564: A.J. Jacobs | It’s All Relative

Biblical Living

A.J. Jacobs embarked on a unique journey to live according to the Bible's rules for a year, aiming to understand the text deeply and challenge the concept of literal interpretation. He meticulously followed hundreds of biblical laws, from the well-known Ten Commandments to obscure rules like not shaving the corners of his beard. This experiment highlighted the selective nature of fundamentalism, as Jacobs humorously noted, "I used pebbles because I didn't want to spend my life in jail," when discussing the biblical command to stone adulterers 1. His family had mixed reactions, with his wife finding some rules inconvenient, such as the prohibition against sitting where a menstruating woman has sat, which led her to sit on every seat in their home 1.

   

Creative Extremes

Jacobs employs extreme brainstorming techniques to fuel his creativity, dedicating time to push ideas to their logical extremes. This method, which he describes as "disciplined daydreaming," involves cutting off distractions and exploring ideas from every angle, such as imagining a non-binary snowman 2. He believes that creativity is a numbers game, where most ideas may be terrible, but the process eventually leads to valuable insights. Jacobs shared an example of outsourcing his life to a team in India, which began as an extreme idea but turned into a successful experiment 3.