Thread by @george__mack

🧠 TODAY I LEARNT:

Another outstanding episode from @farnamstreet, with the beautiful mind of @danariely.

Dan has great mental models for making the good choices easier, and the bad choices harder.

Here are 5 things I took from him and the episode.

fs.blog/dan-ariely/

1. DAN'S REMARKABLE BACKGROUND

In his senior year of high school, he was involved in an accident that led to third-degree burns over 70% of his body.

His desire to manage his pain and recovery led to his fascination with human behavior.

2. SET YOUR ENVIRONMENT UP FOR SUCCESS

If willpower is your swimming ability, then your environment is the tide.

You will always swim further if the tide is with you.

Having a pull-up bar on my bedroom doorframe has ensured I workout daily.

Similarly, logging out of social media after each session means that I have to enter my login details the next time I want to use it. This acts as a natural barrier and makes me conscious of the process.

3. BROADER FRAMING

We rationalise our bad decisions like eating too much cake as "just this one time"

These one-time decisions are never just a one-off, but we trick ourselves into thinking it is by being too narrow with our frame.

Instead, we should ask ourselves before rationalizing a decision:

"If I had to make the next decision one thousand times in a row, what option would I choose?"

4. CREATE RULES

Identify the areas you struggle with, and try to create absolute rules for them.

This means you never have to rely on will power.

For example, "I have a rule that I don't drink alcohol on weeknights" as oppose to "I'm not drinking tonight

Rules reduce internal pressure. There's no decision you have to make. The rule has already decided it for you.

Rules also reduce external pressure. Other people are less likely to try and change your mind when they know it's a rule of yours.

5. ADVISE YOURSELF AS IF YOU WERE A FRIEND

When a friend has a problem, we can clearly see the solution.

However, when we have a problem, it's much harder to see the solution.

Our ego and emotions get in the way of seeing the problem clearly.

Detachment is key.

I find If I imagine that I am advising an identical version of myself in a parallel universe [same genetics, same background, same problem, same mind - but not the version of me I identify as] - the solution is always much clearer.

I'm completely detached.

I've heard @naval mention a similar idea. If you believe we live in a simulation, you would end up at the same tenents as Buddhism.

You end up detached from your identity.

"It's just a ride" as Bill Hicks would say :)