Lessons In 'Essentialism': Getting More Out Of Life By Doing Less (NPR Weekend Edition, interview)

Greg McKeown · 26 Jul 2014

Greg McKeown did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Essentialism means rejecting the idea that if we can fit it all in, we can have it all

Their wordsI think that in the bigger picture, essentialism is about fighting this nonsense that we have been sold - that if we can fit it all in, then we can have it all.
Our reading
Society is in a busyness bubble near a tipping point, and it will eventually burst

Their wordsWhat I think is that society at large is in a busyness bubble now, and we're almost at a tipping point. And at some point, it will burst as well and we'll think we were just crazy to get caught up in all of this euphoria.
Our reading
People have to come back to the reality of trade-offs

Their wordsI think we have to come back to the reality of trade-offs.
Our reading
People who give up the right to negotiate nonessentials lose a lot of power

Their wordsAnd so they've given up the right to negotiate nonessentials. And as soon as you give up that right, then you lose a lot of power.
Our reading
Being tricked by the trivial is a human dynamic of social pressure, not a time-management problem

Their wordsIt's not about time management. It's much more complex than that. It's a human dynamic. This is about social pressure.
Our reading
For at least the last ten years the problem has been opinion overload rather than information overload

Their wordsBut for at least the last 10 years, it's not been information overload that's the problem - it's opinion overload.
Our reading
Instead of reaching for the phone first thing, spend 20 minutes journaling, reading or meditating to anchor on what matters

Their wordsOne other thing that I suggest that people do is, first thing in the morning, instead of reaching for your phone, you take 20 minutes and write a journal - ask the hard questions, maybe read wisdom literature, maybe meditate.

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