Fight For Your Attention
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Every day, people spend an average of seven hours online. During this time, countless companies fight for our attention.
In this battle, the odds are not in our favor. You’re alone, with limited resources and many worries. On the other side are teams of the world’s top specialists in neurobiology, psychology, design, etc.
Worse still, their efforts are rewarded with salaries, bonuses, and stock options. Your resistance is punished because when you refuse news and stories, you miss out on the familiar micro-bursts of dopamine in your brain.
Considering what’s at stake, it’s clear that attention is the number one value in the world.
Let’s recall the 12th-century BC Babylonian creation myth, “Enuma Elish”. The supreme god Marduk was the only one who could defeat the chaos dragon Tiamat, who threatened to destroy the world.
“Four were his eyes, four his ears, Flame shot forth as he moved his lips. His four ears grew large, And his eyes likewise took in everything.”
Attention was Marduk’s main weapon against darkness, decay, and entropy. What was true then is true now.
The mindset of an entrepreneur can help us. It’s about making a deal with reality.
We focus our attention on one thing, saying “No!” to everything else. In exchange for this sacrifice, over time, reality gives us what we need. Sometimes, it even gives us more — things we never dreamed of.
Reclaiming our attention is the task for each of us.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
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