21. The Weekly - Factual Contradictions

On feeling trusting your gut, trusting the data and embracing contradiction.

May 18, 2025

Welcome to the Happy Medium newsletter, where I share inspiration and bite-sized musings on creative business each week. Enjoy!

Inspiration

Things that have inspired me this week.

Is it true, or just statistically significant?

Adam Mastroianni, Experimental History

The field of psychology aims to make sense of the human experience through a series of abstract, incomplete and occasionally irrelevant observations.

It’s a contradiction that the field aims to uncover something that is seemingly unknowable - but at the same, completely and fully understood by every human alive. After all, you live every single day in your own mind.

Experimental History lays out the conundrum in more slightly more nuanced detail…

Experimental History

New paradigm for psychology just dropped

I’ve complained a lot about the state of psychology, but eventually it’s time to stop whining and start building. That time is now…

2 months ago · 318 likes · 107 comments · Adam Mastroianni

Seeing Vermeer’s ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ in Person Stimulates the Brain More Than Looking at Reprints

Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine

A perfect example of something you maybe knew, but now science has now maybe proven; looking at an original artwork stimulates the brain more than a reprint.

However, a new study suggests that these experiences may be quite different. Scientists found that viewers’ emotional responses were ten times stronger when examining an original painting than when viewing a copy, according to a statement from the museum, which commissioned the research.

Quick thoughts

Musings on business, creativity, psychology and more.

#engagement

Every now and then some of you lovely readers respond with your thoughts on The Weekly. I love it and it never fails to make me smile.

As I was explaining this to someone, it dawned on me that this enjoyable interaction is called ‘engagement’. But the word felt wrong because the term engagement has been co-opted to describe likes, shares and comments on social media.

This contrast between what engagement really means and how #engagement is measured is the perfect illustration of how your metric should never become your goal.

For example, the chats I have with all of you, whether it’s in real life, emails or via DMs are so valuable - I get great ideas, new recommendations and meet new people. Which is not reflected by, or even really correlated with likes, shares and comments.

It’s okay to measure all these things, metrics help keep you on track, but at the end of the day, do you want more likes? Or do you want connection?

Measure your problems

Now no one will ever catch me saying that data or metrics don’t matter - they definitely do. In particular, being able to quantify and measure your problems is the first step to solving them.

For example, if I know my projects are going over budget but I don’t know by how much, or at what frequency or if particular projects are performing worse than others, I won’t be able to solve this problem effectively.

It also means that you can validate any solutions objectively. If you try a new software, you can directly measure the impact on your project budgets to check whether it’s solving the problem you thought you had.

Business is always a balance of gut instinct and data informed decisions so finding the data points that can validate or disprove your assumptions is important.

Want to start the new financial year feeling balanced and in control?

If you're craving less chaos and more clarity in your business, here are a few ways Happy Medium can help:

🪣 Problem Solving Mini

In this hands on session, you’ll learn the key to resolving problems effectively. Bring a real challenge you’re facing, and we’ll tackle it together, so you walk away with insights you can apply right away.

✈️ Automate Your Admin

Automate your Admin is a self-paced course, assisting you to find the best automation solution for your business, so you can spend more time doing what you love!

🛋️ Strategy Support

Get clear. Get unstuck. Get moving. Personalised support to develop and drive your business strategy. It’s a short, sharp, supportive reset to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

That’s it for this week! As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, or DM me if you’re shy.