PODCAST · society
Derek Sivers podcast
by Derek Sivers
Derek Sivers very short articles and audiobook chapters, read by Derek Sivers. Transcripts at https://sive.rs/blog
Episodes
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What next?
I have so much more to say on this subject, but this book is done now because I believe short books are useful. So the conversation continues on the website: sive.rs/u There you will find more thoughts and stories around “Useful Not True”. Please email me any questions or thoughts. I reply to…
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Reframing death
For the last three years, my boy and I have had a pet mouse. We got her from a pet store, and he’s carried her in his hand through so many adventures in forests, beaches, and playgrounds. She sat on many little handmade boats down the creeks of New Zealand. Sand castles and Lego houses built just...
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You are what you pretend to be
Your outside doesn’t need to match your inside. You can feel terrified inside, but just pretend to be brave for one minute. By doing that, you were actually brave. You might be a total introvert, but need to attend an event, so you act social for one hour. By pretending to be social, you were.…
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Keep tuning and adjusting
When I got my first guitar, the nice man at the shop put on new strings and tuned it. A week later, I brought it back to the shop because it sounded terrible. He told me it was just out of tune. I said, “But you tuned it already!” He explained that I constantly have to re-tune it every time I…
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Take the first step immediately
I spent basically my whole life in America, and had no desire to travel or be anywhere else. But one day I was thinking about growing older, and how people get stuck in their ways as they age. I thought what a learning experience it would be to move somewhere far away — somewhere that surprises…
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Why your choice is wrong
No matter what choice you make, someone will tell you it’s wrong. It’s wrong because it’s not what they would have chosen. It’s not what they need. It’s not the choice of other people they know. It’s not what an expert recommends. The prosecution rests their case. You might feel a need to defend...
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Talk with friends to solidify it
After you privately internalize a belief, talk about it with friends. Explaining it to different people helps you refine it. They might see an angle or consequence you hadn’t considered. You hear it for the first time outside your own mind. You’ll hear it sound wrong or right when telling someone...
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Private journal to internalize it
Once you find a viewpoint you want to adopt, a great tool to internalize it is a private journal. Whether you write, type, or just talk, the point is to fill your mind with this new perspective. Strengthen it by stacking up the reasons why you chose it. “Here’s how this will help me: ____”…
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No new instructions for the computer
You load the program into the computer, and it begins its calculations. It’s computing. It’s working hard, and it’s going to take some time. If you interrupt it with new instructions, it has to begin all over again, because the parameters have changed. If you keep giving it new information, it…
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From explorer to self-leader
Picture the stereotype of an explorer, hundreds of years ago, on an expedition to uncharted lands. The explorer tries everything. Up that river. Down that valley. Into every inlet. The explorer finds a nice harbor that would make a great port, and notifies the queen. The queen appoints a captain…
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How to decide and make the best choice
You can do anything. But you can’t do everything. You have to decide. If you don’t decide, you get nothing. You can think of a hundred paths to follow. But you can’t follow them all. Use time. One path now. Other paths maybe later. Otherwise you’ll never get anywhere. How do you know what’s the...
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An awesome collection of great questions
This is where I would share powerful questions that you can answer for big insights and change. But here’s why I’m not: I’ve read books that have long lists of questions. But when I’m reading, I want to keep reading, not stop for hours or days at that spot, pondering every question. I’ve read…
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Five tiny tales of reframing
On the Olympic podium stood the winners of the gold, silver, and bronze medal. The silver medalist was so angry at herself for not being just a little bit faster — just milliseconds away from winning the gold. The bronze medalist was so happy with herself, just milliseconds away from winning...
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Traits of useful perspectives
To list all the beliefs I’ve found useful would fill a whole book. (Actually, four books so far, since that’s what my previous books were about.) So instead, for your own ideation, it might help if I list the traits that my most useful perspectives have shared: Direct: Go directly for what I…
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Expand your repertoire
To change, reach past what comes naturally. Avoid your defaults. Get guidance outside of yourself. Use a different tool. “Oblique Strategies” is the name of a deck of cards where each card has one creative suggestion. When making music or anything, if you get stuck, you shuffle the cards…
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Diamond in the trash
When things aren’t going well, you’re in a bad state of mind. If you ask yourself a healthy question, like “What’s great about this?”, your answer will probably be “Nothing! This is just bad!” Don’t be so sure. Push past that first thought. Keep asking. You can always find something useful. Use...
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Answer great questions
Pick something that’s holding you back from what you want to do, be, or feel. It might feel like physical fact. “I’m too old.” “I can’t afford it.” Even if you are old and have no money, that has not stopped others, so that’s not the real problem. Beliefs are often self-fulfilling. Whether you...
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Who chooses your (next) thoughts?
You might say, “I can’t help the way I feel”, as if it’s completely out of your control — as if you have no choice and are unable to feel any other way. But you do have a choice. Think a different way and you’ll feel a different way. You choose your reaction. Not the first one, but the next....
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The most useful part of this book
Imagine you’re reframing a painting. First, you remove the old frame. Then you try different frames. The first three parts of this book were helping you remove the old frame. That was just preparing for this. Now it’s time to try different frames. Explore many different ways of looking at your...
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Philosophies are instruments
Los Angeles, 1952. Igor Stravinsky, the composer, was 70 years old, and rehearsing the orchestra. A young girl who lived next to the orchestra hall snuck in through the back door to listen to the rehearsals. She watched the violins, cellos, flute, trumpet, clarinet, harp, percussion, and piano.…
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What is “the truth” really for?
You don’t want a drill. You want a hole in the wall. So what do you really want when you seek “the truth”? You can gather raw facts, but there are infinite facts, so you select and filter and interpret them. Like cotton plants or sheep’s wool, facts are processed before they’re used. Is that...
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Life is _______
I was at a workshop, and right before dinner, the teacher wrote this on the whiteboard: LIFE IS _______ He told us to think about what goes in the blank. He said that after dinner, he’d reveal the meaning of life. At dinner, I was at a table with seven other people, each arguing about what should...
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Placebo meanings
Jerusalem is one of my favorite places. I hope to live there some day. Whenever I visit, I meet people who say they moved there from across the world because of the power of that place. They all say “it has an energy” and “you can feel it”, as if it’s an objective fact. I’ve been to Bethlehem…
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Magic mirror shows what you need to believe
In Harry Potter, there’s a magic mirror that reflects the viewer’s desire. What Harry sees in that mirror is very different than what Dumbledore or Ron sees, because their desires are all different. Imagine if there was something similar that shows you what you most need to believe right now. It...
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Which perspective empowers you?
There was a famous man who did many great things. After he died, they told stories glorifying him, painting him as flawless. But one story said he was not as great as he seemed — saying he was actually very flawed. A young boy really looked up to this hero. The glorifying stories inspired him by...
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Judge the contents, not the box
My cousin took a course on a complete system for physical fitness and health, and followed every bit of its advice. She had great results at first. But then she saw the coach’s social media posts, and hated his political beliefs, so now she doesn’t follow that course at all. A best-selling book…
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Carpenters’ tools
Two carpenters were fixing some stairs. The older one liked to work. The younger one liked to question. The older one grabbed a measuring tape from the toolbox and started measuring. The younger one said, “What would be the perfect tool?” The older one grabbed a saw and started cutting. The…
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Religion is action, not belief
One man believed God was on his side. He often lost his temper, hurt people, and did more harm than good. But he believed that what matters is what’s in his heart, since God will forgive his actions and see his good intentions. Another man was full of doubt but followed the rules of his religion....
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Useful?
Let’s define “useful” as whatever ultimately helps you do what you need to do, be who you want to be, or feel at peace. The word “ultimately” is there as a reminder of long-term consequences. Is it more useful to make others see your point of view, or make yourself see theirs? Is it more useful…
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Beliefs → emotions → actions
Let’s look again at that example of the daily run. If you believe there’s danger right behind you, you’ll feel scared and focus entirely on avoiding it. If you believe there’s a big reward at the end, you’ll feel determined and push through your current pain — a small sacrifice for the eventual...
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A daily run and imagination
Every day you go for a run. Sometimes you feel yourself lagging, so you imagine there’s a tiger on your tail, and that adrenaline gives you a turbo boost. Sometimes you feel like quitting, so you picture a pot of gold at the end, and that helps you finish. A running expert says you should act…
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Bowling: curve into the target
I’m pretty bad at bowling and frisbee. I roll the ball or throw the disc straight at the target, but away it curves. After this happens a few times, I adjust. I stop aiming straight since that’s not working. If it always curves to the left, I aim to the right. It feels wrong to aim away from the...
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Fill your senses with reality
When I’m feeling troubled, it helps to look around at reality. Am I in physical danger? No. I’m in a room. I’m safe. It’s a reminder that the trouble is in my head. So I get away from all people and media, to avoid all viewpoints, opinions, and drama. I shut off my devices. I go to a place where...
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Your first thought is an obstacle
Here’s a common optical illusion: Two horizontal lines, the same length. The top one has diagonal lines going out from its edges. The bottom one has diagonal lines going in from its edges. Your instincts insist that the top line is obviously longer. But if you measure them to confirm, you’ll…
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The more emotional the belief, the less likely it’s true
Some beliefs are basically facts, but without absolute proof. Tomatoes are a vegetable. Tonight’s movie starts at 7:00. Then my friend shows me proof that tomatoes are a fruit and the movie starts at 8:00. Cool! I’m glad to be corrected. Some beliefs make people really emotional. Think of one of...
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Beliefs are not facts
Whenever someone says, “I believe …”, then whatever they say next is not true. If it was a fact, there would be no need to declare a belief. You don’t say, “I believe in squirrels.” You don’t say, “I believe squares have four sides.” It’s just a fact, so there’s no need to take a stance. You say…
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Make believe
Kids scream, “Monster in the hallway!”, and hide behind the couch. They stack up cushions for protection, and plan their defense. They know there’s not really a monster in the hallway, but it’s exciting to feel the adrenaline of panic, to make a shelter and feel safe. One kid yells, “The floor is...
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Hanging inherited paintings
My mom inherited an ugly painting from her mom. It hung in the living room, and visitors would comment on how it felt wrong. But she kept it there for sentimental reasons. One day, when she took it out to be reframed, they found the artist’s signature and date written underneath the old frame....
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Re-edit your mind’s movies
The movie “500 Days of Summer” is a beautiful example of doubting your past. We see many scenes of a boy and a girl happily in love, but always from his point of view. Then suddenly, the girl says, “I think we should stop seeing each other.” The boy is shocked and confused, and sinks into...
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You can’t trust your mind
There was a crime out on Park Avenue today, so the police are gathering information. A helpful witness said, “He had a red mustache, green eyes, and a scar by his right ear. He was 6-foot-1 and had a tattoo of a dragon on his right shoulder.” The police said, “This is great information. How sure...
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You are the strange one
A traveler comes to a river and sees a local woman on the opposite bank. He yells across, “How do I get to the other side of the river?” She yells back, “You are on the other side of the river!” An American woman went on a vacation to Scotland. Talking with a group of people there, she said, “I...
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That was about you, not them
All of the chapters until now have been about other people. It’s so easy to see their faults. So full of nonsense, thinking they’re so right, with their weird beliefs. It’s much harder to find fault in yourself. Only after I see mistakes in others do I realize that I make those same mistakes....
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Bridge guard, revisited
I want to make sure the point of the “Bridge guard” story came across. The king said, “It’s too salty.” Did he actually think it’s too salty? Who knows? Maybe he doesn’t want to admit that he’s tired or sick. Maybe he’s testing the chef’s confidence. Just because someone says something doesn’t…
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Fake or real? True or false? So what?
People have always made up nonsense, and made others believe it. That’s nothing new. But now computers create text that sounds human and video that looks real. Cultures of the world have always had conflicting values, but they used to be isolated. Everyone around you agreed on what’s right and...
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Even science isn’t true
When I started writing this book, my friend asked me for an example of what I consider to be true. I said science. He’s a scientist, so he got a good long laugh and said, “No no no! Science is useful, but not true!” Then he explained. In the scientific process, nothing is final or complete. No...
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Wanna bet?
By definition, “the future” doesn’t exist. It’s what we call predictions in our imagination. People think that the more vivid the image is in their mind, the more likely it’s real. They say, “I’m sure it’s going to happen. I can feel it. I can picture it now.” People are so certain about their...
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The past is not true
When I was 17, I was driving recklessly and crashed into an oncoming car. I found out that I broke the other driver’s spine, and she’ll never walk again. I carried that burden with me everywhere, and felt so horrible about it for so many years that at age 35 I decided to find this woman to...
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Memories are not accurate
January 28, 1986, at 11:39am, the Space Shuttle exploded during liftoff, killing all seven crew members. It was a big deal. As soon as it happened, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the TV updates. Because it was a school day in America, a psychology professor handed out a...
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The brain invents explanations
Some people have damaged fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres of their brain, and need to have that connection surgically severed. They live pretty normal lives even though the two sides of their brain are disconnected. Psychologists work with these people to better understand the...
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Try to find their incentives
Middle of the night. You’re fast asleep. You hear a loud “BANG!” downstairs. Your body kicks into emergency danger mode. Eventually you find out that your cat knocked over the broom. Mystery solved. Back to sleep. You’re trying to enjoy a quiet day at the park, but this annoying little girl won’t...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Derek Sivers very short articles and audiobook chapters, read by Derek Sivers. Transcripts at https://sive.rs/blog
HOSTED BY
Derek Sivers
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Derek Sivers podcast currently has 387 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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Derek Sivers very short articles and audiobook chapters, read by Derek Sivers. Transcripts at https://sive.rs/blog
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