. Those remain important, of course, but not exclusively so. What skills can we build that would be useful to each other rather than a potential employer?
Do this: Build skills.
4. “Nothing feels better than a hard-earned win”
The IKEA Effect: Do Hard Things – Sahil Bloom – (Curiosity Chronicle)
The IKEA effect is that we value things because we had a role in creating (OK, assembling) them. It’s similar to the lesson learned when Betty Crocker “just add water” mixes failed, though “just add water and an egg” felt more participative and creative.
We tend to avoid hard things. And yet, we appreciate hard things more than we realize. Particularly when we’re the one doing the hard things. And yet, we want things to be easy.
Your entire life will change the moment you realize it’s not supposed to be easy. The most valuable things in life are hard to earn. That’s precisely why they’re so valuable.
Do this: Do the hard thing.
5. “Learning to see rejection as opportunity”
You should be setting rejection goals – Jillian Anthony – (Vox)
A different perspective. Get rejected more often.
Plus, failing, regrouping, and getting back up again builds resilience. As the adage goes, you miss every shot you don’t take — and even missed shots can help you take better aim.
The important, and perhaps understated, aspect to this, though, is learning from failure. Many people simply don’t. They take failure and rejection personally, without looking to see how it might be valuable information about how they can improve their chances the next time.
Do this: Learn from your failures.
6. “Deliberate ignorance has become one of the biggest threats to our fragile democracies”
“Knowingness” and the Politics of Ignorance – Brian Klaas – (The Garden of Forking Paths)
“Knowingness” is the belief that you are correct, and that you need do no further investigation into what you already know to be true. Contradictory information is to be ignored. “I know I’m right, therefore you’re wrong.” We have people, including many in power, who are willfully ignoring better information, choosing to simply “know” they are right.
It feels good to be right, to prove others wrong.
“Prove”, in that statement, is very loosely interpreted. Knowing you’re right is often “proof” enough.
The author goes on to say:
But it feels even better to learn.
Does it, though? I know for many the answer is a very strong yes. But think about it: learning takes effort. You can be “right” without lifting a finger.
Do this: Make the effort.
7. “You win by not being stupid.”
Avoiding Stupidity Beats Chasing Brilliance – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)
People don’t fail because they lack genius. They fail because they ignore obvious risks. Because they gamble instead of plan. Because they chase dopamine hits and call it strategy. Because they overcomplicate, overpromise, and overreact. Because they know better and still touch the stove.
It’s tempting to look at the exceptions to this rule: the people who succeed in spite of themselves. But like anything else, they’re “news” because they’re the exception, not the rule. Quiet, boring, rational persistence is a more common trait of the truly successful.
You win by surviving the chaos long enough to let your advantages matter.
Do this: Survive the chaos.
What I’m reading now
- Fortune Funhouse – Jana Deleon
- Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life – Alex Kakuyo
- Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking Is The Beginning & End Of Suffering – Joseph Nguyen (Audio)
My Reading List – everything I’ve read since 2021.
My Sources Page – the common sources I scan/read regularly.
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