September 2, 2023

It’s All Just Made Up

Today is Saturday.

That’s a fact.

An objective reality.

Simply true.

Or is it?

The idea of Saturday and September and Labor Day and weeks and weekends and months and years and the entire rest of the calendar are all just things that somebody made up.

So yes, we can agree that today is “Saturday.”

But Saturday isn’t really real.

It’s just a useful mental model.

The concept of Saturday feels really real because it’s been around longer than we have. We grew up with it. And it continues to be useful.

Here’s the thing...

What other concepts are rattling around in your head that have been around since before you were born and feel really real but are NOT useful anymore?

For example...

That working 40 hours a week is normal
Or that hard work is a virtue
Or that time is money

These are NOT objective realities.

They’re all just things that somebody made up.

(Big hat tip to friend-of-the-list and fellow daily emailer James Turner for the fabulous insight that inspired this message. Happy BDAY, James and Kayte!)

Yours,

—J