Last week on my way home from work I stopped at a suburban Vinnies and stumbled upon two books. One seemed to be the answer to the other, so I purchased both.
“Everything Is F*cked” by Mark Manson
“The Warren Buffett Way” by Robert G. Hagstrom
Reading these books was a bit like having Camus for the main course, then washing it down with a stock market manual — absurdist pragmatism served with a twist of nausea. A philosophical gut-punch followed by a financial pat on the back.
So what did I learn from these two books? Frankly, nothing that I didn’t know already — except that my suspicion that the world is fundamentally messed up isn’t just a personal illusion, but a shared perception by many. It’s a mild consolation and definitely not a reason for celebration.
One book teaches us how to see clearly through the illusions of meaning. The other shares insights on how to act wisely within the illusions of money.
The key takeaway from these two books would be that it’s pragmatic to learn how to exploit, or at least wisely navigate, the system, rather than try to “fix” it.
Mark Manson says: “This world is absurd. Your suffering is real. The narratives are false. Beware the trap of blind hope.”
Warren Buffett says: “Buy great businesses and wait. Understand human psychology and use it to your advantage.”
Juxtaposing the two, the books are effectively contrasting systemic critique with systemic mastery.
The world may be irrational, structurally unfair, or even nihilistic at its core. But if we wish to endure, or even thrive, we may be better off learning how the system works and bending its rules in our favour. And f*ck it that it’s a selfish path to the eventual self-annihilation of humankind because no one really cares and surviving bacteria will think us all.
After years of reading Kindle books, I joined my local library and rediscovered the tactile experience of reading paper books.
What can I say! It’s a whole new (old) experience holding a physical book in my hands, flipping through sheets of paper, and being able to jump from section to section, or from the middle of the book to the beginning or end within seconds.
For me, the best thing about reading physical books is the ability to almost simultaneously compare information on pages that are far apart within the book; seeing my underlines, highlights, and notes from a bird’s-eye perspective. It is as if everything was at my fingertips all at once. Quite literally.
I believe that this is also the most critical part of reading books for educational, academic, or research purposes. I don’t think electronic books, despite all their other advantages, will ever replace this critical feature of reading paper books. At least not for me.
As I am rereading Factfulness by Hans Rosling, I can’t help but think how relevant this book is to us designers.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
If I were going to take a few key points away from this book, it would be the same advice that I often give my mentees about our profession as designers.
1. Be mindful of data
This is the big one! Pay attention to context rather than numbers alone—correct interpretation and understanding of statistics is critical for finding solutions. Question what is being measured, how it is being measured, and how it is interpreted. Hans Rosling does a great job explaining how biases and our perception often distort reality, even when it’s presented to us in the form of numerical data. For example, in the chapter on the generalisation instinct, he dissects our tendency to stereotype—assuming entire groups behave or think the same way.
• Look for differences within groups. Especially when the groups are large, look for ways to split them into smaller, more precise categories.
• Look for similarities across groups. If you find striking similarities between different groups, consider whether your categories are relevant.
• Look for differences across groups. Do not assume that what applies to one group applies to another.
• Beware of “the majority.” The majority just means more than half. Ask whether it means 51 percent, 99 percent, or something in between.
• Beware of vivid examples. Vivid images are easier to recall, but they might be the exception rather than the rule. Assume people are not idiots. When something looks strange, be curious and humble, and think, In what way is this a smart solution?
For example: recently, instead of automatically thinking “Gen Z users love short videos,” I reminded myself to test this assumption first. I started talking to our grads at Optus. (Big thank you to Ethan, Em, Josh, Lachy, Lucy, and everyone else for your patience answering my questions 👏🏼). What was true for 60% of them wasn’t for the residual 40%. Yes, I could easily say that the majority of Generation Z loves short videos. While the statement would be technically correct, it would also lead to a vague perception of reality and a solution that may be usable for only 60% of our customer base—not the kind of majority my stakeholders would imagine.
In a nutshell, after re-reading Factfulness, I’m even more motivated to spend extra time understanding individual motivations, needs, and behaviors—not just grouping people by age or region.
Btw: if you’re too lazy to read the whole book, at least check chapter one on “The Gap Instinct” and chapter six on “The Generalisation Instinct.”
2. Design holistically
Approach design holistically—look for connections and always ask yourself how your solution affects everyone—not just users of your product, but also those who will not be using your product but will be directly or indirectly affected by your solution.
We live the way we do at the expense of those who don’t
Simply put, many of the products in developed countries should not exist. Not because they are not delightful, nor because there isn’t demand for them—obviously there is, otherwise they wouldn’t exist—but simply because they are building blocks of a lifestyle that is not scalable, neither sustainable, especially if everyone on this planet lived the same way.
In the chapter on the blame instinct Hans Rosling explains how we often blame poor countries for the global pollution even though data clearly indicates that their contribution to pollution is minor compared to ours in rich countries. Even worse, environmental damage in poor countries is often related to our exploitative behaviour. We extract resources to sustain our lifestyle from poor countries. Everything is connected. If we zoom out and see the whole picture, we quickly realise that our iPhones or Roomba vacuum cleaners are relatively cheap only because someone in Africa has probably died from the consequences of digging rare earth minerals which are necessary to manufacrure these gadgets.
CO2 emissions by income. Photo taken from Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Carbon footprint is one way to visualise and understand this proportionality of impact of our lifestyle has on polluting the planet when compared to people living in poorest countries.
Most of the human-emitted CO, accumulated in the atmosphere was emitted over the last 50 years by countries that are now on Level 4. Canada’s per capita CO, emissions are still twice as high as China’s and eight times as high as India’s. In fact, do you know how much of all the fossil fuel burned each year is burned by the richest billion? More than half of it. Then the second-richest billion burns half of what’s left, and so on and so on, down to the poorest billion, who are responsible for only 1 percent.
The conclusion, the poorest billion cannot live like us. The right thing to say is, “We cannot live like us.”
Our standard of living in developed countries such as Australia or most of Europe is taken for granted by its inhabitants, but for the rest of the world—which is about 6 billion people—it’s aspirational. They also want to live the way we do. The problem is that our “developed” way of life is not scalable, and unless we discover a new source of truly green energy or we sacrifice our standard of living, which nobody wants to do, our civilisation is doomed.
For example I went to the online environmental impact calculator by Climate Hero and tested myself. Result? I am a Climate Consumer producing 5.6 tonnes CO2e. You can try it by yourself. The result may shock you.
I’m a climate consumer 😏
Lesson for designers?
What we design is often outside of our control. We are nothing but the cog in the machine,” you might say. “If I don’t do it, someone else will.” I’m not suggesting you to quit your job just because you work on a product that people could easily live without. It would be nice, but we all need to make a living somehow.
Instead, Let’s start with awareness. Change of perspective. when you design something, consider the broader context— and broader doesn’t need to mean global. locally broader is a good start. Even the longest journey starts with a single step.
Design accordingly.
3. Focus on the root cause, not symptoms!
To be continued soon …
Actually, do you want me to continue? Leave a comment below 😅🙏🏼
After delving into Hans Rosling’s book Factfulness, I can’t help but feel a mix of reluctant optimism and a lingering sense of impending doom. Sure, the book does a great job of showing us that the world isn’t as terrible as we might think, and that there’s data to prove humanity’s progress. But at the same time, it also highlights a rather grim reality: billions of people are striving for a lifestyle that our planet’s limited resources might never be able to sustain.
And let’s not forget our tendency to squabble over ideologies and beliefs that only serve to divide us further. In the end, while Factfulness offers a glimmer of hope, it also serves as a stark reminder of the uphill battle we face.
Still, I’d recommend giving it a read—if only to arm yourself with a bit more knowledge to navigate this complicated world.
The book is a collection of stories written in journalistic style; an enlightening read that opens a window into the lives of (extra)ordinary Europeans. No sensational headlines, just real lives marked by migration, climate hardship, identity, and hope. Ben Judah doesn’t romanticise them; he tells their often rough stories with respect, clarity, and heartfelt empathy.
This is Europe by Ben Judah
Through 23 intimate portraits, the author took me from a Rotterdam harbour pilot navigating global trade, to Romanian lorry drivers vulnerable to crime on UK routes, to Italian mountain rescuers helping West African migrants in the Alps. Each story felt genuine, profoundly honest, and eye-opening.
I highly recommend this book — it broadened my understanding of what Europe truly looks like today.
“This is Europe” is empathy-inducing read that made me reflect on the values and future of society from different perspectives.
CO2 emissions by income. Photo taken from Factfulness by Hans Rosling
I’m a climate consumer 😏
