This episode contrasts Mike, who remained stuck analyzing his failure with detailed frameworks, with Jenny, who found success by simply taking action. We argue that frameworks are secondary; effectiveness demands understanding and working with psychological realities. High intelligence can be a trap: smart people rationalize bad ideas and make predictably poor decisions by searching only for confirming evidence. Deep expertise also creates dangerous blind spots when applied generally.Success requires choosing agency: building identity around how you respond to events, as struggle plus action earns respect. We discuss "preservation seasons," stressing that success is measured by defensive metrics, like maintaining routines, not offensive gains. Effective individuals build systems to counteract biases, actively seeking contradictory evidence, lengthening time horizons, and prioritizing competence.And if you're looking to read the the original essay, you can find it on The Adaptable Chameleon substack.
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#39 - The moment you stop asking permission
This episode explores how the systems we live and work within — from corporate structures to educational models — were often designed to suppress human capabilities such as agency, curiosity, and genuine insight. These frameworks, which prioritize order and compliance, ultimately create a hidden cost by training people into a state of “learned helplessness”. Going further, the episode argues that the path to breakthrough and adaptability lies in trusting human judgment. We examine how everything changes the moment you stop asking permission to think and act according to your own judgment, emphasizing that agency is reclaimed through small, consistent choices to use your own insight and become a thinking, feeling, choosing agent.You can also read the original essay on The Adaptable Chameleon substack.
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#38 - The quiet strength of building yourself from the inside out
Are you constantly seeking validation from the outside world? In a society that is always trying to pull your attention outward, the sources suggest that the truly radical act is to turn inward and build something real.This week, we explore the profound power of internal work—the foundation that nobody sees. We look at how exceptional effectiveness in life comes not from focusing on outcomes you can’t fully control, but on the boring, consistent efforts that compound into extraordinary results over time. Like a master craftsman who spends thousands of invisible hours on fundamentals, true personal development happens in the quiet moments when no one is keeping score. It’s about choosing the harder right over the easier wrong, building an internal strength that cannot be taken away from you.And if you want to read the original essay, you can find it on The Adaptable Chameleon substack.
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#37 - The architecture of intentional living
Today we discuss intentional living: making small, conscious choices that accumulate to form a life truly reflective of one's own desires, rather than external expectations. You'll hear about ideas such as the "gap between knowing and living," where readily available advice on self-improvement often fails to translate into action due to a lack of genuine understanding and application. Another important topic for today are the stories we tell ourselves about our motivations, suggesting that underlying desires often drive behaviour more than perceived external factors. The above are just the tip of the iceberg so expect to learn even more ideas related to that intentional living and how to put it into practice. And if you want to read the original essay, you can read it on The Adaptable Chameleon newsletter.
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#36 - Shaping yourself into who you want to be
Explore the transformative power of small, conscious choices in personal growth. Today we discuss how genuine change doesn't stem from grand decisions or complex systems but from the countless "invisible moments" where individuals choose their reactions between a stimulus and a response. Overall, you'll learn three crucial "navigation tools": Do you like your own company?Maintain clarity of purposeCultivate energy awarenessYou can also read the original essay on The Adaptable Chameleon newsletter.
Growth insights from unexpected places.
José Fernando Costa finds lessons in video games, negotiation psychology, and everyday experiences most people overlook. Google's NotebookLM turns his insights into focused conversations.
New Zealand