Currently reading the entire Animorphs series that I loved when I was a kid. Mostly a mid-life crisis/nostalgia sort of thing. Also a bunch of nature books & field guides (another passion from childhood).
I guess the common theme is everyone's looking for the "right" way to do shit. Wasting hours reading self-help books or listening to DudeBro podcasts that promise you'll achieve <desired result> if you follow their program. But kids don't care about doing things the right way. They do what's fun and then move on. My kids scribble on paper for hours without caring how it looks, then breezily toss it in the trash.
This is cool. We are indeed looking for the "right" way to do shit. I most certainly am. But I'm 100% with you on being over the standard issue self-help books and dudebro podcasts. I think a part of me is worried that I might find myself being labeled as one of those fucking dudebro's.
And good call on the kids.
Are you working on anything? An email list, perhaps?
I’m researching grief these days, have been putting together some thoughts during the night. I think about how we get addicted to the process of grief and stay in there looping because it’s comfortable and it means we don’t have to put in the effort for something new and uncomfortable. Im open to ideas on making this something worth reading. I’m tying in my own experience in each of the grieving stages of the delusion of denial, the rageful anger, the desperate bargaining, the hopeless depression and the choice of acceptance.
I mean, dude, this sounds like you're onto something worth reading already. I'm familiar as fuck with staying in the grief loop. Pretty sure all of this email stuff I've been doing is the best way i know how to maybe get out of it. It seems like it's working a little bit.
I do… I’m thinking it might even be ready for tomorrow’s email, only thing is I worry that it might be a smidge too long of a read. Gonna keep working on it.
I'm currently reading about Creative Problem Solving in preparation for starting my graduate degree -- not sure how much controversy I can extract from that. :) It's not boring to me yet. It's fresh and I'm eager to take it all in. When learning new frameworks and ideas I wonder if before we can surface a "controversial" opinion we first have to get comfortable with the original one. If I go to culinary school I'm going to do what they tell me - happily - chopping the onions and making the sauces in they way they frame it until it's second nature to me. At that point -- that's when I start to tweak it, rebel, make it my own.
I'm very excited about it. Will be earning an MS in Creativity and Change Leadership. First class starts end of May! The two books are: Create in a Flash: A leader’s recipe for breakthrough innovation, and Creativity Unbound: An introduction to creativity
Fucking sweet. I started buying academic text books about 18 months ago and I immediately regretted not doing it earlier. There's so much good stuff them that just are not in the popular mainstream books. Sounds fun.
For sure. This makes sense. I wasn't suggesting to look for "controversial" "opinions," though. ☺️ Neither of those words are all that interesting to me anymore. But I do see how it may have read that way.
I was actually talking more about the beginning of the writing process more than the end result... the "risky/tentative claim" is simply a starting point that usually leads to more a interesting final product -- even if it doesn't include anything controversial.
But I do agree that it's a smart thing to try on the thing they tell you in it's original form before you start getting all creative & rebellious.
hell yeah. I think so too. i started talking about it on IG about a year ago and it's definitely one of my favorite ideas to come out of the craziness of last year. glad you like it.
As someone who's often accused of being controversial for controversy's sake, I'm trying to understand what the difference is. Could there be truth to those accusations? How would I know? What does it look like when someone is controversial for controversy's sake? When I'm deliberately controversial, I'm doing it for the sake of making tension so that change can happen. I also think I suck at it, though, so I'm confused.
I'm thinking of a specific example right now. Yes, I believe the controversial statement I made. But, I also know that I leaned into the most controversial version of it so that I could make it clear that I wasn't on board with a more mainstream explanation.
If you want to make money with your efforts — if you want build influence — the best way to do this is to be in damn near complete agreement with what the reader/viewer believes.
It doesn’t have to be 100% complete — and it doesn’t have to be about everything, but if all you do is push up against their beliefs/values, you have no foundation on which to build influence.
As a thought experiment, what could you say/post that would be in agreement with what your “audience” believes?
Ok, this is interesting, thanks. I'm being controversial because I'm trying to find agreement. I'm very aware that the way I look at the issue is different from how a particular person in my audience looks at it. So, I'm trying to muddy the waters so that I can find the fastest way to clear the mud. I think I might be on the right track with it. (The wrong track being to be controversial for the purpose of setting a "take it or leave it" filter)
You're welcome, dude. And I get what you're trying to do re: using controversy to find agreement. I'm glad you're feeling like you're on the right track, though. I got the sense you were onto some interesting things the last time I saw your work.
Currently reading the entire Animorphs series that I loved when I was a kid. Mostly a mid-life crisis/nostalgia sort of thing. Also a bunch of nature books & field guides (another passion from childhood).
I guess the common theme is everyone's looking for the "right" way to do shit. Wasting hours reading self-help books or listening to DudeBro podcasts that promise you'll achieve <desired result> if you follow their program. But kids don't care about doing things the right way. They do what's fun and then move on. My kids scribble on paper for hours without caring how it looks, then breezily toss it in the trash.
Hey J. Good to hear from you.
This is cool. We are indeed looking for the "right" way to do shit. I most certainly am. But I'm 100% with you on being over the standard issue self-help books and dudebro podcasts. I think a part of me is worried that I might find myself being labeled as one of those fucking dudebro's.
And good call on the kids.
Are you working on anything? An email list, perhaps?
Currently a copywriter for hotshot biotech brands. Have not been working on my own email list.
Sick. Sounds cool.
I’m researching grief these days, have been putting together some thoughts during the night. I think about how we get addicted to the process of grief and stay in there looping because it’s comfortable and it means we don’t have to put in the effort for something new and uncomfortable. Im open to ideas on making this something worth reading. I’m tying in my own experience in each of the grieving stages of the delusion of denial, the rageful anger, the desperate bargaining, the hopeless depression and the choice of acceptance.
I mean, dude, this sounds like you're onto something worth reading already. I'm familiar as fuck with staying in the grief loop. Pretty sure all of this email stuff I've been doing is the best way i know how to maybe get out of it. It seems like it's working a little bit.
Do you have a draft or anything?
I do… I’m thinking it might even be ready for tomorrow’s email, only thing is I worry that it might be a smidge too long of a read. Gonna keep working on it.
I'm currently reading about Creative Problem Solving in preparation for starting my graduate degree -- not sure how much controversy I can extract from that. :) It's not boring to me yet. It's fresh and I'm eager to take it all in. When learning new frameworks and ideas I wonder if before we can surface a "controversial" opinion we first have to get comfortable with the original one. If I go to culinary school I'm going to do what they tell me - happily - chopping the onions and making the sauces in they way they frame it until it's second nature to me. At that point -- that's when I start to tweak it, rebel, make it my own.
Also, what text books are you reading about creative problem solving? Sounds like a cool track you’re on there.
I'm very excited about it. Will be earning an MS in Creativity and Change Leadership. First class starts end of May! The two books are: Create in a Flash: A leader’s recipe for breakthrough innovation, and Creativity Unbound: An introduction to creativity
Fucking sweet. I started buying academic text books about 18 months ago and I immediately regretted not doing it earlier. There's so much good stuff them that just are not in the popular mainstream books. Sounds fun.
For sure. This makes sense. I wasn't suggesting to look for "controversial" "opinions," though. ☺️ Neither of those words are all that interesting to me anymore. But I do see how it may have read that way.
I was actually talking more about the beginning of the writing process more than the end result... the "risky/tentative claim" is simply a starting point that usually leads to more a interesting final product -- even if it doesn't include anything controversial.
But I do agree that it's a smart thing to try on the thing they tell you in it's original form before you start getting all creative & rebellious.
Thanks, Allegra. I always appreciate your input.
the "risky/tentative claim" - now that's a cool way to think about it.
hell yeah. I think so too. i started talking about it on IG about a year ago and it's definitely one of my favorite ideas to come out of the craziness of last year. glad you like it.
As someone who's often accused of being controversial for controversy's sake, I'm trying to understand what the difference is. Could there be truth to those accusations? How would I know? What does it look like when someone is controversial for controversy's sake? When I'm deliberately controversial, I'm doing it for the sake of making tension so that change can happen. I also think I suck at it, though, so I'm confused.
Do you believe the controversial statements you’re making? Are you willing to accept that there are other possibilities?
I get being deliberately controversial as I’ve done plenty of this myself… and I’m actively trying to figure out where the line is.
I'm thinking of a specific example right now. Yes, I believe the controversial statement I made. But, I also know that I leaned into the most controversial version of it so that I could make it clear that I wasn't on board with a more mainstream explanation.
It's like "Michael, why do you have to be so controversial?"
The answer being, "because if I'm not controversial, you're going to assume I agree with you"
Understood.
You know… just something to think about…
If you want to make money with your efforts — if you want build influence — the best way to do this is to be in damn near complete agreement with what the reader/viewer believes.
It doesn’t have to be 100% complete — and it doesn’t have to be about everything, but if all you do is push up against their beliefs/values, you have no foundation on which to build influence.
As a thought experiment, what could you say/post that would be in agreement with what your “audience” believes?
Ok, this is interesting, thanks. I'm being controversial because I'm trying to find agreement. I'm very aware that the way I look at the issue is different from how a particular person in my audience looks at it. So, I'm trying to muddy the waters so that I can find the fastest way to clear the mud. I think I might be on the right track with it. (The wrong track being to be controversial for the purpose of setting a "take it or leave it" filter)
You're welcome, dude. And I get what you're trying to do re: using controversy to find agreement. I'm glad you're feeling like you're on the right track, though. I got the sense you were onto some interesting things the last time I saw your work.