ABOUT THIS EPISODE
New York Times editor and Saying No to New author Eric Athas explores why our brains are drawn to novelty, how businesses remove the friction between desire and consumption, and why reclaiming a few moments to think could radically change the choices we make.
From dopamine and social media to clutter, persuasion and the disappearing “new thing gap,” this conversation is ultimately about learning to say no to meaningless novelty so we can say yes to what actually matters.
EXCITING STUFF!
- My second book now available for pre-order! You're Invited: A Life-Changing Conversation with History's Greatest Wisdom Teachers
- Get your MENTAL FITNESS BLUEPRINT here!
- A special thanks to our mental fitness + sweat partner Sip Saunas
Connect with Marc: https://konect.to/marcchampagne
Timestamps:
00:00 — The question that opens every interview: “Who are you?”
02:44 — Why opportunities for deep thinking are disappearing
04:59 — Turning a childhood disadvantage into a strength
07:39 — Inside Eric’s work at The New York Times
10:09 — Navigating journalism, truth and trust in a chaotic era
13:09 — Why Saying No to New is a work of journalism
14:30 — The contradiction: an early adopter who learned to say no to new
17:13 — When new things start creating more problems than they solve
19:52 — Dopamine, discomfort and why our brains chase novelty
22:23 — Thinking as a superpower in a frictionless world
23:22 — The “new thing gap” — and why it has almost disappeared
27:07 — The sophisticated influence machine behind what we buy
30:52 — Decluttering as an audit of yesterday’s decisions
32:20 — What clutter and constant task-switching do to our attention
34:08 — Why saying no to new can help us discover the right kind of new
35:33 — The surprising relationship between exploration and happiness
37:24 — How to see novelty hiding inside familiar experiences
39:46 — Finding joy in what was hiding in plain sight
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Special props 👇
Music: Clouds - Joakim Karud
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