Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 28

SPOS #949 – Stephanie Harrison On The New Happy

Welcome to episode #949 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #949. Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy and author of New Happy – Getting Happiness Right In A World That’s Got It Wrong, is flipping the happiness script. For years, we’ve been sold the idea that happiness comes from checking off the “big three” — wealth, fame, and power — and doing it all solo. But as Stephanie’s research shows, we’ve had it wrong. Real happiness? It’s not about the corner office or the number of zeroes in your bank account. It’s about something far more sustainable: helping others. In New Happy, Stephanie gets to the core of what’s holding us back from true fulfillment – those old myths that tell us we’re not good enough, that happiness is a prize only the elite get to win. Instead, she lays out a blueprint for living with purpose, using our unique talents to make a difference in the world. The best part? Her advice isn’t just feel-good fluff – it’s backed by a decade of research and wrapped up in beautifully designed illustrations that bring these life-changing concepts to light. Our conversation dives deep into why social media, for all its flaws, can still be a tool for connection – if we use it the right way. Stephanie’s insights on gratitude, personal gifts, and living authentically are spot on. She makes it clear: happiness isn’t a destination you reach by ticking off goals; it’s a byproduct of living in line with your values and making an impact on others. Stephanie’s message is refreshing, smart, and just the kind of advice leaders and individuals need these days. If you’ve ever wondered why happiness seems just out of reach, New Happy will show you a new way forward – one where you don’t have to sacrifice success to feel fulfilled. Enjoy the conversation… 

Running time: 1:01:22.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Stephanie Harrison.New Happy – Getting Happiness Right In A World That’s Got It Wrong.The New Happy.The New Happy Newsletter.New Happy Podcast.Follow Stephanie on Instagram.Follow Stephanie on YouTube.Follow Stephanie on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

00:00 – Redefining Happiness.04:33 – The Pursuit of Goals.08:04 – The Role of Social Media.12:52 – Navigating Feedback and Authenticity.15:37 – Creators and Viral Content.20:21 – Balancing Originality and Audience Expectations.22:46 – The Flawed Worldview.26:12 – The Challenge of Injustice.28:14 – The Grand Perspective of Humanity.33:25 – The Power of Gratitude.38:34 – Discovering and Cultivating Gifts.45:56 – Exploring New Paths.50:33 – The Importance of the Middle.53:45 – Balancing Autonomy and Connectedness.57:26 – Creating a Culture of Happiness.59:03 – Personal Transformation.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #949.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #742

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

The Internet Archive Just Lost Its Appeal Over Ebook Lending – Emma Roth – The Verge. “One of the most important sites on the internet flew too close to the sun, and it may prove its undoing. Bending the laws of lending libraries during Covid seemed a mercy, but publishers didn’t see it that way. As an author who sees illegal copies of his work everywhere, I have mixed feelings about this. Whatever the case, we need a record of the Web, and this decision may lead to a Great Unremembering. I know you know about this, but I feel like others should.” (Alistair for Hugh).
So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish – Mathew Ingram – Columbia Journalism Review . “Mathew Ingram has long been a chronicler of the Internet. From his early days founding Mesh, a tech conference in Toronto, to working with GigaOm and the Columbia Journalism Review, he’s been writing about tech and society – and finding fascinating content in strange corners – for nearly as long as I’ve been online. His time at CJR is at an end, and he wrote a wrap-up memoir that’s equal parts nostalgia and frustration.” (Alistair for Mitch). Abolish Grades – Yascha Mounk . “I spend a lot of my time thinking about education and learning, particularly the impacts AI will have on our approaches to teaching. I also have a couple of kids in early high school, and I puzzle about what to do when my thoughts on what good teaching should look like doesn’t mesh with what is being delivered in school. This is a different topic, but an interesting one as well, this problem of grade inflation (and student expectations) at elite colleges: In the 1950s, 30-40% of Harvard students made the Dean’s List. By the early 2000s, 92% of students did. What does the Dean’s List mean in this context? Nothing, so Harvard ditched the whole thing. Along with grade inflation, the amount of time students spend studying has dropped significantly; my guess is that at places like Harvard this has been replaced with any number of extra-curricular activities, clubs and committees and the like. I read one article that said something like: Higher Education is always going through a crisis. It’s got lots of them now.” (Hugh for Alistair). Station Eleven, 10 Years Later – Rebecca Onion – Slate . “I met writer Emily St. John Mandel once when I was more involved in book publishing, so I’ve always had a soft spot for her work. It helps that Station Eleven (about a traveling theatre troup after a deadly pandemic has killed off most of humanity) was so good. Even better that it came out five years before Covid. The HBO series based on the book tapped into every bit of fear we had with the real pandemic. Station Eleven was published ten years ago, and the author talks about what it was like to go from mostly-unknown literary writer to celebrated star in a few short years.” (Hugh for Mitch). Yuval Noah Harari: This Election Will Tear The Country Apart! AI Will Control You By 2034! – The Diary Of A CEO – YouTube . “I am not a fan of this clickbait headline, so please put that aside. What Yuval Noah Harari has to say is always important, smart and culturally awakening. ‘Immediate purchase’ are the two words I say to myself when he has a new book out. This week sees the release of his latest, Nexus – A Brief History Of Information Networks From The Stone Age To AI. I am only a few pages in, but feel myself as captivated by his work as I was when I read Sapiens, Homo Deus and 21 Lessons For The 21st Century. He’s an astounding thinker and his perspective on the current state of affairs – in particular artificial intelligence and the changing business landscape – should leave you in a deep state of reflection… because that’s exactly where I am right now… and loving it. In a world of hyperbole, hype and self-promotion, it’s nice to deep dive into a deep thinkers deep work.” (Mitch for Alistair).  How Should We Create Things? – Joshua Rothman – The New Yorker. “Apologies if you’re getting tired of my Brian Eno rabbithole, but this is another great article that is more about how we create and the creative process than anything else. It’s just a great read. For those who know, Brian Eno is not just a musician — he’s a master of creative flow, blending chaos and structure in a way that makes ‘making’ feel more like ‘growing.’ In Gary Hustwit’s new documentary Eno, we get a glimpse into his approach, one that values randomness, abstraction, and, most intriguingly, letting go of control. This review of the documentary isn’t about just another album or creative project – it’s about rethinking how we create altogether. The anecdote about Eno and David Bowie pulling opposing Oblique Strategy cards (Eno’s creation to help creatives get more create) – one telling Eno to ‘change nothing’ and Bowie to ‘destroy the most important thing’ – is a perfect metaphor for this friction and magic. Where most of us obsess over control and perfecting our craft, Eno invites us to embrace chance, unpredictability, and, yes, even failure. This new documentary doesn’t just shine a light on how Eno works, but on how we can rethink our own creative practices. Whether you’re a writer, entrepreneur, or artist, Eno’s philosophy of starting the process and letting it evolve holds massive appeal. Eno is about putting your art into motion and letting it grow beyond you – a lesson in loosening your grip and watching magic happen in a world where control and messaging is held so tightly.” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

From Brain Rot To Podcast Marathons

How is brain rot playing into politics?

It seems like Kamala Harris‘ presidential campaign is diving into a world where overstimulation is the name of the game.
And, what’s the hook?
Trying to reach that ever-distracted, always-scrolling audience by running content that mirrors one style of viral TikTok videos – a format sometimes affectionately called content sludge.
You know the kind, where one part of the screen shows your main content, and below, you’ve got something random like a satisfying video of art being created or someone playing a video game, just to keep your eyes entertained.

But here’s the big question:

Are we really catering to the audience, or just conceding defeat to short attention spans?
It’s not that the Harris campaign is poking fun at voters or assuming they have “brain rot.”

Nope, this is about adaptation.

The reality is, people consume content differently now, especially younger generations raised on bite-sized entertainment.
So, what do you do when you’re a politician trying to break through all the noise?
You meet them where they are – in a world where the more overstimulation, the better.

Still, it does feel a bit dystopian.

Is this where we’ve ended up?
Are we all so attention-starved that politicians have to pair their campaign messages with something else entirely, just to keep us watching?
Maybe the real fix isn’t in the marketing strategy but figuring out how we ended up here in the first place?
On the flip side, when we look at the Donald Trump campaign, they are leaning hard into long-form content.
Trump isn’t shy about hitting up multi-hour podcast marathons with Theo Von, Lex Fridman and Sean Ryan.

Is it all about brain rot, or can people handle deep dives too?

The truth is, audiences seem to toggle between both worlds.
As I always say: Everything is ‘with’ not ‘instead of’.
TikTok clips on one hand, three-hour podcasts on the other.

Does this mean we’re both distracted and engaged at the same time?

And here’s the kicker: Both tactics seem to work.
But are these two extremes pushing us to question whether we’re really connected with the messages we’re hearing – or just entertained by them?

This is what Elias Makos, and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · From Brain Rot To Podcast Marathons

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Scott Young On How To Get Better At Anything – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #948 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

Scott Young is the kind of person who doesn’t just ask, “How do I get better at this?” He asks, “How do we really learn anything?” That question led him on some fascinating paths – like the time he decided to tackle MIT’s computer science curriculum without ever setting foot in a classroom. No big deal, right? It’s this relentless curiosity that drives Scott’s work, and he’s made it his mission to break down the mystery behind learning and mastery. In this conversation, Scott digs into his latest book, Get Better at Anything – 12 Maxims for Mastery. This isn’t your standard “how-to” guide. Scott’s approach is both simple and profound: learning doesn’t have to feel like you’re banging your head against a wall. He argues that three things really matter when it comes to leveling up – seeing how others do it, putting in the right kind of practice, and getting feedback that’s actually useful. If you nail these three, progress follows. It’s that simple… but, of course, the devil is in the details. Scott’s no stranger to experimentation. From his MIT Challenge to learning four languages in a year during his Year Without English project, he’s someone who lives what he preaches. He’s constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible with learning, and his insights into how we can accelerate our progress – whether at work, in our personal lives, or even in the smallest tasks—are both practical and inspiring. We also touch on some big questions, like how AI might change the way we learn and work. Is AI the future of education? Scott’s got a way of making the complex simple, and our chat is packed with insights that make you rethink how you approach learning. If you’ve ever struggled to get better at something or wondered if there’s a more effective way to improve, Scott’s ideas are definitely worth hearing. Scott was on the show a few years back to dicuss his first book (which is another “must-read” titled, Ultralearning). Scott also has an amazing program with another one of my favorite thinkers, Cal Newport, titled Life Of Focus for you to check out. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #948 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #948 – Scott Young On How To Get Better At Anything

Welcome to episode #948 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #948. Scott Young is the kind of person who doesn’t just ask, “How do I get better at this?” He asks, “How do we really learn anything?” That question led him on some fascinating paths – like the time he decided to tackle MIT’s computer science curriculum without ever setting foot in a classroom. No big deal, right? It’s this relentless curiosity that drives Scott’s work, and he’s made it his mission to break down the mystery behind learning and mastery. In this conversation, Scott digs into his latest book, Get Better at Anything – 12 Maxims for Mastery. This isn’t your standard “how-to” guide. Scott’s approach is both simple and profound: learning doesn’t have to feel like you’re banging your head against a wall. He argues that three things really matter when it comes to leveling up – seeing how others do it, putting in the right kind of practice, and getting feedback that’s actually useful. If you nail these three, progress follows. It’s that simple… but, of course, the devil is in the details. Scott’s no stranger to experimentation. From his MIT Challenge to learning four languages in a year during his Year Without English project, he’s someone who lives what he preaches. He’s constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible with learning, and his insights into how we can accelerate our progress – whether at work, in our personal lives, or even in the smallest tasks—are both practical and inspiring. We also touch on some big questions, like how AI might change the way we learn and work. Is AI the future of education? Scott’s got a way of making the complex simple, and our chat is packed with insights that make you rethink how you approach learning. If you’ve ever struggled to get better at something or wondered if there’s a more effective way to improve, Scott’s ideas are definitely worth hearing. Scott was on the show a few years back to dicuss his first book (which is another “must-read” titled, Ultralearning). Scott also has an amazing program with another one of my favorite thinkers, Cal Newport, titled Life Of Focus for you to check out. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:08:40.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Scott Young.Get Better at Anything – 12 Maxims for Mastery.Ultralearning.Life Of Focus.Follow Scott on Instagram.Follow Scott on X.Follow Scott on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction.00:24 – The Mystery of Learning.08:31 – The System and Agency.23:16 – The Tension Between Competence and Learning.27:14 – The Future of Learning: Human-AI Collaboration.33:00 – The Unpredictable Future of AI and Work.34:41 – Challenging Beliefs and Embracing Growth.44:32 – The Power of Practice, Feedback, and Observation.55:04 – Books: Concentrated Intellectual Force.01:06:45 – Creating a Learning Culture in Organizations.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #948.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #741

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Moscow’s Spies Were Stealing US Tech — Until The FBI Started A Sabotage Campaign – Politco. “Some of the most damaging security hacks involve a compromised supply chain. Why infect a single company when you can attack the tool on which thousands of firms rely? You may be familiar with SolarWinds, and the more recent, narrowly avoided, Xz hack. But governments have been messing with supply chains for a long time. This is a great example of Cold War skullduggery.” (Alistair for Hugh). Cartoon Network’s Website Was Deleted. That Should Scare You All – Slate . “Cartoon Network‘s parent company made around $10 billion, but declared a loss as it wrote off nearly $10 billion in value from its cable channels. And if you need any stronger sign of the death of traditional TV, look at Cartoon Network. It was a cable channel that embraced the Web, putting a ton of content online. Now that’s reversed, with online being the moneymaker, all of that’s behind a paywall. The Internet was supposed to free us from the tyranny of set-top boxes, but a decade later, we’re all subscribing to multiple streaming networks. And unlike the old days of ownership, now we pay a license. I have a rant somewhere about how capitalism was supposed to be about paying for productivity, but feudalism is rent-taking. And online content is increasingly feudalistic. Goodbye to a 26-year old website that pioneered online content, and in many ways, heralds a darker era where human creativity can be erased from our collective consciousness.” (Alistair for Mitch). When Hitchens Was Good – Commonweal . “The most amazing thing about this article (nominally about Christopher Hitchens) is the list of things that are different today compared to 2011, when writer Christopher Hitchens died.” (Hugh for Alistair). Pete Holmes Returns: Working It Weird – Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out . “I’ve been on a huge stand-up comedy kick lately, with tons of stuff on Netflix and Apple Music and YouTube. One of my favourite comedians is Mike Birbiglia, and I just discovered his podcast, which has a particular premise: Working through unfinished comedy bits. It’s also about craft and art and storytelling. Listening to practitioners talk about building compelling stories, what works and what doesn’t and why, is a joy. You could listen to any of the episodes, but this happened to be the first one that I listened to.” (Hugh for Mitch). Eric Weinstein – Are We On The Brink Of A Revolution? – Chris Williamson . “Stop me if you’re tired of my fan-boy love for Eric Weinstein. I heard the term ‘brain crush’ long before I ever fell into the content of Eric Weinstein, but I can’t find a better way to define my affection for how Eric thinks and how he so eloquently communicates it publicly. Like anything, he’s not for everyone and it will take a certain kind of human to wade through this 3.5 hour conversation that traipses through big questions about the self, how we think, how we act, and why we do the things that we do (there’s also a ton of concepts that my simple brain can’t comprehend when it comes to physics, math and fourth dimensions). If you dig into Eric’s life there are detractors and controversy… but don’t let your opinion or any of that get in way of helping you to grow. When Eric talks, I find myself filling notebook pages with concepts, books, songs, and even turn of phrases that will make me better… smarter… sharper. Kudos to Chris Williamson for having Eric on his show so frequently and for the back and forth that sparks these thoughts. It’s awe-inspiring to get this glimpse into such a beautiful mind…” (Mitch for Alistair). Bret Weinstein – Joe Rogan Experience #2198 – YouTube . “Eric Weinstein’s brother is Bret (smart smart family). He pulls his own weight too. Perhaps a touch more controversial (Google him and find out). So, in a week that saw me excited about Eric’s appearance on Chris Williamson’s podcast (see my last week), I was thrilled to see that his brother was on Joe Rogan’s show. This one is also 3-plus hours of conversation… and Bret (an evolutionary biologist, podcaster and academic) takes on some super controversial topics in this conversation. If you know nothing about The Intellectual Dark Web, you should rabbithole there… and then try this on… as uncomfortable as it might be. Let me also be clear: Joe Rogan is a very well-read, hyper curious and super intellectual human… don’t let the online trolls fool you into thinking otherwise.” (Mitch for Hugh). 

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Brian Wright On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

“Wait… did I miss something? Why is there an article about a bass podcast on Six Pixels of Separation?”

Here’s why:
In the late nineties my first job was as a music journalist (actually, my first interview was with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue right before the band released Dr. Feelgood).
I spent many years interviewing musicians and artists for local weekly alternative newspapers, national and international magazines (and even published three music magazines – before we had the Internet).
I also studied and played the electric bass (in high school and post-secondary) and always felt like bass players never really had a chance to tell their stories.
So, about ten years ago, Seth Godin introduced me to Corey Brown (founder of No Treble – one of the world’s biggest bass platforms – and he also worked on Squidoo with Seth).
From there, Corey and I decided to try this monthly podcast where I would interview bass players and talk about their music, art, creativity and more.
I’m hopeful that these conversations will inspire your work, creativity and innovation as much as they do for me…

Brian Wright (author of The Bastard Instrument) is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #117 – Brian Wright.

Groove – Episode #117: Brian Wright by No Treble

Brian F. Wright, an Assistant Professor of Music History at the University of North Texas, has a unique passion for American popular music, especially when it comes to the electric bass. His brilliant new book, The Bastard Instrument – A Cultural History of the Electric Bass, dives deep into the story of our instrument and the players who made it essential to the sound of jazz, rock, R&B, and beyond. During our conversation, Brian talked about the journey that led him to write this book – a journey that took twelve years and a ton of research. This book sheds light on the bassists who helped shape popular music but rarely got the recognition they deserved (a similar mission to our podcast). Brian uncovered some surprising facts along the way, and it turns out, the history of the bass is full of these kinds of stories – details that have been overlooked or misunderstood for years. Leo Fender, the man behind the iconic Fender Precision Bass, is a big part of the story. While Fender is often celebrated for his work on guitars, Brian’s book shows how his innovations in bass design were just as groundbreaking. The Precision Bass and the Bassman amplifier helped give the bass its own voice, allowing it to be heard clearly in live performances and recordings, and setting the stage for the bass to become a lead instrument, especially during the psychedelic era of the 1960s and 70s. Brian also talks about how different regions influenced the development of the bass. In the UK, where import restrictions made it hard to get American instruments, German manufacturers stepped in. This led to a unique scene where early bass players, many of whom started out in skiffle bands, helped pave the way for legendary groups like The Beatles and Pink Floyd. The book also covers the evolution of bass playing techniques – from thumbing and two-fingers to picking and slapping. Brian points out how versatile the bass is and how it plays a crucial role in shaping the feel of a song, no matter the genre. While The Bastard Instrument focuses on the early years of the electric bass, there’s still so much more to explore. He’s particularly interested in the contributions of women bass players, whose stories are just beginning to be told. In The Bastard Instrument, Brian has done more than just write a book – he’s filled a huge gap in music history. By shining a light on the electric bass and the musicians who played it, he’s giving our players the credit they deserve and showing how this “bastard instrument” became a cornerstone of popular music. I loved this discussion… I know that you will too. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in:  Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #117 – Brian Wright

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends). 

Chaos Theory – Brazil’s Supreme Court Takes on X

It’s the age-old question: Who gets to call the shots on free speech?

In one corner, we have Brazil’s Supreme Court, flexing its democratic muscles.
In the other corner, X (and Elon Musk) who seems to think that the internet should be a free speech frontier.

So, here’s the situation…

Brazil is gearing up for municipal elections, and the Supreme Court says certain posts on X are harmful to democratic institutions.
Their solution?
Block the platform.
X’s response?
A big shrug and a refusal to suspend the accounts in question.
And now, we have a full-on standoff.

The real question here is:

Who gets to decide what free speech actually means?
Is it the government, protecting democracy?
Or a platform like X, clinging to an ideal of “open discourse” (while it monetizes your rage-scroll)?
From X’s side, they’re all about letting people say what they want – within reason, of course (let’s not forget that we already laws in place about what you can and can’t say).
The idea is that free speech is a fundamental right, and even if some opinions are, well, a bit out there, they still deserve a platform.
But Brazil’s Supreme Court?
They’re not having it.
They’re worried about disinformation swaying elections and democracy itself being hacked by trolls.
For them, it’s about drawing a hard line.

If you let things spiral, chaos isn’t far behind.

They see certain posts as a threat to the fabric of the political system, and honestly, can we blame them for being a little twitchy about election meddling?

Here’s the catch:

Both sides think they’re protecting something sacred.

Power.

Can a government (in this case, Brazil) force a global platform like X to bend to its will?
Or can X just say, “Nah, we’ll pass,” and keep doing its thing?
Social platforms are no stranger to run-ins with governments.
But this case feels different.
Brazil’s not asking politely anymore.
Meanwhile, X seems to be daring the government to take it down.

And who suffers?

The users.
Because if you’re in Brazil right now and you rely on X for your daily dose of… anything, it’s lights out.
This move to block the platform isn’t just a crackdown on trolls – it’s a blow to everyday conversations, too.

But there’s another angle: 

Maybe Brazil’s right.
Maybe letting disinformation run wild can have serious consequences.
Maybe there’s a good reason to rein in certain content, especially when elections are at stake.
If platforms don’t take this stuff seriously, aren’t they complicit?

So, who decides?

It’s complicated.
On one hand, Brazil’s Supreme Court has a duty to protect its democracy.
On the other hand, X exists on a global scale – if every country starts demanding control over what’s posted, doesn’t that erode the very idea of free expression?

What if there’s a third way?

What if these platforms found a middle ground – where speech is free, but dangerous misinformation is kept in check?
… Or maybe that’s just a pipe dream.
For now, it looks like Brazil and X are stuck in their corners, and the rest of us are left watching to see who blinks first.

Until then, keep an eye on your feeds… unless you’re in Brazil, of course.

This is what Elias Makos, and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Chaos Theory – Brazil’s Supreme Court Takes on X

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

John Mackey On Whole Foods – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #947 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

John Mackey, co-founder of Whole Foods Market and its CEO for 44 years, is no stranger to transforming industries. With his new memoir, The Whole Story, John takes readers on an intimate journey through the rise of an iconic company that didn’t just succeed in business but sparked a retail and dietary revolution. Whole Foods Market began as a small, idealistic endeavor in Austin, Texas, and under John’s leadership, it grew into a $22 billion-a-year behemoth that forever changed the way we think about food. But The Whole Story isn’t just about business – it’s a candid exploration of John’s personal and spiritual journey, from his early days immersed in counterculture to his evolution into a champion of Conscious Capitalism. In our conversation, John reflects on the pivotal moments that defined his career and the cultural impact of Whole Foods. He shares how the company challenged the norms of the food industry by prioritizing quality, natural, and organic products long before they were mainstream. But he also opens up about the missteps, the near-disasters, and the lessons learned along the way. We discuss the acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon, a move that John describes as the best solution to the challenges his company faced, and the importance of embracing competition and continuous learning. Throughout, John’s dedication to improving health and advocating for conscious business practices shines through, as does his belief in the power of open-mindedness and adaptability. John offers more than just a behind-the-scenes look at Whole Foods – it’s a thoughtful reflection on his spiritual and philosophical growth, from New Age mysticism to life-changing experiences with psychedelics, and how these influences shaped his approach to business and life. For those who admire Whole Foods and its mission, this show provides a deeper understanding of the man behind the brand and the values that drove its success. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a foodie, or someone interested in the intersection of business and personal growth, John’s story is inspiring and thought-provoking. And it doesn’t end… he is currently deep into his next venture, Love.Life. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #947 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #947 – John Mackey On Whole Foods

Welcome to episode #947 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #947. John Mackey, co-founder of Whole Foods Market and its CEO for 44 years, is no stranger to transforming industries. With his new memoir, The Whole Story, John takes readers on an intimate journey through the rise of an iconic company that didn’t just succeed in business but sparked a retail and dietary revolution. Whole Foods Market began as a small, idealistic endeavor in Austin, Texas, and under John’s leadership, it grew into a $22 billion-a-year behemoth that forever changed the way we think about food. But The Whole Story isn’t just about business – it’s a candid exploration of John’s personal and spiritual journey, from his early days immersed in counterculture to his evolution into a champion of Conscious Capitalism. In our conversation, John reflects on the pivotal moments that defined his career and the cultural impact of Whole Foods. He shares how the company challenged the norms of the food industry by prioritizing quality, natural, and organic products long before they were mainstream. But he also opens up about the missteps, the near-disasters, and the lessons learned along the way. We discuss the acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon, a move that John describes as the best solution to the challenges his company faced, and the importance of embracing competition and continuous learning. Throughout, John’s dedication to improving health and advocating for conscious business practices shines through, as does his belief in the power of open-mindedness and adaptability. John offers more than just a behind-the-scenes look at Whole Foods – it’s a thoughtful reflection on his spiritual and philosophical growth, from New Age mysticism to life-changing experiences with psychedelics, and how these influences shaped his approach to business and life. For those who admire Whole Foods and its mission, this show provides a deeper understanding of the man behind the brand and the values that drove its success. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a foodie, or someone interested in the intersection of business and personal growth, John’s story is inspiring and thought-provoking. And it doesn’t end… he is currently deep into his next venture, Love.Life. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:00:08.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with John Mackey.The Whole Story.Love.Life.Whole Foods Market.Conscious Capitalism.Sign up to John’s newsletter, Higher Ground.Follow John on Instagram.Follow John on X.Follow John on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: John Mackey and his memoir.02:00 – Reflecting on Whole Foods’ journey.04:42 – The growth of Whole Foods Market.08:40 – Changing the food and supermarket industry.13:20 – Conscious capitalism and creating positive change.25:42 – The energy of entrepreneurship and passing the torch.27:54 – The current state of the world and progress.29:57 – Putting Wealth Inequality and Progress into Context.37:44 – The Acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon: A Win-Win-Win Solution.53:53 – Competition and Continuous Improvement.59:03 – The Importance of Flexibility and Open-Mindedness.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #947.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.