I don’t have anything new to say about scarcity (though I will definitely be thinking about it), but I wanted to add that the example of the chips reinforces something that I’ve noticed lately, which is the value of using actual physical tools rather than online ones.

Whether it’s using paper for my GTD system, or carrying around a Hipster PDA, I’m finding that having tangible things to deal with makes me understand and use them more effectively. Somehow by having an actual physical thing to move from my inbox to a file or list or pile is far more meaningful to me than if I tried to do it online.

It’s also been a real boon to my reading comprehension to print out articles rather than trying to read them on the screen. I imagine having a physical pile of chips to touch and count and give to someone would make the question of allocating meeting time much clearer as well. Unfortunately, I could never convince my coworkers to go along.