Things Of Note #07
Luck and Hard Work
Hey Everyone,
This week I attended a couple of events hosted by David Perell and team: Why You Should Become Internet Famous: Patrick McKenzie + David Perell and one on How To Write Online (which is not up yet but this guide he published covers most points). Both sessions were super interesting and useful.
There were some specific ideas that stuck with me though. Among them was one from the first session: the idea of Luck Surface Area.
It's a pretty simple idea: We can increase our likelihood of serendipity by a) Doing good work and b) Telling others about it. Our "Luck Surface Area" is a product of these two factors.
This builds onto a bigger idea: we cannot control our luck but through our actions, we can increase its chances of being favorable to us. In a way, we can create luck!
// Readings
Absolute Success is Luck. Relative Success is Hard Work.
James Clear | 10 mins
Is success luck or hard work? Well, luck definitely plays a huge role. For instance, the outcome of our Ovarian Lottery (where, when, to whom we are born, our genetics, etc) has a big impact on where we end up. Perhaps the biggest. But then, hard work is also definitely important. Should we just accept that it's a mix of the two and move on?
In this essay, James contends that the two matter in slightly different ways/scenarios. Success compared to everyone in the world (Absolute) is mostly luck while success compared to those similar to you (Relative) is mostly hard work and a product of choices and habits.
So what? Well, we need to acknowledge that the Ovarian Lottery (and further random events) play a huge role in our lives. We cannot control them. But we can control our actions, our slope on the time-success chart. And also increase the chance of coming across lucky breaks.
The person who works hard, pursues opportunity, and tries more things is more likely to stumble across a lucky break than the person who waits. Gary Player, the famous golfer and winner of nine major championships, has said, “The harder I practice, the luckier I get.”
How to Increase Your Luck Surface Area
Jason Roberts | 4 mins
"The amount of serendipity that will occur in your life, your Luck Surface Area, is directly proportional to the degree to which you do something you're passionate about combined with the total number of people to whom this is effectively communicated."
Takeaway: Do great work. Tell people about that work.
The Yellow King
Joon Lee | 15 mins
A fascinating look at Marques Brownlee (MKBHD): his work, persistence, and rise to Youtube stardom. I actually haven't watched many videos of his. But as is probably evident by now, I love these sort of cover stories that show the behind-the-scenes of people.
Tove Jansson's Tender and Passionate Letters to the Love of her life
Brain Pickings | 7 mins
As with many other Nepalese of my generation, I grew up watching Moomin [Nepali Dub :) ]. It makes this side of Tove Jansson (creator of Moomins), these letters to her lover—"expressing her adoration of the woman who was already becoming the love of her life”—all the more interesting and intimate.
Beloved,
I miss you so dreadfully. Not in a desperate or melancholy way, because I know we shall soon be with each other again, but I feel at such a loss and just can’t get it into my head that you’re not around any more. This morning, half awake, I put a hand out to feel for you, then remembered you weren’t there, so I got up very quickly to escape the emptiness. And worked all day.
(Aside: The first of the Moomins book was published in 1945! :o )
// Videos
Ten Meter Tower
NYT Op-Docs | 16 mins
What is lovely about this video is how it illustrates the human side of us: our fears, apprehensions, but also our courage, the drive to push ourselves.
It's funny. Not in a "look at those people freaking/chickening out" way but in the acknowledgement that we'd—in all likelihood—act the same, that we are the same. Well, at least I would. Probably. (<Aside>: Reminds me of the time, on a rafting trip some years back, we had a cliff diving opportunity. It was only ~6 meters or so high. So I climbed to the top confident I'd dive. But… well, let's just say, my mind had second thoughts. </Aside>).
And the video is inspiring in how we can push ourselves--against all instincts--to do some amazing things.
(P.S: I absolutely loved the couple at 3:08. Could watch them all day, haha!)
// Interesting
A Conversation with My 12 Year Old Self
Jeremiah McDonald | 4 mins
Such Patience and foresight! Wow!
(He has other videos too, at other points in time).
Party in a Shared Google Doc
Marie Foulston | 7 mins
The number of use-cases for Spreadsheets always astounds me :P
Someone wanna host one of these? Would definitely drop by.
// Stories and Poems
The Bees
Audre Lorde | 2 mins | Poem
Sad. Beautiful. Poignant.
The Girl at the Bar
Hengtee Lim | 9 mins | Short Story
"Hiroki said her watercolor paintings expressed a feeling he didn’t have words for. Something like a blend of nostalgia, tragedy, and hope, as portrayed by gentle, flowing arcs of color."
// Music
This week, upon exchanging song recommendations with a friend, ended up listening to these songs extensively and loving them more.
These four songs by The Lumineers together tell a story: of regrets, choices, life. What I love is how each song can stand on its own. All are lovely.
(Now, need to go and listen to/watch their songs from the album III).
Dove into the lyrics more and the story there. Oh, and would also recommend listening to this live version too.
// Wholesome
Other Updates:
I pretty much failed miserably at my weekly goals again :|
I feel like I am not doing enough. Not even close.It seems to be a common feeling though. Reading through the replies here was both reassuring and interesting:
I did do an hour of Do-Nothing Meditation sessions each day for 5 days. (The irony of doing those sessions isn’t lost on me). Anyway, I didn’t do it yesterday and today. Will resume from tomorrow onward. I don’t have any particular comment on it at the moment except to say that on most days it’s hard doing nothing, sitting there for an hour. In fact, in one of the sessions, I had to take a break for 5 minutes every ~20 minutes.
Oh, I have also started tweeting out threads of these Things Of Note. One reason is to illicit more interaction by making it easier. But the bigger reason is I am fascinated by @visakanv’s idea of using Twitter as a sort of a personal, public knowledge graph with interconnected threads of tweets. See: this amazing thread.
Anyway, that’s that.
Do reply with any thoughts engendered by any of the things here. Will love receiving them.
With Love,
Bijay
(P.S: If you know anyone who might enjoy these letters, do share it with them! Ciao).
Thank you for that Twitter thread on "shake the forever feeling of not having done enough", especially the reply from Andy...