Summary

The article encourages readers to evaluate their lives by considering the cumulative impact of experiences rather than averaging them out, particularly in the context of relationships, jobs, and life satisfaction.

Abstract

The article "STOP AVERAGING, START ADDING" emphasizes the importance of not reducing one's life satisfaction to an average of recent events, which is a common cognitive bias known as recency bias. Instead, it suggests that individuals should take into account the full spectrum of their experiences, assigning appropriate weight to each, to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of their life's quality. This approach is particularly relevant when facing significant life decisions, such as whether to continue a relationship or job. The author illustrates the point by discussing how our brains are wired to take the path of least resistance, often leading us to make decisions based on the most recent or emotionally charged events. The article references Naval Ravikant's statement on the hierarchy of information consumption and suggests that by avoiding averaging and embracing a more holistic view, individuals can overcome biases and make more informed decisions, as also highlighted in the book "Factfulness" by Hans Rosling.

Opinions

The author believes that our tendency to average out our life experiences is a disservice to our understanding of our true satisfaction and progress.
It is posited that the brain's preference for easy tasks leads to cognitive biases, such as recency bias, which can skew our perception of reality.
The article criticizes the common practice of making judgments or decisions based solely on recent events, without considering the broader context.
The author advocates for a rational and weighted evaluation of all experiences, both positive and negative, to form a clearer picture of one's life circumstances.
There is a suggestion that society, including bosses and investors, often falls prey to these biases, which can lead to misguided decisions and missed opportunities.
The author endorses the idea that by resisting the urge to average and instead adding up experiences with their respective weights, individuals can achieve greater clarity and potentially transform their outlook on life.

STOP AVERAGING, START ADDING

PRACTICE THIS AND SEE THE CHANGE IT BRINGS INTO YOUR LIFE

It's ALL MESSED UP!

What is the heaviest feeling you have in your mind right now? My relationship sucks or My job sucks or My life sucks. You suddenly started feeling like you ain’t going anywhere? Your Medium articles aren’t making money (Oops !) or in short Are You Averaging!

While on my way to the office one day, I ponder upon this, that why these thoughts do arrive in our mind and I believe few insights have helped me to reach the answer — and that is “We are constantly averaging our lives, CONSTANTLY” and it’s not your mistake, not at all pal. Our brain has evolved to do things that are easy. Did you realize that even our thumb moves better in the upward direction (for scrolling down)— — — — Why are we evolved like that? Why our brain just avoid doing hard things? I will leave you with those questions and am sure I am talking to the majority here because even reading an hour a day will put someone in 0.0000000X% of the total population.

Cristian Angeloni -International Advisor

I remember one of Naval Ravikant’s statement :

“Don’t give me the lecture, Give Me The Book, Don’t Give Me The Book, Give Me The Article, Don’t give me the Article, Give me the blog, Don’t give me the Blog, Give me the Tweet, If I don’t get the Tweet — I know everything anyways”

Averaging is one of those easy tasks that our brain just loves to do. Let’s dive deep.

When I say Averaging, I mean Recency Bias — it’s a cognitive bias that leads us to form a conclusion or judgment by thinking of all the recent events that have had happened to us (comes naturally, without any effort). It happens when bosses evaluate employees, when investors make bets which are risky (ignoring the past economic realities), Journalism is filled with it — If there was insurance against Terrorism, I bet it would have its sales skyrocketed after the 9/11 (though we know that more people die in road accidents every year than by terrorism put together in the last decade).

You would be thinking, I don’t do that ! Really — then you are on the right track already lah ! (I couldn’t resist using Singlish here)

ITS TIME TO “ADD” NOW

Have you been having heated arguments with your partner lately and thinking of this phrase called “break up”? Think again, but this time don’t “Average”, instead “Add”. Sit back, and think of all the experiences that your relationship (or job, if you have one) have witnessed — great, bad or worst, intellectual, caring, supportive, argumentative, intimate, kind, cherished, or whatever adjectives your teacher taught you. Allocate weight to each of them, remember to do it rationally, don’t cheat yourself by getting influenced from that recent fuss. Take a minute and do this mental exercise and you will realize how hard it is.

Once you did that — it will be your Ah Ha moment, you will have a comprehensible picture whether your relationship, job, or life is really as miserable as you think? If not, continue hustling like me. If yes, start hustling.

Now, you understand why you didn’t get promotion knowing that you are far better than the person who got it (think whether that person did something recently that impressed your boss. If yes, then your boss is just another monkey on a typewriter)

I recently read a book called “Factfulness by Hans Rosling” and this book, I believe resonates with what I wrote above. Avoid looking at any event in isolation from now on. Ask for references, add those references, and then forms a conclusion. Try it yourself next time while making a decision just like you tried that thumb movement (you literally tried it…?). It might just change your perception of someone. Sleep with this thought tonight.

There are many biases that our brain tricks us into but it’s unfortunate that you won’t find them in those elementary school books. It took me a very long time to SOAK IN what Mark Twain meant when he said :

“Don’t let your school interfere with your education”

Let me know about your experiences with “averaging” and not “adding up”

Happy Learning. Cheers !