I've started reading "Deep Work"
Yesterday I started reading “Deep Work” by Cal Newport.
It is one of those “must reads” that I had pending due to social pressure: too many people around me have mentioned this book at some point. However, my expectations for this book were low. When a work is so recommended, there is something irrational in me that makes me distrust (the same thing happened to me with the “Game of Thrones” series, which I still haven’t seen).
Despite this, the introduction of “Deep Work” has touched on a theme that resonates a lot with me:
When Carl Jung wanted to revolutionize the field of psychiatry, he built a retreat in the woods. Jung’s Bollingen Tower became a place where he could maintain his ability to think deeply and then apply the skill to produce work of such stunning originality that it changed the world. In the pages ahead, I’ll try to convince you to join me in the effort to build our own personal Bollingen Towers; to cultivate an ability to produce real value in an increasingly distracted world; and to recognize a truth embraced by the most productive and important personalities of generations past: A deep life is a good life. —Cal Newport in “Deep Work” (bold is mine).
About four months ago I wrote this note where I also came to the conclusion of the «need to go deeper»:
Now I feel that the real challenge goes beyond simply taking notes and putting them in order. The goal is then: how to achieve deep and correct thinking. The Zettelkasten method is a good tool to achieve this goal. But, to really achieve it, it is necessary to delve into many other aspects of your life, such as:
- your understanding of how knowledge and learning work
- your physical, mental and emotional health
- your work habits and workflows.
And why pursue this goal of thinking deeply and correctly?
Because it is a way to live a good life in modern times :-)
After this introduction, my expectations have changed radically and I’m looking forward to seeing how the ideas of “Deep Work” continue.
Maybe I should start watching “Game of Thrones” too? :^)
References:
- “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport.