How to have more agency (personal trait) ⋆ You might have a real 6th sense ⋆ Cooking up success
Have you ever considered the possibility that you might have a sixth sense? What is agency and how to have more of it?
- You may have a real 6th sense
- How to have more agency (personal trait)
- Cooking up success
Thing 1 - You might have a real 6th sense
Forget about seeing dead people. I'm talking about something real and not creepy. Ok, maybe a little bit.
Ok, let's cover the basics first. Here are the 5 you know:
- sight
- hearing
- taste
- smell
- touch
The 6th? Sense of Earth's magnetic field.
Many birds, fish, turtles, and even some insects have the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field a.k.a. magnetoreception. It allows them to use the Earth's magnetic field as a navigational tool.
The Study
The team investigated how magnetic orientation manifested among test subjects.
With no visual or auditory cues, men (but not women) who had fasted for about 20 hours could sometimes orient themselves in a direction they previously associated with food.
They discovered conditions under which they can sense Earth's magnetic field and orient themselves based on it.
If you get lost, you can just wait until you get hungry and then "follow your gut"??
Thing 2 - How to have more agency (personal trait)
You get stranded on a deserted island.
In one universe, you collect some material and spell out "HELP" that can be seen from the air. Then wait for the help to come.
In another universe, you collect the material, build a raft and get off the darn island.
Agency is a personality trait that describes your ability to take charge and make decisions for yourself. Rather than being a passive observer in life.
This is one of my favorite traits.
People with high agency
- achieve more
- get more out of life
- stand out from the crowd
- have more fun
Assume you have low agency.
Society is trying to make you low agency.
High agency means fighting inertia. All. The. Time.
Don't just accept your current situation.
Questions you can ask to improve your agency
- How can I achieve my 10-year goal in 6 months?
- If I was stuck in a 3rd world prison who would I call to get me out?
- Do I rely on the weather to set my mood?
- Which ideas do I accept because everyone else does?
- What do I want to achieve in my life?
- What steps can I take to work towards my goals?
- How can I be proactive and make things happen for myself?
- What can I learn from my mistakes?
- Who can support and encourage me as I work towards my goals?
Set goals. Take small steps. Be proactive. Question status quo. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Surround yourself with people who support you.
Thing 3 - Cooking up success
Asking what makes someone successful is like asking which ingredient makes a recipe taste good. It’s not any single ingredient. It is the combination of many ingredients in the right proportions and in the right order—and the absence of anything that would ruin the mixture.
- James Clear
Your set of ingredients is different from everyone else's.
Your recipe will be different from everyone else's.
That doesn't mean you can't ask for advice. You may need to slice some ingredients and saute others. Great chefs can teach you their techniques for treating ingredients. And you can apply them to your recipe.
It works on food too 😛
Cheers, Zvonimir