The strongest idea here is that attention is not merely a productivity tool. It is an authorship decision.
A deeply intellectual life is not built by consuming more ideas, but by protecting enough attention to wrestle with a few of them until they actually change how you see.
Depth may indeed be the new moat. More importantly, it may be the only defense against living a life assembled by other people’s priorities.
Craig, the distinction between being informed and understanding really struck me.
That said, I think AI is a tool that can make surface-level thinking almost effortless and, if used differently, become a remarkably good thinking partner. Perhaps the real discipline isn’t avoiding tools that make thinking easier, but knowing when they are helping or harming our thinking.
I have definitely used AI to skim a dense article that I was getting lost in - but by far my usage is as a thinking partner. I tend to go fairly deep on a topic and have found my curiosity levels have deepened because of using AI as a thinking partner.
That’s interesting, David. I have had the same experience using AI as a thinking partner. I find it makes me curious about things I might otherwise never have had the patience to explore.
It just so happens that I published an article, “From Canals to AI,” a few hours oago. Here’s the link, should it interest you.
Attention is a form of self-direction. What you repeatedly give your mind to becomes the material it uses to interpret everything else. So protecting your attention isn’t just about focus, it’s about being deliberate about what gets to shape your thinking.
I agree with you but the 3-day social media break makes sense until you try it with friends. Mine, at least, expect hours on Instagram. When I don’t show up there, they assume I don’t care. I do, just not that way, anymore. The feed gives a false closeness. I’d rather see them in person than keep up with their stories.
First of all, make sure you put "terrified, horrified, scared shitless," or some other fearmongering reference in the title or subtitle to get people to read it.
Mission accomplished.
Otherwise, great article. I'm not worried about the collective, because the "one man, one vote" collective has been on a downward spiral since the end of WWII. We've always been a collectively dumb country, meaning that a large percentage of us don't read, don't care to learn, embrace conspiracy theories, and so on.
A lot of that has to do with the specific strategies our corporate-political-industrial-military-educational complex has wrought during the last 80 years or so. Teach 'em just enough to allow them to work and serve the state. Don't increase wages significantly, and allow the wealthy to pay fewer taxes, etc. etc.
And unfortunately, too many people have bought into it. We had a surge of optimism when we coalesced around a common cause - Vietnam lies, civil rights abuses, nascent LGBTQ rights protests, women emerging, Latino causes - in the late 1960's. We won some gains, but the country lost interest after Watergate and nothing was really accomplished, so the Right stepped in and employed the start of their decades-long, well-though-out-and-conceived strategy of getting conservative voices and minds in all the top jobs in government, in law and order circles, and in corporations.
Mission accomplished.
We fought in the streets in the late '60s, early '70s, and now we're fighting amongst ourselves on social media, which the powers-that-be want.
We have more potential intellectualizing today than ever before, but what's lacking in the action part.
Liked this article a lot and it makes me feel hopeful to see that smn a tad bit younger than me cares about thriving intellectually.
And I wanted to pick your brain and ask if you think there’s maybe a 4th step somewhere in between the ones you propose; like a step of repetition? Often for information to be transformed into something new, in my experience, it requires to be remembered, understood, practiced. Eg. you can use an argument several times in your life after reading abt it in a philosophy book, but you’ll use it better if you re-visit that book a couple of times to serve as a stronger foundation to what you’re creating.
I DEFINITELY have this desire to live an intellectual life. But it certainly wasn’t one of my core, original desires.
Since, however old I was from elementary to high school, I wanted to be dangerous, capable, and highly adaptable.
Think in the ballpark of:
- Batman
- Ayanokoji (from Classroom of the Elites)
- Light & L (from Death Note)
- Goku
Etc
It wasn’t until after high school, when I was learning self education and actively teaching myself psychology, that I kept hearing Greek philosophy was the better intro. Better base to build upon. So I followed the trail backwards and met Socrates, Plato, and most fascinating of all… Aristotle.
I was incredibly fascinated by how many books he wrote in his lifetime.
Not because of the number count.
But because I kept thinking about what his lifestyle must’ve looked like to afford that level of commitment.
Putting your entire BEING into your curiosity.
That was one of the first times I remember thinking, “Oh yea… I def want THAT quality of intellectual living.”
So your point about depth mattering more than volume is hitting me at a really interesting time.
A part of me keeps reminding myself that I need to touch base back in on writing my newsletter, but I can tell that part is attached to speed, cadence, and wanting to see positive change/growth on Substack.
Lately I’m leaning more toward putting the volume into the conversations I’m engaging in… while letting the writing be oriented towards depth.
Like, if I’m gonna write a long-form post, I want it to be something I’d actually revisit. Reread. A source of crystallized understanding of whatever I was exploring inside it.
I think that’s much closer to the intellectual life I was admiring in Aristotle to begin with.
Where your focus flows, your life goes.
We can do so many amazing things in life only if we can focus on the right things and create not just consume.
Loved this one!
True you become what you pay attention to.
Great article craig🙌.
Sure ✅
The strongest idea here is that attention is not merely a productivity tool. It is an authorship decision.
A deeply intellectual life is not built by consuming more ideas, but by protecting enough attention to wrestle with a few of them until they actually change how you see.
Depth may indeed be the new moat. More importantly, it may be the only defense against living a life assembled by other people’s priorities.
Craig, the distinction between being informed and understanding really struck me.
That said, I think AI is a tool that can make surface-level thinking almost effortless and, if used differently, become a remarkably good thinking partner. Perhaps the real discipline isn’t avoiding tools that make thinking easier, but knowing when they are helping or harming our thinking.
I have definitely used AI to skim a dense article that I was getting lost in - but by far my usage is as a thinking partner. I tend to go fairly deep on a topic and have found my curiosity levels have deepened because of using AI as a thinking partner.
That’s interesting, David. I have had the same experience using AI as a thinking partner. I find it makes me curious about things I might otherwise never have had the patience to explore.
It just so happens that I published an article, “From Canals to AI,” a few hours oago. Here’s the link, should it interest you.
https://themeasuredview.substack.com/p/from-canals-to-ai
Curation to curiosity to creation is a great mindset. Thanks!
Made me think of all the book summary apps also. Outsourcing the reading and summarizing to someone else.
Great piece! A very insightful read.
This was an awesome read!
He's back with a banger!
Attention is a form of self-direction. What you repeatedly give your mind to becomes the material it uses to interpret everything else. So protecting your attention isn’t just about focus, it’s about being deliberate about what gets to shape your thinking.
I agree with you but the 3-day social media break makes sense until you try it with friends. Mine, at least, expect hours on Instagram. When I don’t show up there, they assume I don’t care. I do, just not that way, anymore. The feed gives a false closeness. I’d rather see them in person than keep up with their stories.
First of all, make sure you put "terrified, horrified, scared shitless," or some other fearmongering reference in the title or subtitle to get people to read it.
Mission accomplished.
Otherwise, great article. I'm not worried about the collective, because the "one man, one vote" collective has been on a downward spiral since the end of WWII. We've always been a collectively dumb country, meaning that a large percentage of us don't read, don't care to learn, embrace conspiracy theories, and so on.
A lot of that has to do with the specific strategies our corporate-political-industrial-military-educational complex has wrought during the last 80 years or so. Teach 'em just enough to allow them to work and serve the state. Don't increase wages significantly, and allow the wealthy to pay fewer taxes, etc. etc.
And unfortunately, too many people have bought into it. We had a surge of optimism when we coalesced around a common cause - Vietnam lies, civil rights abuses, nascent LGBTQ rights protests, women emerging, Latino causes - in the late 1960's. We won some gains, but the country lost interest after Watergate and nothing was really accomplished, so the Right stepped in and employed the start of their decades-long, well-though-out-and-conceived strategy of getting conservative voices and minds in all the top jobs in government, in law and order circles, and in corporations.
Mission accomplished.
We fought in the streets in the late '60s, early '70s, and now we're fighting amongst ourselves on social media, which the powers-that-be want.
We have more potential intellectualizing today than ever before, but what's lacking in the action part.
Love it! Speaking of "meaningful problem" I wrote about that https://gersonjanhuel.com/p/find-your-meaningful-problem-the
Liked this article a lot and it makes me feel hopeful to see that smn a tad bit younger than me cares about thriving intellectually.
And I wanted to pick your brain and ask if you think there’s maybe a 4th step somewhere in between the ones you propose; like a step of repetition? Often for information to be transformed into something new, in my experience, it requires to be remembered, understood, practiced. Eg. you can use an argument several times in your life after reading abt it in a philosophy book, but you’ll use it better if you re-visit that book a couple of times to serve as a stronger foundation to what you’re creating.
I DEFINITELY have this desire to live an intellectual life. But it certainly wasn’t one of my core, original desires.
Since, however old I was from elementary to high school, I wanted to be dangerous, capable, and highly adaptable.
Think in the ballpark of:
- Batman
- Ayanokoji (from Classroom of the Elites)
- Light & L (from Death Note)
- Goku
Etc
It wasn’t until after high school, when I was learning self education and actively teaching myself psychology, that I kept hearing Greek philosophy was the better intro. Better base to build upon. So I followed the trail backwards and met Socrates, Plato, and most fascinating of all… Aristotle.
I was incredibly fascinated by how many books he wrote in his lifetime.
Not because of the number count.
But because I kept thinking about what his lifestyle must’ve looked like to afford that level of commitment.
Putting your entire BEING into your curiosity.
That was one of the first times I remember thinking, “Oh yea… I def want THAT quality of intellectual living.”
So your point about depth mattering more than volume is hitting me at a really interesting time.
A part of me keeps reminding myself that I need to touch base back in on writing my newsletter, but I can tell that part is attached to speed, cadence, and wanting to see positive change/growth on Substack.
Lately I’m leaning more toward putting the volume into the conversations I’m engaging in… while letting the writing be oriented towards depth.
Like, if I’m gonna write a long-form post, I want it to be something I’d actually revisit. Reread. A source of crystallized understanding of whatever I was exploring inside it.
I think that’s much closer to the intellectual life I was admiring in Aristotle to begin with.
Great