Reading List
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
This book is an absolute masterclass on self development and working well with others. The principles that Jocko teaches not only help us get more done, but the idea of extreme ownership is something that’s literally re-shaped our tiny idiot brains. Jocko is a legend (and we’re not just saying that because Liam used to work for him and is now legally required to go around promoting how much of a legend Jocko is, so get that out of your mind).
In the end, this book really comes down to “How to Be a Good Person”.
The Coddling of the American Mind
This book attempts to explain why things have felt so polarized between people in North America recently.
The authors set up 3 ideas that they call the “Great Untruths” - basically ideas that seem to have become prevalent lately but that make your life, and in turn everybody else’s life, worse.
- untruth of fragility - what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker
- untruth of emotional reasoning - always trust your feelings
- untruth of us vs. them - life is a battle between good and evil people
The 3 solutions they pitch are basically the opposite of the problems themselves.
- seek out challenges - stressors and challenges help us grow, learn, and adapt
- free yourself from cognitive distortions - detach, take a step back, look at the whole picture
- find nuance - take a generous view of other people, search for the nuance
Obviously they dive into how these ideas became mainstream, why they’re bad for societies, and more practical ways of implementing solutions. But it was a super good book overall.
We especially find that 3rd untruth (life is a battle between good and evil people) to be something that gets in the way of connection quite a bit, and searching for more nuance and reasons why people are they way that they are, is something we’re trying to explore in more videos.
The Village Effect
This book is a very scientific look at the real importance of in-person human connection. Susan unpacks a ton of research and studies that dive into the actual neuroscience of connection, and ultimately comes to the conclusion that “we are happier, healthier, and more resistant to disease and despair if we satisfy the need for meaningful human contact.” Yeah.. what she said. We couldn’t agree more.
She breaks down the dangers and health risks of loneliness, the real life benefits of having social support, and provides a good amount of practical tips on how to build and nurture a personal “village” of connections.
An absolutely awesome read, that I definitely learned a lot from. Good starting place for anyone interested in fostering more human connection.