Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough

The chapter begins with the story of the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungus, which propagates itself by infecting tropical carpenter ants and turning them into “zombie ants.” This illustration serves as a metaphor for the chapter’s primary assertion that certainty and the allure of quantification can infect and shape human perceptions and behaviors. Easter goes on to explore the concept of gamification in modern life, where everything from social media interactions to personal achievements is measured, quantified, and turned into a game with scores, likes, and followers. He presents the idea that this constant quest for certainty and measurable success manipulates behavior and detracts from the richness of human experience.

Through discussions with Thi Nguyen, a professor at the University of Utah, Easter examines the mechanics and implications of gamification across various aspects of life. Nguyen’s journey from a food critic to a philosopher provides a personal narrative that reflects broader societal shifts towards valuing numbers and measurable outcomes over qualitative experiences. This shift is evident in how social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) have transformed personal and public discourse, shifting the overall focus to scoring methods such as likes and retweets instead of valuing meaningful communication.