A cynic of technology

Just like Brene Brown, Simon Sinek boasts one of the most watched TEDx talks in the history of the Interwebs.

Sinek also owns a viral video with him explaining our worldwide phone addiction. I couldn't agree with him more because, well, we're both Gen Xers, and we were born 12 days apart in 1973.

I, too, cannot stand how people treat their phones, or better stated, how they treat me while focusing on their phones.

Sinek, which is a cool last name because I think "cynic," has two main books that I have read — Leaders Eat Last (2014) and Start with Why (2009). I recommend both, but in particular, I found Leaders Eat Last especially helpful because of his exploration of the chemicals in our brain and how they relate to modern living.

The understanding of these chemicals helps a lot with understanding our own feelings and reactions. Cortisol, for example, is released when we experience fear or danger. However, in modern living, we are not actually in imminent danger like we were when we were cavemen. There is no tiger lurking in the distance. Rather, our mind sees a work slight, or issue, as a much greater threat than it actually is.

Dopamine is released when we feel love, and that often is mistakenly released when we get a text message or see your smart phone's screen. Sinek also delves into endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin and how these affect us in the workplace. He accomplishes more in Leaders Eat Last, but understanding these chemicals is a huge concept.

With the 100 Nonfiction Books I Recommend six authors into it and 94 to go, one thing I already have noticed is how they are all absolutely huge on the Interwebs. Although this first category of "Big and Deserve It" warrants that, it is not as if writers exist in vacuums anymore. However, the one thing I worry about is that some are now huge and then authors. I am not sure that type of system helps fresh, new voices.

One more thing to give it up about Simon Sinek is that his critiques often go hard with personal technology. Somehow, this topic is far less online than it should be. I guess when it comes to Big Tech, Google will not exactly have algorithms that help others question its power and omnipotence. At least Sinek has been critical of technology, and, ironically, it was technology that vaulted him into stardom.