Humans are the most advanced species on earth because of their ability to share knowledge and learn from each other. For example, someone has to drill for oil and make plastic before a computer mouse can be made. However, no one person could build a computer mouse from scratch. This shows that humans have more power as a group than any individual alone.

The Rise of Collective Intelligence

Our cultural evolution began with cooking. Cooked foods are higher in calories and require less chewing than raw foods. In less time, more nutritious food could be shared by more people due to cooking. It also led to the early specialization of labor: women gathered grains, while men hunted large animals. With this increase in nutrition and the surplus created by cooking, trade began in ancient times.

It Started With Cooking

Over the past 10,000 years, life expectancy has increased and infant mortality has decreased. People are healthier now than they were in the past. They have more food options and can afford to buy everyday items that are much cheaper than they used to be. Life has improved drastically over time—in 1800 England, life expectancy was only 40 years old! Today’s society is much safer than what it used to be a hundred years ago. Nowadays you can get almost anything you want at any time of day—foods that kings could only dream about are available on every street corner!

How Far We Have Come

Although the world has become a better place, it’s not necessarily making people happier. People in developing nations are doing better than those in developed ones were 50 years ago. However, they’re still not satisfied with their lives and want more things like electronics and cars. One reason for this is that although most Americans have all of these things already, they still want more because other people have even nicer stuff than them. Happiness comes from social justice and political freedom as well as prosperity.

A Rising Tide Lifts the Poor’s Boat, Too

The miracles of globalization are clear to consumers. Consumers can purchase products from all around the world, and they have access to a wide variety of goods and services. This is possible because people specialize in doing one thing well, so that they can trade their goods with others who do other things well. Most workers only make one small item or provide one service, which allows them to buy many different kinds of items made by thousands of other people.

A Global Market

People’s lives are easier now than ever before because they don’t need to spend every hour providing for themselves; instead, they rely on the labor of others thanks to transportation and logistics.The division of labor began thousands of years ago after cooking with fire became commonplace; men hunted while women gathered food for the family.

Enjoying The Labour Of Others

Human interactions among strangers were often violent long before trade-based societies emerged, and war over limited resources was relatively common. Things changed, however, as we lived in larger groups and traded with outsiders. Trust developed between us, which propelled humanity forward.Developing trust is dependent on exchange, a uniquely human attribute. Through exchange, people began to realize that cooperating with strangers was in their own self-interest.

From Fighting To Bargaining

The threat of overpopulation was real, but technological advances over the past few centuries have put an end to it. <ul><li>First, internal combustion engines replaced draught animals that required extra land for grazing. There was an instant shift from grazing to farming. </li><li>Secondly, the invention of fertilizer in the early 1900s increased soil productivity, enabling more food to be produced on a smaller area of land.</li></ul>

Tackling Overpopulation

Around 7,000 years ago, cities appeared along trade routes in Mesopotamia, where goods were exchanged from around the world. Wine, metals, olive oil, wheat and wool, as well as other goods they could not source locally, were traded through these routes. The products made from these goods and the demand for them in the cities facilitated the first merchants and professional traders. Rather than living off the land, people were able to make an income through trade for the first time in history.

The Start Of Modern Trade

Innovations have continued to be sparked by cities throughout history. As London developed more inventions than any other city in 1800, the world marveled. It is not that Londoners were smarter than everyone else, but rather that the city was drawing talent from around the world. Inventors knew they could mix their ideas with the important ideas of others in London. Historically, cities have been centres of incubation and diffusion of ideas. Education increased as fresh ideas from around the world cross pollinated.

Innovation And The City

The discovery of fossil fuels such as coal led to the greatest improvement in energy efficiency. In the late 1900s, these fuels accounted for 85% of the world’s energy use. Suddenly, slavery and animal labor became unprofitable because fossil fuels were so efficient. Everyone’s income and standard of living rose as a result of the use of fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels

We can prevent climate change altogether. Even if environmentalists try to reduce carbon emissions by force, natural reductions are occurring nonetheless. Technologies are continuously improved to reduce carbon emissions. As the ratio of carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms decreased dramatically as humans moved from wood to coal, oil, and gas for energy. By 1935, only 50% of all combustion used to make energy was based on carbon atoms. By 2070, most carbon atoms will have been removed from the energy system due to innovation.

Handling Climate Change Together

Untold numbers of strangers share photographs, advice, recipes, donations, and even medical records online, 24 hours a day. The simple act of sharing benefits others and contributes to a vast knowledge network in ways that cannot be underestimated.The Internet has transformed the Internet into a global city in which almost everyone on the planet can freely share knowledge, despite the fact that we all live separate lives in different parts of the world.Because the Internet specializes in one thing: exchange, a massive cultural revolution is underway.

The Internet And The Cross Pollination Of Ideas

By sharing ideas, they grow and thrive. Since the 1800s, we have increased living standards as a result of the accumulation of collective knowledge.As more people gain an understanding of a bicycle, for instance, they will find new ways to use it and develop new technology based on it. <ul><li>Our ability to share ideas more efficiently raises the bar for all of humanity.</li><li>Often, we do not realize how good our ideas are until they are shared.</li></ul>

Sharing Of Ideas

A positive look at how far we have come, and how much good we can do, together.

For two hundred years the pessimists have dominated public discourse, insisting that things will soon be getting much worse. But in fact, life is getting better—and at an accelerating rate. Food availability, income, and life span are up; disease, child mortality, and violence are down all across the globe. Africa is following Asia out of poverty; the Internet, the mobile phone, and container shipping are enriching people's lives as never before. In his bold and bracing exploration into how human culture evolves positively through exchange and specialization, bestselling author Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. An astute, refreshing, and revelatory work that covers the entire sweep of human history—from the Stone Age to the Internet—The Rational Optimist will change your way of thinking about the world for the better.

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

books

Books

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

The Rational Optimist

It may seem counterintuitive, but spontaneity often can’t happen without a bit of advanced planning.In a 2020 study, 72% of people said they feel happier after a spontaneous act. Those who described themselves as a “spontaneous person” were 40% more likely to consider themselves a “happy person.”Of course, free time for spontaneity is hard to come by.

Planning To Do Nothing

The key to spontaneity is <a href="https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing/">timeboxing</a>, a powerful method for getting things done that involves planning out periods of time each day to focus on distinct tasks.Suggesting that people need to schedule spontaneity can seem contradictory and weird. But there are a few reasons that make timeboxing a surefire way to make spontaneity happen.

Timeboxing

People find the idea of timeboxing restrictive as if it’s policing their time. But the truth is, that timeboxing is liberating because it makes more time for spontaneity.When we’re frazzled and distracted, the joy of spontaneity goes out the window.If we don’t plan our time, someone else will. Scheduling spontaneity doesn’t lessen the joy of spontaneity; it enables it. You still have the freedom to do whatever strikes you in the moment — even more so because you know that’s exactly what you intended to do.

Only People with Time Can Be Spontaneous

To create a weekly timeboxed schedule, you first have to decide how much time you want to spend on each domain of your life—yourself, your important relationships, and your work—according to your values.Your <a href="https://www.nirandfar.com/common-values/">values</a> are the attributes of the person you want to become. Kindness, generosity, and being a good friend are all values, to name a few.Allot a time for spontaneity in your timeboxed calendar. Each week you can reassess or fine-tune your calendar to best suit your values.

Get Started with Timeboxing

Making a timeboxed calendar is an important step to becoming Indistractable.When you know exactly what you want to be doing every moment of the day, then you more easily recognize when distraction is pulling you away from that.Then, rather than fall victim to the vicious cycle of distraction that eats up your time for spontaneity, you’re better equipped to escape it. You can quell any internal or external trigger that nudges you off course from your timeboxed calendar.By making time for spontaneity, you enhance your ability to focus on work.

Be Indistractable

It seems counterintuitive, but spontaneity can’t happen without some advanced planning. Here's how to unleash your spontaneity.

problemsolving

Problem Solving

timemanagement

Time Management

Planning Ahead Is the Key to Living With More Spontaneity

Even though many organisations have now transitioned back to a phased or hybrid return to the office, the unknowns surrounding the pandemic has prompted a return to working from home.
Given this trend, leaders must ensure that their employees are once again set up for remote working. Employers are likely to want to continue making the most of the advantages of this working format, which will mean that leadership figures will need to carefully manage productivity and encourage continued communication.

Resurgence in Remote Working

80% of employees want inclusive companies, and almost half of respondents believed that their company needed to improve diversity, race and gender equality. This tells us that every industry leader must strive to familiarise themselves with diversity-related issues in order to create a truly inclusionary working environment.
These issues are now at the top of the agenda – both internally and externally – so we can expect to see leaders working towards a more inclusive working environment in 2022.

Improved Diversity & Equality

Due to extenuating circumstances, such as the pandemic, many industries are reporting considerable skills gaps. For example, there are thought to be skills gaps in up to 70% of the technology industry, and many other industries are finding similar gulfs in appropriately trained workers.
To address this, business leaders must understand where gaps exist in their own organisation and look to develop their employees to fulfil specific skills gaps.

Addressing Skills Gaps

Organisations are failing to develop middle-management to eventually take on C-Suite(senior and executive level) positions. In 2022, businesses must roll out strategies designed to equip middle-management with the skills they need to lead and therefore be considered for roles within the C-Suite.
Crucially, this training must focus on training leaders for the here-and-now, as well as those that are able to develop empathy and an emotional connection with their teams.

Developing Successors

While employees and management may be open to the idea of change in the working environment, implementing large-scale changes can create further issues with change fatigue – particularly prevalent given what we’ve experienced these past few years. If this is the case, then working to reinforce change management should certainly be on your list of priorities for 2022.
Leaders must prioritise the way they manage organisational change since it is likely that almost two years of upheaval in the workplace has greatly contributed to fatigue and burnout.

Managing Change Fatigue

In 2022, employers will need to review their hiring policies to ensure they’re finding those with high ceilings when it comes to their potential.
Hiring new talent has always been a lottery, and that won’t change. However, as a consequence of these changes in the employment market, the penalties for hiring the wrong person could mean that you miss out on that one person that your organisation craves.

Finding the Diamond in the Rough

There was once a time when employees clocked in and clocked out; no questions asked. But these days employees care far more than just their salary. While, clearly, wages are a key pointer for employees to remain with a business, they are now just as concerned about the environment they are being asked to work.
In 2022, businesses must find new ways to bolster the overall health and wellbeing of their employees – this could mean anything from offering perks to preparing them to take the next step in their careers.

Employment Benefits

Employees are also keen to know that their health and welfare is taken seriously; this means everything from ensuring correct health protocols to ensuring that mental fatigue and burnout are addressed quickly and correctly.
Now that remote working continues to look increasingly likely heading into 2022, it’s crucial that organisations rally in order to create a healthy working culture. And for those that must continue with a hybrid working approach, safety must be taken very seriously.

Creating a Healthy Atmosphere in 2022

In this story, we’ll be exploring 7 of the issues that may face business leaders in 2022 and how best they can manage them.

corporateculture

Corporate Culture

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

7 Leadership Issues Managers Face in 2022

At Netflix, running A/B tests, where possible, allows us to substantiate causality and confidently make changes to the product knowing that our members have voted for them with their actions.An A/B test starts with an idea — some change we can make to the UI, the personalization systems that help members find content, the signup flow for new members, or any other part of the Netflix experience that we believe will produce a positive result for our members.

Running controlled experiments: A/B Testing

To run the experiment, we take a subset of our members, usually a simple random sample, and then use random assignment to evenly split that sample into two groups. Group “A,” often called the “control group,” continues to receive the base Netflix UI experience, while Group “B,” often called the “treatment group”, receives a different experience, based on a specific hypothesis about improving the member experience (more on those hypotheses below). Here, Group B receives the Upside Down box art.

A/B Testing on Netflix: Upside Down Boxes

With many experiments, including the Upside Down box art example, we need to think carefully about what our metrics are telling us. Suppose we look at the click-through rate, measuring the fraction of members in each experience that clicked on a title. This metric alone may be a misleading measure of whether this new UI is a success, as members might click on a title in the Upside Down product experience only in order to read it more easily.

Controlled Experiment results

Because we create our control (“A”) and treatment (“B”) groups using random assignment, we can ensure that individuals in the two groups are, on average, balanced on all dimensions that may be meaningful to the test. Random assignment ensures, for example, that the average length of Netflix membership is not markedly different between the control and treatment groups, nor are content preferences, primary language selections, and so forth.

Everything Else is Constant

A/B tests let us make causal statements. We’ve introduced the Upside Down product experience to Group B only, and because we’ve randomly assigned members to groups A and B, everything else is held constant between the two groups. We can therefore conclude with high probability (more on the details next time) that the Upside Down product caused the reduction in engagement.

Causal Connections

With the Top 10 example, the hypothesis read: “Showing members the Top 10 experience will help them find something to watch, increasing member joy and satisfaction.” The primary decision metric for this test (and many others) is a measure of member engagement with Netflix: are the ideas we are testing helping our members to choose Netflix as their entertainment destination on any given night? Our research shows that this metric (details omitted) is correlated, in the long term, with the probability that members will retain their subscriptions.

The Top 10 Experiment

This is the second post in a multi-part series on how Netflix uses A/B tests to inform decisions and continuously innovate on our products. See here for Part 1: Decision Making at Netflix. Subsequent…

movies

Movies & Shows

What is an A/B Test?

Body language provides a key to succeeding in job interviews. Non-verbal cues make up 60% to 80% of face-to-face communication. Your physical presence shows your strengths as a candidate more than your words. Body language helps indicate whether an applicant is fit for the job. However, in the digital world, Zoom interviews lack the physical cues that are present in live interactions.

Body Language in Job Interviews

Maintaining eye contact is one of the most important body language cues that you can give. Maining eye contact reflects confidence where even research indicates that high status people tend to look longer at people they're talking to than lower status people do.  Remember to be generous with your eye contact. Always look at people, not anywhere else. During video interviews, look directly into the webcam and sit close enough to the camera to initiate conversational rapport.

1. Eye Contact

Having a warm and engaging smile is another important aspect of body language during a job interview. When you meet your interviewer, show a warm smile because after all, you will be judged by your ability to connect with people. Practice having an "inner smile" because that refelcts genuine enjoyment and empathy. It's the kind of smile that makes people want to smile as well.

2. A Warm Smile

Companies look for people that have soft skills -- basically meaning individuals who are empathetic and comfortable with others. Making open gestures convey those qualities, but how do we achieve openness?<ol><li>Gesture with your full arm in the direction of your interviewer</li><li>Never cross or fold your arms as you will look defensive and closed</li><li>Avoid awkward gestures by tucking your elbows in your body</li><li>Avoid wrist gestures that suggest nervousness; and</li><li>Keep your hands open </li></ol>Open gestures show others that you can buld rapport and that you are comfortable with yourself.

3. Open Gestures

When talking to a person, you don't turn your back against them but rather face them. This body language shows respect and suggest that you are both aligned. During an interview, whether in-person or virtually, make sure your body is positioned so that you are fully facing your interviewer, this will make the interviewer feel that you are fully committed to what the two of you are discussing.

4. Face Your Audience

"Stillness is power" This does not mean that you should be stiff and avoid making any gestures at all, but more so like touching your face, fixing your hair, or fidgeting.  These unnecessary movements are like nervous ticks that can convey the impression that you are not at ease with the interview.

5. Cultivate Stillness

The final way of demonstrating strength and confidence is with having good posture. People who feel disengaged at a meeting or who believe they have little to add often slouch. So by having good posture by sitting or standing tall, you're demonstrating stature.

6. Good Posture

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Career

communication

Communication

6 body language tips for your next interview

A survey from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia actually found that working in a job you hate is worse for your psychological well-being than being unemployed.
This is because when you’re unemployed you can at least hold onto the hope of finding a great job.

The psychology of having a job you hate

Your job description shouldn't limit you in what you do in the company. You can try to incorporate more of the work that you enjoy doing most or a hobby because by doing so will improve how you feel about your job.If you're into making short clips, try making one about your company and then pitch it your supervisor. Oftentimes, small surprising gestures pay off.

Do more of what you like to do

Having a long commute to work is an overall drag whether we're working at our dream job or doing the things we like. We're most likely rushing ourselves to get there on time.The solution to this is to allow more time for your commute or to remove it. The stress from rushing degrades our happiness. However, if it's not possible to remove it, then do something that makes you feel good during your commute like listening to a podcast or bike to work.

Improve your commute

One of the best ways to enjoy work is to derive personal meaning from it. To find meaning in what we do, we must find the why in what we do. Finding meaning means that it's derived from giving, meaning that we're able to help other people through our work.

Find Meaning in Your Work

Do you have a best friend at work? If you do then good for you, you're then more likely to be engaged with work. If you don't, maybe it's time to consider having one because you'd have several hours of social time which ultimately improves your day.Having a friend at work doesn't necessarily mean that you'd help them our with work-specific tasks. It's a way for you to gain a person's perspective, maybe ask their why and it could even be a reason why going to work will be much easier.

Focus on your work relationships

If quitting your job to "follow your passion" feels like your only course of action, discover steps you can take to be happy in the job you have.

productivity

Productivity

remotework

Remote Work

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

4 Concrete Steps to Take to Love Your Job Again (Backed By Science)

The effect shows our tendency to prioritise perceived time-sensitive tasks over non-urgent tasks, even if the non-urgent jobs carry greater rewards.
This cognitive bias reveals why we will rather respond to emails at the expense of meaningful work. Moreover, research shows that people who feel generally busy are more likely to fall for the Mere Urgency Effect and are less likely to use their time well.

Mere Urgency Effect - Urgency trumps importance

Use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritise your tasks. The matrix is a framework to help you decide what work is really important and what work is not urgent.
<ul>
<li>Block off your most productive 2-4 hours each day and dedicate it to your most important work.</li>
<li>Only check your communication apps at specific times of the day instead of responding to the messages as they come in.</li>
<li>Give your important tasks a deadline.</li>
</ul>

What you can do about the urgency effect

Our tendency to prioritize urgent tasks over non-urgent tasks even when we know the non-urgent tasks provide greater rewards.

teamwork

Teamwork

The Mere Urgency Effect

When we want to improve our productivity and output, we frequently overlook the environment where we do our work. 
We may be undisciplined about keeping structure in our environments. We may notice when we don't have space to put our papers, so we push them to the side. We can't find a pen. The computer "desktop" looks no better, and even a spotlight search can't locate our documents. But, a well-organised workspace can give us focus, energy, and a clear mind.

Giving attention to your workspace

This is your place of work, even if it is a home office or a shared space. As much as possible, treat it so.
People are having real success by tricking their brains into thinking their office is for serious work. Calibrate your workspace to serve you best:
<ul>
<li>Only do work here. If you can, don't play games or browse the internet. No Netflix.</li>
<li>Physically leave the room to take a break or do another type of activity.</li>
<li>Leave it vacant when you're not working.</li>
</ul>

Treat it like a real office

If you have too much clutter, try some Marie Kondo-ing. This should only be done when it's necessary. Afterwards, try to maintain what you've built.
<ul>
<li>Sort through everything in your workspace. Throw out what you can.</li>
<li>Then make judgement calls about the leftover according to their true value to you.</li>
</ul>

The gift of a blank desktop and workspace

When your space is cleared, ask yourself what kind of workspace you need.
<ul>
<li>What will make your work easier and more effective?</li>
<li>What environments make you feel most productive?</li>
<li>Do you prefer colour coding systems and fancy poster cards?</li>
</ul>
Ensure to give yourself a lamp, a charging station for your phone, and a place to put a drink.

The kind of workspace you need

<ul>
<li>Make a list of the things that knock you off your game. What stuff consistently distract you or pull you away from your seat? Kids crying, a TV playing? Consider noise-cancelling headphones.</li>
<li>What do you feel would help you in your day today? Or what do you reach for the most often? Put those items within arm's reach.</li>
</ul>

A healthy work environment: consider your weaknesses

Once in a while, block off a day to try and get back to inbox zero in your digital and physical workspaces.
Sift through the clutter that's built up in your office. Pre-sort your mail. At the very least, try to start every Monday with an empty inbox. This will help to keep you running without getting overburdened.

Handle incoming traffic

<ul>
<li>Consider where to store items that you only reach for two to three times a month, such as speciality cables, certain pens or art supplies, etc. It could be stored in a filing cabinet under your desk and out of sight.</li>
<li>Run cables at the back of your desk's legs so you can't see them.</li>
<li>For those who work with lots of paper, a filing cabinet could be useful.</li>
<li>If you are comfortable scanning documents to have electronic copies of them, consider using a matching electronic system on your computer.</li>
</ul>

Get creative with storage

Once you have a new and workable workspace, consider what will consistently inspire you. Some enjoy famous smart-sounding quotes or motivational videos.
When you feel bored or disinterested, look for the little sources of energy you've created that will give you constant inspiration to work productively.

Build in inspiration

A steady routine can give your brain the signal that you need to shift to a working mode: for example, every morning when you enter your workspace, flip on the desk lamp or Bluetooth switch, then pull out your chair and sit down with intentional posture.
When you end your workday, focus on a routine so that your brain knows it's time to switch off. Ensure to leave a clean and tidy office before you turn off the lights.

Keep a routine

health

Health

Set up your workspace to help you succeed

Perfectionism is a tool you’re using to keep you from reaching your full potential.
There is no perfect. People who struggle with perfectionism should learn to be aggressively imperfect. It's okay to feel vulnerable. We're all human, after all.

Struggling with a perfectionist mentality

To fix a problem, you first have to admit you have a problem. this means discovering what type of perfectionist you are.
<ul>
<li>The Striver: You have no problem starting a task, but you set unreachable standards, so you're constantly battling against failure.</li>
<li>The Idealist: You spend all your time envisioning the perfect future. You know you'll never reach the vision in your mind, so you don't make a move to begin.</li>
</ul>

Types of perfectionists

It's much easier to say no to things when you can identify your yes. A good yes should align with your core values and leave you feeling fulfilled.
Ask yourself these five questions to find out how you feel about an opportunity. If you answer "no" to any of these questions, you should probably let it go.
<ol>
<li>Do you want to take this on?</li>
<li>Why?</li>
<li>How much time will it take?</li>
<li>Do you have the time?</li>
<li>Does it fulfil you?</li>
</ol>

Finding your “yes”

You may have to say yes to something that doesn't necessarily fulfil you. When in doubt about what to prioritize in your life, use the three-level prioritizing system.
<ol>
<li>Escalate: Important and urgent. These tasks are pushing us toward long-term goals and have a pressing deadline.</li>
<li>Cultivate: Important but not urgent. These activities will grow us and move us closer to our end goals but have no deadline. It's easy to let go of these tasks, but they deserve the most emphasis.</li>
<li>Accommodate: Unimportant but urgent. These tasks have a pressing deadline but don't help us reach our long-term goals, such as a messy kitchen. Spend as little time as possible in this section.</li>
</ol>
When we use a priority list, we work by priority and stop wasting energy deciding what to do next.

The three priority levels

Productivity strategist Tanya Dalton says “Now is a time to be aggressively imperfect.”

Now is a time to be aggressively imperfect

For us to be able to manage the eerie feeling of never having enough time we must know the three different forms it can manifest as:
<ol>
<li>Daily Time Anxiety: the feeling of never having enough time in your day.</li>
<li>Future Time Anxiety: dwelling on the “what ifs?”</li>
<li>Existential Time Anxiety: the sense that you only have a limited amount of time in your life, and that it’s slipping away.</li>
</ol>
All three forms are valid and we must learn to soothe our anxieties ourselves because it's not like someone will be able to soothe them for us all of the time.

Three Forms of Time Anxiety

<ol>
<li>Create a schedule that serves your goals. Whether you want to put more time in your body, mind, in love, for work, money, or play, keeping a balanced schedule is a healthy way to see what is important to you.</li>
<li>Eliminate distractions. If you spend hours on end on social media just mindlessly scrolling, you won't be able to finish the things you need to do with this.</li>
<li>Don't do everything by yourself. Learn how to delegate tasks, saying "no," and maximizing the value of your time.</li>
</ol>

Managing Time Anxiety

You can’t add hours to your day, but you can better control the productivity-sapping force of overscheduling.


The Rational Optimist

Planning Ahead Is the Key to Living With More Spontaneity

7 Leadership Issues Managers Face in 2022

What is an A/B Test?

6 body language tips for your next interview

Jasper Y.