The Caramelised Onion Fallacy: Why I'm Quitting LinkedIn's Fast-Food Philosophy

It started with onions.

Following a recipe that promised "quick caramelised onions" in just 10 minutes, I stood over my stove, increasingly frustrated as my onions refused to transform into the golden, sweet perfection I was promised.

What I didn't know then was that properly caramelising onions takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour – a fact later highlighted in a Slate article that explored why recipes consistently underestimate this time.

This "caramelised onion fallacy" perfectly captures a broader problem plaguing our digital age: our obsession with short-cutting processes that inherently require time and depth.

The Fast-Food Information Diet

We're living in an era of bite-sized wisdom. YouTube Shorts, TikTok videos, and LinkedIn posts promise to deliver complex insights in digestible chunks.

It's tempting to believe we can absorb profound knowledge through these snackable formats, just as it's tempting to believe onions can caramelise in 10 minutes.

Remember that viral study about goldfish having longer attention spans than humans?

While the study itself was debunked, its popularity spoke to a real concern: our growing inability to engage with anything requiring sustained attention.

As Eric Barker points out in his research on productivity and success, our brain's natural tendency is to seek quick rewards – but the most valuable insights often require slow, deliberate processing.

When Tony Robbins was asked why he writes lengthy books about financial freedom instead of just tweeting tips, his response was telling: "You need to own it to truly effect a difference."

Why I'm Logging Off LinkedIn

After years of crafting "thought leadership" content for LinkedIn, I've decided to stop.

Here's why:

1. The Misinterpretation Maze

Despite LinkedIn increasing its character limit, it's still impossible to provide adequate context for complex ideas.

It's like trying to explain how to perform surgery through a tweet – something crucial will inevitably be lost in translation.

The consequences of this oversimplification can be severe.

It reminds me of that old management parable: Workers are cutting trees, managers are deciding which trees to cut, and C-suite executives are accidentally pointing them to the wrong forest – all because crucial context got lost in the chain of communication.

2. Empty Digital Calories

Trying to build a knowledge foundation through LinkedIn posts is like attempting to survive on popcorn alone.

Sure, it might feel satisfying in the moment, but where's the intellectual nutrition?

This isn't unique to LinkedIn.

Many newsletters and podcasts focus on tactical "hacks" that become obsolete within weeks.

Meanwhile, Tim Ferriss deliberately focuses on reading classics, understanding that true wisdom transcends trending topics.

3. The Algorithm Trap

Recently, I re-read Ryan Holiday 's powerful piece about overwork, where he describes pushing himself to maintain a running streak despite an injury, only to suffer a worse injury that forced him into a six-week recovery.

This resonated deeply with my experience of content creation – constantly pushing to feed the algorithm, ignoring the signs that I needed to step back and reflect.

Are we creating what we truly want, or are we just dancing to the algorithm's tune?

And unlike YouTube creators who get direct monetary compensation, LinkedIn creators often justify their effort with vague promises of "building their personal brand."

I've benefited from LinkedIn, sure – but so did that guy in the meme who claimed LinkedIn helped him buy a house (while conveniently forgetting to mention his inheritance).

4. The Guru Epidemic

As Tony Robbins famously declared, "I am not your guru" – yet LinkedIn has become a platform where everyone seems desperate to position themselves as one.

I've realised I can't comfortably occupy the same space as those I fundamentally disagree with, regardless of my intentions.

Moving Forward

Instead of contributing to the noise, I'm focusing on creating deeper, more meaningful content.

You would still see my postings but they are likely to be shit posts that hopefully could bring a temporary smile to your otherwise overwhelming day.

I'm focusing (back) on writing longer-form pieces that allow for proper exploration of ideas.

I'm reading more books and fewer posts.

I'm seeking understanding rather than engagement metrics.

Because just like those onions, the most valuable things in life can't be rushed.

They need time, attention, and patience to develop their full flavour.

The irony isn't lost on me that I needed a full blog post to explain why I'm quitting short-form content.

But perhaps that's exactly the point.

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