The Opposite Day Exercise
If you want to be happy, healthy, and successful, you must test assumptions
Hey friends,
I feel like I’ve always been an outlier in one way or another. So while leaving college was a very rational and well-thought out decision, it still feels surreal.
Why? Because I’m doing the opposite of basically everyone around me.
I’ve been thinking more about conformity and trends, so I wanted to explore this, starting with one case of Nike shoes.
Every year, Nike makes over 800 million dollars in sales.
From just one sneaker: the Air Force One.
This shoe is everywhere. Nike is a trendy company, but this begs some interesting questions:
Does someone buy Nike shoes because they look good?
Or because they want to be part of a trend?
Does the trend itself influence people to like the shoe, just by seeing it more often?
It could be all three.
Here’s a more pertinent question for you: do you do something because it’s right for you? Or because most people do it?
What most people are doing isn’t working. Really let that sink in.
Test Assumptions
To figure out what actually works for you, the first step is to test assumptions.
If someone tells you you have to something or should do something, ask them what evidence suggests that. You have to test assumptions: ‘If they can’t answer you, then you shouldn’t take that advice. There’s a lot of speculation and just making up of the rules as we go along ... People get trapped in prisons of their own making because they accept limitations that other people place on them or that they place on themselves.’” - Tim Ferriss, author and lifestyle guru
What’s the easiest way to start testing assumptions?
Be a kid and play Opposite Day (but for your life).
If what most people are doing isn’t working, then this is an essential question to ask yourself.
If you’re familiar with the 90’s sitcom Seinfeld, consider the case of George Costanza:
Short. Bald. Single. Unemployed in his 30’s.
He’s clearly got nothing going for him.
Yet the defining moment in his life comes when does the opposite of every past instinct:
In the episode, “The Opposite,” he:
Criticizes the owner of the Yankees right to his face
Goes up to a girl immediately instead of shying away
Stays calm when a taxi driver cuts him off
While honesty is a common link, doing the opposite changes George’s life trajectory and lands him his dream job.
“If everyone is defining a problem or solving it one way and the results are subpar, this is the time to ask , ‘what if I did the opposite?’ Don’t follow a model that doesn’t work.” - Tim Ferriss, The Four Hour Work Week
The point isn’t to be purposefully contrarian. It’s to give yourself the best chance of seeing what really works. Remember: what most people are doing is not working.
Ok, maybe you’re thinking that doing the opposite is a bit extreme.
At least consider this:
"Let's start with a test: Do you have any opinions that you would be reluctant to express in front of a group of your peers? If the answer is no, you might want to stop and think about that. If everything you believe is something you're supposed to believe, could that possibly be a coincidence? Odds are it isn't. Odds are you just think whatever you're told." - Paul Graham, venture capitalist
There surely is value in being at least a bit contrarian.
When was the last time you changed your mind on something?
If you haven’t ever, you might be too rigid and are thinking whatever you’re told.
Just some food for thought,
Baxter
❤️ Favorite Finds
📝Article - Would You Trade Places with Warren Buffet? An excellent piece that examines the relationship between money, time, experience, and fulfillment. Key point: experiences make us rich.
🎙️Speech - Steve Jobs’s 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keeping looking and don’t settle. As with matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
🐥 Tweet of Mine
✍️ Quote of the Week
“A healthy man wants a thousand things, a sick man only wants one”
- Naval Ravikant
P.S. If you read this far, thank you! If you liked this, you might enjoy my Twitter feed, where I share more ideas for feedback.