# Cate Hall - How to Be More Agentic (Highlights) ![rw-book-cover|256](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:best,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fusefulfictions.substack.com%2Ftwitter%2Fsubscribe-card.jpg%3Fv%3D1474643648%26version%3D9) ## Metadata **Review**:: [readwise.io](https://readwise.io/bookreview/62309276) **Source**:: #from/readwise #from/reader **Zettel**:: #zettel/fleeting **Status**:: #x **Authors**:: [[Cate Hall]] **Full Title**:: How to Be More Agentic **Category**:: #articles #readwise/articles **Category Icon**:: 📰 **Document Tags**:: #favorite **URL**:: [usefulfictions.substack.com](https://usefulfictions.substack.com/p/how-to-be-more-agentic) **Host**:: [[usefulfictions.substack.com]] **Highlighted**:: [[2026-07-27]] **Created**:: [[2026-08-01]] ## Highlights - In my way of thinking, radical agency is about finding real edges: things you are willing to do that others aren’t, often because they’re annoying or unpleasant. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kygjjy03f3xenx8vjktb51qw)) ^1037996225 - All of my agency hacks are kind of like this, in my opinion -- big, glaring edges that people might rather ignore. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kygjnjc96e4t33w35nh0vhxx)) ^1037997506 Example: study readings techniques in pocker - Ask for things that feel *unreasonable*, to make sure your intuitions about what’s reasonable are accurate (of course, try not to be a jerk in the process). If you’re only asking for things you get, you’re not aiming high enough. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kygjqw9xcwenjbwrfr5brjvp)) ^1037998797 #takeaway #favorite - If you have not yet learned the skill of absorbing rejection, [court it deliberately](https://youtu.be/-vZXgApsPCQ?si=Rj0FbacsSp34a-W2): Apply for some jobs you *really* don’t think you’ll get so you can learn to decouple “no” from surprise and dejection. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kygjs78zvwbyna2gvsz9mwwj)) ^1037999249 - In many contexts, the way to get good feedback is to give people a way to provide it anonymously. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kygjx8v4109kfg871dttkde7)) ^1038000137 - The moat of low status is one of my favorite concepts, [courtesy of my husband Sasha](https://sashachapin.substack.com/p/the-moat-of-low-status-68a). The idea is that making changes in your life, especially when learning new skill sets, requires you to cross a moat of low status, a period of time where you are actually bad at the thing or fail to know things that are obvious to other people. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kyj3mazag66w6n20nsmjjj73)) ^1038179566