3 Minute Monday
Hi friend,
One of the first biases I learned about is still one of my favourites; Parkinson’s Law.
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
This is the reason why you left your assignments until the night before at university.
It’s also why that cupboard that you keep meaning to clean out has never been attended to.
In the absence of a deadline, things have no sense of finality always get pushed behind more urgent tasks which DO have a deadline.
And in the presence of a deadline, tasks are left up until the boundary of lateness.
Here’s something else I came across…
“One widely circulated survey claimed that the average social media consumer spends 116 minutes per day on these sites.
If correct, this is an amazing number given that this category of time did not exist twenty-five years ago.
Where did the time come from?
I have no idea.
Time stretches to accommodate what people find interesting to do.” — Laura Vanderkam
This effect feels similar to Parkinson’s Law.
“Time stretches to accommodate what people find interesting to do.”
You can see your leisure time as a sponge which can become squeezed more and more by compulsions, and for most people, their most compulsive activity is using their phone.
Studies show that our perception of time speeds up when using social media.
So not only are you eating into your leisure time but you’re actively making your life go faster too.
No matter how long I’m alive, I know for a fact that I don’t want to look back and discover that I was speedrunning life at 1.5x for two hours every day.
MODERN WISDOM
I do a podcast which has had 60 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
This week’s upcoming episodes:
Monday.
Balaji Srinavasnan – “the new Naval” on how to not become intellectually obese, how to start a new country, daily routines of high performers, socialist grifters and more.
Thursday.
Robin Dunbar – the evolutionary psychology explanation for why humans fall in love. Why do we have sex? What use is kissing? Can you tell how promiscuous a man is from his finger length? Don’t miss this one.
Saturday.
Sabine Hossenfelder – existential physics. Can physics be used to help explain the biggest mysteries in life and in the universe? Free will, consciousness, time, simulation hypothesis, multiverse theories.
THINGS I’VE LEARNED
1.
Educated, eligible bachelors are hard to find.
“In 2012, there were 88 employed college-educated young men for every 100 college-educated never-married young women.
Among never-married young adults with a post-graduate degree, there were only 77 men for every 100 women.” — Vincent Harinam
2.
“Be quiet, work hard, and stay healthy.
It’s not ambition or skill that is going to set you apart but sanity.” — Ryan Holiday
3.
Female self improvement is patronising.
“My current belief is that male self improvement sees the person as mutable and the world as immutable.
So you need to be the best person possible while accepting the rules & environment you are in.
This is in contrast with female self improvement, which sees the person as immutable and the world as mutable.
So women are taught to accept yourself and try to change the support structures and society you are in.” — KH
LIFE HACK
Up to 80% off MyProtein.
MyProtein has a sale on with up to 60% off.
If you follow the link below, that activates the code MODERNWISDOM – which gives you up to 80% off.
Now is the time to stock up on whatever protein, foods, accessories or clothing you need
Valid worldwide but only until September 1st so don’t wait.
Big love,
Chris x
Never miss an episode by pressing Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
PS
Back to the UK this Sunday for 3 full weeks. You’ll be seeing me on some big British shows in September.
