Anticynical Recap #3 (+ Updates)
Anticynical Recap #3 (+ Updates)
Third Recap: Working Deeply, Positive-Sum Games, Incentive Structures, Habit Tracking, Grandfather Paradox. And some updates.
Hey there 👋,
Welcome to the third edition of Anticynical Recap! There have been a lot of new subscribers over past few weeks and a recap would be perfect to ensure everyone is up to speed. Here are links to Recap #1 and Recap #2 as well.
I want to extend a warm and thoughtful welcome to all the new subscribers!
Now for the updates.
Although I have a ~1000-word draft for Anticynical #17, it’s not ready yet. Over the past few weeks, I had a tremendous uptick in my day job responsibilities and side projects work. Additionally, I spend much more time writing, researching, and editing each essay than when I started Anticynical.
So, I’m transitioning the cadence of this newsletter from strictly biweekly to biweekly-ish.
Whenever I can, I will publish biweekly. But when I’m onto something more complex like the multi-part Anticynical #16 on the Extended Mind, or when my work and other commitments get out of hand, I won’t hesitate to take an additional week or two.
All this allows Anticynical to be more enjoyable and sustainable for me, ultimately making for a better experience for you readers.
Now, let’s get to the recap of Anticynical #11 through #15.
Recap: #11 - #15
Anticynical #11: Working Deeply. Focused, uninterrupted mental effort not only enhances productivity and output quality but also provides a profound sense of fulfillment and meaning. With the right strategies, we can integrate such practices into our daily routines.
Anticynical #12: Positive-Sum Games. Positive-sum games allow self-interest and other-interest to be mutually compatible—this mutual compatibility can foster environments where everyone can thrive.
Anticynical #13: Incentive Structures. Incentives appeal to an individual’s self-interest to perform a specific action; incentives are ubiquitous and effective, thus surprisingly powerful.
Anticynical #14: Habit Tracking. Habit tracking is the meta-habit that makes all other habits more achievable and effective. As long as you can define a repeatable action in a life area or domain, you can improve that area by tracking the repeatable action.
Anticynical #15: Grandfather Paradox. The "grandfather paradox" of our internal narratives reveals how preemptive self-sabotage based on fear and doubt limits growth; engaging with these doubts, instead of succumbing to them, unlocks pathways to personal development and self-realization.
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