Hi Reader,

Welcome back to Renaissance!

This newsletter is meant to:

• Teach you cool stuff
• Inspire you to take bold action
• Make you pause, smile, and maybe even laugh

It's part of my mission to live a story worth telling while helping YOU do the same.

If you're ready to create more meaning, fulfillment, and adventure in your life, click the button below:

Why wait any longer?

What I'm learning about 🧠

"Satisficing" and why men fear ordering cocktails at the bar.

In the 1950s, an economist and political scientist named Herbert Simon coined the term "satisficing."

It combines the words "satisfy" and "suffice."

"Satisficing" is a strategy used by consumers (i.e. you and me) to choose a seemingly optimal solution in a complex world.

Let me explain.

When you buy brand A over brand B, you might tell yourself it's because Brand A is better.

But what is really happening is that you are simply more confident that brand A won't be bad.

Think of workout clothes.

Nearly all of them are made in factories in Malaysia.

Nike shorts are often made in the same factory and from the same material as cheaper brands.

But once the Nike swoosh is stamped on the shorts, they increase in value.

Why is that?

It's because we prioritize avoiding catastrophic downsides such as buying something that sucks.

In caveman terms, we are more interested in avoiding bad situations than finding the perfect fit.

This is why we will pay more for a name-brand item.

We do this because we realize that Nike has more to lose from a reputation standpoint than a no-name brand.

This creates more trust and tricks our brains into thinking that Nike's clothes are "better quality."

Here's another (hilarious) example of how much we prioritize avoiding bad situations:

Men are more reluctant to order cocktails in a bar than women, mostly because they are unsure what sort of glass it will be served in.

If they think there's even a 1% chance it will arrive in a hollowed-out pineapple (giving their friends endless ammunition to make fun of them), they will order a beer.

Some trendy bars have solved this problem by serving all cocktails in mason jars.

Putting pictures of the drinks (and the glasses they come in) on the menu will also increase the % of men who order cocktails.

Remember this the next time you're feeling like a highly evolved cognitive being and are taking yourself too seriously.

To quote Naval Ravikant,

"You're just a monkey with a plan."

P.S. My new knowledge about "Satisficing" comes from Rory Sutherland's AMAZING book Alchemy.

What I'm thinking about 💭

The power of a great analogy.

I read a sentence recently that stopped me in my tracks.

“What you’re doing is as useful as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”

Imagine saying this to your arch-nemesis who believes they are being productive.

It would be an absolute slam-dunk of a diss.

It's witty, deep, and makes you think.

It speaks to the futility of "busy work" that ultimately won't matter.

The only person seeing those deck chairs is Davy Jones.

I'll leave you with a question to ponder.

Are you doing anything in your life that feels useful but is ultimately pointless?

Quote(s) of the week 📜

"Figure out what you're good at without trying, then try."

- Isabel Unraveled

What I'm writing ✍️

A whole bunch of posts on LinkedIn.

I used to despise LinkedIn more than anything.

I hated it because I saw so many people posting happy updates about jobs they hated.

I knew they hated their jobs because they would tell me!

And then three weeks later I would see a post about them being promoted and it would say something like:

"I am SO HAPPY to share that I was just promoted to Senior Consultant. I love my job, my life, and this company SOOOOO MUCH! #Livelaughlove"

Ok, ok, I am being hyperbolic but you get the idea.

Luckily, I stopped reading those posts.

Now I go on Linkedin to write!

I've been posting every weekday for the past 6 months and I've really enjoyed it.

I've met cool people, had great conversations, and overcome my distaste for the platform.

If you don't hate my writing and want more of it in your life, give me a follow on Linkedin by clicking here. ​

Only getting to talk to you on Mondays is giving me separation anxiety...

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Sent with love,

Gregory Russell Benedikt

Website: gregoryrussellbenedikt.com

Podcast: The Dare to Dream Podcast​

Connect: Instagram & LinkedIn