Ep. 13: Where I Work, Convincing Students to Disconnect, and Applying Deep Work to Deep Social Problems | DEEP QUESTIONS

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Jul 27, 2020

Discover the speaker's unconventional workspaces and the challenges of productivity in high-pressure environments like law firms. Hear a passionate rant about social media's mythic necessity for success. Get insights on helping students disconnect from technology and the balance between deep and shallow work. Uncover the importance of tailored environments, structured reading, and deep thinking in moral discourse. It's a mix of practical advice and thought-provoking discussions!

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ADVICE

Deep Work Environments

Prioritize and optimize your deep work environment.
Have multiple deep work locations and shift between them to keep things fresh.

insights

INSIGHT

Law Firm Woes

Big law firms have poor cognitive hygiene due to constant accessibility demands and warped incentive structures.
This reduces work quality and increases lawyer burnout.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Kethledge's Barn

Judge Raymond Kethledge uses a barn without internet for focused work, demonstrating the power of distraction-free environments.
This allows him to write his own opinions instead of relying on clerks, producing high-quality work.

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Crafting Productive Workspaces

02:05 • 10min

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Navigating Deep and Shallow Work

12:04 • 14min

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Rethinking Social Media's Role in Career Success

26:22 • 13min

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Navigating Success Through Structured Reading

39:06 • 15min

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Clarity and Complexity in Moral Discourse

In 'The Net Delusion', Evgeny Morozov challenges the idea that the Internet inherently promotes democracy. He argues that technologies like the Internet are ideologically neutral and can be used by both democratic and authoritarian forces. The book explores how authoritarian regimes exploit the Internet to maintain control and spread their ideologies.

Twitter and tear gas

Zeynep Tufekci

Zeynep Tufekci's "Twitter and Tear Gas" examines the role of social media in facilitating and shaping protest movements. The book analyzes how digital technologies are used to organize, coordinate, and disseminate information during protests, particularly in contexts of political repression. Tufekci explores the complex relationship between technology, social movements, and state responses, highlighting both the empowering and limiting aspects of digital tools. The book also delves into the strategies employed by governments to control and suppress online activism. Ultimately, "Twitter and Tear Gas" offers a nuanced perspective on the impact of social media on contemporary political action.

How to Become a Straight-A Student

The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less

Cal Newport

In this book, Cal Newport shares insights and strategies gathered from interviews with high-achieving college students who maintain excellent grades without excessive studying. The book emphasizes the importance of effective time management, focused study sessions, and smart note-taking techniques. It introduces the 'Straight-A Method' which is based on four pillars: knowledge, control, strategy, and balance. Newport argues that by using these methods, students can avoid procrastination, optimize their study time, and achieve academic success while maintaining a balanced life.

So Good They Can't Ignore You

Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love

Cal Newport

In this book, Cal Newport challenges the conventional wisdom that following one's passion is the key to career happiness. Instead, he argues that passion often follows mastery and that developing valuable skills and expertise is essential for creating work you love. Newport presents four rules: Don't follow your passion, Be so good they can't ignore you, Turn down a promotion, and Think small, act big. He supports his arguments with case studies from various professionals who have found satisfaction in their careers through hard work and skill development.

How to be a High School Superstar

a Revolutionary plan to get into college by standing out (without burning out)

Cal Newport

In this book, Cal Newport argues that high school students can achieve admission to top colleges without the typical heavy course loads and overwhelming activity schedules. He introduces the concept of the 'relaxed superstar,' students who lead uncluttered, low-stress, and authentic lives while focusing on a few meaningful activities. Newport provides practical advice on why doing less can be more impressive, why demonstrating passion is less important than being interesting, and why accomplishments that are hard to explain are better than those that are hard to do. The book is based on extensive interviews and cutting-edge science, offering step-by-step instructions for adopting the relaxed superstar lifestyle.

How to win at college

Cal Newport

This book offers practical advice for making the most of college years, including strategies for graduating with honors, choosing exciting activities, building a strong resume, and gaining access to post-college opportunities. It is based on interviews with successful students from universities such as Harvard and the University of Arizona, and it emphasizes how to balance academic success with a fulfilling college experience.

Digital Minimalism

Cal Newport

In 'Digital Minimalism', Cal Newport argues that we need to be more intentional about the technologies we allow into our lives. He proposes a philosophy of digital minimalism, where individuals focus their online time on activities that strongly support their values and ignore the rest. The book highlights the negative effects of behavioral addictions created by technology, such as solitude deprivation and the fleeting nature of social media satisfaction. Newport suggests a 30-day 'digital declutter' process and other practices to help readers integrate digital minimalism into their lives, emphasizing the importance of optimizing technology use to support personal goals and values.

Deep Work

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport

In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader questions on where I work (hint: an absurd number of different places), convincing students to disconnect, and applying deep work to deep social problems, among many other topics.

I need more audio questions for my habit tune-up mini-episodes. You can submit your audio questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/CalNewport

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Here’s the full list of topics tackled in today’s episode along with the timestamps:

* My (many) deep work environments [1:50]

* Law firms are deep work disasters [6:42]

* On the deepness of business development efforts [13:03]

* Deep work for high school teachers [14:17]

* The danger of using random masters degree to "fix" your professional life [17:04]

* On becoming a great thinker (in graduate school) [18:26]

* Question Roulette: coping with mission failure. [20:12]

* My book writing toolbox [24:38]

* The myth of the necessity of social media for professional success (rant alert!) [26:56]

* Getting students to disconnect [31:19]

* On social media and democratization movements [34:48]

* The right order to teach my books [39:54]

* Moving past repeated failures to minimize technology use [44:48]

* Finding motivation to get things done (sermon alert!) [44:48]

* Deep work on deep social problems [52:37]

Thanks to listener Jay Kerstens for the intro music.

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