Ep. 250: In Defense of Thinking

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

The art of thinking – plain, old-fashioned, hard concentration on useful ideas – is rapidly vanishing as our culture recasts humans as the custodians and recipients of digital computation. In this episode, Cal explains why this is a problem and what we should do in response.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Today’s Deep Question: Why is it important to preserve the vanishing art of thinking? [5:02]

- How do I integrate movies and shows into the deep life? [27:42]

- Can I read after a long day of deep work? [33:30]

- Is a digital “second brain” a good idea to keep up with the latest advancements in your field? [36:25]

- Would Cal consider consolidating his notebooks? [42:37]

- Is Maria Popva’s note-taking method better than Cal’s method? [51:40]

The Books I Read in April 2023 [1:04:29]

Links:

Edward Teller talking about John Von Neumann

youtube.com/watcv=vQp70uqsBV4#t=55m0s

Aristotle on “philosophic wisdom.” See book 10, section 7 of The Ethics:

classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.7.vii.html

Arnold Bennet on training concentration (See chapter 7 of How to Live on 24 Hours a Day):

gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2274/pg2274-images.html

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Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.