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🌱 They don't teach this in school (how are you weird?)

🌱 They don't teach this in school (how are you weird?)

Education. 3 writing tips. Your weirdness.

Mitchell Cohen
January 19, 2025

Here’s 3 insights to make connections to a life and career you love.

🧠 Education

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.”

- B. F. Skinner

In other words, are you ACTUALLY using any of this stuff you’ve “learned?”

Best way I’ve found is to immediately apply it.

But since most things can’t be immediately applied, the second best way is through writing…

✍️ Writing (3 Pro Tips)

This podcast was good.

This episode on copywriting is so great I’ve listened to it 3 times!

If you want to learn copywriting in about an hour it’s the best resource I’ve seen. It’s Harry Dry (copywriting 🐐) interviewed by David Perell (another copy legend).

But I know you’re busy, so I already distilled it down to the very best parts for you! (Bc I’m weird and this stuff is fun for me.)

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to instantly improve your copywriting:

1) Is it visual?
2) Is it falsifiable?
3) Can nobody else write this?

Let’s make this VISUAL by highlighting my 2 favorite examples.

New Balance Ad:

You can picture supermodels and dads wearing these (and it’s unique to New Balance)

And this old school Volvo magazine ad:

So good

For a more recent (and relevant) example, notice my opener above? I didn’t just say “this was good.” I went through the 3 questions to make it visual/falsifiable/unique for ya. (We’re all about immediate application here babay!)

Finally, “is it falsifiable” sounds tricker than it is. I think of this as verifiable or provable.

Right now I’m reading zen master/coach Phil Jackson’s book and found this beautiful sentence that is both visual and falsifiable:

“I was 6'6" in high school—and would grow to 6'8" in college— with square shoulders and arms so long I could sit in the back seat of a car and open both front doors at the same time.”

Phil Jackson, Sacred Hoops

He doesn’t just say “I had really long arms.” Instead he provides a visual example that delivers instant proof. (now those some long wings Phil!)

🎭 Uniqueness

Everyone’s personality is unique, yet many hide their true selves to seem more “normal.”

Interestingly enough, the word "personality" comes from the Latin word persona, literally meaning "mask."

But here’s a truth worth remembering:

"The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well."

-Alfred Adler

Rather than hide behind a mask, what if we embraced it?

For example, I like this conversation starter to mix things up, "in what ways are you weird?"

Stay weird friends.

Salud,
Mitchell