Moist Robot Fuel

I like the notion that people are essentially moist robots. We are pattern seeking. We can follow processes. We can be very analytical and specific and repetitive. 

But we are generally crap at all that (assuming one is not on the spectrum).

That is why consistency is so valued in certain parts of the economy. Look at sports. Any player can have a really great game here or there, but it is the consistency that gets the big dollars. The owners (in many cases what I would term as exploitative people) want consistency. Consistent performances at a high level resulting in consistent wins so they can invite whoever they are trying to poke to their owners boxes and not be embarresed. Business people want consistent dollars, consistent television revenue, consistent season ticket member sales. Regular cash flow is king.

Sort of takes the magic out of it right? In fact I find it actually hard to get that excited about sports these days. Everything is measured and managed to death, it really sucks the joy out of the game. At least one positive from covid is that it threw a spanner in the works slightly, so there were more upsets than normal. We too like our sports consistent though (even if on an emotional level we post enjoy the highs and lows, I think the rest is agony), that is why droves of fans flock to favourites.

The shot of dopamine is what we crave. We get it when our sports teams win.

Sport has defined rules though. Life doesn't. Work doesn't. Especially an organisation with even a little dose of complexity. Then we are dealing with broken moist robots.

Danger danger danger.

I regularly think about the risks I am exposed to in my job. I try to minimise those risks as best I can. But support functions inevitably f$%k things up. What can I do about that?

Get creative.

Get exposed to positive side risk (see Taleb).

But that all sounds good right. Having a bunch of different ventures happening to minimise risk and diversify. There are only 24 hours in the day though. So something must give.

True

So boost energy.

Go after energy raising ventures. Eat right, sleep right, exercise, be around positive people. Do things that you love, that you get a buzz about. Time is not the thing to focus on - your energy is.

What can you do to boost your own energy?

Westy