Business Quote by Cal Newport
““Deep work should be a priority in today’s business climate. But it’s not. I’ve just summarized various explanations for this paradox. Among them are the realities that deep work is hard and shallow work is easier, that in the absence of clear goals for your job, the visible busyness that surrounds shallow work becomes self-preserving, and that our culture has developed a belief that if a behavior relates to “the Internet,” then it’s good—regardless of its impact on our ability to produce valuable things.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Talk at Google, 2019
Deep work is essential but neglected because it is hard, while shallow work is easy and socially visible, and technology is mistakenly equated with productivity.
In simple terms: Deep work is hard, shallow work is easy, tech is overvalued.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize focus over busyness.
Themes
productivity
focus
technology
Mood
motivational
analytical
Type
practical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- office environments
- remote work
- personal time management
- team meetings
Key Concepts
cognitive science
organizational behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you protect deep work time?
- What habits reinforce shallow work?
A Different Perspective
Shallow work can seem productive, masking lack of real output.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)