FS | BRAIN FOOD

August 16th, 2026 - #694 - read online - Free Version

Welcome to Brain Food, your weekly signal in a world full of noise.

Tiny Thoughts

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Science is moving faster than people’s ability to adapt.

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It’s hard to see what you’re not looking for and it’s easy to see what you’re looking for.

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Ambition becomes a superpower when you stop expecting achievement to satisfy you and learn to love the pursuit itself.

Insights

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Author Ursula K. Le Guin on change:

“What goes too long unchanged destroys itself.”

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Legendary Coach John Wooden on details:

“When you see a successful individual, a champion, a "winner," you can be very sure that you are looking at an individual who plays great attention to the perfection of minor details.”

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David Ogilvy in Confessions of an Advertising Man on tapping into your unconscious:

“The majority of business men are incapable of original thinking because they are unable to escape from the tyranny of reason. Their imaginations are blocked.

I am almost incapable of logical thought, but I have developed techniques for keeping open the telephone line to my unconscious, in case that disorderly repository has anything to tell me. I hear a great deal of music.

I take long hot baths. I garden. I go into retreat among the Amish. I watch birds. I go for long walks in the country. And I take frequent vacations, so that my brain can lie fallow - no golf, no cocktail parties, no tennis, no bridge, no concentration; only a bicycle.

While thus employed in doing nothing, I receive a constant stream of telegrams from my unconscious, and these become the raw material for my advertisements.

But more is required: hard work, an open mind, and ungovernable curiosity”

The Knowledge Project

Here's a recap of the last few episodes you might have missed

• Brad Jacobs — A look at someone who has started eight different companies all worth over a billion dollars. (Apple - Spotify - YouTube)
• John D. Rockefeller — This one is going viral. The feedback is insane. (Apple - Spotify - YouTube)
• Kaz Nejatian — If you've ever wanted to see what the inside of a turnaround looks like while it's happening, this episodes gives you a front row seat. (Apple - Spotify - YouTube)
• Dr. Gio Valiante — This episode has well over a million listens now and for good reason. It's a mental tune up for your mind. (Apple - Spotify - YouTube)
• Giulia Enders — Fix your gut health in under an hour. (Apple - Spotify - YouTube)
• Chung Ju-yung — While building Hyundai, he saved an entire country. (Apple - Spotify - YouTube)

SPONSOR

If you're serious about reaching your potential, consider reading Hidden Potential, Essentialism, and Mindset. They're packed with practical ideas on growth, discipline, and focus. You can read all three on Shortform, where you'll find the world's best nonfiction book guides and insights. Sign up for free and get a discount here.

Thanks for reading. I'll see you next week.

— Shane Parrish

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