Voldemort, Injustice, and The Gap

I’ve been listening to a fascinating interview by **Sam Harris on his ** Making Sense podcast (#446) with Michael Plant.

​Here's a link to the full episode (it is generally behind a paywall, but I think you can access this specific episode in exchange for your email address). It is well worth it.

The discussion is about the philosophy of happiness and effective altruism. Michael Plant is the Founder and Director of the Happier Lives Institute, where he and his team use well-being science to identify the best ways to improve global happiness. He is also a Research Fellow at Oxford University's Wellbeing Research Centre is a co-author of the 2025 World Happiness Report.

Around the 1h 20m mark, the conversation tackled a question that I think sits at the heart of everything we do in our society, our businesses and our lives.

The Question: Are we optimising for the right thing?

We tend to assume that "Resources" (Money, Status, Growth) are the best proxy for a good life. We play the game as if it is Zero-Sum: If I get more pie, I will be happier.

But Michael Plant argues that we are often terrible at predicting what actually improves our lives. He introduces the concept of a "WELLBY" (Wellbeing-Adjusted Life Year), a metric that has started to be used in policy-making in the UK.

When you measure by this metric, the strategy changes completely. Suddenly, for example, a lower-paying career with high autonomy might "score" higher than a C-Suite role with high stress. It seems to me that this perspective could have a significant impact on cost effectiveness of society, government policy, charities, and day-to-day lives.

It made me look at my own work and wonder: In our rush to optimise for efficiency or revenue, do we lose sight of what we actually value?

If we want a Positive-Sum life - one where we are adding value to ourselves and others - we have to start by defining what that value actually is, rather than just accepting the default metrics society hands us. This is a topic I tackle in the "Me" section of my upcoming book.

What I’m Reading This Week

As most of you know, I read A LOT. So, I thought it would be interesting to include a regular section in this newsletter about what I’m reading and reflecting on.

The book this week is The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy.

This was recommended to me by a newsletter subscriber (Jeff, thank you!), and it offers a useful framework for understanding why we we can get "hooked" by unhappiness. I've been listening to the audiobook, in which each chapter ends with a discussion between the authors. For me, those discussions are the most interesting parts of the book - I'm not sure they are in the print edition...

The authors argue that we can measure our progress in two ways:

• The Gap: Measuring reality against your Ideal or Goal.
• The Gain: Measuring reality against your Starting Point.

When you live in "The Gap," the authors claim, you are permanently unhappy because your Ideal is a moving horizon. You never reach it.

Since today is the 1st of February, this feels particularly relevant. Statistically, most New Year Resolutions have failed by today. Why? Perhaps it is partly because resolutions are usually "Destination Goals" - they fixate on an Ideal (The Gap).

From reading the book (plus a whole lot of others which they reference - in particular Tiny Habits by B.J.Fogg) I think the better alternative is "System Goals."

These are goals about what I do day-to-day, rather than where I aim to get to. These could be about eating healthily (right now I'm avoiding carbs before my evening meal and focusing on protein and fibre) and getting exercise. In the book Hardy recommends a simple daily habit: journaling three "Gains" at the end of each day. It shifts the focus from what you haven't done to what you have built. That could be a great pivot.

The "Voldemort" Trap (A tale of two hooks)

I had a real-life lesson in this recently. I’ve been listening to the new Audible dramatisation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with my daughter.

The reviews online are littered with anger. Why? Because the actors pronounce the villain’s name as "Voldemor" (silent T), rather than "Voldemort."

Now, technically, the new version is "correct" - J.K. Rowling has said she always intended the French pronunciation (Vol-de-mort = Flight of Death). But for thousands of fans, this small change, though (along with the voice of Snape) seems to have ruined the experience.

When I hear it, I just shrug. It doesn't bother me, and I can easily rationalise it as a "gain" since I know the French meaning is HIGHLY relevant to the whole series plot. And I can stay in "The Gain" (enjoying an exciting and great production with my daughter) because I’m not attached to the "Ideal" of how it "should" sound.

But I have my own traps. While I don't get hooked by pronunciation, I get incredibly hooked by injustice.

When I see something unfair - in politics, in business, or in daily life (oh, dear) - I feel that familiar tightening in my chest. I get stuck. I ruminate. I fight and argue.

I realised, reading this book, that this is Gap Thinking too. I am measuring the world against my Ideal of "Justice," and because the world falls short, I get hooked by the anger. Instead of taking positive action, based on my values (which would be Positive-Sum), I get stuck in the gap of how things "ought" to be.

My challenge to you this week: Take a look at where you are feeling frustration or conflict right now.

• Check your Metric: Are you optimising for what you actually value (peace, progress, connection), or just for being "right"?
• Check the Gap: Are you measuring the situation against an Ideal that doesn't exist?

Try measuring the Gain instead. It changes everything.

Update from the Writing Desk

Finally, a quick update on The Zero-Sum Illusion.

I am currently deep in the revisions process. I’m working through the manuscript to address comments from the earlier development stages, which means taking a microscope to the structure of every single chapter.

My focus this week has been specifically on the Starts and Ends. I’m working to ensure that every chapter opens with a hook that earns your attention, and ends with a takeaway that earns your trust. It is slow, detailed work - tightening the bolts and polishing the lens - but I can see the book getting stronger with every pass.

Can you help?

I'm looking for Beta readers. If you would kindly offer to help with this I'd be hugely grateful.

I'm not looking for reviews or general opinions, but specifically for people who can stress-test the reading experience. It would take time. I'll give you a few specific questions (such as "when you read this chapter, are there places where you would put the book down?"), and I would greatly appreciate any thoughts and suggestions you can give.

If you are interested, please hit reply and let me know.

Have a great week.

Best wishes,

Grant

To chat about how these ideas apply to your own work or leadership, reply to this email. I’m booking 15-minute virtual coffees and would love to meet you. Book it directly in my calendar here.

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