1.
“The ultimate tool for corporations to sustain a culture is to develop the 40-hour work-week as the normal lifestyle. Under these working conditions people have to build a life in the evenings and on weekends, making us more inclined to spend heavily on entertainment and conveniences because our free time is so scarce. The 8-hour workday is too profitable for big business, not because of the amount of work people get done in eight hours (the average office worker gets less than three hours of actual work done in 8 hours) but because it makes for such a purchase-happy public. Keeping free time scarce means people pay a lot more for convenience, gratification, and any other relief they can buy.”
“Most of us treat our money this way. The more we make, the more we spend. It’s not that we suddenly need to buy more just because we make more, only that we can, so we do. In fact, it’s quite difficult for us to avoid increasing our standard of living (or at least our rate of spending) every time we get a raise.”
“I don’t think it’s necessary to shun the whole ugly system and go live in the woods, pretending to be a deaf-mute. Big commerce has been working for decades to create millions of ideal consumers, and they have succeeded. Unless you’re a real anomaly, your lifestyle has already been designed.”
— Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed
2.
“Have you heard of hedonistic adaptation? It's the phenomenon where people revert to their baseline of happiness no matter how much more income they earn. For most Americans, that number is around $80,000 per year before earning more stops increasing your happiness. Most people would be far happier earning $80,000-$150,000 from a three-day workweek than they would hustling overtime to earn $400,000.”
“In observing friends who’ve sold startups and made millions: After one year, they’re back to toying with their old side projects. They used their money to buy a nice home and eat well. That’s it. They’re otherwise back to who they were.”
“Aim to be fulfilled—not excessively rich. There's a reason why lottery winners are just as miserable as they were before. Hedonistic adaptation is inescapable.”
— How To Figure Out What You Want To Do With Your Life
3.
(Phase I) 0-9 hours after waking: use bright overhead lights for maximum alertness, work in a lower ceiling environment or put on a hat / hoodie to restrict visual field
(Phase II) 9-16 hours after waking: work in high ceiling room or outdoors for creative work and decrease light
Keep your screen / book at nose level or slightly higher for optimal level of alertness
A combination of 50/50 standing sitting is best
Background noise (humming of a fan) can increase mental fatigue and decrease cognitive performance
— Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus & Creativity
