Ellie and David dissect the concept of success, discussing party planning, inspirational quotes, haters, corporate buzzwords, and the pitfalls of thinking we know it all. They explore success in American literature, philosophy of science, and philosophy, touching on societal pressures and personal fulfillment.
58:27
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Quick takeaways
Success is often defined by societal norms and corporate clichés, leading to misconceptions.
Personal growth over material achievements challenges conventional success measures outlined by inspirational quotes.
The overlap between personal and communal success standards raises concerns about child professionalization and societal pressure.
Deep dives
Philosophical Perspectives on Success in the Corporate World
The podcast delves into contrasting views on success, mentioning how searching for philosophy on success often leads to corporate-oriented clichés. Rather than philosophical insight, the internet is rife with corporate success hacks and CEO mantras. The hosts critique inaccurate attributions in success quotes found online, questioning their authenticity and value.
Redefining Success Beyond Traditional Norms
The episode shifts to prompting listeners to choose a successful quote from a set, exploring perspectives on success that defy conventional financial or career-based measures. Quotes highlighting the values of preparation, self-awareness, and consistency are dissected, challenging societal norms by placing emphasis on personal growth rather than material achievements.
The Pressure of Societal Success Expectations
A discussion ensues regarding societal obsession with success across various life domains, pondering whether success metrics like grades or job titles adequately define one's achievements. The podcast probes the blurred lines between personal and communal success standards and raises concerns about the increased professionalization of children from a young age.
Navigating Personal and Professional Success Narratives
A philosophical inquiry into the concept of success transitions into a dialogue on the contrasting stances of scientific realism and anti-realism in the philosophy of science. The episode dives into the debate around whether the success of scientific theories necessitates truth or whether they serve as practical tools irrespective of mirroring reality.
Visualizing Success in Philosophy and Science
The narrative shifts to discuss the concept of success in philosophy and science, exploring divergent perspectives on success criteria in philosophical thought. The dialogue extends to illuminating success in philosophy as aiding comprehension of failures inherent to humanity, contrasting philosophical insights with the pursuit of scientific truth through theoretical success.
Cooked, slayed, delivered, ate. In episode 108 of Overthink, Ellie and David break down what it means to succeed, and why this sneaky word pervades our society today - in everything from the ambitions of classic American stage figures, to the refined effortlessness in Zhuangzi’s tales, to the corporate world of buzzwords. Your hosts discuss party planning, tenure tracks, inspirational quotes, haters, why science seems so successful, and the pitfalls of thinking we’ve got it all figured out. Plus, in the Patreon bonus, they reflect on the interpersonal tensions of sharing successes, and making the best of our mishaps.
Works Discussed Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity Henri Bergson, Matter and Memory William Desmond, “Philosophy and Failure” Ralph Waldo Emerson, What is Success? Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman Hilary Putnam, Mathematics, Matter and Method Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation Tim Wu, “In Praise of Mediocrity” Zhuangzi, “The Secret of Caring for Life”
