Jacobs has made a name for himself with books aboutimmersive life experiments.
EW talked to Jacobs (on Election Night!)
JACOBS:I feel I have to totally dive in, but at the same time be an observer.
Credit: Lem Lattimer
I take notes and keep extensive journals, 20 times the amount I could ever use in a book.
The reactions were mixed, because I was thanking people out of the blue.
I called or emailed or visited them in person.
Simon + Schuster
Sometimes people were very suspicious.
Theyd be like, Is this a pyramid scheme?
What are you trying to sell me?
And she said, Yes, that is weird but I really appreciate it.
People tend to use gratitude as kind of a meaningless platitude a lot these days.
How did you go about making your gratitude actionable when writing the book?
I actually said to my wife, Im deeply grateful for you taking our kids to the orthodontist.
That backfired because she thought it sounded creepy.
But in general, mixing it up.
Just the fact that I can turn on a lever and get clean water, that is astounding.
So, it makes you a lot more thoughtful.
One psychologist said, Its like taking one moment and stretching it out and slowing down time.
I am not a patient person, so that was hard for me.
Its just so important for your happiness.
Because theres so much value in the bassist or the drummer.
Sometimes theyre doing all the work.
Its funny because after I finished the book I watched Chris Rocks stand up specialTamborine.
Which I thought was so great, because we forget about all the tamborine players.
And I kind of proposed that half-jokingly and it was shot down.
The people who designed the phone.
It would be a lot of people.
And some of these people have a good life, but some dont.
Theres lots of exploitation and misery.
And so being aware of it makes you want to help in any way you’re able to.
And I do still hold that right now capitalism is the best system we have.
But we can improve it.
We can make laws that guarantee safe working conditions.
We can get involved with organizations.Its very interesting once you dive deep, its a mixed blessing.
Just reading what was in coffee… everything from baked horse liver to arsenic.
It was just not safe.
So thank God someone is keeping an eye on that.
So I am far more grateful for the government and government regulations than I thought I would ever be.
You entered into your gratitude journey by exploring how a cup of coffee is made.
Next time youre in a frustrating long line, just remember its not always the case.
You sometimes have good luck and sometimes not.
Being aware of that will make you so much happier.
So a lot of the book is about how to build up the Mister Rogers side of your brain.
