Ep. 280: Proven Rules for Deep Living (w/ Arthur Brooks)
Dec 25, 2023
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Cal Newport interviews Arthur Brooks, bestselling writer who has lived a deep life and co-authored a book with Oprah. They discuss the transition to positive psychology, focusing on demand, the importance of deep thinking and proper training, and book co-authoring with Oprah. They also chat about favorite geeky things and decorative lighting preferences.
Arthur Brooks transitioned from academia to working at a think tank to have a greater impact on policy by focusing on public-facing work.
Brooks found success and satisfaction in teaching, writing, and speaking, using science and ideas to uplift and bring people together.
Brooks' book 'From Strength to Strength' became a bestseller by addressing the demand and need for designing the second half of life for individuals in their later years.
Brooks shifted towards positive psychology, teaching leaders, engaging in public-facing work, and giving workshops and speeches, leading to the happiest point in his career.
The podcast also featured unrelated takeaways about Cal Newport's favorite products, including a mechanical keyboard, a digital notebook, a USB microphone, a mount for Arduino Nano microcontrollers, and a programmable timer for lighting displays.
Deep dives
Transitioning from Tenure to Think Tank
After leaving academia and his tenured position, the speaker transitioned to working at a think tank. He saw the opportunity to make a greater impact on policy by working on the demand side of good ideas and focusing on public-facing work.
Moving to Teaching and Writing
The speaker left the think tank world to pursue teaching and writing at Harvard. He teaches courses on leadership and happiness, runs a leadership and happiness lab, and focuses on public-facing work. He wanted to use science and ideas to lift people up and bring them together.
Success of the Book 'From Strength to Strength'
The speaker's book, 'From Strength to Strength', became a huge bestseller. The book filled a niche in the happiness world, focusing on designing the second half of life for individuals in their later years. Its success can be attributed to addressing a demand and need that wasn't being met.
Transitioning to Positive Psychology
The speaker shifted towards positive psychology, writing, teaching, and speaking. He aimed to use his social science background to teach leaders, engage in public-facing work, and go out on the road for workshops and speeches. This career shift has made the speaker the happiest he has ever been in his career.
Hipster Keyboard for Enhanced Typing Experience
I recently got a Newfie Air 78 mechanical keyboard, which provides a clickety-clack typing experience. It has a high-quality build and allows for faster typing with its spring-based switches. Although unnecessary, I find it enhances my typing productivity and gives a more definitive feel.
Digital Notebook for Organized Note-Taking
The Remarkable 2 is a digital notebook that replicates the feel of writing on paper using E-ink technology. It allows for endless notebooks and pages, all synced to the cloud. I find it convenient for jotting down and organizing ideas, and it eliminates the need for multiple physical notebooks.
Professional Microphone for Better Audio Quality
The Shure MV7 microphone is a high-quality USB microphone that provides professional-level audio for podcasts or virtual meetings. It combines the benefits of the classic Shure microphones with built-in digital electronics for easy connectivity. It also includes a headphone output for monitoring your own audio.
Arduino Nano Mount for Easy Circuit Building
I came across a mount for Arduino Nano microcontrollers that simplifies circuit-building. It features screw blocks that allow for easy connection of wires without the need for soldering. This provides stability and flexibility for building electronic projects.
Digital Timer for Automated Lighting Displays
The B&Link 6 Outlet 7-Day Digital Timer Stake is a programmable timer for lighting displays. It offers precise control over when lights turn on and off, including different schedules for each day of the week. It simplifies the management of complex lighting arrangements.
Customizable LED Lights for Creative Displays
I have been using programmable LED lights to create unique lighting displays. These lights can be controlled with a microcontroller and programmed to create different effects. They offer flexibility and creativity in designing engaging light displays.
The mega-bestselling writer Arthur Brooks is one of the rare individuals to have both lived a carefully cultivated deep life and written a book on the topic (co-authored with Oprah!). In today’s episode, Cal interviews Brooks, going deep into the details of his unusual and inspiring career and extracting proven rules from his experience.
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
