Terrific article, especially the part about being paid to be yourself. This is a psychological challenge, especially in an age of "killer apps", "quick fixes" and the inconsistent practices that are passed off as ethical in large corporations and academia. Thanks 👍
Stunning 200th newsletter, so many themes hitting home. The rewiring of "financial security" is a long road for me and my family.
I was born on third, ready to steal home. I accepted a corporate ladder for nearly a decade, gripping that security all while absolutely losing a sense of agency. Still weaning my way off...
Heard someone the other day said the thing they want for their future kid is them knowing how to grind and to never give them anything too easily. Feels like people are always projecting the thing they overcame and passing the wrong lessons or gifts down.
I think of it as an agency thing. You want agency. You want choices. It takes work and surplus to have that. Obviously if one smokes weed and plays video games all day they will live the life of victim and become embittered.
But those grinding while losing the sense of agency in the process because they are captured by the system err in the opposite direction.
Both types of individuals get commoditized. Cannon fodder. The first is a fool (not judging -- they may have had poor guidance, but the outcome is the same), the second is Stockholm Syndrome. Both can benefit from the work you do Paul -- unlocking themselves.
Thank you for giving me so much to think about on a Monday. Your writing and its accompanying references are often windows into personal theses I had let go unnoticed or was unable to put into words.
Thanks for this, really hits home for me. I’m three years into building my own outsourced CIO business after the anchor family of the MFO I ran started perpetuating what ultimately became a 200mm fraud and I shut the MFO down and walked away in the middle of COVID 😬. I’ve been through that phase of your career where you become rich and realize everything you worked for didn’t get you anything you REALLY wanted. Through the disillusionment of trying to figure out what it is that you really want. Every day is a battle to combat the fear and comparisons that are so abundant, especially here on social media.
There is a common element in all the quotes you shared with Christianity. The very first emotion that Adam and Eve felt was fear and everything that we’ve done as a people since then has been driven by fear. Jimmy Iovine said we can let the fear block us or push us from behind. Much of Christian theology centers around how fear hides the truth and how the truth can set you free. It also teaches that suffering and sacrifice are not things to be avoided but are the “narrow path” to righteousness.
The references are a slightly different angle on the same concept and bring a refreshingly modern take on much of what is in the Bible. The idea that all forms of material success are bound to be lost and our fear of that loss, whether it be physical or financial, is what drives us. Seeing that System 1 behavior for what it is gives System 2 a chance to “unbelieve” it.
Terrific article, especially the part about being paid to be yourself. This is a psychological challenge, especially in an age of "killer apps", "quick fixes" and the inconsistent practices that are passed off as ethical in large corporations and academia. Thanks 👍
Stunning 200th newsletter, so many themes hitting home. The rewiring of "financial security" is a long road for me and my family.
I was born on third, ready to steal home. I accepted a corporate ladder for nearly a decade, gripping that security all while absolutely losing a sense of agency. Still weaning my way off...
Beautiful 200th
Heard someone the other day said the thing they want for their future kid is them knowing how to grind and to never give them anything too easily. Feels like people are always projecting the thing they overcame and passing the wrong lessons or gifts down.
I think of it as an agency thing. You want agency. You want choices. It takes work and surplus to have that. Obviously if one smokes weed and plays video games all day they will live the life of victim and become embittered.
But those grinding while losing the sense of agency in the process because they are captured by the system err in the opposite direction.
Both types of individuals get commoditized. Cannon fodder. The first is a fool (not judging -- they may have had poor guidance, but the outcome is the same), the second is Stockholm Syndrome. Both can benefit from the work you do Paul -- unlocking themselves.
Brilliant post
"For what it’s worth, I’m not saying I do this well." - thanks for adding this too
Thank you for giving me so much to think about on a Monday. Your writing and its accompanying references are often windows into personal theses I had let go unnoticed or was unable to put into words.
Thanks for this, really hits home for me. I’m three years into building my own outsourced CIO business after the anchor family of the MFO I ran started perpetuating what ultimately became a 200mm fraud and I shut the MFO down and walked away in the middle of COVID 😬. I’ve been through that phase of your career where you become rich and realize everything you worked for didn’t get you anything you REALLY wanted. Through the disillusionment of trying to figure out what it is that you really want. Every day is a battle to combat the fear and comparisons that are so abundant, especially here on social media.
There is a common element in all the quotes you shared with Christianity. The very first emotion that Adam and Eve felt was fear and everything that we’ve done as a people since then has been driven by fear. Jimmy Iovine said we can let the fear block us or push us from behind. Much of Christian theology centers around how fear hides the truth and how the truth can set you free. It also teaches that suffering and sacrifice are not things to be avoided but are the “narrow path” to righteousness.
The references are a slightly different angle on the same concept and bring a refreshingly modern take on much of what is in the Bible. The idea that all forms of material success are bound to be lost and our fear of that loss, whether it be physical or financial, is what drives us. Seeing that System 1 behavior for what it is gives System 2 a chance to “unbelieve” it.
I remember the vocab books! We loved using the fancy words
Who was our 8th grade teacher, Mrs B.
She was tormented by our nonsense. "This cannot be!"
Mrs. Balough. I can hear her voice
Amazing 🤣