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1-Page Summary of The Icarus Deception

Overview

The digital revolution isn’t going anywhere. Computers are getting smarter and more efficient, which means that people who used to have boring jobs with computers now don’t have those jobs anymore. This is a good thing because it gives people new opportunities in the workforce, but it also means that they need to learn how to adapt to this new economy.

So how do you become more creative? You have to embrace it and be an artist. As Seth Godin says, art is not just about painting pictures or composing music, but any task that requires passion and ingenuity. Things that computers can’t do.

Being an artist isn’t easy. It requires dedication and perseverance. However, it’s worth the effort because you’ll be able to pursue your passions in life. In addition, people who are artists contribute more to society than those who work at office jobs because they’re pursuing what they really care about instead of just going through the motions for a paycheck that barely covers their expenses.

You don’t have to be a genius or an expert to do great things. You just need the right advice and enough perseverance, grit, and determination. This book will help you with that by debunking common myths about creativity, providing plenty of advice on how to unleash your inner creative potential, and explaining why society uses shame as a motivator for people.

Big Idea #1: The Icarus Deception makes us overly cautious, but we need to move out of our comfort zone.

In the future, machines will be increasingly used to handle tasks that are currently done by humans. As a result, we’ll have more time for creative activities and less for mundane ones. However, we’ve been slow in recognizing this trend because of the Icarus Deception: We’re too comfortable settling for mediocrity rather than striving towards excellence. This attitude is based on an ancient Greek myth in which Daedalus built wings so he and his son could escape from prison. The father warned his son not to fly too close to the sun or else it would melt the wax holding their wings together. But Icarus didn’t listen; he flew higher and higher until his wings melted and he fell into the sea below and died.

We’ve learned to be cautious and not fly too high, but we also need to remember that we shouldn’t fly too low either. It’s worth remembering this second piece of advice, as the world has changed and it is now necessary for us to take risks in order to succeed. For example, you can no longer expect a steady job with rewards; there are only opportunities for people who aren’t afraid to initiate new ventures. Just think about Facebook which was launched at a time when internet startups were risky business models.

It’s no longer acceptable to do what we have always done. In the future, things will improve if people work together and think outside the box.

Big Idea #2: There are fewer gatekeepers and more opportunities in the new connected economy.

In the past, people who were in distress would wait for someone to come and rescue them. However, that’s not how things work anymore. People need to be more proactive and take matters into their own hands if they want to get ahead.

The new economy is more connected and there are fewer gatekeepers. This is because everyone has access to the internet, which makes it harder for companies to keep control over their products or services. For example, people can easily share their creative work with others through platforms like YouTube and iTunes.

This creates new opportunities. Think of the music industry before the internet revolution. The path to stardom was clearly defined and talent scouts were essential in getting a musician’s career started by offering them a contract with their label. A hit song would be written, produced, and then released on an album that would be sold to consumers who are willing to pay for it. Today, none of that applies because anyone can write and produce songs online that two people can buy on iTunes; therefore they’ll make more money than they would have made back in the pre-internet days if their songs had been sold as albums instead of singles!