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The algorithm is a puppy
There are genuine world-class social media experts, enlightening you on vital subjects on a daily basis. Billionaires. Scientists. Entrepreneurs. Artists. Every morning, train the algorithm to throw at you precisely what you need for an extraordinary life.
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The algorithm is akin to a puppy you need to train. Constantly tell it no, I’m not interested in the grisly news article about a bar brawl, or what that congressman said, or the latest sports team controversy. Be curious, find the “Don’t show this type of post” and “Unfollow this person” options in each publication. Once you master this, click it consistently to aggressively combat the dull noise of the world.
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And —this is crucial— when you find a post that genuinely uplifts you personally/professionally, for the love of all things sacred, like it, comment on it, share it. This is the best way to tell the gods of bits and bytes, “I want a lot more of this, please.”
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The million distractions that the algorithm-puppy wants to constantly show you can be overwhelming. Stop being overwhelmed.
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Relax, I’m not going to tell you to stop using social media or to reduce its usage. I’m not some Tibetan monk who has this under control either. What I am going to insist on is that you learn to perfectly calibrate your online experience.
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Your digital consumption either propels you forward or hampers you every day. There is no middle ground. It either makes you a powerhouse or a pushover.
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Every piece of content social media offers on this tiny screen is a vote where you have the opportunity to design the life you want.
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There are amazing experts emptying their brains daily in these digital coordinates. One I learn from every day is Chamath Palihapitiya, a billionaire who rose literally from poverty in a struggling country, and you know the story, his parents migrated to the United States. He studied hard and made smart career moves. He was one of the creators of Winamp, later joined Facebook in its early years. There his engineering acumen led him to oversee many important projects. In that arena, Chamath coined the term “data scientist.” After resigning – already a millionaire due to his company shares – he ventured into the financial world, where he multiplied his fortune into billions. And today, he shares his strategies in text and audio, daily. Chamath is a superb person, the kind who doesn’t sugarcoat things and isn’t naturally likable due to his drastic and straightforward manner of expression. If you’re one of those people who needs their sensitivities unchallenged, my goodness, every opportunity will slip through your fingers like water. Stop wanting every potential mentor to be likable; focus on the power of their message. Likability is just a bonus. Chamath won me over the day I saw an interview of him at Stanford Business School explaining that the world is really controlled by a mere 150 people, and everything he does is aim at getting a seat at that table. Wow, hearing it from someone playing at the highest levels of the world’s financial game holds a completely different weight than hearing it from some frustrated conspiracy theorist.
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Another person I learn from is Sabine Hossenfelder, a world-class scientist constantly disseminating her work and others’. She has several books and a YouTube channel. I admire everything she does. Every day, she challenges ideas (not just in science) she considers incorrect (or that are, depending on whether the context is scientific or not). She shows me that being at the top of your profession doesn’t prevent you from interacting with the world daily, and she allows me to keep a finger on the pulse of what the scientific community accepts or rejects.
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Another person I learn a lot from is Kevin Kelly, an exquisite modern polymath. I’ve known about Kevin since the 90s, when he was the editor of Wired, the magazine that tells you years in advance what the world will see as normal in science and technology.
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Another person who comes to mind is Moritz Rudolf, a scholar expert on China who provides me daily context about what’s happening politically there. There’s no more important country in the world than China, and their decisions impact everyone in business and beyond. This intellectual analyzes the statements of China’s leaders, their meetings with other countries, and provides insights into the meaning of their speeches and so on.
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I’m not asking you to follow these people, or implying there aren’t others who could explain things better. What I am saying is, understand that you have a tailor-made university literally at your fingertips daily, where you can choose the best teachers from around the globe and dive into a variety of topics that can make you a more agile and visionary individual.
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Don’t ask me how to find them. Stop wanting everything handed to you on a silver platter – as we say in Mexico – and get used to being a savvy investigator who knows how to research quickly.
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Don’t ask me if I follow anyone in Spanish. Learn English – or ask ChatGPT to translate what these individuals publish, it does an excellent job. Yes, our Latin culture and language are beautiful, but life’s reality is, the world’s most important conversation happens in English, whether this bothers you or not. Immerse yourself in the language and culture that dominates the world.
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The only social media I use to be in the conversation is Twitter. You might argue that TikTok has great content, or Instagram, or Threads (please, don’t embarrass yourself), or Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. But the truth is, no, the professionals I’m talking about aren’t as active on those platforms as they are on Twitter.
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Don’t let these assertions upset you. If you see what I’m saying, great, explain it to others in the comments. If you can’t see it, analyze why before you go on the offensive against me.
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Once again: Every morning, train the algorithm to throw at you what’s best for an extraordinary life.
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Don’t let the puppy that is the algorithm overwhelm you with its inherent chaos.
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Maintain a 95% productivity, science, intellectuality, philosophy, art, technology, and business ratio in your timeline. Let the remaining 5% be average humor and news.
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See you there, in the conversation.
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—A.
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1 Reply
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Oh well TLDR.
Nice try gpt
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