Mental Models 102 - The Decision Strikes Back - George MacGill - #095

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
Oh, hello, friends. Welcome back to Modern Wisdom, and today we have an absolute treat. It is Mental Models 102 with George MacGill. Now, Mental Models 101 is the highest performing audio podcast that we have ever done. We've had some that have banged and hit 100k plus on YouTube, but in terms of pure audio plays, not about virality, simply about how successful that podcast has been and the value it's added, nothing's beaten it. So, hopefully, today's going to live up to it. Me and George caught up a couple of weeks ago, I got him up to Newcastle, dragged him out of his hole in London. He's doing like 200 hour work weeks in the space of one week, got a lot on his plate. So I was really glad to see him, great to catch up. Some amazing Mental Models, some stuff from Jocko Willink, Paul Graham, Navil Ravikant, Rick & Morty, all sorts today. I really hope that this benefits your life. If you are new here or if you are a regular listener, please go and give us five stars wherever you are listening. It'll only take a couple of seconds of your day, but it is a massive, massive help to me and it'll make me very happy. But without further ado, get ready, moisten your Mental Models. It's George MacGill time.
The internet goes wild for George MacGill, back on Modern Wisdom. It's been a long time, man. Thank you so much for coming back on.

**George MacGill** (1:39)
It's good to be back. You brought me out of my cave. It's good.

**Chris Williamson** (1:41)
I have, indeed. A lot has changed since we were last here.

**George MacGill** (1:44)
Yeah, a lot has changed for both parties, I imagine. Yeah. Always changing.

**Chris Williamson** (1:49)
You're down in London now. You were in Manchester last time you saw me.

**George MacGill** (1:51)
Yeah, down in London. Bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for.

**Chris Williamson** (1:56)
Yeah, you do. A lot of opportunities.

**George MacGill** (1:58)
Yeah, it's certainly very, very different. There's a really good Paul Graham essay called Cities and Ambition.

**Chris Williamson** (2:07)
Have you ever heard of it? No.

**George MacGill** (2:09)
It's one of my favourite ones of his. It's one of the reasons why I moved. And he says that every city sort of whispers something to you, whether it's the sort of conversations that you ever hear or the people that you're around or the cars that drive past or the buildings that you see, you're constantly getting whispered to in New York. You don't consciously notice it, but you pick up on it. And because I found that Paul Graham says that in New York, it's the constant whispering is make more money. And that's because every conversation we hear is like, how much money are you making? I made this this month. Whereas in LA, it's be more famous is where it's constantly whispering to you.

**Chris Williamson** (2:49)
What's London?

**George MacGill** (2:49)
Well, he says San Francisco is be more powerful in terms of, so they don't give a shit if you've made like a billion dollars out. If you've inherited a billion dollars, it's more about what you've done. With London, is it well, the thing about London is there's almost the little cities of the little cities, but the minute we've been primarily based in Mayfair, have you been to Mayfair before?

**Chris Williamson** (3:11)
Yeah.

**George MacGill** (3:12)
It's like the wealthiest part of like right next to Buckingham Palace, like Maserati, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Rolls Royce. So what it whispers to me is I need to upgrade my fucking Vauxhall Corsa. That's the most, that's the thing I get the most, I probably need to get a new car. I keep thinking that I need to get a new car. I've been driving that Vauxhall Corsa since the 70s.

**Chris Williamson** (3:28)
You don't drive that much.

**George MacGill** (3:29)
I don't drive that much.

**Chris Williamson** (3:30)
No, I'm joking. Just rent a big dick one. Rent a fucking Maserati when you need it.

**George MacGill** (3:34)
Yeah.

**Chris Williamson** (3:35)
Sack it off outside.

**George MacGill** (3:36)
It's just to be an Instagram baller. That's the way to go.

**Chris Williamson** (3:38)
So the internet is ready and waiting, moist for some more mental models. Mental Models 101 is the highest performing episode ever on Modern Wisdom. Massive shout out to Podcast Notes for supporting that episode. I mean, who spoke about it? James Clear replied to some of our tweets to do with it. Navil Ravikant got tagged in a load. So we got a little bit of pressure to make this one not shit. But we're gonna be fine. I've got an absolute beller to start you off with.