Are you a “high agency” person?

Are you a “high agency” person?

The tech world has been buzzing about the benefits of being a “high agency” person: someone who doesn’t wait for permission to pursue their own agendas. And that idea has been trickling out into the wider culture – for instance, posts that say things like “you can just do things,” or “when you remember you have free will.” High agency’s wider appeal speaks to some of our biggest anxieties and existential questions, like: do we have control over our lives? And what do we risk to achieve the things we want?

Brittany is joined by Sophie Haigney, a journalist and critic who wrote about high agency for The New York Times, and Max Read, a journalist and editor of the Read Max newsletter, where he covers trends, tech, politics and culture.

(00:00) Are you a “high agency” person?
(03:09) High agency’s appeal in Silicon Valley
(06:33) High agency people vs. agentic AI
(11:27) Do we really have control over our own lives?
(14:11) High agency and the gambler’s mindset
(19:01) When high agency means logging off

For more episodes about agency in our modern world, check out:
The joy of breaking up with dating apps
The high cost of getting food delivered.
Make life harder (and better): Learn another language.

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