“God’s mother, don’t you know he cut apart living men to watch their organs work? I refuse to look at anything that monster was responsible for.” I set the book down. “You might as well give up studying medicine then,” I said as gently as possible. “Gibea’s research on the human body was the most thorough ever done. His journals are the backbone of modern physic.”
— The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
When going through my book highlights, I realize there was probably some specific reason that I highlighted something. Unless I write a note, then I own’t know the reason.
Here, I’m guessing I just thought it was a good commentary on what it takes to gain knowledge.
Which is to say: not as much anymore.
People used to have to cut bodies open to learn things that are a few taps away from a thing that’s sitting in your pocket or in your hands for like 90% of your waking life.
Another more recent thing that’s been unlocked by Twitch, YouTube, and other streaming platforms: watching other people work.
(In Rothfuss’s world, others could watch Gibea do his brutal research and learn from that instead of having to do it themselves.)
On My Fist Million (#208 with Steph Smith – Why You Need a Chief Automation Officer), Shaan Puri and Steph Smith talk about how effective job shadowing is. You can learn so much in a new role by watching how someone experienced does it. And reverse job shadowing helps also—someone experienced can see all the inefficiencies in what you’re doing. An automation officer would be able to watch you work for a day and see a handful of things right away that could automated.
Most jobs aren’t as entertaining to watch compared to streaming games.
But… you might happen to be in that same job role. It can be even more engaging than any game to watch someone doing the same role, because it will help you become better at your job. This is a different outcome than just being entertained.
Some of my favorite types of videos: over-the-shoulder writing or over-the-shoulder design.
And, of course, there’s cooking shows that are entertaining even if you rarely end up cooking any of the dishes.
Find ways to watch other people work.