To Be And To Last #13
This week we explore the truth behind TikTok, the art of learning, and a simple set of guidelines that would make social media healthier.
Slow down, so you can run faster
I’ve long been a fan of Josh Waitzkin (child chess prodigy and martial arts champion). Since soaking up his interview with Tim Ferriss while on a bullet train across Japan a few years ago, and I’ve incorporated parts of his learning approach into my own life (applying interval training to my career, breaking down my field into cognitive building blocks, etc).
This week I’ve been working to apply this quote on relaxation as the path to performance:
The (Mis)Information Age?
It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. - Erroneously attributed to Mark Twain
Nithin Coca published a fantastic piece on Western coverage of Chinese apps. From undercoverage (FB received 6-12x more coverage than TikTok in 2019) to miscoverage (eg, a reported “Japan TikTok ban” was invented from essentially thin air), this is a great look at how often news coverage and reality share little overlap.
On the (somewhat) uplifting side, I think we over-estimate how much this is unique to our era. I’ve been reading Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate this week, and the stories of Senator Richard Russell Jr’s attempts to slow civil rights reform for nearly 40 years through misinformation and gaslighting feel strikingly modern. We are not facing new problems, only new tactics.
You’re now a journalist
Social media has deputized all of us as journalists. The only question is whether our contributions will be positive or negative.
To that end, I found this set of journalistic guidelines valuable in deciding what I share:
To Be And To Last: Thinker Nate Desmond’s weekly roundup of long reads, contrarian thoughts, and hidden jewels that aren’t getting enough attention.
You likely joined on NateDesmond.com or BuckFiftyMBA.com.
Please send recommendations to nate+newsletter@natedesmond.com.