There is nothing quite like writing early in the morning.
Before the rest of the world has woken up.
Now, for me, normally that means staring out into the darkness of the quiet Vermont night sky…
But clearly this photo was not taken overlooking our palm trees in the tundra :-)
No, we decided to get away for a few days and spend the Christmas Break this year with our boys in the Bahamas, a beautiful country and part of the world where none of us had traveled to before…
(The gift of presence over presents.)
Each year we do an Annual Family Meeting over the holidays…
Ideally held in a fresh location far away from the familiar…
A day when look back at our WINS from the past year…
Where we review our enduring family VALUES…
And where we set our GOALS for the next 12 months…
These include academic goals… athletic goals… business goals… farm goals… personal goals… and family goals.
* * *
As a family, we only have five (5) more Christmas Breaks with both our boys at home…
And one of the goals that we set last year was to be very intentional about how we use each of these remaining school breaks…
(Hence this trip.)
I’ve mentioned before that in this season of life, one of the things I’m optimizing my business (and life) around is maximizing the short window of time we have remaining with our two boys before they leave home…
To paraphrase Thoreau:
“I want to live deep and suck out all the marrow of this season of life…”
And in many ways, this question – What are you optimizing for? – is one that I believe should be at the center of every business and life decision we make.
Because if we’re not careful, we can easily be swayed in a direction that may be inconsistent with our priorities…
(Especially when some piece of advice or shiny object gets served in your social media newsfeed, sowing the seeds of discontent in your brain…)
So as you begin solidifying your plans for 2025, the question to reflect on here today is this:
“What are YOU optimizing for in your life right now?”
* * *
Now, this brings us to our focus of today’s issue:
Because there is a QUESTION I’ve been exploring…
A BIG one.
One that I can’t quite let go of, and which I believe is at the center of every conversation we’ve been having here in The Digital Contrarian over the last several months…
And one that for the first time in this newsletter, I want to begin to confront head on here today.
Let me explain:
1 | The Tension between Financial Success, Living Authentically & The "Return to Real" Movement Taking Shape in the World...
In last week’s issue [#027] “How to Design Your Strategic Content Ecosystem”, I wrote:
“In a world filled automation, algorithms, and artificial everything – from the food we eat to the content we consume, there is a growing “Return to Real” movement taking shape in the world right now.”
And I sit here writing this to you today, there is ever-increasing data that suggests:
We feel more disconnected than ever – despite being more digitally “connected” than we ever have been as a species…
We feel more burnout than ever – despite the enjoyment of more “material wealth” as a society than any time in history…
And there is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction and a craving for the intimate, personal, and real.
And yet…
Technology, automation, and AI (in particular) is at the center of virtually every business and marketing conversation happening right now among the smartest minds in the world seeking to solve these problems…
And I can’t help but wonder: Is this really the only way forward?
* * *
One of my commitments in this newsletter both to you as a reader as well as a commitment I’ve made to myself, is to be real, raw, honest, and vulnerable.
Be Curious. Ask Questions. Seek Truth.
And while I wasn’t planning on doing this, in the spirit of being transparent, I thought I would share with you an unedited private message I wrote this week to a friend and colleague of mine Jayson Gaignard (founder of the MMT Community) around the tension I’m feeling about potentially being completely wrong about some of the views about “Real vs. Artificial” that have been shaping in my mind.
Here’s what I wrote:
* * *
This tension brings me to what I’m starting to realize may be the Core Question at the heart of my forthcoming book:
“Can you actually build a business and live a life that’s both financially successful and deeply fulfilling by rejecting the digital race to the bottom and embracing what’s real? Or are these goals fundamentally at odds with one another?”
In other words, in this increasingly AI-driven digital world that we find ourselves in:
Can “Return to Real” serve as a viable business strategy to both live authentically AND achieve financial success?
I’ve been seeking answers to this question personally myself…
And as part of this journey, I’ve been doing a deep dive into a few areas of research that I thought you might find helpful, and which I’ll share a few pieces with you here today, beginning with:
2 | Letting History Be Our Guide So We Can Avoid Making the Mistakes of the Past...
As I wrote in [#008] Cycles, Patterns, & Navigating Choppy Waters one of the most powerful skills to develop as an entrepreneur is the ability to predict what’s coming next…
And one of the most effective ways to do that, is to learn how to recognize patterns and cycles – particularly through an historical lens.
Because to quote Mark Twain:
“History doesn’t repeat itself. But it does rhyme.”
And when we examine the Return to Real Movement that’s gaining momentum in the world right now within a historical context…
The tension that many of us are feeling right now with all the “automation, algorithms, and artificial everything” that I described earlier…
Is actually nothing new.
In fact, if we look back over the last two hundred and fifty years, since the start of the Industrial Revolution, each wave of new technology and major societal change has prompted a similar counter-movement centered around a return to authenticity, simplicity, and connection.
Notably, there are at least five distinct movements in the last two-and-a-half centuries that represent earlier echoes of what we’re experiencing right now in the world today, starting with:
#1: The Romantic Movement (Late 18th/19th Century)
Many of us are at least familiar with Henry David Thoreau’s seminal work, Walden from 1854 (which I quoted earlier in this issue), which emerged in the Romantic Movement – a reaction against the Industrial Revolution, in the late 18th to mid 19th century.
The catalyst of the Romantic Movement was the rise of factories, urbanization, and environmental degradation caused by industrialization which led to a movement focused around the glorification of nature, emotional depth, and critique of industrial society.
If you haven’t read it, Walden is Thoreau’s reflection on simple living in natural surroundings, chronicling a two-year experiment of self-reliance and solitude. Through vivid observations and philosophical musings, he critiques materialism and advocates for a life of purpose, connection to nature, and introspection. Thoreau’s work has had a major impact on my thinking – both as a young man and today.
Next we have…
#2: The Arts & Crafts Movement (Late 19th/20th Century)
The Arts & Crafts Movement (personally my favorite artistic and architectural period in history), emerged next in the late 19th / early 20th century as a reaction against mass production and industrial design, which were perceived as soulless and dehumanizing at the time.
The Arts & Crafts movement advocated for craftsmanship, traditional techniques, and a return to handmade goods integrating both beauty and functionality in response to the loss of artisanal skills due to mechanization.
(Any of that sound familiar based on the discussions around AI technology and it’s role as a creative tool right now?)
Side Note: Tylene studied the Arts & Crafts Movement extensively while we were both undergrads at Brown, where she doubled majored in Art History & the History of Decorative Arts:
I fondly recall serving as her “study buddy” right here in this room 25 years ago, helping her memorize flashcards made with index cards and glue sticks :-)
This brings us to…
#3: The Back-to-the-Land Movement (1960s-70s)
Next, we have the Back-to-the-Land Movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Environmental degradation (again), urbanization (again), and political disillusionment led some to turn to rural living and self-sufficiency.
The counter-culture of the 1960’s and technological alienation led to the themes of environmental stewardship – and a critique of consumerism more generally – and ushered in a generation of homesteaders.
The bible of this movement was Helen & Scott Nearing’s Living the Good Life, first published in 1954, coincidentally released exactly 100 years after Thoreau’s first printing of Walden…
Next we have…
#4: The Slow Living Movement (1980s)
Next, we have the Slow Living Movement of the 1980s – a backlash against the pace of modern life, globalization, and the burnout associated with a technology-driven lifestyle.
From this movement emerged deliberate living, mindfulness (including broader adoption of meditation), connection to nature (once again), and focus on quality over quantity.
Which ultimately brings us to…
#5: The Digital Detox Movement (Today)
And today we have the Digital Detox Movement, which of course is a reaction against the pervasive influence of smartphones, social media, and an existence that largely revolves around the screens that dominate our lives…
Cal Newport’s work around Digital Minimalism, Slow Productivity, and Deep Work is at the center of this movement.
We have a multitude of emergent concerns ranging from mental health to privacy to widespread digital addiction…
And now we have… AI.
* * *
Each of these movements had arisen during a period of technological (or cultural) upheaval:
- Romanticism: Reaction to Industrialization.
- Arts & Crafts: Reaction to Mechanization.
- Back-to-the-Land: Reaction to Environmental Degradation.
- Slow-Living: Reaction to Technologization.
- Digital Detox: Reaction to Digitalization.
Which begs the question:
If each wave of new technology and major societal change has prompted a similar counter-movement around authenticity, simplicity, and connection…
With these themes showing up repeatedly, over and over again…
It would seem to suggest that something about the “Return to Real” resonates deeply with our human nature…
And yet…
If there is a deep yearning for simplicity and authenticity at the core of each of these movements (and seemingly within all of us)…
3 | Why Didn't These Movements Take Hold of Society & Become More Mainstream?
As I’ve been diving deeper into my research for my upcoming book, I’ve become increasingly curious about this myself…
So I began investigating this further…
And it turns out, historians have a few different possible explanations as to why:
The first has to do with a certain Inevitability of Capitalism.
Capitalism thrives on rampant expansion, innovation, and consumption. Movements that emphasize “simplicity and minimalism” simply get swallowed up. Capitalism is a hungry, hungry caterpillar that rewards efficiency, speed, and scalability (which are at odds with the slower, more intentional values of these movements.)
The second has to do with Technological Network Effects.
As new technologies become widespread, there are essentially “feedback loops” that reinforce their dominance, and which make it socially and professionally difficult for us to opt-out of (e.g. Think: Our love/hate relationship with Social Media and our reliance on it, despite knowing its downsides…)
The third has to do with Marginalization of the Fringe.
It takes a certain type of person to challenge societal norms. Not everybody is wired that way. Most are not. And there’s a certain “countercultural” perception of these movements that make them appear to be impractical or “elitist” to the majority. (e.g. Thoreau’s Walden inspired contemporary intellectuals, but most 19th-century Americans rejected it, and instead were focused on “progress.”)
* * *
But the reality is that “progress” isn’t purely technological or economic.
It’s also emotional and cultural.
Technological progress alone creates overwhelm and “innovation fatigue” (“Wait, now I need to learn this too?!), which is what drives us toward simplicity as a reprieve.
There’s also a shadow side to capitalism and economic progress – environmental degradation for one…
And each of the movements above has highlighted the hidden costs of the so-called “progress” being made, while simultaneously suggesting alternative paths to counterbalance the excesses of modern life.
Which brings us to…
4 | What's Different Now?
This time it’s different.
Words we’ve all heard before, right?
Well, in many ways, the world right now is in fact at a technological and environmental inflection point making this moment in time that we’re living in right now historically unique:
Environmental Urgency is the issue of our era.
The planet will survive, but will we?
Burnout Culture is rampant.
Wait, how is all of this “innovation” making us somehow… less happy and less healthy? WTF?
Existential AI Backlash is a thing.
So what is our actual value (and purpose) as human beings?
* * *
In addition to these issues…
There are a growing number of independent movements and quiet acts of sedition simultaneously taking place in the world:
Minimalism… Quiet Quitting… Anti-Hustle Culture… Degrowth… New Stoicism… Rewilding… Homesteading… Home-schooling… and the FIRE Movement… just to name a few…
Each of these represent different variations on the theme of “opting out” and rejecting the prevailing path we’re headed toward as a society and as a species…
Capitalism may be an ideology predicated on infinite growth in a finite system. But people are increasingly questioning whether this relentless growth is not only sustainable – but even desirable.
Which brings us to our central question:
5 | Can "Return to Real" serve as a viable business strategy to both live authentically and achieve financial success?
Well…
Critics would argue that financial success demands scale, efficiency, and optimization – all of which are antithetical to the handcrafted, personal, and intentional values of the “Return to Real”.
After all, consumers may say they value “analog”, but often prioritize convenience and price when making decisions.
For example, we purchased our Thanksgiving turkey from a neighboring farm (we’re considering raising turkeys ourselves next year). They charged a very fair $7.99/lb. which meant our 23 lb. bird cost $183.
(What my Mom still calls “the million dollar turkey”)
The 23 lb Thanksgiving “Million Dollar Turkey” didn’t quite fit into the Yeti cooler we brought along with us :-)
But here’s the thing: I know what went into to raising, feeding, and caring for that bird.
In contrast, the grocery store was selling feed-lot turkeys for $0.49/lb, which mobs of people (including my family) were going nuts over. At that price per pound, it’s not even enough to cover the water going into an animal that’s sustainably raised.
(People love the idea of ‘farm-to-table’ in principle, but balk at spending what it actually costs to invest in the health of their body and the planet by purchasing that quality of food.)
Critics would also argue that while there may be a growing demand for “authenticity”… the TAM (Total Addressable Market) is just too damn small to make it viable…
Sure 1,000 True Fans can support a business, but scaling beyond that is impossible without compromising your values.
Perhaps…
But here’s the thing:
As I wrote in [Issue #027] – “What’s rare is what’s valuable.”
Analog Experiences (e.g. small scale in-person workshops), Craftsmanship (e.g. hand-written email newsletters), and Personal Connection (e.g. actually responding to comments yourself) are becoming rare in the digital age, creating a premium market for those who deliver them.
Additionally…
There is a deep cultural dissatisfaction with the “more, faster, cheaper” paradigm…
Movements like anti-hustle and minimalism have shown there is in fact demand for what feels real and meaningful…
And herein lies the opportunity:
To quote Buckminster Fuller…
“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
And I believe there is a better model.
This is at the center of the quest I’ve found myself on for the better part of last two years:
The move to Vermont…
Raising and growing our own food…
The reinvention of my business…
All starting in a moment of deep reflection (and even deeper vulnerability).
A moment when I realized:
I began hating my business, and as a result… I began hating myself.
* * *
So for those of us on a quest to both live authentically and achieve financial success…
Can “Return to Real” serve as a viable business strategy going forward?
Well…
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t yet have all the answers.
I think the idea is nuanced.
It requires honesty about some of the trade-offs.
It requires creativity in your execution.
And it takes courage to admit that fulfillment and financial success don’t always neatly align.
But in my heart I know there is something there.
Because the further I pull on this string…
The closer I can feel myself getting.
* * *
But to be perfectly honest, the thing I’m more curious about than anything else today is this:
6 | What Do YOU Think:
I’m curious what you have to say on this topic:
“Can you live authentically while achieving financial success?”
Or are these desires at odds with one another?
“Is the “Return to Real” a viable alternative path?
Or is resistance futile?
* * *
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
And if you’ve never sent me an email before…
Consider this “the sign” that today’s the day :-)
I read every single note.
Even if it’s just a few words.
* * *
Okay, I’ll leave you with that for today…
And by the way…
If I don’t speak to you between now and the end of the year…
Let me wish you a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year…
Remember to hug the ones you love.
Until next week,
Ryan :-)
