Don’t Unplug Book & Work Quotes (#WQWWC Sept 1, 2021)

Posted on by Prior...
The Always Write quote challenge has the theme of WORK this week and Priorhouse Blog is hosting.
***
Months ago, when Marsha and I set up this theme, I originally planned to share quotes about work from Paul Muchinsky, Drucker, and Tarthang Tulku. However, that will have to wait because my reading this month led to a fun change.
The book that inspired today’s post is Don’t Unplug (2018) by Chris Dancy.
***
I originally added this discounted hardcover to my shopping basket because of the snarky tagline, which said that Chris Dancy was “the world’s most connected person.”  I cannot stand the use of superlatives and then my initial thought was ‘how would we even go about defining who is more connected than someone else?’
However, the book surprisingly became an enjoyable read and seemed ideal for the topic of work with Writer’s Quote Wednesday. I included some snippets of pages from the book to provide context and other fun tidbits found in the book.
First, the work that we do varies according to different ages and stages in life. Chris Dancy reminded that we leave a digital legacy by creating content that has our unique flair: “the Internet is your brand and identity.”  
Dancy writes with a well-defined voice, his stories flow with fun (easy to get) metaphors, and the transparency he has about the ups and downs in his life reminded me why some people really do need to put their thoughts into a book with almost 300 pages.
 I really enjoyed moving through some of the digital milestones as he shared his journey of working in IT from the 1990s on – developing his connections online — all while learning lessons about earning, getting along with people, physical wellness, mental health, etc.
Dancy reminded us that creating content online “serves as both a conversation starter, and more importantly, if you’re still in the prime working part of your life, it’s what future employers will review.” It was refreshing to read his advice about creating online content –  not for content’s sake, and not to aim for a huge amount – instead, the goal is to create content that “represents what you’re good at.”  
 
***
Another area of work advice from Dancy was when he suggested that people should “start going to conferences that have nothing to do with your industry.”
This keeps us all growing.  
We all need to change up what we read and do because it can prevent confirmation bias, minimize the echo effect where we only hear more of what we already know and believe to be true. Think about how dangerous it is to only see what the majority of people around us view as true. Think about how easy it is to develop blinders or lose objectivity. For example, there were times when most doctors thought blood-letting and leaving wounds unwrapped was therapeutic for healing the body.  And Galileo was against the majority when he spoke up with truth about the Copernican system that stated that planets orbit the sun rather than the Earth as most argued back then. Let’s watch out for loss of objectivity and brainwashing that could subtly come from living in a bubble that only feeds us what we want to hear. 
****
Dancy offers warnings about being plugged in too much or in the wrong ways – and reminded people to watch out for unhealthy cyborg habits.
 
Some of the warnings aligned with content from the Emmy-nominated documentary The Social Dilemma (2020) with the overall reminder that so much online is financially driven and the big sites are manipulation engines. Dancy had to “come to terms with my behavior and understand how online tools could manipulate my friends and me.”
***
We humans do not need to abandon social media or totally avoid having a digital presence. The goal is to proceed with care. Create, with your flair  — but also wake up  — and stay aware. 

***

Writer’s Quotes Wednesday Writing Challenge

Marsha’s Featured Bloggers Last Week:

 

Care to join in with #WQWWC? Here are the September Themes:

  • September 1: Work or Career/Employment
  • September 8: WRITER’S CHOICE #5 (or Order)
  • September 15: Communication
  • September 22: Fortitude/Resilience
  • September 29: Autumn or Fall

Hope your week is going well.

 

..

.

.

.

.

38 thoughts on “Don’t Unplug Book & Work Quotes (#WQWWC Sept 1, 2021)”

  1. Pingback: Work or Career Quotes (#WQWWC Sept 1, 2021) – Ladyleemanila

  5. Hmm sounds like an interesting book. My OH recently bought a book called how to break up with your phone which is about breaking habits and moving away from being always connected. It’s quite nice for you to present this book with an alternative perspective. Thank you for sharing. KL ❤

    Like

    2. Hi KL – the book your OH read sounds really good – the habits part sounded a bit like a boo we loved a few years ago called “atomic habits” by James clear

      And to add a bit more / this don’t unplug book does offer tips for improving habits and also talks about drawing boundaries and even notes the terrible side of his personality that was fueled by voicing reviews – feeling entitled online “I deserve to be me, unedited” which then led him to “regret, remorse, repeat”
      So in my post I pulled out some work examples but the author also really let us into his world by sharing the many lessons learned through technology (and the toll it took) while it also rescued him – and then the humor – like “you are what drains your phone battery” and ended with a little plug for Tesla and the tech in cars rounding down the entire book with the way humans interact with advancing tech –
      Be over soon to Visit your post for the week

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Your post is a lot of food fro thought Yvette and I do love your healthy skepticism at first with the book and yet finding some great pieces in the book to share. It’s an interesting one because we can’t escape all of the technology. I do feel sorry for how immersed we all are in it these days. Thanks for the insights.

    Have a great night and day tomorrow 💖

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Cindy – the area of technology and devices is truly a topic we all
      Need to keep conversing about – and thanks for radding – be over to check in soon

      Liked by 2 people

  7. Pingback: Career or Cuddles? – New2Writing

  10. Hi Yvette, The title of this book immediately pulls me in. It goes against the grain of the opposite advice shared most of the time.

    A great deal of food for thought in this post. “…what we consume is intangible…” yet I know it depletes my time and energy, a tangible resource.

    I wholeheartedly agree about confirmation bias, especially in our present climate. Representing what we are good at, is great advice especially for young people starting to leave a digital footprint.

    I see what you mean by an enjoyable read. Thank you for sharing, Yvette. You have a gift for discovering gems.🙂 I know this post is going to stay with me as I navigate the digital world and plug in. Awareness is key.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for your rich comment Erika – I took a chance with the book (expected to slam it like I thought I would hate Tim Ferris book 4-hour work week- but similar to that one I found a great read

      And with the younger generation – many of them need to repair their Digital footprint because maybe as digital natives they have e seasons where their content does not represent them anymore and so their newer content can better reflect them now – hmmm
      And LOVED your point with “time and energy, a tangible resource” – such a good point and Dancy did address some of that –

      And actually – I probably could ha e had this post twice as long and still found more to share – but I wanted the length to be manageable

      And on page 82 he talked about how he had a cyclone of depression and self-loathing because spewing online venom brought out his inner jerk side noting zuckerberg’s law (a spin off of Moore’s law) which states that people share online twice as much as they did the year before – ha!

      Okay – enough of that and hope your month is off to a wonderful start!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I may have mentioned to you in the past how I am a fan of Tim Ferriss and most of his podcasts. I like the questions he asks, how he lets the guest have plenty of time to answer and many fascinating guests. Good point on the digital natives. Lots around here this Summer and Fall. Count my blessings always. A great post Yvette!

        Like

    1. Hi – for people who an extra lot on their plate it can be tough to attend conferences in their own field – I know I wrestle with home many in Dan attend – because of cost but also because of mental overload and travel fatigue – yawn! But I do find other ways to explore different industries and diverse interests – kind of like you do too – your many talents which includes the sew and craft area ☀️☀️☀️

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Diana – I like the way you summed it up with “try to be well rounded and see other sides” because that truly is a huge part of what the point was – we don’t want to subtly get away from that.
      Ttys

      Liked by 2 people

  14. Yvette, thanks again for hosting WQWWC this week. I thoroughly enjoyed how in-depth this post is on the topic of work. Like Erica, I think this post will remain with us for a long time.

    Like

    1. Thanks so much Marsha – and I am
      Going to catch up on comments and links tomorrow – but I really appreciate the feedback because I did take a chance by going with the Dancy book!
      Have a good day and be over to visit more this weekend

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Pingback: FOTD #2: Double Delight Rose – Marsha Ingrao – Always Write
  17. Pingback: Writer’s Quotes Wednesday’s Writer’s Challenge- Work – Keep it alive
  18. Pingback: #Writer’s Quotes Wednesday’s Writer’s Challenge – work – Literature World

Comments are closed.