KB#30 - The Friday Four - Lessons from Being Hacked on Facebook

Read Time: 5 Minutes

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#1 - The Straight Line

This week, I heard a fantastic quote that I want to share with you…

"Don't be tempted by the straight line, it's a trap."

 

Let’s dig in…

Why A Straight Line Isn't Always Your Friend

Straight lines are tempting because they look simple. You think,

“Oh, I’ll just do A to B and boom success!”

But let me tell you, this straight line is a lie!

Life isn’t all straight lines and rainbows...

It’s like a game of Twister played during an earthquake. It's messy!

Life Gives Zero F's About Your Plans

Do you think that skipping steps and taking shortcuts will speed things up?

Sure, for a minute. But life is like that teacher you had in primary school who catches you cheating and makes you retake the test during your lunch break. No fun, right?

The universe loves to hand out "teachable moments."

If you've been taking shortcuts, it’ll shove you back and make you learn the hard way.

Lessons in the Zig-Zags

Remember how you had to grind to get good at anything?

Whether it was football, writing, playing the guitar, or making killer sandwiches, you tried, made mistakes, learned from them, and grew like a beanstalk.

Every twist, turn, and faceplant is where the magic happens.

Straight Line = Comfort Zone

And don’t even get me started on comfort zones!

A straight line is a VIP pass to Comfyville.

You might think you want to live there, but you don’t. Trust me.

In Comfyville, you’re the king or queen of your tiny, boring domain. No challenges. No growth.

You'll be as bland as overcooked spaghetti.

Spice It Up

Want some hot sauce on that life of yours? Good!

Because pushing boundaries, overcoming obstacles, and facing fears?

That’s where you learn the secret sauce of success.

You become the Gordon Ramsay of life, spicing things up and yelling at your own inadequacies until you make something beautiful.

So the next time you see that deceptive straight line, remember: that's not where the action is.

Make that life a rollercoaster of learning, and enjoy the ride.

#2 - Intelligence vs Stupidity

source: @successpictures

Today, let’s dig into something that’s got everyone scratching their heads at one point or another:

The difference between Intelligence and Stupidity.

The Rumour Mill

People say, "Intelligence is knowing a lot of things," right? WRONG!

Picture this: You're at a party, and some dude (let's call him Gary) is rattling off facts about quantum physics, the string theory, and why Marvel is better than DC. You think, "Man, Gary’s so smart!"

But then you ask Gary, “Why do you believe all that?” he says, “Uh, because it's true?”

Major facepalm moment!

Intelligence: A Quest, Not a Cup

The real hallmark of intelligence isn't acting like a human Wikipedia; it's QUESTIONING everything you think you know.

When you’re brilliant, you treat your mind like a treasure hunter in a new land.

You dig, probe, and examine the loot (your beliefs) with one of those fancy magnifying glasses.

You’re never satisfied because the quest never ends. It’s like levelling up in a game that has no final boss.🎮

Stupidity: The "I Know It All" Syndrome

Stupidity isn’t just about being wrong; it’s about being confidently wrong.

It’s like jumping off a cliff and arguing with gravity on the way down.

Stupid people think they know everything without questioning.

They’re like that guy who says, “Why would I read the manual? I know how to do it,” and then floods the entire bathroom.

Good job, genius!

The Do-It-Yourself Experiment

Don’t take my word for it, though. Test yourself:

1. Pick something you “know”: It could be anything—politics, how to make a perfect cup of coffee, why your football team is the best.
2. Question the crap out of it: Why do you believe it? What's the evidence? Have you considered other perspectives?
3. Note the discomfort: If you feel a bit antsy or defensive, GOOD. That’s your brain doing push-ups. Feel the burn!

The Bottom Line

Intelligence is a verb, not a noun. It’s the action of constantly doubting, questioning and digging deeper. Stupidity? That’s just planting your flag on a molehill and calling it Everest.

#3 - Lessons From Being Hacked on Facebook

Get ready for a real-life drama that went down on a random Thursday.

Picture this: it’s 6 pm and I’m all set to kick back, throw some bowling balls, and bust out some Street Fighter moves with a mate of mine.

Just as I'm about to walk out the door, I glance at my email. What do I find?

Payments to Facebook. £700 here, £700 there, another £700.

You know what's crazy? I had ZERO ads running. ZERO.

My account got hacked, and someone was running a £16,000 A DAY ad, using my account like their personal piggy bank. Stressful? Just a bit!

Two Hours of Madness

Instead of bowling and butt-kicking in Street Fighter, I was on damage control.

I unhooked my bank account and flagged the shady business to Facebook; two hours, gone!

Fast-forward a week, still £2K down, but everything's sorted.

After I locked it down, I chilled with my mate, just like I planned.

A few years ago? This would've been an all-night stress fest!

The Power of Perspective

So what changed? It’s how I frame these catastrophes…

You see, life's gonna drop bombs on you, and you’ve got two tickets to pick from:

1. "Why is this happening TO me?" Boom! Welcome to Stressville. Population: You.
2. Or ask, "Why is this happening FOR me?" This shift makes you the captain of your ship, not a castaway floating aimlessly.

Done and Dusted

Within two hours, I'd done all I could do. Case flagged, bank account disconnected. The ball was in Facebook's court. All that was left was to catch up with them in the morning, which I did.

Curveballs Are a Given, How You Bat Is On You

Remember, life’s gonna throw curveballs whether you ordered them or not.

How you swing makes all the difference. In my case, I switched gears, focused on what I could control, and saved the stress for another day (or never!).

So when stuff gets real, ask yourself: "Why is this happening FOR me?" and watch how you turn problems into opportunities for growth.

#4 - The Negativity Bias

Today, I want to discuss a cognitive bias called “The Negativity Bias.”

Ever heard of it? If not, don’t worry, let’s dive in…

What’s Negativity Bias?

First off, it's not a trendy band name or some emo group you've never heard of.

Negativity bias is a fun little quirk of our brains that makes us focus more on the BAD stuff than the good.

It's like being at an all-you-can-eat buffet and obsessing over that one stale bread roll, ignoring the fresh sushi, the gourmet pasta, and the chocolate fountain. Who does that?!

The 99/1 Principle: The Social Media Drama

Have you ever posted something on social media and got a ton of love? Likes, hearts and smileys everywhere? Life's good, right?

But then, there's this one comment. ONE. And it's not a love emoji; it's a "you're dumb" or "this is trash" comment.

Guess what you focus on?

You get 100 comments, and 99 of them are digital high-fives.

But where does your brain camp out?

On that ONE negative comment.

You'll spend 1% of your time on the 99 good comments and a WHOPPING 99% on that one troll trying to ruin your day.

Why Do We Do This To Ourselves?!

Blame evolution or that teacher who always picked on you; it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you recognise this bias and kick it to the curb.

Why let one naysayer set up shop in your head and eat all your mental snacks?

Evict that person and focus on the 99% throwing you a mental party.

The Flip Switch

So, how do you switch focus?

Firstly, remember that negativity bias is like junk food.

It feels good to chew on, but it's bad for your health.

Second, actively count the wins. Got 99 positive comments? Awesome! You’re a rockstar.

Take a screenshot, set it as your wallpaper, and do whatever you’ve got to do to remind yourself you're the bee's knees.

Game Plan

Next time you see that one rotten apple in your sea of awesomeness, take a breath, flick it away like a bad bug, and strut your stuff.

You’ve got 99 reasons to feel good; don’t let one drag you down!

TL:DR

👉  The Straight Line: Nothing in life is as simple as A to B, and if it is?  it’s probably not going to positively impact your life. Don’t entertain the thought that life is meant to be easy; it’s not!

👉 Intelligence vs Stupidity: The worst thing you can do is to think you already know. Question everything, be open to changing your mind about things and you will always evolve and grow

👉 Lessons from Being Hacked on Facebook: Life will always throw you lemons and it’s always up to you whether you make lemonade with them or squeeze them into your eyes.

👉 The Negativity Bias. Being overly aware of dangers around you helped when sabre-toothed tigers were hunting your ancestors thousands of years ago, not so much now. Be aware of it, and don’t allow that negative energy to drain the life out of you.

I hope you enjoyed this week's Friday Four; see you next week for another instalment.

Jay Alderton