011. Life Lessons From Reading 4,000 Issues of Time Magazine
What can you learn from 77 years worth of history through the lens of Time magazine?
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I’m newly an empty nester this year, which really hasn’t meant much so far. Who knew how often kids come home even after they’ve left for college?! But I am looking forward to spending a month or two this winter somewhere warmer than Philadelphia. I’m thinking Miami right now, but where do you think I should go?
If you believe part of achieving success & significance without losing your mind is keeping the “big picture” in mind, check this out…
The Time Project
Scott Krisiloff read 4,000 issues of Time magazine, covering the years 1923 to 2000. He says it transformed his life, and he wrote a post describing the 10 things he learned. I encourage you to read his original, and here are a few things that jumped out at me.
“The editors of the magazine began obituaries with the phrase ‘As it must to all men, Death came, last week to…’ It was a reminder that eventually we all return to the same place no matter how rich, famous or powerful. We all know that life is short, but watching the cycle of birth and death for entire generations drives home just how short life really is.”
“Wealth, fame and power won’t lead to immortality. Societal memory is short and even those who make it to “the top” are eventually forgotten. This happens even faster than you might think. If you seek validation, personal achievement isn’t the place to find it. Invest in family, friends and self understanding.”
“We all get a unique window of time on this planet and the events that we see are somewhat random.“
“Strong Institutions have much longer lifespans than any single generation or set of generations. Because of this, they provide stability and guidance for subsequent generations. It’s critical that we protect and grow our institutions as touch points between generations and epochs.”
“Over the short term policy matters. Over the long term science matters.”
I will spend the rest of my life treasuring every moment that I have here with the people that I love. And I will spend my working hours building and supporting strong institutions that promote human understanding. —Krisiloff
It’s worth noting that this project was looking at history through the lens of Time magazine. Time covered the establishment, and in most of the decades read by Krisiloff the covers were almost exclusively men, and usually white men. Krisiloff points to a single article from May 1955 in which editors write, “Spring was full-blown in the U.S., and the nation’s prevailing mood seemed to be as bright as its blossoms. The people of the U.S. had never been so prosperous.” That article covers three pages of economic vigor and cooling of global tensions but in the year when Rosa Parks would refuse to give up her bus seat, it makes no mention of the early work of Martin Luther King.
I’m fascinated by the idea of this project and plan to skim (not read!) all the issues myself.
Self-Coaching Questions:
Are you in charge of your own life, or are life events largely dictated by the moment of history you find yourself in?
Are we at the beginning of a new epoch? What will the next decades look like?
What are the institutions you most believe in? How can you help support them?
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Until the next issue, remember…
Impact > Income,
Kevin 🙏
Great