Effective Action
Tired of embodying the above analogy for life? I am. After I quit social media and gaming, I lost interest in a lot of activities that reduce life to a state of passive consumption. Netflix. Reality shows. Alcoholism. We all wish we could “gamify” our experiences, and get the rewards with minimal effort along the way. But I think we need to address “gamify” really means “zombify.”
Japanese doctors believe video games can cause brain damage. Software engineers express slot machines and social media destroy our ability to focus. This constant state of multi-tasking, with streaming content, processed foods, and phones, always there to remind us about past events or FOMO as the bait and meaningless shiny gold stars and operatic musical sound bytes will take away our ability to break the cycle of futility.
Uber Drivers, Unpaid Interns, Dating Apps
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know “— but most importantly, it’s what you’re doing.
True focus and optimism result in a person constantly asking the question: is this the most efficient way to get this done? And are people around me really helping me, or are they just trying to break down my confidence?
Low paying, dead-end jobs, fake college courses, and toxic relationships serve as engaging, eternal cycles of existence that alternate trauma and reward, locking us in forever. You get yelled at, you get drunk on the weekend, you get a paycheck. Repeat.
Everywhere you go, you’ll find people who don’t like what they see when you’ve decided to make a change. They might have given up on ever breaking the cycle — and they see you doing your thing, and will want to take it away from you. Don’t believe them.
Success and Failure are not Algorithms
You don’t just succeed when you start doing something. And you don’t just fail either, even if you consistently keep doing it. Life is unpredictable, life is unfair. Just because you work hard doesn’t mean you ever get a reward. A broadway actress might have to relocate because she wants to start a family. But you have to keep trying. The world rewards creative and resilient people, not mindless, tireless drones. Sometimes you have to break the rules.
But Facebook and Sony would love to tell you otherwise. No, rewards are evenly spaced! You get rewarded all the time. Just like a dog catches the ball for a pat on the head, rewards are easier and easier to get! Log in, post a funny meme, get a red notification in your inbox!
Do you see how this is toxic? I noticed after I stopped looking at the screen, the challenges were just beginning. But I did it! I canceled that low paying interview. I said no to the pushy client. I started actually tracking my running speed, instead of weighing myself and pinching my stomach in the mirror. I started trying to understand my relationship instead of trying to win all the arguments.
I think if I can make one intelligent decision a day, and focus 100 percent on an activity, that means more than all the meaningless accomplishments and grunt work that get me that false feeling of accomplishment.
And no, I don’t want to hear about your revolutionary startup idea!
