This episode contrasts Mike, who remained stuck analyzing his failure with detailed frameworks, with Jenny, who found success by simply taking action. We argue that frameworks are secondary; effectiveness demands understanding and working with psychological realities. High intelligence can be a trap: smart people rationalize bad ideas and make predictably poor decisions by searching only for confirming evidence. Deep expertise also creates dangerous blind spots when applied generally.

Success requires choosing agency: building identity around how you respond to events, as struggle plus action earns respect. We discuss "preservation seasons," stressing that success is measured by defensive metrics, like maintaining routines, not offensive gains. Effective individuals build systems to counteract biases, actively seeking contradictory evidence, lengthening time horizons, and prioritizing competence.

And if you're looking to read the the original essay, you can find it on The Adaptable Chameleon substack.