Why “quiet quitting” may boost your mental health, the danger of mental models, and how to create a content ecosystem

Newsletter
Building Blocks: Actionable insights to build an Intentional Life

Hey everybody,

Here’s another batch of actionable insights to start your week off right, so you can be more intentional with how you live, work, and create.

Also, friendly reminder: This is the last week to enroll in Cohort 2 of Intentional Life Design if you’re interested.

Let’s get started.

Insight 1: Quiet quitting could boost your mental health

Have you been hearing the term “quiet quitting,” lately?

It’s a workplace phenomenon that’s been sweeping through social media after a recent TikTok video went viral.

Career “experts” warn against it. Older generations complain it’s another sign that “kids these days” are lazy. And it’s the latest trend polarizing people in the comments section.

But it could be great for your mental health—if you understand what “quiet quitting” actually means and how to embrace it.

Here’s a peek into the psychology behind the new controversial workplace practice and why it could be great for your mental health…

​5 Reasons Why Quiet Quitting Is Great for Your Mental Health​

Insight 2: The Map Is Not the Territory

Mental models—what psychologists call schemas or heuristics—are vital to our survival because they help us understand the world around us.

But mental models, no matter how well-developed or easy to understand, are still just that—models.

Models are a representation of a thing—not the thing itself.

​This Farnam Street article does a great job going through the dangers of relying on models:

“When we see a powerful model work well, we tend to over-apply it, using it in non-analogous situations. We have trouble delimiting its usefulness, which causes errors.”

Did you know the same guy responsible for helping rebrand Target and Apple into the retail behemoths they are today, Ron Johnson, was hired to do the same for a struggling JC Penney?

He applied the same models of what worked for Target and Apple, which sounds logical.

It failed. Horribly.

Why?

Because the map is not the territory.

Just because a model works in one situation doesn’t mean it will in another.

When we forget this, and assume the model is reality (rather than a representation of reality), we fail damn near every day.

“[It’s] like a GPS system that shows you where you are at all times but doesn’t include cliffs. You’d be perfectly happy with your GPS until you drove off a mountain…

The first step [to overcoming this] is to realize that you do not understand a model, map, or reduction unless you understand and respect its limitations. We must always be vigilant by stepping back to understand the context in which a map is useful, and where the cliffs might lie.”

It’s easy to think you can copy someone else’s success and paste it to your situation and get the same results.

This is why people lose their minds anytime some Twitter Bro shares the Top Ten Productivity Hacks You’ve Never Heard Of That’ll Totally Make You a Millionaire in Like Two Weeks, Fr Fr No Cap.

But they’re selling you a (flawed) model.

It likely doesn’t apply to your situation. And even if it does, it’s still just that—a model.

So the next time you start searching for mental models to improve your life or help you navigate the world, remember:

The map is not the territory.

Insight 3: Leverage a content ecosystem

Dan Koe is a one-person powerhouse who’s built profitable businesses by creating a high-leverage content ecosystem.

Some quick stats on Dan:

  • Twitter: 150k
  • YouTube: 7.4k
  • LinkedIn: 27.5k
  • Instagram: 235k
  • Newsletter: ~23k
  • Members in paid community: ~1k
  • Average monthly revenue: $45k

He’s also one of the most philosophical entrepreneurs I’ve met who legitimately wants to help people succeed.

If you want a free masterclass in creating a high-leverage content ecosystem, check out this interview:

Question for the Week

Think of your current goal or aspiration.

How are you overcomplicating it?

Complexity gets attention. But simplicity gets results.

Share Your Insights

Know someone who’d love this content? Share it with them!

My goal is to help people be more intentional with how they live, work, and create.

So if you enjoy Building Blocks, I’ll be forever grateful if you help me spread these insights by sharing this issue with one other person who would find it valuable.

And if someone forwarded this to you, check out past issues and subscribe here:

Let me know what you think and what you’d like to see in future issues. I’m always working to making Building Blocks more valuable for you.

​
Until next time—memento mori,​
​
Corey Wilks, Psy.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Executive Coach

Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/​

Founder: Intentional Life Design