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1. Unsubscribe to Reclaim Your Life

It is time to stop feeling bad about wanting better and saying so. Very loudly.

Breaking Free. The core message is a call to action: to break free from the systems and beliefs that no longer serve us. It's about shedding the ties that keep a negative version of the future alive and building a future we can be proud of. This involves a conscious effort to sever connections with anything that drains our energy and empowers those who are not acting in our best interests.

Personal and Collective Transformation. The book advocates for both personal and collective transformation. It's about individual empowerment and a radical plea for citizens to unite, setting aside divisions to build a better future for the nation. This transformation requires a willingness to challenge the status quo and demand better.

Taking Control. The author emphasizes that all of this is a choice. By acknowledging our power to make different choices, we can transform our lives and society. This involves recognizing that society is a direct outcome of the choices we make daily, from our screens to our interactions in the world.

2. The Relentless Pace of Modern Life

There’s a reason “America runs on Dunkin’.” It’s because we’re all fucking exhausted.

Driven by the Economy. The relentless pace is fueled by an economy that demands constant growth and expansion, creating a divide between the rich and the not-rich. This constant go-go-go benefits the former and abuses the latter, with the middle class dwindling rapidly. The system that once lifted millions into the middle class is now driving us all mad.

The Heavy Price. The United States is paying a heavy price for this relentless pace. Levels of happiness and leisure time have fallen, as has life expectancy. The country's standing in the world fluctuates erratically, and security and stability always feel slightly out of reach.

A Modern Lie. The relentless pace is built on a great modern lie: that our worth is solely determined by our follower count, credit score, and bank balance. This lie drives us to keep reaching for more, even when it feels unsustainable and unfulfilling. It's a cycle of stress and anxiety, a constant need for praise and validation.

3. The Rise of Click-Up Economics

Click-up economics supercharges our consumer spending by making our transactions easy, fast, and seamless.

Technology and Inequality. Advanced digital technology has made it possible for the market to move faster than human interaction, exacerbating inequality. Money moves up the economic ladder almost instantaneously, while money coming down takes its sweet time. This creates a system where the wealthy benefit, and the rest of us struggle.

Abandonment of Limits. Click-up economics relies on an abandonment of limits, operating on robot time, machine time, and algorithm time. Transactions happen automatically, instantaneously, and simultaneously, often while we are doing something else. This creates an imbalance between producers and consumers.

Government's Role. The government has failed to design effective policy to deal with the devastating effects of click-up economics. Regulations are few, antitrust litigation is slow, and consumer protections are a joke. This has handed our society over to some very big forces.

4. The Power of Subscriptions and the Infinite Loop

Today successful companies start with the customer.

The Subscription Model. The subscription model is the fastest-growing business model in America, with the average US consumer having subscriptions to five retail brands and twelve media platforms. This model allows companies to manipulate markets, trap consumers, and enrich their bottom lines at the cost of employees and consumers.

The Infinite Loop. The Big Forces use subscriptions to trap us in an infinite loop, a never-ending cycle of consumption and validation. This loop is an automated cycle of stress and anxiety, a constant need for praise and validation. It is a never-ending treadmill that leaves us unhappy.

Behavioral Automation. The infinite loop relies on behavioral automation, using machines to put our behaviors on autopilot. This involves endless messages, emails, texts, notifications, alarms, beeps, buzzes, dings, and rings, all designed to steer us to participate in the digital Supercommunity.

5. The Big Forces: A Collaborative Monster

The Big Forces work together seamlessly to keep this automated system in tact.

Big Tech. Big Tech is the ringleader, creating the digital ecosystem in which click-up economics functions. Every click on an app, message, page, picture, product, post, story, or video gives the entire system more power. This data is then used to manipulate markets and increase profits.

Big Brands. Big Brands rely on Big Tech to stay big and extend far, engaging with us everywhere outside of a traditional brick-and-mortar storefront. They use sophisticated branding techniques, including psychographics, to exploit our deepest hopes and fears.

Big Banks. The Big Banks shower Big Brands and Big Tech with capital to grow, grow, grow. They profit from our transactions, charging exorbitant fees and offering minimal interest rates. They are more interested in serving the wealthy than the average consumer.

Big Media. Big Media creates and amplifies the stories that make this all "normal." It dictates the focus of our attention, what we watch and listen to, what we support and what we are outraged by. It has become increasingly intertwined with Big Tech and Big Brands, creating endless noise.

6. The Emotional Engine and the Blasphemy of Worth

Yet it is blasphemous, even downright un-American, to ever stop and ask the question on everyone’s mind: Is this really the best way to live?

Exploiting Emotions. The Big Forces exploit our emotions to drive consumption. They connect products with positive emotions and prey on our fears of negative emotions. This creates a cycle of satisfying our emotional needs with clicks and purchases.

The Great Modern Lie. The Big Forces perpetuate the lie that our worth is solely determined by our follower count, credit score, and bank balance. This lie drives us to seek validation through external sources rather than our intrinsic value.

The Cost of Consumerism. This rampant consumerism comes at a heavy price. It leads to a loss of connection with our communities, a decline in our mental health, and a disregard for the planet's well-being. It's time to question whether this is really the best way to live.

7. The Three Rings of Unsubscription: A Practical Guide

Turns out, when you take the never-ending noise off your screen and you take some very time-consuming people out of the mix, there actually is time to process your life.

Surface Subscriptions. These are commitments to brands and companies, like email newsletters and monthly purchases. Unsubscribing from these involves cleaning out your inbox and reducing your exposure to marketing messages.

People Subscriptions. These are commitments to toxic people in your life, pulling away from or ending certain friendships and working relationships. This involves setting boundaries and prioritizing your well-being.

Underlying Subscriptions. These are commitments to certain ideas, beliefs, and notions about yourself, some of which you have subscribed to your whole life. This involves questioning your assumptions and challenging your self-limiting beliefs.

8. The Dark Well: Mourning and Renewal

It took the circus coming to town to open my eyes. It took the world coming to a full stop to wake me up.

The Dark Well. The dark well is a period of quiet and reflection that follows unsubscription. It is a time to process your emotions, confront your fears, and rediscover your true self. It may be lonely and uncomfortable, but it is necessary for growth.

Mourning and Forgiveness. The dark well is a time for mourning what has been lost and forgiving those who have wronged you. It is a time to let go of the past and embrace the future. It is a time to forgive yourself for the choices you have made.

Renewal. The dark well is a time for renewal. It is a time to rebuild your life on a foundation of authenticity, joy, and purpose. It is a time to reconnect with your values and create a life that reflects who you truly are.

9. From Individual to Collective Renewal: The Power of Citizenship

We are all sick of talking about the pandemic. I get it.

Beyond Individual Change. Individual change is not enough. We must also work to create collective change. This involves engaging in civic renewal projects in our circles and demanding that our representatives stand up to the Big Forces and act for the common good.

The Power of Citizenship. Citizenship is about people, a return to each other. It is about protecting one another and demanding that our government do its part. It is about creating a society that is based on mutual respect and shared success.

A Call to Action. The book is a call to action, a plea for us to put aside what divides us and work together to build a better future. It is a call for us to reclaim our power as citizens and create a society that is truly worthy of our love and devotion.

Last updated: March 3, 2025