This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans (Create a Strategy to Elevate Your Career, Community & Life)

by Seth Godin

Tim Wu made it crystal clear that once we have enough to survive, we go looking for convenience. People will trade almost anything once they’re offered an option that enhances laziness or seems to multiply free time. And this helps us see that what most people in most systems want is reassurance. Freedom from fear. Knowing that they’re going to be okay, and that tomorrow will be okay too. As people report feelings of alienation and loneliness, it seems as though the shortage of nurturing community is getting worse, despite the extraordinary amount of time we spend online, supposedly in connection with others. One reason is that people also crave celebrity. The myth of the influencer, the loneliness of the overlooked, the desire for connection and meaning… they all end up pushing people to share their ideas and their lives. Most of these desires, particularly status, are insatiable. When the system rewards and encourages our desires, we often come back for even more. If you want to make a large impact, harnessing an insatiable desire is the method. Status, safety, affiliation, and curiosity are universal and always interacting, as people around the world seek success and hope for solace.