As I wrote at the onset of the pandemic, “people have asked more questions in the last few weeks than in the last ten years.” Most questions started with: ‘what’s the future of…’—work, cities, travel, faith, science, education, institutions, etc.
Every day brought in new questions, few answers.
Questions ignite our curiosity and stimulate action as we grapple with new challenges—like the effects of climate change.
But the questions are just too complex to work out individually.
During the pandemic, networks started forming around each burning question. Scientists, academics, researchers pooled their thinking and experience to find ways to mitigate, slow down, and treat the virus and improve humanity’s odds.
We connect on similarities—language, body of knowledge—yet benefit from differences—such as cultural context, and specific experience. We should take advantage of this principle and explore the ideas and experience of others.
Networks of practice are great teaching grounds. But we don’t need to be part of a specific network to learn. For that, we have books. Books are the perfect medium to accelerate your imagination and cognitive process. Their length provides enough space to explore an idea.
Books are a non-addictive way to stimulate curiosity. The difference between reading a book and engaging in social media is stark. That’s because the two activities engage different areas of the brain.
Many studies have demonstrated that social media stimulates dopamine, which seeks short term pleasure and is addictive. By contrast, an activity that creates long term satisfaction involves serotonin. While the first touches 5 brain receptors, the second touches 14.
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