Halt and Catch Fire: The Magic of Great TV

10 Lessons From The Most Underrated Show Of The 2010s

I write about how people can think, act, and live with purpose.

This week, my learnings come from a TV show: Halt and Catch Fire. I’ll be forever thankful to

david roberts

for recommending it to me on Notes.

I’m not gonna tell you what it’s about in detail, but essentially the show is centred around a few characters navigating and trailblazing the newborn “tech” industry in the 80s and 90s. It’s the best thing I’ve watched in a long fucking time, maybe ever.

It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it ended beautifully. It inspired me.

I think it’ll do the same for you.

But what made the show magical is that - like all great fiction - it cast light on some deeply human truths.

So without further ado, here they are (no spoilers).

1 Human flaws are beautiful.

Our limitations, not our abilities, are the seed of our potential.

If we could fly, we wouldn’t build planes. If we knew it all, we wouldn’t write books. The work we do is a result of trying to overcome our flaws, and we’re blessed with the ability to do…