3 experts debunk common myths about work | James Suzman, Tyler Cowen, and Cal Newport

About the video: “It’s remarkable how weak the correlation between success and intelligence is.” Here’s what skills do matter, from 3 business experts.

One of the greatest historical mysteries lies in why our hunter-gatherer ancestors made the sudden transition to agriculture. Hunter-gatherer economies always focused on the here and now, without spending a great deal of effort doing anything which was more than meeting their specific needs for that day.

On the other hand, in our modern societies, everything has shifted to forward-planning with an emphasis on productivity. This dramatic leap altered our priorities as people and communities, and developed what we now know as the modern approach to work and business.

Experts James Suzman, Tyler Cowen, and Cal Newport unpack common business myths, tracing how we reached our current work cultures from our hunter-gatherer origins.

Timestamps:
0:00 - The history of work
2:30 - How work shaped society
3:55 - The invention of fire
5:16 - Transition to farming
6:51 - Effort and reward
11:40 - Why talent matters
18:26 - Accomplishment without burnout

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About Cal Newport:

Cal Newport is an MIT-trained computer science professor at Georgetown University who also writes about the intersections of technology, work, and the quest to find depth in an increasingly distracted world.

About James Suzman:

Dr. James Suzman a PhD an anthropologist specializing in the Khoisan peoples of southern Africa. A former Smuts Fellow in African Studies at the University of Cambridge, he is now the director of Anthropos Ltd., a think-tank that applies anthropological methods to solving contemporary social and economic problems. Dr. Suzman's latest book is Work: A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots.

About Tyler Cowen:

Tyler is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University and serves as chairman and general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is co-author of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University.

[canibaloxide]

Yea, I watched a video from some guy who worked at Google where he talked about how the really really smart ones wouldn't succeed at Google because at a certain level you can't avoid seeing what bullshit the corporate world was.

[selena]

I do not have a college degree, but what I do have is common sense, strong work ethic and I will learn anything!! I read a lot of science books, neurology books, I love to read and learn. I'm 57 and I know I'll never stop learning and love it. Also I don't know everything so I'm very teachable and dependent!!

[andressanchez]

Discipline, put in a good days work, ask questions, goal oriented, achieve those goals, whether it is slow/fast. Rub shoulders with people of substance, no one around that is in that light. Then it starts with you….you try to become a person of substance. You are important.

[BH-BH]

Success as being disconnected from intelligence. Look around - makes perfect sense.

[Cognizance.]

So many of today’s geniuses probably go unseen because they don’t hold the same stereotypical pedigree of those we know of as genius, so much hidden talent and potential just wait in to be seen and noticed.

[siobhainfletcher]

We have been focussing on work and a society which rewards the traits of the mentally ill, the psychopaths and sociopaths. This kind of society really doesn't benefit mankind. It uses resources at a very wasteful rate and produces things of very little net benefit.
What is needed is a shift towards the goal of healthy minds, one which doesn't cause a mental health crisis and facilitates the use of habits which are legally and morally reprehensible. I would like to see a shift away from success being defined as who has the most money or objects and towards a more productive and beneficial society

[brianharris]

Traits not discussed include inheriting wealth and private school...

[hootie]

People just need to feel like their work will lead to something that will benefit them. Most jobs are near the level serfdom; so of course there’s so much unrest.

[vhead]

I inherited my fathers lack of ability to cope with trauma and stress. Very common amongst descendants of boarding schools. My father did not have the best education therefore he could not write well. He was a fisherman and was one of the most intelligent men I ever known. I have severe persistent depression my body hurts a lot and I’m easily stressed. Takes all my energy and messes with my hormones. I wish there were more jobs for people like me.

[Ed.Miller]

Profound idea that there's hidden/untapped value where there's a likely bias.

[findout]

Couldn't be more happier about getting invaluable insights from seasoned persons at much lower cost!

[joshuaklind]

You lost me immediately with “sudden transition to agriculture” 🤨

[JohnWilliams-channel]

The thing to remember here is that success means different things to different people. There are absolutely some fields where you will not do well if you are not intelligent, no matter how hard you try at it. This is why equity is such an important concept, because success is different things for different people. Invest in their strengths and reject the one size fits all education. School should not be a contest run for the benefit of universities.

[igorGriffiths]

Never underestimate the genius of an idiot. People who think counter to peer pressure are a valuable resource often beaten down into group thinking

[RarelyCorrect]

Not sure about the "sudden switch to agriculture" bit. I'm no expert but according to David Graeber and David Wengrow's book, agriculture was around for a very long time as an activity, we only switched to it as a "lifestyle" recently (and even then it was now a sudden switch).

[nicholasheimann]

Productivity should be measured in value creation.

[jennysquibb]

Saying that venture capital is really good at finding talents sounds kinda damning to me if that is as good as it gets.

[RyanPatrick-ibuv]

*Your explanations are clear and straight forward It's always a honor to have you here as a mentor, I appreciate you for the time being spent to educate us financially. Regardless of how bad it gets the economy, I still makeover $28K every single week. I truly value Laura, and her helpful guides.*

[SebCarro.OccPsychology]

All very nice in theory but only realistically practical to a point. Whatever your role or activity, you are still highly dependant of the people you have above, below and around you. It’s called a work system for a reason.

[williamlouie]

It's work when you have involved others. If you are by yourself It's survival!