Faris Yakob, author of 'Paid Attention' and co-founder of Genius Steals, shares his insights on how our attention shapes our identities. He explores the quest for meaningful experiences during his nomadic life and discusses the challenges of capturing genuine attention in a saturated media landscape. Faris contrasts urban versus rural lifestyles and highlights the power of everyday moments over constant novelty. He also warns of the psychological impacts of media consumption while sharing strategies for fostering deeper connections through diverse content.
Faris Yakob argues that our attention shapes our identity, emphasizing that what captivates us ultimately defines who we are.
The podcast highlights the need for brands to move from purchasing attention to earning it through creativity and meaningful storytelling.
Discussions on attention and mental health reveal the emotional toll of saturation, advocating for simpler engagements to find joy in daily routines.
Deep dives
The Influence of a Nomadic Childhood
Growing up as the child of diplomats instilled a fascination with a nomadic lifestyle, characterized by frequent relocations across various countries. This unique upbringing taught the importance of adaptability and the richness of diverse experiences. A childhood spent navigating different cultures enhanced the speaker's perspective and eventually became an asset during a pivotal job interview. The narrative emphasizes how these early life experiences shaped an understanding of novelty and the pursuit of interesting experiences throughout adulthood.
The Quest for Attention
Attention is increasingly recognized as a crucial resource in both personal and professional spheres, necessitating a shift from purchasing to earning it. The overwhelming saturation of media consumption means that traditional advertising strategies are becoming less effective, as audiences are often unaware of numerous ads they encounter daily. Rather than merely competing for visibility, it becomes vital to capture genuine engagement through compelling storytelling and creativity. The conversation highlights the need for brands to innovate and create content that resonates deeply and stands apart in a crowded marketplace.
The Impact of Personal Experiences on Attention
The host discusses personal challenges during the pandemic that restricted engagement with novel content, emphasizing the connection between mental health and attention. This phase made it difficult to experience anything new due to emotional overload, leading to a yearning for simpler, mundane activities that foster peace. The conversation also explores changing perspectives on what constitutes 'interesting' as one ages, and how the pursuit of novelty can sometimes result in emotional exhaustion. These experiences shaped a new understanding of finding joy in simplicity, transforming daily routines into valuable moments.
Understanding the Commons of Attention
The podcast delves into the concept of attention as a shared resource, likening it to a 'commons' that requires respectful usage to prevent collapse. Attention can be fracked, or exploited, similarly to natural resources, leading to oversaturation and decreased individual engagement. The discussion draws on examples from urban advertising practices that have negatively impacted public tolerance and attention spans. Emphasizing the importance of creating meaningful and aesthetically pleasing interactions rather than intruding on public spaces, it calls for a reevaluation of how brands approach communication.
Strategies for Earning Attention and Staying Relevant
Earning attention in today's market involves not just creativity but also an understanding of the complexities of media consumption. One key strategy is to leverage unique perspectives that draw upon varied experiences and domains, thereby making ideas more relatable and intriguing. Additionally, genuine enthusiasm for a subject matter can enhance one's communicative impact, making messages resonate more deeply with audiences. The emphasis on intentional living and consuming diverse content is posited as vital for fostering creativity and sustaining meaningful attention in an increasingly noisy environment.
Faris Yakob believes that attention is not merely the first step to engagement with something, but a fundamental shaper of who we are: if ‘we are what we eat’, then what we pay attention to comes to define us.
The author of ‘Paid Attention’ and co-founder of Genius Steals, he and his wife Rosie have spent the last ten years as modern nomads, consulting, speaking and writing. In this episode Adam and Faris discuss:
How Faris’ diverse career and nomadic life has been ‘a quest for interesting’
Why attention is part of the substance of our existence
Why it is impossible to buy attention today …
…And yet everyone is still competing for our attention all the time
Strategies for earning attention in a saturated media age
Why the ‘most interestingness’ comes in the connection of domains that are not obviously connected
