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Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Ep. 341: Drowning, Treading, or Swimming

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Cal Newport

Education, Technology, Self-improvement

4.81.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2025

⏱️ 89 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tim Ferris is working on a new book about saying “no” and has posted the introduction online. In this episode, Cal reads an excerpt from this introduction and then tries to make sense of it with a metaphor about a shipwreck that helps unwind the complexity of dealing with the scourge of having too much to do. Cal then answers listener questions and reacts to a productivity meme inspired by a recent episode.   Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com!   Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo   Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia   Deep Dive: Drowning, Treading, or Swimming [6:27]   - Will AI productivity gains reduce quality? [27:30] - Can you elaborate on the Digital Declutter? [33:38] - Is reading a book considered deep work? [38:41] - What are Cal’s thoughts on content aggregator services such as Inoreader? [43:49] - Can a large team with ever-changing demands avoid pseudo-productivity? [51:47] - CALL: Dealing with doom-scrolling [58:31]   CASE STUDY: A UFC announcer applies Cal’s principles [1:07:40]   CAL REACTS: Productivity Meme [1:19:42]   Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? tim.blog/2025/01/13/the-no-book/   Thanks to our Sponsors:   expressvpn.com/deep zocdoc.com/deep oracle.com/deepquestions landroverusa.com   Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I'm Cal Newport, and this is Deep Question, the show about cultivating a deep life in a distracted world.

0:23.4

I'm here in my Deep Work H.Q.

0:25.6

joined, as always, by my producer, Jesse.

0:29.2

Jesse, I want to do a quick, crazy or deep segment.

0:32.6

We haven't done that in a while.

0:34.6

This is one where I really don't know the answer.

0:36.4

Like, I'm actually interested in not just your thoughts, but the audience's thoughts as well. So, crazy or one where I really don't know the answer. Like I'm actually interested in

0:37.6

not just your thoughts, but the audience's thoughts as well. So crazy or deep, if you don't know,

0:42.0

is where I have an idea and the question is like, is this cool and deep or is it just insane?

0:48.5

Yeah. And a good thing to know is I have no idea what you're going to say. Yeah. Well, I mean, and I'm actually torn on this one. All right. So here at the,

0:54.6

at the HQ,

0:56.2

we know,

0:56.5

we have a couple of rooms in our HQ and we have one,

0:58.8

we call the Maker Lab.

0:59.7

And this is where,

1:01.3

uh,

1:02.1

our monitors are.

1:03.2

It's where we edit the podcast.

1:05.2

It's,

1:05.3

it's where there's also we do making, I do making in there. We have a 3D printer in there and soldering irons and

1:11.7

et cetera, et cetera. So I have a plan for how to update that room. And it's, I mean,

1:19.6

it's a good plan. It's not super exciting, but it's replacing tables in there, IKEA tables

...

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