High signal digest #11
High signal digest #11
Book summary of "Flow" + select links from this week that you might enjoy
Today at a glance:
Book summary: “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Classic psychology book where author breaks down an “optimal experience” and how to get in the flow state. I share raw notes from, select quotes, and key things I learned.
Select things I read this week that you might enjoy
Why did I read this book?
I was interested in deep work and read this during winter of 2018. We can be in the zone when playing sports or when gaming. What is it about those experiences that puts us in hyper-focus? How do we create a culture at work where the team is in flow state max % of the time - a culture where we achieve results and enjoy the journey?
Raw notes from the book:
Chaos is a fundamental part of universe. Universe was not designed with our comfort in mind. It is full of pain/suffering/emptiness. How we parse issues that come up as well as how we handle entitlement to happiness or lack thereof are important to achieving balance
Need to achieve autonomy and learn how to find enjoyment/purpose regardless of external circumstance
Autotelic people = internally driven = exhibit sense of purpose + curiosity. Higher % chance of achieving flow state
Flow = situations where attention is invested to achieve a person’s goal
Searching for happiness = focus on how to make everyday life more harmonious rather than chasing money/status
Pleasure = restorative homeostatic experiences (basic needs) = sleep, rest, food, sex
How to get into flow state:
A challenging activity BUT have a chance of winning it (ex. top tennis player vs amateur isn’t it)
Clear goals
Immediate feedback = clear clues n how you are performing
Allow to exercise control, esp if there is risk
No distractions. Zero
Need to re-frame from work that is an imposition/infringement on freedom to flow-like activity
Dissipative structures = harness and transform energy (ex earth, plans, humans with fire) = thus integrity of self depends on our ability to turn destructive events into positive ones
Steps to deal with stress
Understand that your goals may be subordinate to some external constraints and play within those constraints
Discover new solutions = every situation presents possibilities for growth? Do you need to alter goals? Are there other ways out?
Biology (food/comfort/sex/dominance over others) and society (slim, rich, educated, well liked) create preconceived notions of happiness/success. If we embrace these goals and are lucky - we may replicate ideal physical/social image that fits within our point in time. Is this the best use of our energy/potential? What if we can’t realize some of these “societal” goals - is that failure?
Select quotes:
The best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times—although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile
...It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were
Of all the virtues we can learn no trait is more useful, more essential for survival, and more likely to improve the quality of life than the ability to transform adversity into an enjoyable challenge
It is better to look suffering straight in the eye, acknowledge and respect it’s presence, and then get busy as soon as possible focusing on things we choose to focus on
The mark of a person who is in control of consciousness is the ability to focus attention at will, to be oblivious to distractions, to concentrate for as long as it takes to achieve a goal, and not longer. And the person who can do this usually enjoys the normal course of everyday life
Lessons:
Meaningful things in life are on the edge. Raise the stakes. Seek challenges.
It is 100% possible to build a flow culture at work
It is possible to transform shit life throws at us into opportunities. Forge resolve
Select things I read this week that you might enjoy
Seven signs of ethical collapse. Signal that points to corporate scandal
TikTok’s secret sauce. It is not the algo
Historic football match! Well-deserved by Messi and Argentina
have a good one
same as with all other books - these are raw notes i’ve taken for myself after reading the book. encourage to skip to select quotes or to check out the book if this is interested and you want an unbiased POV