Michael McNamara

Welcome to @atacostsubstack A writer’s notes on what every gain quietly takes from us. Progress always has a second dial. New essays twice a month. All free to read.

Household appliances were sold as labor-saving. They did save labor, but the freed time did not simply become leisure. Standards rose. New work arrived. I think AI may make the same trade. What will rush in to fill the hours it saves?

@drgurner Nor should we. Imagine being full all the time, and how much joy that would take from eating. Same goes for enjoyment. If you were always filled with joy, the next thing wouldn’t move the needle.

People say you have to "enjoy the process" of creating a successful business/career, but sometimes the "process" really sucks. It is hard, lonely, and requires a lot of sacrifice. There are good, energizing, amazing things too... But nowhere near "enjoying it all." Get real.

@RyanHoliday AND by being okay if it beats you and you take a lifelong lesson from it that you can take into the battle with hundreds of problems in the future

You can't beat a problem by debating it, only by deciding what you're going to do about it and then doing it.

@garyvee What’s funny is that people are really good at seeing how good life is for others but find it harder to appreciate their own

If there is anything I could wish on you, it would be the mindset and perspective of how good life really is.

@craigweiss Correct. Every part of the journey. The appreciation of that cold water isn’t as great if you just avoid the part of the trip where you walk through the dessert

ambition is not for those who can’t enjoy the journey

@readswithravi I would say the ability to not even see it as failure is an even bigger key. To see it as an inevitable, valuable part of the journey

The ability to bounce back quickly from failure is a key to success in life.

@theo_jil Agree with the philosophy but would change one word. They don’t ignore it. They actively see it and that’s why they don’t show up in those moments

The simplest thing most people ignore is showing up even when it’s boring.

@Codie_Sanchez And even if they can’t, someone else doing something at 90% your efficiency PLUS you doing another role at 100% efficiency will produce more out put than you doing the first job at 100%, but the second at 25%

One of the most expensive lies in business...

@garyvee Here’s the dilemma, in my opinion. Most of us have two conflicting ideologies. On one hand, self awareness is about your current self. But growth is literally about changing who you are. So, which master do you serve? You, now. Or who you MIGHT become

not everyone needs to be an entrepreneur... I want you to be self-aware to figure out what makes you happy and live that life.

@AlexHormozi Start AND continue when on day two, three, four are still the same. That part might be even harder than the starting cold part. Because the veil of delusion has been removed

Every successful person starts with: 0 revenue 0 subscribers 0 customers 0 fans And there only difference between them and everyone else is they actually start.

@Markmanson It also shouldn’t/can’t be permanent. And people shouldn’t want it to be Imagine how much joy you would lose if your stomach was full all the time. The joy of happiness comes from the lack of it beforehand

Happiness isn’t something you achieve. It’s something you notice.

@ItsNevaTooSoon This book I wrote, the genesis was I asked many people this question, and their answers were always much lower than I had anticipated

@atacostsubstack I'm a 10 as well.

At dinner, I asked a couple to imagine discovering that their partner had used AI to simulate an argument until it found the words that would change their partners mind. On a betrayal scale from 0 to 10, they said it was a 3. I said it was a 10. What number would you give it?

Why do all young people prefer back of house jobs to front facing, hospitality jobs nowaways? It used to be the complete opposite. Would love to hear some theories.

The Odyssey is getting fantastic reviews, but it is another Christopher Nolan movie that I have spent 25 years thinking about open.substack.com/pub/atacost/p/…

@DeeMacadoo I would feel much more betrayed by a spouse, assuming they did this without telling me and I only discovered it later. Its the exact scenario that opens up my upcoming book, and it led me down such an insane rabbit hole. I can't wait for more convos like this!

@atacostsubstack Interesting aspect to focus on. Some big firms do have in-house therapists or consultants but of course they are bound by confidentiality, ethics, etc...No such limitations on AI. Again, I'd have different views for a spouse versus a boss. Fundamentally different expectations...

If you found out that your boss simulated a conversation with you on AI, and used that simulation to find the best way to manipulate you into agreeing to work Saturday, how big of a betrayal would that be? Scale of 1-10.

@DeeMacadoo You are looking at it as a one time event. Here is where I would be concerned: The person can consult with AI at ANY time. So, I would never trust another interaction with them once they opened that door. Its unlikely they have access to the therapist 24/7

@atacostsubstack I suppose it comes down to whether it's the spouse or boss consulting any third-party that constitutes a betrayal or if it's consulting a non-human resource that constitutes a betrayal? Might be a different answer for a spouse versus an employee based on kind of info shared...

@DiscussingFilm Going to be hard to top Memento, but I am going in with an open mind

@DeeMacadoo That is a good question. Many have made this comparison (paid therapist vs AI) To me, there is a difference but I won’t spoil the why. Would like to hear your opinion

@atacostsubstack counter question: if the boss instead consulted an outside human expert to find the best way to get you to work on Saturday, would that be a betrayal?

@JonoBarnes Question: How could you even find your phone during that movie? It was so dark!

Hot take(?): The Batman wasn't that good. I mean it was fine. But I remember 2 hours into the movie looking at my phone and realizing the movie had another hour to go and I was like "sheesh". I shouldn't feel that way about a Batman movie. Fine movie, not great.