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The Observe and Rapport Newsletter
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A weekly guide of my favorite books, articles, products, and lifestyle habits.
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May 31st, 2024 | by Kyle Brennan
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Thought of the Week
In Sasha Chapin's latest article, 50 Things I Know, he explains the two modes of experience:
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Let's say you're listening to a song.
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Are you sinking into it, awash with emotions? If so, you're in the appreciative mode.
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Are you playing an audio engineer? Listening to the snare hits to make sure they're consistent? You're in the evaluative mode.
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Much of our happiness (and sanity) results from finding the right mode for the right moment. The appreciative mode, for example, would be ill-fated during a business meeting. At the same time, adopting an evaluative mode on a first date could be disastrous.
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I find myself over-indexing in the evaluative mode.
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During a hike, I spend more time worrying about my pace or avoiding slow walkers than appreciating the beauty around me.
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Noticing which mode you're in is the first step.
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Check in with yourself. Are you being critical? Or are you engaging for enjoyment's sake?
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Make sure your attitude matches your current environment.
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What I'm Reading
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Bestselling author and TED podcast star, Adam Grant @adamgrant examines the critical art of rethinking — how questioning your beliefs and knowing what you don’t know can lead you to success at work and happiness at home.
This book is about the power of knowing what you don’t know, embracing the unknown, and not becoming too attached to your existing ideas.
He also shares tips and strategies for having difficult conversations on polarizing topics like gun rights, abortion, and climate change. You’ll learn how just a few simple shifts can profoundly alter the trajectory of these difficult conversations. Highly recommend this one for lovers of Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, David Epstein, or any other pop social science writer.
“If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”
Rating: 4.2 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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What I'm Watching
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Comedian Shane Gillis takes on his next phase of comedy dominance with a Netflix comedy series, called Tires. It's a blue-collar office comedy set in a mechanic's shop, where the inept boss Will (played by Steve Gerben, who also co-writes the series with Gillis and John McKeever, the director of all six episodes), has ordered far too many tires.
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The humor can sometimes be a bit too childish for my taste, but I found it funny enough to binge the first four episodes in one night. It also stars comedians Andrew Schulz, Stavros Halkias, Chris O'Connor, and Tommy Pope.
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By the way, if you haven't heard of Shane Gillis or are unfamiliar with his comedy, please do yourself a favor and check out his YouTube sketch show Gilly and Keeves - some of the funniest skits you'll ever watch. This is one of my favorites.
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Article I'm Reading
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Look, I'm all for comfort - and I admire people wanting to find shoes that may alleviate back/foot/joint pain, but in my humble opinion, more cushion is not the answer to your problems. Proper movement is.
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The notion that the human foot is inherently flawed and automatically needs some kind of corrective device is kind of nuts. Over the years, shoe manufacturers have continued to load more and more gimmicks into shoe technology in an attempt to separate themselves from the competition. Terms like "Spring-Loaded," "Active Foot Frame," "Shock Absorption" are all marketing gimmicks designed to scare you into believing you need some kind of correction
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There is not a single study that indicates more cushion leads to fewer injuries. In fact, maximal cushioned shoes may even increase risk of injury.
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It's like wearing massive casts around the only part of our body connected to Earth.
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If you can't tell, this is the hill I'm willing to die on.
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15 Perspective Changing Books
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Quote I'm Pondering
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The Paradox of Hate
"You need to hate the world enough to change it, but love it enough to consider it worth changing." - G.K. Chesterton
Action is the offspring of dark pessimism and frenzied optimism... working in tandem.
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Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss Adam Grant's book Think Again, which talks about the importance of keeping an open mind with regard to solidified opinions, ancient Sumerian tablets unveiling the existence of an Alien species that some believe may have birthed the Human Race, actor Terrence Howard's recent controversial podcast appearances, and their favorite cities that they've visited.
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Books Mentioned in this episode:
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Check Out My Amazon Favorites Bookstore
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Browse my favorite book selections hand-curated by me. I also earn commissions so if you buy anything, those earnings get reinvested right back into this fancy newsletter ;)
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Kyle's Published Work
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33 Life Lessons on My 33rd Birthday
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Thirty-three was a big one. Mostly because I became a dad. Our daughter was born on New Year’s Eve — a fitting arrival for a kid destined to reset everything. It’s been a beautiful, if slightly sleep-deprived blur ever since. I’ve only been “Dad” for less than ten months, but if I’m being honest, I’ve been preparing for the role for over …
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Depth Over Downloads: Why Spending Time with Books Still Matters
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Everyone wants faster information. But no one asks if faster information leads to better understanding — or a better life. In the age of AI and tweet-sized wisdom, we’ve confused information with transformation. But there’s a massive difference between knowing what a book says and being changed by it. The Delusion of Instant Learning In a recent interview, political journalist Ezra Klein admitted he once believed …
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The Jack Reacher Approach to Never Being Caught Off Guard
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There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.’ Either way, nothing happens.” —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia I don’t read much fiction, but I’ve always been hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. He’s not your typical …
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