#585 - Adam Mastroianni - Are Smart People Actually Happier?

Stephen Pressfield

there's a concept from stephen pressfield's the war of art where he calls those shadow careers

Shane Parrish

A guy called Shane Parrish wrote a blog called fs.blog Farnham Street. And he wrote a book of great mental models to think by.

Patrick Rothfuss

I remember once in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. He spends like two full chapters explaining this kid's walk to work.

Guest: Adam Mastroianni

Episode summary

Adam Mastroianni is a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia Business School and a writer whose research focuses on how people perceive and misperceive their social worlds. Does being smart make you happy? Does being dumb make you miserable? Why did the guy who created eugenics also get published in Nature for a revolutionary way to cut a cake? Adam is one of my favourite writers so today I get to ask him all these things. Expect to learn why super smart people can be so stupid, Adam's issue with the productivity approach of eating frogs, whether you can learn arithmetic by smell, why humans misjudge what other people want to talk about, why we forget so many of the things that we've learned, how come it's trendy to call the general public stupid and much more...

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Stephen Pressfield

The host discusses the concept of shadow careers from Stephen Pressfield's 'The War of Art,' emphasizing how people o…

Shane Parrish

The host discusses the impact of cognitive biases on decision-making and personal experiences, referencing Shane Parr…

Patrick Rothfuss

The host mentions 'The Name of the Wind' to illustrate the detailed storytelling style of Patrick Rothfuss, contrasti…

Brandon Sanderson

The host mentions Brandon Sanderson to highlight the contrast between prolific writers and their own struggles with w…

cognitive biases and mental models(1)shadow careers and fulfillment(1)writing process and creativity(1)writing process challenges(1)

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The conversation centers on cognitive biases and mental models.
A second recurring theme is shadow careers and fulfillment.
Referenced books include The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield and Mental Models by Shane Parrish.
The strongest audience signal points to Individuals seeking career fulfillment and self-actualization and Individuals interested in psychology and self-improvement.

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Deep Dive(2)Passing Reference(2)

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Individuals seeking career fulfillment and self-actualizationIndividuals interested in psychology and self-improvementaspiring writers and fans of fantasy literature

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Stephen Pressfield

Best for Individuals seeking career fulfillment and self-actualizationOften cited around shadow careers and fulfillment

“The concept of shadow careers from Stephen Pressfield's 'The War of Art' is discussed, highlighting how people can end up in careers that are tangential to their true passions.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: shadow careers and fulfillment

For: Individuals seeking career fulfillment and self-actualization

Key quote: “there's a concept from stephen pressfield's the war of art where he calls those shadow careers”

The host discusses the concept of shadow careers from Stephen Pressfield's 'The War of Art,' emphasizing how people often pursue careers that are tangential to their true passions. This leads to a sense of existential yearning and confusion about their true desires and fulfillment in life.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Shane Parrish

Best for Individuals interested in psychology and self-improvementOften cited around cognitive biases and mental models

“Shane Parrish wrote a book of great mental models to think by, which did very well and he is considered a super smart guy.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: cognitive biases and mental models

For: Individuals interested in psychology and self-improvement

Key quote: “A guy called Shane Parrish wrote a blog called fs.blog Farnham Street. And he wrote a book of great mental models to think by.”

The host discusses the impact of cognitive biases on decision-making and personal experiences, referencing Shane Parrish's book 'Mental Models' as a significant resource for understanding these concepts. They reflect on the limitations of merely knowing these biases without being able to change one's behavior effectively.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Patrick Rothfuss

Best for aspiring writers and fans of fantasy literatureOften cited around writing process and creativity

“The speaker references a specific scene in 'The Name of the Wind' where the author spends two full chapters describing a character's walk to work in great detail.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: writing process and creativity

For: aspiring writers and fans of fantasy literature

Key quote: “I remember once in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. He spends like two full chapters explaining this kid's walk to work.”

The host mentions 'The Name of the Wind' to illustrate the detailed storytelling style of Patrick Rothfuss, contrasting it with the need for efficiency in writing. This reference serves to highlight the challenges the host faces in balancing quality and productivity in their own writing endeavors.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Brandon Sanderson

Best for aspiring writers and fans of fantasy literatureOften cited around writing process challenges

“The speaker mentions Brandon Sanderson as a prolific fantasy author known for his high output of written content.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: writing process challenges

For: aspiring writers and fans of fantasy literature

Key quote: “I mean, do you know Brandon Sanderson? Have you heard of him?”

The host mentions Brandon Sanderson to highlight the contrast between prolific writers and their own struggles with writing. Sanderson's impressive output serves as a benchmark for the host's own writing journey.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

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The War of Art

Modern Wisdom · 22:46

there's a concept from stephen pressfield's the war of art where he calls those shadow careers

Mental Models

Modern Wisdom · 1:06:19

A guy called Shane Parrish wrote a blog called fs.blog Farnham Street. And he wrote a book of great mental models to think by.

The Name of the Wind

Modern Wisdom · 52:51

I remember once in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. He spends like two full chapters explaining this kid's walk to work.

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Mentioned at 22:46

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Stephen Pressfield

The host discusses the concept of shadow careers from Stephen Pressfield's 'The War of Art,' emphasizing how people often pursue careers that are t…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 1:06:19

Check price Jump to mention

Shane Parrish

The host discusses the impact of cognitive biases on decision-making and personal experiences, referencing Shane Parrish's book 'Mental Models' as…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 52:51