Li.st, nee “The List App,” prior to its rebranding, is a mobile application co-created by famed executive producer of The Office, B.J. Novak (who also starred as “Ryan” the temp on that show). Put simply, the app lets people create and share lists with others, but Novak’s keen and deceptively simplistic humor (think: The Book with No Pictures) has enlisted hundreds of thousands of list shares, from practical best bar guides to witty lists like “The Evolution of Netflix and Chill”.
In celebration of the beloved app’s belated roll out to Android, let’s explore some of what these lists have to offer:
When you’re feeling down and out and just need to commiserate or see what others are doing to cope, li.st is no stranger to productivity. In fact, it’s often the first thing people do when they need to get motivated. Take, for instance, the post “How to Be Productive When You Feel Like a Giant Sloth Incapable of Achievement and Progress.” We’ve all been there, and it’s nice to be assured that others are feeling it too. This list in particular suggests you “do something small… (because) accomplishing one thing you set your mind to can help you get in the right mental space to be productive.” Additionally, you can “get organized” and “make a to-do list.” Sometimes these things feel obvious, but we often overlook those simple things that never fail to work.
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Not just practical, li.st is an app that organically breeds creative thinking. Take this Mental Floss post, for instance, entitled “Smells that are Disappearing or Already Gone.” They list fun, nostalgic, and whimsical items like burning leaves (whereas, they write, “today residents are encouraged to either rake and bag their leaves or use them for mulch”) freshly opened Polaroid film, and magic markers.
Top of the list, and apropos in the wake of our most recent election, is The Onion’s “How to Discuss Politics with your Loved Ones.” This clever tongue-in-cheek list warns you to “Leave the car running in the driveway,” to “Begin any counterpoint by irately screaming “I respectfully disagree!” inches from your loved one’s face” and not to “languish in a circular argument. The quicker you can draw parallels between your friend’s opinion and militant fascism, the quicker you’ll win.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg for their comical directives, as well as the vast possibilities for topics in general. It’s no secret why li.sts is developing a fast-growing community of eager enumerators everywhere.
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