So, let’s continue our mission to build intelligent environments where good things happen automatically. 

As discussed yesterday, it’s all about adding friction to bad actions and removing friction from good actions. 

Yesterday’s post covered Craving and Inspiration. Next up: Ego and Altruism. 

Ego

Adding friction to Ego is not quite as simple as it is for Craving, but it certainly can be done. 

The most destructive effect of Ego in today’s world is our fear of failure – the fear of looking foolish in front of others. 

Hence, we need to add friction to the act of avoiding failure. A good way to do this is to make a formal commitment to repeatedly show up in a challenging environment. 

This could be some practical course or program. It could also be any kind of productive collaboration where you are clearly the weakest link. 

Possibly the best solution is to get yourself a good mentor who continuously drives you through the cycle of learn-try-fail-adjust-succeed. This cycle is key to success in today’s world, but far too many people avoid it for a fear of failure. 

Finding a good mentor can be difficult, but it sure is worth the effort. Do it well and you’ll walk away with a downsized Ego and some valuable new skills. 

Altruism

The best way I know to automatically open your mind to Altruism is to commit to a project where the health and happiness of other people is the main objective. 

This could be some kind of charity or any kind of free work on important societal or environmental problems. Just don’t let Ego spoil this plan by getting you to act charitably just so you can look good. 

As you become older and smarter, becoming a mentor is another great way to train Altruism. Sharing knowledge and expertise to genuinely help others to make the world a better place is a very special feeling. 

So, that was it for Ego and Altruism. Tomorrow, we’ll turn our sights towards Sloth and Flow.