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Cutting off edutainment, reading better content

David Sherry
3 min read
Cutting off edutainment, reading better content

I'm addicted to macroeconomics.

I studied Econ in college, and while I honestly sucked in the classroom, I pay attention to global macro and finance the way that people get into sports teams.

While I like being informed at the surface level, the truth is I'm in the stands, not on the field.

My learnings do inform my personal investing at the margin.

That's where the trap actually comes in, my interest is marginally beneficial (beyond being enjoyable as entertainment!). I know a lot more about how the economy works, taxes, and investment vehicles because of it.

Still...I'm not a hedge fund manager :)  

Edutainment

It's incredibly easy to have our favorite "edutainment" addiction today.

Your phone will take you to endless content, queued up and ready to go. Airpods don't help either.

To define edutainment:

Edutainment is when you don't have skin in the game.

Edutainment is when you feel like you're learning, but really you're just re-reading the same ideas reinforced over and over again.

Edutainment is where you pretend to be a professional on the field, but really you're just in the stands.

There's nothing wrong with edutainment, it's part of why it's so amazing to be alive today. It's SO good that I'm saying we can be more conscious about our habits with it.

The problem is when edutainment consumes time you want to spend otherwise on something you feel is personally more fulfilling and important.

So, what's your favorite form of edutainment?

  • The news?
  • Politics?
  • Podcasts?
  • Snackable daily news emails?

Experiments in cutting off inputs

Like any addiction, we use edutainment to fill a hole or a void. We can't let ourselves have discomfort.

Addictions cover up what we don't want to face, feel, or work through.

So we reach for what's easy; another video, podcast, or TikTok.  

This is why space, boredom, and silence are powerful tools for self-improvement.

In a culture where there is an overabundance of media and information, removing inputs is a radical way to learn and grow.

What if less would help you over more?

This can work for any area we're trying to grow in. Notice what is filling your time that is not aligned with ultimately who you want to be, and see if you can drop that input for a time.

Set a rule for yourself, and design your life to make it easy to stick to that rule.

For me, I'm only allowed Edutainment while I work out, run errands, or on weekends.

Define all of the times when you will NOT reach for the input.

Now you can replace it with a different action.

Less but Better

I'm replacing those actions with better consumption, and better outputs.

Better to me looks like consuming longstanding works that stand the test of time.

  • I started reading The Count of Monte Cristo (50 hours long of reading).

Better to me looks like seeking out wisdom that is unrelated to the urgency of the now.

  • I started swapping today's macro news for Charlie Munger.

Better to me looks like writing and creating instead of reading and consuming.

  • I'm focusing on writing and recording when I feel the pull to consume.

Better to me looks like journaling my own thoughts, rather than scrolling a feed.

  • I'm using a journal app as a replacement for social media.

It might not be edutainment, but something else in your life that you want to replace with something better.

What would your life look like if you had 5-10 hours back?

What would you spend it on?

Cutting out inputs, habits, or addictions that are filling your time is a powerful way to change into someone new over time.

As always, let me know if I can help,

xx David

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