Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Invisibles summary
David Zweig
The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion
Listen to the first key idea
Key idea 1 of 7
(7 ratings)
13 mins
7 key ideas
Audio & text
What is Invisibles about?
These blinks are about the invisible people of our society: those who work hard because of their own intrinsic motivation rather than the prospect of reward. Even though we can’t see them, they’re the backbone of society. However, current cultural attitudes are diminishing their role, and if we want to improve our world, we need to rekindle our appreciation for Invisibles.
About the Author
David Zweig is a prolific writer whose work has been featured in the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He’s also a singer, guitarist and producer, and has released two albums. His first novel was called Swimming Inside the Sun.
Table of Contents
Key idea 1 of 7
The world is getting “noisier,” and people are becoming more self-centered.
In our modern world, we’re constantly surrounded by “noise.” Whether it’s the crushing soundtrack of a film, the ever-present blaring of cellphones, or the millions of opinions posted online each day, our world is getting noisier by the minute.
To stand out in this intense and chaotic environment, we perpetually have to shout – both literally and figuratively. People use online social networks to broadcast their thoughts to everyone. Anyone seeking media exposure now views their own life and thoughts as a brand to promote: nothing is too personal to share with the world.
Facebook and Twitter, for example, are designed for people to share personal information. Apps like Foursquare even encourage us to share our current locations, and many people do so without thinking.
This ever-present noise is tipping our society dangerously out of balance.
In the last few centuries, successful nations have always had a healthy balance of working people.
On one side, there are the silent and determined people who drive the economy and other elements of society. They’re satisfied with doing good work, even if they don’t get public praise for it.
On the other side, there are people in the spotlight. They might be celebrities in Hollywood, the entertainment industry or the media. These are the people who are known for what they do, and they’re equally important for keeping the balance.
However, modern society now encourages us to be more like the latter group. Everyone’s compelled to stand out as a great individual, and everyone wants recognition. We want to be the lead singer, not the technician behind the scenes. The people who work “quietly” to make things better for everyone are becoming fewer and fewer, and this has some very unfortunate implications.
Want to see all full key ideas from Invisibles?
Key ideas in Invisibles
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
Who should read Invisibles
- Anyone interested in psychology
- Anyone feeling overwhelmed by our noisy world
- Anyone interested in improving society
Categories with Invisibles
Books like Invisibles
What our members say
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
Start growing with Blinkist now
25 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers