The mind is a powerful thing.
Unfortunately, despite the abundant access we have to educational content online, many people don’t make the most of it. No wonder we live in a world of conspiracy theories and fake news when it comes to important issues like climate change, which wouldn’t be as much of a problem if we engaged in critical thought as Isaac Asimov writes in I, Robot (also available on Audible):
A chain of valid reasoning can only end with the determination of truth.
So, if you’d like to grow your mind, here are some of my favourite Seth Godin quotes from his 2022 blog posts, together with a recommended title from Blinkist.
The hard part of the work is doing the work. ~ Common pitfalls and myths of the new economy
Learn more: The Four Tendencies
Compulsory education doesn’t often lead to real learning. That’s because compulsory education is coerced. There’s no active enrollment. ~ “The dog ate my homework”
Learn more: I’d Rather Be Reading
The best way to make progress is to find flow. But if you’re using progress as a yardstick, it won’t last long. ~ Flow (and progress)
Learn more: Flow
It’s never been easier to learn what we need to learn. And it’s never been more urgent that we do so. ~ Our areas of expertise
Learn more: How to Read a Book
Denialism isn’t a long-term strategy. ~ Acceptance vs. ennui
Learn more: Thinking 101
The good news is that smart is a choice, and smart is a skill. ~ Are you smart?
Learn more: The Tools
Acceleration is overrated. Persistence, good directions and a reliable vehicle almost always beat horsepower. ~ The traffic metaphors
Learn more: The Power of One More
For trivial matters, it’s efficient and perhaps useful to simply follow a crowd or whatever leader we’ve chosen. But when it matters, we need to make (and own) our own decisions. ~ Making our decisions
Learn more: Decision Making and Problem Solving
Change is fuel for growth and possibility. ~ Happy groundhog’s day
Learn more: 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think
Systemic change requires sharing. Sharing information, sharing connection and sharing the work. You can make an impact simply by understanding and then teaching someone else. ~ Thoughts on the solstice
Learn more: The Logic of Scientific Discovery
We don’t have an advice shortage. We have a gap in selection and application. ~ The advice gap
Learn more: Stop Overthinking
Skepticism is a virtue. It requires a willingness to question conventional wisdom, and the guts to accept something after you discover that it’s actually true. ~ Skepticism and Denial
Learn more: Both/And Thinking
The number of tasks in our culture that require someone who was born with off-the-charts talent is small indeed. Just about everything else we need people to do is the result of effort, practice and care. It’s true that variations of that work are easier for some folks, but no one finds all of it easy going. ~ “I’m not that smart”
Learn more: Beginners
If the data ends up meeting the standard of proof we set for it, we have to change our minds and spend as much energy supporting the idea as we did opposing it. ~ The obligation of the honest skeptic
Learn more: How to Be Right
We change. That’s part of the deal. A well-lived life without calibration is unlikely. ~ Re-calibrating
Learn more: Stop Doing That Shit
If you can do it once, you might be able to do it ten times. And if you do it ten times, it will become a skill and a practice. You’ll do it more naturally and more often. ~ 10 reps
Learn more: Tiny Habits
We are leaving the age of information and entering the age of choice. Not just choosing what we’ll consume, but who we will become. ~ We forgot to choose
Learn more: Switch Craft
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