#64: the reading life

Mar 09, 2023

👋 Welcome to the 64th issue of Out of Curiosity, a weekly newsletter promoting ideas to help get 1% better everyday.

My name is Reza, and every week, I go through nearly 100 pieces of content (from books and podcasts to newsletters and tweets), and bring you the best in this newsletter.

In this issue:

📚 The joys of the reading life

⬅️ Nostalgia: a powerful mental state

📊 Is quiet quitting real?

🔗 etc. etc.

📚 The joys of the reading life

Fit reading into your routine and consider it a valuable pursuit that merits your undivided attention. Reading high-quality books should be a non-negotiable part of your life.

I think we need to think about a serious reading habit as an exceptional activity, one that you need to isolate and support and really prioritize in your life.
No matter what else you think is important in your personal definition of a deep life, I'm increasingly convinced the serious reading of good books needs to be in there.
Always be reading something challenging. I don't care if it's fiction or nonfiction, but something that's challenging ideas you have to grapple with characters whose psychological reality is difficult or pushes you into new psychological or emotional places like in fiction, but challenging.

→ Deep Questions | 69-min listen

💬

Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.
— André Gide

⬅️ Nostalgia: a powerful mental state

In 1688, a Swiss medical student coined the term nostalgia to describe the pain soldiers felt when longing for their homeland while fighting in the plains of Europe. At the time, he considered it a disease.

Clay Routledge, however, explains that nostalgia is not just a longing for the past, but can actually have positive benefits for mental health.

When life is uncertain, or when we are undergoing changes, nostalgia can help us feel connected to the past, feel positive about ourselves, and have hope for the future.

→ Big Think | 7-min Watch

Wes Kao 🏛 @wes_kao

Most people suck at managing up. They waste their boss’ time with too much (or too little) information. Here’s how to give the right amount of context:

📊 Is quiet quitting real?

The best habit to develop for successful managers is having one meaningful conversation per week with each team member -- 15-30 minutes.
Managers need to create accountability for individual performance, team collaboration and customer value -- and employees must see how their work contributes to the organization's larger purpose.

→ Gallup | 3-min read