The Deep Work Hypothesis and Survivorship Bias

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The deep work hypothesis talks about the way that we undervalue deep work, so unbroken concentration in the current knowledge work environment. This probably creates opportunities, niches for those who systematically develop this skill to move ahead. It's not a precondition for success, but it doesn't, success is still really, really hard,. So just doing that's probably not going to get you there anyways. What I think is important is that if you cultivate this skill, you're going to find meaning and sustainability at all levels of life.

Cal Newport answers 10 questions from his audience ranging from idea management to the Deep Life to writing. Throughout all the answers, you’ll hear Cal explain his core concepts and how they apply to everyday working life.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

- Why doesn’t Cal care about idea management systems? [2:46]

- Does Cal still use Workflowy to capture tasks? [12:52]

- Are women better at multi-tasking than men? [16:56]

- What is the difference between pursuing depth versus passion? [23:16]

- What are the “Contemplation” and “Celebration” buckets in the context of the Deep Life? [28:56]

- What’s the best way to study math? [32:56]

- Can I jump from a master’s at a small school to a PhD at a prestigious one? [35:19]

- How do I know if I’ve successfully cultivated a Deep Life? [37:11]

- How do I become a successful political nonfiction writer? [44:38]

- Is the Deep Work hypothesis affected by survivorship bias? [50:36]