A recent episode of Cautionary Tales told the story of Claude Shannon, the so-called Einstein of computer science and the inventor of the world’s first wearable computer, which he used to cheat at roulette in a Vegas casino back in 1961.
The episode describes how Shannon never stayed focused on one thing for long. Maybe he would have made more significant contributions to the world if he had been less scattered… or maybe his lack of focus is what made him so brilliant in the first place 🤔
Indeed, there is evidence that having serious hobbies is correlated with greater career success…
Compared to other scientists, Nobel laureates are at least twenty-two times more likely to partake as an amateur actor, dancer, magician, or other type of performer.
Nationally recognized scientists are much more likely than other scientists to be musicians, sculptors, painters, printmakers, woodworkers, mechanics, electronics tinkerers, glassblowers, poets, or writers, of both fiction and nonfiction. (source)
It’s easy to believe the Elon Musk narrative that you need to work 80 hours per week to change the world. But there’s a good argument to be made that you’ll deliver better results with less work and more “distraction.”
Just be sure to choose your distractions wisely 😉
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