The Parable of the Builder and the Gardener

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The parable of the builder and the gardener illustrates the difference in approach between someone focusing on immediate results and someone investing in nurturing potential. It highlights that while the builder creates impressive structures using external force, the gardener nurtures life, allowing acorns to grow into trees on their own. The parable emphasizes the importance of patience, support, and creating the right conditions for growth, showcasing that some things have inherent potential to thrive when given the opportunity.

Alex Komoroske has spent his career studying, writing about, and working in complex adaptive systems. He has published multiple essays on topics like Schelling points in organizations, why debate should be collaborative, and how to ensure resilient growth in harsh environments. Alex has also worked as a product manager and in corporate strategy at Google and Stripe.

Alex joins the show to discuss how to escape busyness, why heroism is overrated, the different types of magic, and MUCH more!

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Show Notes:

The Parable of the Builder & the Gardener
Against Heroism
Noise is Good
Complex Adaptivity All the Way Down
Information Flow, Context Switching and Luck Surface-Area
Escaping Busyness
Paradigm Shifts & the Importance of Uncertainty
The Self-Transcending Mindset
The Power of Compression & The Virility of Memes
Order From Chaos
The Iterative Adjacent Possible
Saruman & Radagast Magic
The Illusion of Certainty
Alex as Emperor of the World
MORE!

Books and Articles Mentioned:

The Magic of Acorns; by Alex Komoroske
The Sarumans and The Radagasts; by Alex Komoroske
The Iterative Adjacent Possible; by Alex Komoroske
Crossing the Bridge of Nihilism; by Jim O’Shaughnessy
Adult Development Primer; by Dimitri Glazkov
The Mower against Gardens; by Andrew Marvell
Being There; by Jerzy Kosinski
Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment; by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony & Cass R. Sunstein
Global Brain: The Evolution of Mass Mind from the Big Bang to the 21st Century; by Howard Bloom
Zorba the Greek; by Nikos Kazantzakis
Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny; by Robert Wright
The Fifth Science; by Exurb1a
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction; by Christopher Alexander