Episode Description

Merlin Mann talks with Dan Benjamin about his dogged obsession with the flexibility of index cards-for propping up tables, giving very small cuts, and getting babies hygienically removed. Then, there is much talk of graphing your focal length against your time and attention.

Episode Information

Initially Released October 11, 2011

Runtime 1 hour 21 minutes

Episode Page Writing on the Wind

Recurring Topics and Characters

• Time and Attention

• Steve Jobs

• Writing Tools

Discussion

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Quotes

If you want to be like Steve Jobs you shouldn't be trying to impress another person you should be working really hard to raise your own level of taste to where you are constantly trying to reach that level of what you believe is top notch.
-Merlin Mann

Everything in life is a goddamn tradeoff and if you don't accept that, you're a child.
-Merlin Mann

Leaving the burning building is more important that finishing your TPS report.
-Merlin Mann

There's more to success than just being smart.
-Merlin Mann

Moles, like those things are real.
-Merlin Mann

You can run the world with OPML and text.
-Merlin Mann

Sometimes the best thing that you can learn is that you're wrong.
-Merlin Mann

I've been cutting my own hair for years. If you can call this hair.
-Dan Benjamin

Episode Links