You're Getting Dumber
Here's How To Reverse It
Are We Really Smarter Now?
Ever wondered if we're actually smarter than folks from 100 or even 10,000 years ago? Well, as a whole, society might be, but individually? That's a bit more complicated.
Here's the thing: society has moved forward thanks to people focusing on just one thing – like genomics or computer science. People dive deep into one area and that's their life's work, paid for by society. It's great, but it does bring up an issue...
The Hammer and Screw Problem
You know the saying, 'A man with a hammer thinks everything's a screw'? That's kind of what happens with us too. Our view of the world gets boxed into our speciality.
Economists see everything as a supply and demand issue, software engineers want to code their way out of problems, and gender studies specialists… complain? I don’t know. Anyways…
We end up seeing less of the world because we're so zoomed in on our thing. It's like we're using the same old glasses to look at everything, which is a pretty narrow way to see the world.
Expanding Our Minds with Mental Models
But here's the cool part: the best brains in every field are just a click away. Think of the wealth of knowledge in books by all sorts of experts – physicists, philosophers, economists, you name it.
By exploring these books and learning the foundations of different fields, we can build a mental toolbox to tackle all sorts of problems. This helps us see the world as it really is, not just how we think it should be.
This is how I stumbled upon Shane Parish and his blog, Farnam Street. The guy's a genius at thinking better. His new guide, "Clear Thinking," is a game-changer. It's clear, practical, and makes complex stuff easy to get. Sure, it's not the same as reading hundreds of books, but it's a fantastic start.
I can't wait to dive into this book with you this Friday. Grab your copy soon, so we're all on the same page – literally! It's one of those books you'll want to keep coming back to. Trust me on this one.
Have a slow day today. Be slow to answer. Slow to jump to conclusions. Slow to get emotional. Be in total control.
Your Biggest Fan,
Noah “BigNerd” Sochaczevski
PS. Here’s my favorite interview on Shane’s podcast with Naval Ravikant. Heavy-hitter for sure