3 Minute Monday
Hi friend,
2020 has been a weird year eyh.
Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is what kind of person has managed the pandemic well and who has struggled.
One of the interesting insights I’ve realised is the competitive advantage that introverts have had.
You see, typically, being an introvert is a disadvantage.
In a normal world where people can go out and meet and network and have dinner and attend events, introverts have a harder time.
Extroverts can network more, meet more people, for longer, with higher energy, and recover from it faster.
This allows them to compound on their networking effect and pull out a huge lead ahead of introverts.
More friends, more contacts, better social renown, higher status, more clout blah blah.
Before we go any further, I’ll define my terms.
Introverts are people who get their energy from being on their own. Being around others gets exhausting after a while.
Extroverts are people who get their energy from being around others. Being on their own gets exhausting after a while.
This definition is useful because it helps to bypass the classic character who says “I’m an introvert but can turn on the charm when needed” & vice versa.
Being an extrovert doesn’t mean you’re charismatic or outgoing.
Being an introvert doesn’t mean you’re socially awkward or a loner.
It’s just about where you get your energy from and what your set point behaviour is.
So, back to my hypothesis.
Typically extroverts are able to network harder and be more personable whilst keeping their energy high – competitive advantage.
During 2020 however, the environment has flipped on its head.
People who get their energy from being around others have found themselves at a huge disadvantage – there’s no people to be around.
This year, everyone has been mandated to behave like an introvert with reduced social contact, no events and such.
For some people, this year may have bizarrely felt really satisfying.
Finally it’s been possible to do what you want without those pesky social distractions getting in the way.
It’s one of the rare times where the competitive advantage goes to introverts.
For the people who get their energy by being around others, I feel for you.
Being forced into isolation when your energy comes from being social must be challenging.
To the introverts – imagine if you’d been mandated to spend most of 2020 constantly around other people and perhaps you’ll begin to understand the living hell that your counterparts have gone through.
This year has been tough.
However extroverts should realise that the advantage sits with you for 98% of your life.
You get to capitalise and benefit from the networking effect in typical society much more.
Introverts – now is your chance to take advantage and outwork the competition while there’s no birthday parties or BBQs to attend.
Pretty soon the tables will be turned again.
MODERN WISDOM
I do a podcast which has had 8 million+ downloads. You should subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
This week’s upcoming episodes:
Monday.
Sheldon Solomon – a really intense philosophical discussion around human’s fear of death and why it drives much that we do in life.
Thursday.
Seth Godin – how to weaponise your creativity and bypass blockages from the 20x Best Selling Author and one of the most popular bloggers on earth. Outstanding.
Saturday.
John Roa – what happens when you run a huge startup, take loads of drugs and nearly die.
THINGS I’VE LEARNED
1.
The Conjunction Fallacy.
Which has a higher probability?
1. “Bill is an accountant who plays jazz.”
2. “Bill plays jazz.”
The Conjunction Fallacy says that no conjunction can have a higher probability than its individual conjuncts.
We often believe that two events happening together are more probable than one of those events happening alone, but that’s obviously wrong.
Accountants may play jazz.
But the chance of Bill playing jazz cannot be less than the chance of Bill playing Jazz AND the additional condition of Bill being an accountant.
Number 2 is correct.
2.
Religion has its uses.
Many people in 2020 are doing things to fill a huge religion-shaped, religion-sized hole in their lives.
Support for sports teams, social movements, political parties and more can easily be described as “religious”.
Ideological, dogmatic, passionate, tribal.
Perhaps we’re replacing a readymade solution with ones which are not built for the job.
3.
On avoiding a life of worry…
“I’m an old man and I’ve known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”
LIFE HACK
Use a small stool under a standing desk.
First, if you haven’t already – you need a standing desk.
Sitting is the new smoking don’t you know.
THEN you need to buy a little step to go under the standing desk.
This is taken from Kelly Starrett’s Deskbound.
Having one foot resting on a stool is easily twice as comfortable as standing on the floor with both feet.
Ah am telling u man.
Try it & tell me I’m wrong.
Big love,
Chris x
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PS
We hit 80,000 subs on YouTube. 20k more to go before xmas – please hit subscribe & post this link in a group chat for me https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast
