More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Paul Millerd
Read between
July 22 - July 28, 2022
The pathless path is an alternative to the default path. It is an embrace of uncertainty and discomfort. It’s a call to adventure in a world that tells us to conform. For me, it’s also a gentle reminder to laugh when things feel out of control and trusting that an uncertain future is not a problem to be solved.
This is the trap of prestigious career paths. Instead of thinking about what you want to do with your life, you default to the options most admired by your peers.
In describing the power of the inner ring, C.S. Lewis warns that, ”unless you take measures to prevent it, this desire is going to be one of the chief motives of your life, from the first day on which you enter your profession until the day when you are too old to care.” He believed “any other kind of life, if you lead it, will be the result of conscious and continuous effort.”
The philosopher Andrew Taggart believes that crisis moments lead to “existential openings” that force us to grapple with the deepest questions about life.16 He argues there are two typical ways this happens. One is the “way of loss,” when things that matter are taken from us, such as loved ones, our health, or a job. The other path is the “way of wonderment,” when we are faced with moments of undeniable awe and inspiration.
Weber’s view, a “traditionalist” view of work is one where people work as much as they need to maintain their current lifestyle, and once that aim is achieved, they stop working.
The ultimate way you and I get lucky is if you have some success early in life, you get to find out early it doesn’t mean anything. – David Foster Wallace
“How are you complicit in creating the conditions you say you don’t want?”
This kind of approach, focused not on being brave, but instead on eliminating risk, is common for people who take unconventional paths.
Callard defines aspiration as the slow process of “trying on the values that we hope one day to possess.”69 This is in contrast to an ambitious journey where we already know what we value.
The secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours. — Amos Tversky
On the pathless path, the goal is not to find a job, make money, build a business, or achieve any other metric. It’s to actively and consciously search for the work that you want to keep doing. This is one of the most important secrets of the pathless path. With this approach, it doesn’t make sense to chase any financial opportunity if you can’t be sure that you will like the work. What does make sense is experimenting with different kinds of work, and once you find something worth doing, working backward to build a life around being able to keep doing it.
First, question the default.
Second, reflect.
Third, figure out what you have to offer.
Fourth, pause and disconnect.
Fifth, go make a friend.
Sixth, go make something.
Seventh, give generously.
Eighth, experiment.
Ninth, commit.
Finally, be patient.
