What It Means to Be High Agency
What It Means to Be High Agency
Common qualities I’ve noticed in extraordinary people.
Travel is starting to pick up again. I just got back from Boston, and I’m heading to Austin next week. Following that: Hawaii, Miami, LA, and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, I’m counting down the days until SXSW. I have a feeling this year will be epic.
If you’re going, you’ll want to check out the list of SXSW events and programming I put together here.
If you want to meet others who are going, check out the group chat communities here.
I’m also hosting stuff. The Lumos House is a 4-day activation I’m putting on at a private mansion with Blindspot in an undisclosed location within walking distance to SXSW. Apply here or reply to this email with a 1-line bio of who you are.
Lastly, I decided to throw a secret party in Austin too. Check it out: www.secretaustinparty.com
That was a mouthful. Enjoy today’s piece!
I’m grateful to have met many remarkable people.
Founders of billion-dollar companies. Olympic athletes. Tech prodigies. People who have accomplished extraordinary things regardless of the obstacles that stood in the way. These are individuals who are in the top 0.01% of what they do.
There is one thing that they all have in common:
They are people with high agency.
High agency is about actively going after what you want without waiting for the circumstances to be perfect.
High agency people can overcome adverse conditions by taking bold actions to change their reality. They come to terms with the hand they’re dealt and focus on what they can control: their actions.
My favorite definition of high agency:
“When you’re told that something is impossible, is that the end of the conversation, or does that start a second dialogue in your mind, how to get around whoever it is that’s just told you that you can’t do something? So, how am I going to get past this bouncer who told me that I can’t come into this nightclub? How am I going to start a business when my credit is terrible and I have no experience?”
— Eric Weinstein
These are some of the common qualities I’ve noticed in high agency people:
Challenge the status quo. They challenge social norms and beliefs and regularly ask, “Why?". They have strong convictions on important topics, think independently of the people around them, and take action to follow their curiosity. Examples may include leaving a traditional corporate job, “thinking outside the box”, and finding unconventional methods to accomplish things.
Treadmill people. They are treadmill people rather than couch people. Treadmill people give you energy. You feel incredible after spending time with them—like you can do anything in the world. The opposite of that is couch people. You might feel exhausted after spending time with them and want to lay on the couch for the rest of the day.
Unconventional interests. High agency people have niche interests that they’ve decided to pursue regardless of what the people around them think. Consuming niche media may show your ability to ignore social pressures and spend your time doing things that you truly want to do.
Reality distortion field. Steve Jobs believed more in his own agency—his own power to influence things—than he did in conventional wisdom and the opinions of others. He created a reality distortion field for himself and the people around him. High agency people create energy and inspiration out of thin hair through their actions and words.
The prison question. If you had to call someone to break you out of a 3rd world prison, who would you call? This is probably the highest agency person you know. (H/t to George Mack for this one.)
Confounding stereotypes. The investment banker who writes French poetry. The software engineer who paints in watercolor. The gymnast who moonlights as a data scientist. If their actions and beliefs don’t align with their stereotypes, then it’s likely they’ve demonstrated agency (and the ability to think and act independently of their surroundings.)
Lack of limiting beliefs. “I can’t do it” isn’t in their vocabulary. Nothing is too hard or too complex. They always believe that they will find a way to do it, and most of the time, they’re right. They are radically optimistic people.
We need fewer people who believe in the status quo and more people who are willing to be bold and take risks when everyone tells them “no.”
Surround yourself with people like this, and you will start to believe that anything can be accomplished with enough effort, determination, and consistency.
📌 Andrew’s Picks
Fascinating internet things I’ve come across.
What Is the Opposite of Burnout? – A useful Wiki-style guide on identifying burnout (and the opposite of it.) If you’re feeling unmotivated, lazy, and exhausted, you might want to give this a read.
You Better Love This – There’s a lot of literature arguing both sides of following your passion as a career. I decided to pursue my passion as a career and quit my job at Google. Stupid? We’ll see. This article advocates for following your passion.
There’s no such thing as working too hard. There’s just being under-rested. – A semi-controversial short-form note by George Mack. My mindset has definitely shifted since I left my corporate job. I’m not more actively focused on pursuing activities that help me “recharge” because the work part comes so naturally.
🖼️ Behind the Scenes
I’m going hard on TikTok, posting every single day.
Why?
Because my friends have been urging me to share the wild, hilarious, and even shocking stuff that goes on behind the scenes of tech parties that involve some of the most remarkable yet peculiar people in the world.
My current series is called “Trying to throw a 1,000 person party in just 21 days.”
I’m currently on Day 11. I don’t have a venue. I don’t have sponsors. I don’t have a plan.
Let’s see how this turns out. Follow along here.
P.S. I will Venmo the first person $100 cash to duet my video and get 5,000 views.
