141. How You Get Good at Something: McKinley Valentine [reads] ‘The Expectation Effect’

I had a lucky break when I started working. Having lingered in university for more than a little while, I found myself at 25 without any real idea of what I wanted to do. I applied to many places, and finally got hired at an innovation agency. The real gift of working there was the founders’ aversion to business as usual. For many of us, though, the first few years of working are mostly about learning how to be a good worker. There are rules, unspoken and spoken, on how to behave. Do you know the rules that you’re following?

McKinley Valentine is the creator, writer, and curator of The Whippet, a cult-hit newsletter with an eclectic mix of science, history, weirdness, and unsolicited advice.

McKinley reads two pages from ‘The Expectation Effect’ by David Robson. [reading begins at 18:05]

Hear us discuss:

What it takes to be a good editor: “There are no rules to editing.” [4:37]
The positive and negative powers of your mindset. [24:56]
Finding peace with your diagnosis (ADHD): “It gives you an explanation, and I don’t think anyone ever feels worse after getting an explanation.” [33:15]
“People have an addiction to reading negative stuff because it feels important, and real, and true.” [37:58]
How the expectation effect works. [40:52]

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Resources:

McKinley Valentine | Website | The Whippet | Twitter

David Robson | The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World