#046 – Momentum & Midwits

Quote, Podcast, Mental Model, Interesting Phenomenon, Tweet.

Author

Dimitri Gremos
January 24, 2024

Bringing 5 interesting ideas to your inbox every Thursday morning to ignite your curiosity and drive your growth.

read online on my website 

read time 3 minutes 

#046 at a Glance:

  • Quote that will get you thinking: The art of persuasion.

  • Podcast you should listen to: The unexpected health benefits of travel.

  • Mental Model: The Zone of Momentum.

  • Interesting Phenomenon: Are we ruled by midwits?

  • Tweet I liked: An odd contradiction...

Quote that will get you thinking:

“Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.”

Sahil Bloom

Podcast you should listen to:

The Diary Of A CEO Moment 111: Max Lugavere

We are ultimately creatures of habit.

Our lives are a set of routines, obligations, and structures that help keep us mundanely (and albeit efficiently) in a perpetual and consistent pattern of behaviour.

Wake up, do a few things, go back to bed.
Wake up, do a few things, go back to bed.
Wake up, do a few things, go back to bed.

‘Ground Hog Day’ syndrome is a real thing.

Why is this the case?

Our brains are efficiency machines wired to conserve as much energy as possible. No cognitive energy is expended more than is absolutely necessary. Once habituated to a routine, our brain goes on ‘autopilot’ and becomes increasingly desensitised to its unchanging surroundings.

Travel is the epitome of exposing oneself to an enriched environment. One that is new, different, and unknown.

We must consciously shake ourselves out of static routines so that we may preserve our overall mood and wellbeing ↓

Listen on Spotify here. Listen on Apple Podcasts here.

[Podcast Length: 12 minutes]

Mental Model:

The Zone of Momentum 

Love this visual from Janis Ozolins, a super-talented graphic designer from Spain:

We must endeavour to keep ourselves within the Zone of Momentum.

It is the only way to sustainably and powerfully direct our actions towards meaningful progress.

Constantly dipping in and out of momentum calls for greater ‘energy’ that would be put to better use if compounded more frequently with persistent actions and behaviours.

Interesting Phenomenon:

Are we ruled by midwits?

Could not believe these statistics when I came across them earlier this week:

In 2011, the Royal Statistical Society asked 97 British MPs a simple maths question: “If you spin a coin twice, what is the probability of getting two heads?” Since the chance of getting heads on one spin is 50%, and the two spins are independent, the answer is just 50% × 50% = 25%. Not exactly quantum physics.

Shockingly, only 40% of MPs got the answer right. (Among Labour MPs, it was only 23%.) Most of those who got the answer wrong said “50%”, which is obviously incorrect when you think about it.

The fact that so few MPs got the right answer is particularly worrying in light of what else the survey found: 77% of MPs said they “generally feel confident when dealing with numbers”. They were both innumerate and overconfident – a dangerous combination.

In 2021–22, the Royal Statistical Society asked another sample of 101 MPs the same question. The results were better, but only slightly: 52% of MPs gave the right answer. (In this case, there was almost no difference between Conservative and Labour MPs.)

(h/t Noah Carl)

So, what’s the takeaway?

Don’t let the illusion of confidence and competence you observe in others invalidate your own conviction and self-belief.

Tweet I liked:

Read that again.

That’s all for this week, thanks for reading!

Grateful for your support.

Stay hungry, stay humble, & stay curious. ⚡

Do you think someone else will enjoy reading Five to Thrive? Forward them this email!

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe to receive them in the future!

Have some feedback or would like to get in touch with me? You can email me at [email protected] or find me on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.