Mark Manson

You know, we talked about this on the Focus episode.

And I went through this long period of my life where I actually just rejected the label of ADHD and I didn't find it helpful.

And then now I've kind of come back around to it.

I'm like, yeah, it might be useful.

Actually, it kind of explains some of my tendencies and my my my mental habits.

The danger is that if you adopt a label and there's just like the underlying behavior is not there, the underlying evidence is not there, then then you're going to start seeking out the evidence in the world where it wouldn't naturally be.

You run into this too with like addiction groups, right?

I mean, I've had this conversation with recovered alcoholics and I've like told them my story with alcohol and I, and I've asked them like, does that constitute alcoholism?

And they're like, well, it depends.

Like, is the label useful for you?

Cause if it's not, then like, don't call yourself an alcoholic, only call yourself an alcoholic.

If you find that label useful and it feels true to you because it like, again, helps you develop those adaptations.

Or I'm ADHD, so you can't ask me to do anything.

And that's, I'll remind you, that's the first fundamental error we talked about in chapter one, is that mistaking the trait for the behavior.

If you can have a trait, doesn't mean you can't have a contrary behavior.

I think understanding the difference between those two things is absolutely crucial.

Right.

It's like understanding like, okay.

A hundred percent crucial.

This is who I am.