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The Problem With Agency: George Mack

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Nov 12, 2025

Guest

George Mack

George Mack, a writer and commentator on agency and productivity, joins James Smith for a thought-provoking discussion. They dissect the concept of agency and why some people thrive while others feel stuck. George reveals how high agency can mask mental health issues and critiques hustle culture as a deceptive 'busy trap.' The duo explores how language shapes our mindset, the impact of parenthood on priorities, and what jiu-jitsu teaches about fear and self-awareness. Practical life hacks for boosting agency also make an appearance!

01:37:43

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insights

INSIGHT

Regrets Reveal Agency Failures

Low agency shows up as the common regrets of the dying: not expressing feelings, not living true to self, overworking, and losing friends.
George ties these regrets to a failure to identify and solve the right live problems in life.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

The Jail-Cell Test

George asks: if you're trapped in a third-world jail cell, who would you call?
That person is your clearest example of high agency in real life.

insights

INSIGHT

Agency Beats Credentials

'Agency' is an idea-handle that predicts career impact beyond IQ or education.
High-agency people identify problems and proactively solve them, often outperforming technically smarter peers.

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Defining Agency and the Jail Cell Test

00:16 • 3min

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Agency’s Role in Career Success

03:40 • 2min

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Can Agency Be Trained?

05:16 • 2min

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High Agency Versus Meaningful Choices

07:24 • 4min

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Friends, Environment, and Agency Frequency

11:12 • 4min

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Cultural Differences: UK Cynicism vs US Naivety

15:20 • 5min

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Raw Talent, Culture, and Historical Selection

20:49 • 6min

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Live Mode, Genetics, and Happiness

27:01 • 10min

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Language, Thought, and Idea Handles

37:14 • 4min

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Hater or Inspired: Choosing Your Response

41:15 • 3min

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Busy Trap and Grind Trap Explained

44:35 • 5min

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Parenthood as an Agency Hack

49:36 • 4min

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Problem Solving, Semantic Trees, and David Deutsch

53:50 • 10min

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The Gap and the Gain: Measuring Progress Kindly

01:03:51 • 4min

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Warren Buffett’s Investment Test for Values

01:08:06 • 5min

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Practical Agency Hacks: Whiteboards and Language Shifts

01:13:33 • 11min

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A1 Paper and Visual Goal-Setting Story

01:24:14 • 6min

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Eat Frogs and Lick Toads: Productivity and Play

01:29:50 • 3min

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Why Jiu-Jitsu Combines All Reward Systems

01:33:10 • 3min

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Being a Problem Solver and Embracing the Journey

01:36:19 • 54sec

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#2547

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

The art of thinking clearly

Rolf Dobelli

In this book, Rolf Dobelli examines the faulty reasoning that leads to repeated mistakes by individuals, businesses, and nations. It is a comprehensive guide to recognizing and avoiding cognitive biases, presented in 99 short chapters. The book does not offer a recipe for happiness but rather a well-considered treatise on avoiding self-induced unhappiness through better decision-making. It uses simple, real-world examples to illustrate common errors of judgment and provides practical advice on how to avoid them.

#215

• Mentioned in 85 episodes

The Gap and The Gain

The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success

Dan Sullivan

Benjamin Hardy

This book introduces the concept of 'The Gap and The Gain', developed by Dan Sullivan, which helps high achievers understand why they are often unhappy despite their accomplishments. It explains that measuring oneself against an ideal (the Gap) leads to dissatisfaction, while measuring against past achievements (the Gain) fosters happiness, gratitude, and motivation. The book is a masterclass on positive psychology, healthy relationships, mental well-being, and high-performance, offering practical advice on how to shift focus to appreciate progress and achieve greater fulfillment and success.

#58

• Mentioned in 188 episodes

Mindset

The New Psychology of Success

Carol S. Dweck

In this book, Carol S. Dweck introduces the concept of two mindsets: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe their abilities are static, while those with a growth mindset believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning. Dweck shows how these mindsets influence success in school, work, sports, and personal relationships. She also discusses how to adopt a deeper, truer growth mindset, and how this can transform individual and organizational cultures. The book emphasizes the importance of perseverance, learning from failures, and embracing challenges as key components of the growth mindset.

• Mentioned in 446 episodes

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman

In this book, Daniel Kahneman takes readers on a tour of the mind, explaining how the two systems of thought shape our judgments and decisions. System 1 is fast, automatic, and emotional, while System 2 is slower, effortful, and logical. Kahneman discusses the impact of cognitive biases, the difficulties of predicting future happiness, and the effects of overconfidence on corporate strategies. He offers practical insights into how to guard against mental glitches and how to benefit from slow thinking in both personal and business life. The book also explores the distinction between the 'experiencing self' and the 'remembering self' and their roles in our perception of happiness.

George Mack joins James Smith for an unfiltered conversation that will change how you think about ambition, success, and the hidden traps of productivity.

They dive deep into the concept of agency (why some people take control of their lives while others stay stuck) and how it shows up across business, relationships, happiness, and identity.

From the “busy trap” to the myth of hustle culture, George unpacks the subtle ways we self-sabotage under the illusion of progress. He questions whether high agency is even healthy… or just a sophisticated form of burnout.

James and George explore the psychology of success, the role of genetics, language and culture in shaping mindset, and how becoming a parent can snap you out of your grind obsession.

He explains:

◼️ Why high agency can be a hidden mental illness

◼️ The real reason some people stay stuck (and how to escape)

◼️ How productivity becomes a trap disguised as progress

◼️ Why writing things down on a whiteboard might change your life

◼️ What jiu-jitsu teaches us about fear, ego, and self-awareness

Timestamps:

00:00 The Problem With Low Agency

02:04 The Jail Cell Test

05:16 Can You Train Agency?

09:05 Context-Dependent Agency

15:15 Life in Austin, Texas

18:04 UK Cynicism vs American Naivety

24:06 The Happiness Paradox

30:02 Language Shapes Thinking

36:07 Hater or Inspired? The Choice Is Yours

42:07 The Busy Trap

46:03 The $1,500 Chicken Sandwich Story

51:34 Parenthood: The Ultimate Agency Hack

59:58 Jiu-Jitsu and Personal Growth

1:03:02 The Gap and The Gain

1:07:26 Warren Buffett's Investment Exercise

1:12:25 Practical Agency Hacks

1:17:20 The A1 Paper That Changed Everything

1:29:11 Eat Frogs, Lick Toads

1:32:35 Why Jiu-Jitsu Hits All Four Brain Chemicals

1:35:31 Closing Advice

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