I have just started reading Skin in the Game. Not far enough into it to have much to say.
A couple years ago, I had lunch with a friend, and somehow the subject came up of what I thought were my weaknesses. I think that I am not good at what people call “networking,” or cultivating useful contacts and taking advantage of them. I said that the one period in my life I did that well was when I started my Internet business. My friend asked why I was able to do it then.
I replied that I was motivated. In Taleb’s terms, I had skin in the game. It wasn’t just money. I had something to prove to former colleagues who said, “Kling has ideas, but he doesn’t know how to implement.”
I made a conscious decision to network. But I did not say to myself, “You are bad at networking. You need to work on it.” I just knew that it was something I had to do, so I just went ahead and did it as if it were a natural skill.
Both before and since, networking has not been a necessity in my life, and I have not done it. I can see now that some of the things that I tell myself I want, such as more speaking opportunities or wider influence, would be enhanced if I did more networking. But I am not sufficiently motivated to really change.
Like the honesty in this post. Feel similarly myself.
I wonder how much conscientiousness is “doing thing I dislike because I should” vs “enjoying doing the things I should, even if they are inconvenient in some ways”.
The latter seems to lead to more sustained and meaningful accomplishment, while the former is at best a temporary bandaid drawn from limited mental and spiritual resources.
” more speaking opportunities or wider influence” << so why leave EconLog?
Actually, Arnold, it would be good for you to review the decision to leave, the pros & cons you thought then, and the pros & cons you think now. (You were my favorite … since Tech Central Station)
Staying would have encouraged you to network more, and helped you be better at. Quite possibly a few more speaking engagements. Have you had a "Conversation with Tyler"?
At this point, I'd advise and be interested in you trying more Jordan Peterson type youTubes of you in a classroom / lecture setting, possibly with on-line powerpoint. Maybe references to other places where you summarize salient points.
Not an MR Univ, like Tyler & Alex, but more an "intelligent notes on current economic issues", tho that's not such a great title. (You could ask for suggestions; take top 2 plus/or your favorite and seek a final vote of your viewers.) More polls would help you get more ideas about what we viewers want more of.
I think "Specialization and Trade" is great, and would like to see YOU more in front as a knowledgeable critic of most current econ teaching & the less optimal focus on model building.
… You might even start with videos of you explaining the chapters of the book, as if in a class using the book as the key text.
You get more audience; watchers get better econ perspectives. Win-win…