A Few Good (Lateral) Thoughts #12
Quick little thoughts at the end of the week
If you haven’t had a chance to read it, here’s my most recent rant on a technique that might help you enjoy life more.
Also, since we’re doing bi-weekly newsletters, I thought it would be nice to add a lateral thinking exercises on the Friday one as well. Let me know if you think this is a good idea (replying with scathing remarks is encouraged).
A famous burglar that stole art worth millions of dollars over the course of more than a decade is seen by two law enforcement officers who clearly recognize him, however they simply pass him by and leave him be. What happened?
An answer, as usual, at the end.
Hope everyone had a wonderful week. Here are a few thoughts to let stew over the weekend:
The human brain loves making connections. It’s why we often create conspiracy theories or glorify people for their brilliant military/social/business strategy (since in retrospect, all the dots add up). Sometimes they turn out to be true, but most of the time it’s just fiction. If you’re on Twitter, you’ve involuntarily read at least a dozen theories on what Elon’s strategy is. Most of them plausible - some I believe as well. But part of me is asking: what if he’s just kinda bored and having fun with it? What if there’s no genius plan behind all of it? If I was in his shoes, this would be grade-A entertainment for myself.
You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. This is not a new theory, but it still stands true. In the context of remote work and impersonal jobs… where are we finding inspiration? Spend more time with people who get you excited about things.
Do more of what you want, not what others tell you. No link for this one - I’ve just seen a worrying trend of people doing something because their peers tell them to. Funny enough - their peers often don’t do the same thing, but virtue signaling is a thing and you’d be surprised how many people create a personality around it. Trust yourself more. Even if you’re wrong, it’s way better to fail living by your own principles. There’s rarely a lesson in situations where you can blame others for what happened.
Answer: the burglar is serving time in prison. The law enforcement officers were prison guards who were doing their daily rounds.
A lot of people are going to hate me for this one, but it’s a perfect example of lateral thinking.