No More “Insight Porn” (jakobgreenfeld.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the concept of 'insight porn', which refers to advice or insights that sound plausible but are ultimately useless when put into practice. The author argues that most advice and insights are of this nature, and that people are often misled by them because they never actually try to apply the advice. The author suggests that the best way to avoid falling for insight porn is to try to come up with specific experiments or actions that can be taken based on the advice, and to be skeptical of advice that lacks specificity or details. The author also notes that even advice from accomplished individuals can be misleading, as they may not have actually used the methods they recommend.

Main themes

• insight porn
• discipline and motivation
• self-improvement
• productivity
• willpower
• goal achievement
• personal development

What commenters say

• Discipline is necessary to achieve success, but it is not clear how to build discipline in the first place.
• The concept of 'discipline equals freedom' is misleading, as discipline can actually limit freedom in some cases.
• Relying on willpower is not a sustainable way to achieve goals, as willpower is limited and can be depleted.
• The idea that willpower can be trained is disputed, with some arguing that it is like a muscle that can be strengthened, while others argue that there is no physical evidence to support this claim.
• Some people argue that the key to building discipline is to start small and build habits, while others argue that this approach is not sufficient.
• The distinction between motivation and discipline is important, with some arguing that discipline is more important for achieving long-term goals.
• The concept of 'nature' and what is 'natural' is also relevant to the discussion of discipline and motivation.
• Ultimately, the best approach to building discipline and achieving success is likely to be highly individualized and dependent on a person's specific circumstances and goals.