Exploring the impact of social media on our knowledge and biases, the significance of luck in success, the hidden diversity and creativity in people, limitations of recorded history, meeting different versions of oneself, the fragility of life, and the transformative power of knowing our remaining time.
Read more
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Understanding the role of luck in success can greatly alter our perception of admirable traits and individuals.
Recognizing the limitations of what is shared and observed allows us to acknowledge the incomplete perspective we have of others and history.
Deep dives
The power of knowing the exact role of luck in successful outcomes
Imagine having the knowledge of the exact role luck plays in determining success. This information, although impossible to possess, would challenge our worldview and change how we perceive success and the traits necessary for it. We would see both lucky egomaniacs and unlucky geniuses, altering who we admire in life. Reflecting on the potential of such unique information forces us to acknowledge a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of life.
Unfiltered thoughts and hidden beliefs
People only share a fraction of what goes through their minds, be it due to social norms, embarrassment, or inability to articulate feelings. Consequently, our perception of others and history is limited to what is said, written, or observed in action. If we could truly see people's unspoken thoughts, the world would appear exponentially more diverse, creative, anxious, jealous, kind, doubtful, and wise. History itself is incomplete, shaped by what is photographed, recorded, and spoken to historians and journalists. Recognizing this incomplete perspective offers a humbling reminder of how much we are blind to.
The impact of knowing how much time you have left
Although the thought of knowing exactly how much time we have left to live can be frightening, it would profoundly change our lives. The realization that life can either be long or short grants a fresh perspective. If our time were shorter than expected, we would value forgiveness, savor experiences, and let go of petty annoyances. Conversely, if we knew our life would be long, we would feel less rushed, prioritize our well-being, and embrace learning new skills. Regardless of the knowledge we gain about ourselves and our lives, it would undoubtedly shape our choices and priorities.
There’s obviously a hierarchy of information. It ranges from life-changing good to life-changing disastrous.
That got me thinking: What would be the most interesting and useful information anyone could get their hands on?
Years ago I asked that question to Yale economist Robert Shiller. “The exact role of luck in successful outcomes,” he answered.
I loved that answer, because nobody will ever have that information. But if you did, your entire worldview would change. Who you admire would change. The traits you think are needed for success would change. You would find millions of lucky egomaniacs and millions of unlucky geniuses. The fact that it’s impossible to possess this information doesn’t make it useless – just thinking about how powerful it would be to have it forces you to ponder a topic that’s important but easy to ignore.
Keeping the idea that the most interesting information doesn’t have to be realistic – it can be impossible-to-obtain, magical-wish thinking – here are three other things that would get your attention.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode