Journal Club - Choices and Values - 11th July 2025
Hey all,
Just trying a new series - a weekly journal where I share something that might be interesting to you.
It’s a new thing, let’s see how it goes.
This week it’s 3 simple questions, I’ll share my answers - I’d love to hear yours.
What did I read?
I’m having a second run through of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson.
I can’t remember if I finished it the first time around. Kindle is showing me at 48% through this time, so I’ll stick with it this time.
One quote to think about…
“Responsibility and fault often appear together in our culture. But they’re not the same thing.”
Shit things happen all the time, and it’s not your fault - but it is your responsibility to figure it out. And in some cases, not let it destroy you.
An example from the book is…
“If you woke up one day and there was a newborn baby on your doorstep, it would not be your fault that the baby had been put there, but the baby would now be your responsibility.”
I think the takeaway for me is around personal ownership.
Did you have a shit upbringing as a child? It’s not your fault - but it is your responsibility to be a good functional person.
Did you get laid off from your job? It’s not your fault - but it is your responsibility to figure out the next steps and bounce back.
Did your partner leave you for some douchebag? It’s not your fault - but it is your responsibility to not open some beers and disappear into oblivion.
I know a couple of people who have ruined their life’s because they didn’t take responsibility for themselves - and I mean, ruined their life.
What did I listen to?
Well, it might feel like a weird obsession with Mark Manson, but I stumbled across a podcast called SOLVED.
For context, I was at the gym - not really feeling motivated - I looked at my music playlist and was just not inspired at all - then I spotted the podcast section - and that was the first one on the list.
I only got part way in but I was listening to the episode (is that the right term?) called Values (see what I reflected on below)
What did I reflect on?
So, from the podcast I learned a couple of things about values.
There is a thing called the Schwartz Values Wheel
Everyone is unique in how much they weight each of the values
Values next to each other can complement each other
Values opposite each other cause friction/conflict
Apparently, a lot of issues we have are often conflict between our values.
There is a test you can do called the Portrait Values Questionnaire.
It was developed by professor Shalom H. Schwartz to measure how people from different cultures prioritize 10 universal human values.
This one is free [link]
Fin.
Have a good weekend everyone.
John