Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing

by Pete Davis

Overview

A profoundly inspiring and transformative argument that purposeful commitment and civic engagement can be a powerful force in today’s age of restlessness and indecision.

Most of us have had this experience: browsing through countless options on Netflix, unable to commit to watching any given movie—and losing so much time skimming reviews and considering trailers that it’s too late to watch anything at all. In a book inspired by an idea first articulated in a viral commencement address, Pete Davis argues that this is the defining characteristic of the moment: keeping our options open. We are stuck in “Infinite Browsing Mode”—swiping through endless dating profiles without committing to a single partner, jumping from place to place searching for the next big thing, and refusing to make any decision that might close us off from an even better choice we imagine is just around the corner. This culture of restlessness and indecision, Davis argues, is causing tension in the lives of young people today: We want to keep our options open, and yet we yearn for the purpose, community, and depth that can only come from making deep commitments.

In Dedicated, Davis examines this quagmire, as well as the counterculture of committers who have made it to the other side. He shares what we can learn from the “long-haul heroes” who courageously commit themselves to particular places, professions, and causes—who relinquish the false freedom of an open future in exchange for the deep fulfillment of true dedication. Weaving together examples from history, personal stories, and applied psychology, Davis’s “insightful without being preachy...guide to commitment should be on everyone’s reading list” (Booklist, starred review).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982140915
Publisher:	Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Pete Davis is a civic advocate from Falls Church, Virginia. He works on projects aimed at deepening American democracy and solidarity. Pete is the cofounder of the Democracy Policy Network, a state policy organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy. In 2015, he cofounded Getaway, a company that provides simple, unplugged escapes to tiny cabins outside of major cities. His Harvard Law School graduation speech, “A Counterculture of Commitment,” has been viewed more than 30 million times.

Table of Contents

I Infinite Browsing Mode 1

1 Two Cultures 3

2 The Pleasures of Infinite Browsing Mode 22

Flexibility 24

Authenticity 26

Novelty 28

3 The Pains of Infinite Browsing Mode 30

Paralysis 30

Anomie 34

Shallowness 39

4 Between Liberation and Dedication 45

II The Counterculture of Commitment 59

5 Long-Haul Heroism 61

6 A Tour of the Counterculture 74

Citizens 81

Patriots 85

Builders 93

Stewards 95

Artisans 99

Companions 101

7 The Fear of Regret and the Freedom of Purpose 106

8 The Fear of Association and the Comfort of Friends 127

9 The Fear of Missing Out and the Joy of Depth 150

III Solid People in a Liquid World 173

10 Open Options Economics: Money versus Particular Things 175

11 Open Options Morality: Indifference versus Honor 191

12 Open Options Education: Advancement versus Attachment 206

13 The Flood and the Forest 223

14 An Invitation 242

Influences 249

Acknowledgments 255

Editorial Reviews

Well-versed in the current zeitgeist, Davis is insightful without being preachy, and his wise guide to commitment should be on everyone’s reading list." —Booklist (starred review)

“A celebration of caring and community within our often bloodless digital world . . . Davis makes a persuasive case for dedication as ‘an alternative path of life.’” —Kirkus Reviews

“A manifesto for deeper civic engagement to create a path toward a more robust democracy.” —The Progressive

"If you have ever struggled to cross the Rubicon and commit to an endeavor that would foreclose other options, then this book is for you. Pete Davis provides a provocative countercultural thesis for our time, explaining why resolve and stamina are in such short supply and how we can, in an era of infinite browsing, learn to be dedicated." —Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance and founder and CEO of Character Lab

"Pete Davis is one of America’s most creative and inspiring young writers—sparkling with enthusiasm, yet profound beyond his years. In Dedicated he challenges his peers to change America and themselves for the better by committing themselves to something greater than self. It’s a sermon, all right, but it’s far too lively to be just a sermon. And those of us a bit older could learn a thing or two by eavesdropping." —Robert D. Putnam, Research Professor, Harvard Kennedy School, and author of Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again

“Pete Davis’s Dedicated is a magisterial book on the moral Counterculture of Commitment in our shallow culture of money and fear. His depth of wisdom and scope of knowledge are astonishing. And his powerful vision of decency and democracy are compelling.” —Cornel West, Harvard University

"The most countercultural act you can do today may be committing to something for a long period of time, maybe forever. That's the word that married couples tend to balk on these days—not 'love,' 'honor' or even 'obey,' but 'forever' or 'all my life.' In his provocative new book Pete Davis shows us why commitment is so difficult for people today, but why it is also not only beneficial, but necessary, if we are ever to accomplish anything of value or live lives of depth." —James Martin, SJ, author of Learning to Pray

“This is a brilliant book about one of the defining predicaments of our time: the temptation to keep our options open. Pete Davis is the fresh voice of wisdom that our culture desperately needs—Dedicated is required reading for the 21st century pursuit of happiness and success.” —Adam Grant, New York Times–bestselling author of Think Again and Originals, and host of the TED podcast "WorkLife"

“An engaging exploration of how to restore meaning and purpose and the satisfactions of enduring commitment in an era of short attention spans and infinite choice. In this greatly expanded version of a 2018 Harvard commencement speech, Pete Davis challenges his generation—and all of us—to reconnect to the institutions and relationships that truly matter—and will build a better world." —Drew Gilpin Faust, President Emerita of Harvard University, and author of This Republic of Suffering

"In a society of endless possibilities, I’ve long felt there was something radical about commitment. Instead of letting that insight take the form of a passing thought, Pete Davis devoted himself to exploring the same intuition, and the result is a thoughtful, original, erudite, and inspiring manifesto. We can scroll through life and stay in the shallows, or limit our options and connect on a deeper more satisfying level. Devoting your attention to the wisdom in these pages is a good way to begin.” —Astra Taylor, documentary filmmaker and author of Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone

“My dad used to say, ‘If it’s worth doing, it's worth doing right.' It was his take on the importance of dedication. Most everything that matters requires dedication: day-in, day-out, year-in, year-out. At the end of every effort you want to be able to look back and feel the kind of satisfaction that can’t come from staying on the sidelines. Pete Davis’s Dedicated is a book that speaks to me and shares important messages and values that can be helpful to anyone who is facing a challenge or simply looking to excel in what’s important to you.” —Cal Ripken Jr., Hall of Fame shortstop and third baseman

"This is the book we need right now, more than ever. There's no useful forward motion without enrollment, and that requires commitment. Pete Davis knows that it's up to each of us to choose to matter." —Seth Godin, author of This is Marketing

From the Publisher

★ 05/14/2021

To Davis, a civic advocate from Falls Church, VA, living in a culture of open options—choosing novelty over depth, individuality over community, and flexibility over purpose—leads to an ethos of indifference and meaninglessness in society. A remedy for infinite browsing, he says, is to enter into voluntary commitments, dedicating oneself to particular causes and crafts, places and communities, professions and people. In this book based on his Harvard Law School graduation speech that went viral, Davis calls for readers to choose to devote themselves to a project or a relationship, and develop loyalty to particulars: particular neighborhoods, people, and missions, in order to live a life of value and make the world a better place. VERDICT This title is an excellent purchase for all public libraries.—Deborah Bigelow, Director Emerita, Leonia P.L., NJ

Library Journal

2021-05-04
A celebration of caring and community within our often bloodless digital world.

Davis, co-founder of the Democracy Policy Network and Getaway, which offers vacation escapes to tiny, off-the-internet cabins, expands his recent Harvard commencement speech into a heartfelt argument in support of the “Counterculture of Commitment” and rejection of the “Culture of Open Options.” Characterized by infinite browsing and fluid attachment to any identity, place, or community, the Culture of Open Options can yield certain pleasures, such as flexibility and novelty, but also leads to decision paralysis, shallowness, and isolation, “the malaise of having no connection to anything, of having no expectations set for you.” Drawing on abundant examples of “long-haul heroes” from friends, family, public figures (Martin Luther King Jr., Ken Burns, sports champions, and political activists, among many others), and myriad interviewees, Davis makes a persuasive case for dedication as “an alternative path of life.” He acknowledges that commitment may generate fears: “If we commit to something, we will later regret having not committed to something else instead,” or we fear undermining “our identity, reputation, and sense of control.” But he asserts that rather than threaten identity, commitment enhances it, bestowing the “gift of solidarity” within a shared moral culture rather than affiliation with the kind of micro-identities found in Twitter communities and on Reddit boards. Davis laments that in the Culture of Open Options, education focuses on training for personal advancement rather than on cultivating attachments or honing professionalism. “To be educated for attachment,” he writes, “is to learn the art of settling—into particular professions, crafts, causes, and communities—and to find there the peace of reverence and duty.” Commitments foster looking out for others rather than only for ourselves: “They structure our world, giving us authority to respect, myths in which to see ourselves, and communities in which we have a voice.”

An earnest invitation to reassess personal priorities.

Kirkus Reviews