5 minute summaries
1 quote, 3 ideas & 1 question from each episode
__________
16 Feb 2021
1hr 22mins
FEATURING
Owltail Summaries
1 quote, 3 ideas & 1 question from each episode
_________
#104 Nir Eyal: Mastering Indistraction
16 Feb 2021
1hr 22mins
Quote
"Lots of things in life are not your fault. But they are still your responsibility."
Ideas
1
Procastination often comes from internally, not externally.
Nir says that research doesn't support that human motivation is about incentives (carrots or sticks), but rather it's about the desire to escape discomfort. Everything we do is for the desire to escape discomfort, even the pursuit of pleasurable sensations such as craving, desire, wanting, lusting, are themselves psychologically destabilising, they feel bad.
When applied to managing distraction, we realise, what causes distractions is not external triggers outside of us, but rather distraction begins from within, what we call the internal triggers.
Whether it's too much news, too much booze, too much football, too much Facebook, it doesn't matter. Something is going to distract you unless you understand what feeling you are trying to escape.
When applied to managing distraction, we realise, what causes distractions is not external triggers outside of us, but rather distraction begins from within, what we call the internal triggers.
Whether it's too much news, too much booze, too much football, too much Facebook, it doesn't matter. Something is going to distract you unless you understand what feeling you are trying to escape.
1
Procastination often comes from internally, not externally.
Nir says that research doesn't support that human motivation is about incentives (carrots or sticks), but rather it's about the desire to escape discomfort. Everything we do is for the desire to escape discomfort, even the pursuit of pleasurable sensations such as craving, desire, wanting, lusting, are themselves psychologically destabilising, they feel bad.
When applied to managing distraction, we realise, what causes distractions is not external triggers outside of us, but rather distraction begins from within, what we call the internal triggers.
Whether it's too much news, too much booze, too much football, too much Facebook, it doesn't matter. Something is going to distract you unless you understand what feeling you are trying to escape.
When applied to managing distraction, we realise, what causes distractions is not external triggers outside of us, but rather distraction begins from within, what we call the internal triggers.
Whether it's too much news, too much booze, too much football, too much Facebook, it doesn't matter. Something is going to distract you unless you understand what feeling you are trying to escape.
2
From Socrates, the Greek philosopher: Nothing great enters the life of mortals without a curse.
Every new technology has goods and bads, any technology of a large scale. The question is how do we keep the good aspects without succumbing to the bad aspects?
And the answer is quite simple. It's what we've always done in history. We adapt and we adopt. We adapt our behaviors and we adopt new technology to fix the last generation of crappy technology.
This is what we have always done. We did this with the motor car. We did this with television. We did this with radio. We always do this.
But when we turn from a healthy attribute of skepticism to cynical, where we think these tech companies can't do anything to help, then there's a missed opportunity.
We want to encourage more more people to go into tech, not necessarily to support big tech, but to create the new tech that fixes the latest problems in tech.
And the answer is quite simple. It's what we've always done in history. We adapt and we adopt. We adapt our behaviors and we adopt new technology to fix the last generation of crappy technology.
This is what we have always done. We did this with the motor car. We did this with television. We did this with radio. We always do this.
But when we turn from a healthy attribute of skepticism to cynical, where we think these tech companies can't do anything to help, then there's a missed opportunity.
We want to encourage more more people to go into tech, not necessarily to support big tech, but to create the new tech that fixes the latest problems in tech.
2
From Socrates, the Greek philosopher: Nothing great enters the life of mortals without a curse.
Every new technology has goods and bads, any technology of a large scale. The question is how do we keep the good aspects without succumbing to the bad aspects?
And the answer is quite simple. It's what we've always done in history. We adapt and we adopt. We adapt our behaviors and we adopt new technology to fix the last generation of crappy technology.
This is what we have always done. We did this with the motor car. We did this with television. We did this with radio. We always do this.
But when we turn from a healthy attribute of skepticism to cynical, where we think these tech companies can't do anything to help, then there's a missed opportunity.
We want to encourage more more people to go into tech, not necessarily to support big tech, but to create the new tech that fixes the latest problems in tech.
And the answer is quite simple. It's what we've always done in history. We adapt and we adopt. We adapt our behaviors and we adopt new technology to fix the last generation of crappy technology.
This is what we have always done. We did this with the motor car. We did this with television. We did this with radio. We always do this.
But when we turn from a healthy attribute of skepticism to cynical, where we think these tech companies can't do anything to help, then there's a missed opportunity.
We want to encourage more more people to go into tech, not necessarily to support big tech, but to create the new tech that fixes the latest problems in tech.
3
The most dangerous form of distraction, is the kind that feels traction.
The opposite of distraction isn't focus, it's traction.
Traction by definition, is any action that pulls you towards what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, things that you do with intent.
Distraction is any action that pulls you away from what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, anything that is not done with intent.
The key is the same actions can be either traction or distraction, depending on the context.
Watching Youtube when you've finished your work and plan to relax is traction.
Checking email when you should be working on more important tasks is a distraction.
Traction by definition, is any action that pulls you towards what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, things that you do with intent.
Distraction is any action that pulls you away from what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, anything that is not done with intent.
The key is the same actions can be either traction or distraction, depending on the context.
Watching Youtube when you've finished your work and plan to relax is traction.
Checking email when you should be working on more important tasks is a distraction.
3
The most dangerous form of distraction, is the kind that feels traction.
The opposite of distraction isn't focus, it's traction.
Traction by definition, is any action that pulls you towards what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, things that you do with intent.
Distraction is any action that pulls you away from what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, anything that is not done with intent.
The key is the same actions can be either traction or distraction, depending on the context.
Watching Youtube when you've finished your work and plan to relax is traction.
Checking email when you should be working on more important tasks is a distraction.
Traction by definition, is any action that pulls you towards what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, things that you do with intent.
Distraction is any action that pulls you away from what you planned to do or wanted to achieve, anything that is not done with intent.
The key is the same actions can be either traction or distraction, depending on the context.
Watching Youtube when you've finished your work and plan to relax is traction.
Checking email when you should be working on more important tasks is a distraction.
Questions
1
Can you think of something that feels like you're making traction but is actually a distraction?
1
Can you think of something that feels like you're making traction but is actually a distraction?
What else is in the episode
1
Nir's four step process in dealing with distractions & how it's the same for both children and parents
1
Nir's four step process in dealing with distractions & how it's the same for both children and parents
2
How every distraction is one of three reasons: internal trigger, an external trigger or a planning problem
2
How every distraction is one of three reasons: internal trigger, an external trigger or a planning problem
3
Some real life examples of things Nir does with his kids and wife, for a better life.
3
Some real life examples of things Nir does with his kids and wife, for a better life.
Who is Nir Eyal?
1
Author of two bestselling books & lecturer on building habit form products & becoming indistractable (how to control your attention).
- Worked in the video gaming and advertising industries where he learned, applied (and at times rejected) the techniques used to motivate and manipulate users.
1
Author of two bestselling books & lecturer on building habit form products & becoming indistractable (how to control your attention).
- Worked in the video gaming and advertising industries where he learned, applied (and at times rejected) the techniques used to motivate and manipulate users.
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