The idea that you can see yourself as an American in some sense is amazing. John Lennon said, count your age by friends, not years. I've tried to apply the same approach to the process of learning. Open your app store, search for the next big idea. There is no better way to get smart fast.
You are not autonomous. You are not an island unto yourself. You, my friend, are a social construct. The “self” you haul around — that yammering voice in your head — was entirely shaped by your relationships and social interactions. That may be upsetting for "you" to hear. But our guest today, Brian Lowery, prefers to see it as pleasantly humbling because if you can learn to let go of the idea that you have an essential self, you can embrace a more expansive view of who you are and who you can be.
Brian Lowery is a professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. His new book is “Selfless: The Social Creation of ‘You.’”
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• We just released an original audiobook written and read by Steven Johnson. It's called "Immortality: A User's Guide," and you can download it now!