The Contrarian Digest [Week 8]

The Contrarian Digest is my weekly pick of LinkedIn posts I couldn’t ignore. Smart ideas, bold perspectives, or conversations worth having.

No algorithms, no hype… Just real ideas worth your time.

Let’s dive in [8th Edition] 👇

1️⃣ The Problem is we Stopped Smoking – Dr Orit Gal

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Smoking didn’t just kill people, it sparked accidental conversations. Now that it’s gone, so are the random, human collisions. What replaces them? And how to get it back?

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/emQwgd53
🔗𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝: “Friendship Recession” from Shashank – https://lnkd.in/eCsuSTq9

2️⃣ Digital Opium has Killed Childhood – Shashank Sharma

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: We traded scraped knees for swiped screens. The real tragedy isn’t what kids are doing online, it’s what they’re no longer doing offline.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eZNBP4RT

3️⃣ The Ladder You’re Climbing Leads Nowhere – Usman Sheikh (3rd week)

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: You did everything right—great school, prestigious job, hard work. So why are you screwed? The career rulebook is broken. Here’s the new playbook.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/ed56SAZx
💭𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞:The Education BUBBLE – https://lnkd.in/ekQxZ4rk

4️⃣ The 7 Surprising Traits of Highly Strategic Thinkers – Alex M H Smith

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: The best strategists never studied strategy. They just did it. Here are the 7 traits they all share that allow them to outthink everyone.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eyA3EXF5

5️⃣ Your Healthy Breakfast Might be Working Against You – Azadeh Gharehgozlou

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: You’ve been told oatmeal is healthy. But it could be making you fat, tired and sick.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/ef4teqCb

6️⃣ When Economic Promises Fail – Jatin Modi

⚠ Not a political statement, just sharing an interesting perspective.

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Globalization promised a world of interconnected prosperity, but as trade flows shift and tariffs rise, we might be facing the inevitable unraveling of a $20 trillion experiment. What comes next?

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eZH2c4qS

7️⃣ The Invisible Hand Behind “Independent” AI Studies – Stephen Klein

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Generative AI promises progress, but what if the research driving it is following a familiar pattern? The story of sugar and tobacco might offer a hint.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eCFAqGtM

8️⃣ The $Mistake Most CEOs Make About Social Media – Gal Aga

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Investors told Gal, “CEOs shouldn’t waste time on LinkedIn.” Fast-forward, his posts have generated millions in funding and drive 65% of Aligned‘s leads. Here’s why they were dangerously wrong.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/e-r2QM64

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Which of these topics resonates with you the most?
Share your thoughts in the comments!

To your success,

Gaetan Portaels

Original publication date — April 7, 2025 (HERE)