Calling All Rationalists: The US's Economic Gamble

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Analytics,

That's really interesting you've been reading Willink recently. I've actually been kicking around reading that book you just referenced because I've watched a load of his videos along with David Goggins. I went through a Scott Jurek phase, a Rich Roll phase, and prior to that a Dean Karnazes phase. I wouldn't expect anyone to know those names; I just drop them in case you have some time and want to get so inspired you run out your house and complete an ultramarathon on tofu and good vibes.

Anyway. What do you think is the 'culture problem' America has? That was a curious statement given in context to your post.

edit: I just ordered it. Thanks for being the thing that pushed me to do it.

- Doc

[_honorentheos]

Cam, I'd put Extreme Ownership solidly in the business category. There are interesting stories he shares in it but if you follow the Jocko podcast like I have the impression you do, it might be less impressive to you than it is as someone first coming to know Jocko and his ideas on life, training and leadership. It was my intro to him which impressed me but I'm not sure how it would read to me now.

ETA: that said, I reference it at work often still so there's that.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Cam, I'd put Extreme Ownership solidly in the business category. There are interesting stories he shares in it but if you follow the Jocko podcast like I have the impression you do, it might be less impressive to you than it is as someone first coming to know Jocko and his ideas on life, training and leadership. It was my intro to him which impressed me but I'm not sure how it would read to me now.

ETA: that said, I reference it at work often still so there's that.

Well. I ordered it through my local library. I stopped buying books because I want to support libraries; so no skin off my nose if I get bored with it and return it. Hopefully it's a fascinating read, regardless.

- Doc

[_honorentheos]

Most of it is formatted through juxtapositioning stories from Ramadi while leading task force bruiser with stories from corporate settings from his experience in consulting where a principle he is focusing on applies in a business setting. I'm sure it would be interesting, though you may have heard many of the stories on his podcast, too.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Most of it is formatted through juxtapositioning stories from Ramadi while leading task force bruiser with stories from corporate settings from his experience in consulting where a principle he is focusing on applies in a business setting. I'm sure it would be interesting, though you may have heard many of the stories on his podcast, too.

So, since you read it what was your personal takeaway and did it impact any of your behaviors or thinking processes?

- Doc

[_Analytics]

Analytics,

That's really interesting you've been reading Willink recently. I've actually been kicking around reading that book you just referenced because I've watched a load of his videos along with David Goggins. I went through a Scott Jurek phase, a Rich Roll phase, and prior to that a Dean Karnazes phase. I wouldn't expect anyone to know those names; I just drop them in case you have some time and want to get so inspired you run out your house and complete an ultramarathon on tofu and good vibes.

Anyway. What do you think is the 'culture problem' America has? That was a curious statement given in context to your post.

edit: I just ordered it. Thanks for being the thing that pushed me to do it.

- Doc

I think there are many facets to the culture problem. One of the big ones is a widespread sense of entitlement, which is, coincidently, the exact opposite of the "extreme ownership" mentality where you take full responsibility for everything around you. Too many Americans think the world owes them something, and when they don't get it they blame it on the Mexicans, Muslims, Liberals, the man, etc. And then, rather than dealing with their own issues, they go about complaining and hating and being bigots and throwing people in jail and sometimes even being violent.

That's just one example. There are many others, I don't claim to understand all of it.

But just making the point with a more extreme example, the economic problems in Afghanistan aren't driven by the lack of a "sensible economic system." They are driven by the local culture.

[Guest]

Most of it is formatted through juxtapositioning stories from Ramadi while leading task force bruiser with stories from corporate settings from his experience in consulting where a principle he is focusing on applies in a business setting. I'm sure it would be interesting, though you may have heard many of the stories on his podcast, too.

So, since you read it what was your personal takeaway and did it impact any of your behaviors or thinking processes?

- Doc

Before reading the book, I generally took an introspective approach to look at balancing positive and negative outcomes as both being opportunities to find ways to improve on the results and not getting sucked into blaming myself or others, or getting too caught up in the praise game either, that I developed in college. But I didn't really have an externalized way of approaching this that I actively used in the private sector. Honestly, I found teamwork much easier to foster swim in the river of a shared mission while in the military that I hadn't figured out how to really translate to my career exactly. Part of the reality of my profession (and I suspect most professions) is there are political factors that lead to very competitive, negative behaviors between peers, client-consultants, etc. I have a tendency to approach that from a stoic position of trying to be above it which can create it's own negative responses or be seen as "dickish" which I had to own. Reading the book helped me plan and implement better team-fostering approaches while acknowledging that I definitely had things to work on.

It wasn't the book that got me up early working out again, though. It was his podcast.

[_honorentheos]

I think there are many facets to the culture problem. One of the big ones is a widespread sense of entitlement, which is, coincidently, the exact opposite of the "extreme ownership" mentality where you take full responsibility for everything around you. Too many Americans think the world owes them something, and when they don't get it they blame it on the Mexicans, Muslims, Liberals, the man, etc. And then, rather than dealing with their own issues, they go about complaining and hating and being bigots and throwing people in jail and sometimes even being violent.

That's just one example. There are many others, I don't claim to understand all of it.

But just making the point with a more extreme example, the economic problems in Afghanistan aren't driven by the lack of a "sensible economic system." They are driven by the local culture.

That's an interesting perspective, Analytics. I have often felt that in the US we have the prerogative that growth at extreme levels is not just our right but that anything other than the extreme pursuit of growth is accepting failure. And this influences how we approach so many things culturally from business to the environment to how we spend our time or engage in hobbies. Social media is such a natural outcome where we can market our individual brand to everyone else while exchanging in the currency of likes.

If the late-soviet countries can be described as having been given capitalism and democracy with too little preparation like dancing bears sent to fend for themselves utterly underprepared (taking a cue from here), then I think we can also say there was very real fallout for the US from hyping capitalism the way the west did as a counter, too. We don't know how to be moderate about anything.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

EXTREME OWNERSHIP!



So, I'm about 100 pages into this book. It's a'ight, but for some reason I'm not sure his philosophy comes through effectively. Make no mistake, it's a good philosophy.

What is it?

Own all your actions. Own it.

Analyze what right looks like. Analyze what is working.

Own your mistakes. Own it.

Adjust fire on your behavior, your mental approach, and continue to fire and refine. Get better. Analyze. Ditch what's not working. Get better. Analyze. Own the battlefield/business vector/personal behavior.

Failure to do this will result in personal shortcoming, and professional disaster.

- Doc

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

On a personal note, one of the reasons why I'm actually headed back to the Appalachian trail in T-MINUS 37 DAYS I had been feeling sedentary and not-very-challenged for the last year or two. So, between healthy doses of reading and following:

David Groggins
Dean Karnazes
Scott Jurek
Jocko Willink (youtube videos mostly)
Joe Rogan (he has a really interesting podcast I recommend taking a look at)

and still having a healthy dose of reality from some of my former USASOC co-workers thanks to linkedin and Facebook it was inevitable I challenged myself. I realized at the turn of the new year I needed to make myself uncomfortable again and find that space where mindfulness meets testing yourself meets scaring yourself meets making some memories.

I need to take ownership over my time, my body, my mind, and my emotional state. So I'm headed outdoors and will get that tuneup I think I need.

- Doc