Deserts of Plenty

Charlie Munger asked... would you rather be the world's greatest lover and nobody knows it, or being a terrible lover but everything THINKS you're the greatest.

The history of the Populist Movement in the late 19th century and Civil Rights in the 1960's was a push by opponents to put race above class. Today, the left tries a similar feat putting ideology above class.

Extending the benefit of the doubt to people will aid you.

Behaviour, results, performance tend to stay pretty close to the average. An outlying event - either good or bad - happens but, eventually things return to 'normal'. If that event is 'good' praise won't make it continue but if that event is 'bad' yelling seems to work.

Human beings have an inherent bias towards us vs them thinking. Only by being aware of it can we hope to reduce its effect on us.

On the eve of my 60th birthday, I have recently discovered what held me back for so many years. Now that I know, how much peace and happiness it has brought me.

It doesn't matter how good is your idea if you're a jerk.

"Having a routine frees us from the burden of making choices". That quote by Brianna Wiest really resonates with me so i discuss it here.

The TDSB, in my opinion, is a flawed institution while the people within it are, by and large, incredibly competent, talented, and caring. What's up with that?

Twenty years ago a family member prompted me to try something that, at the time, I thought was useless and dumb. Now, I do that thing regularly. How did that happen?

In 1994, Stella Liebeck ordered a coffee from a McDonald's drive through. What happened next was a master class in public relations.

The Buddha believed that the mind was a sense organ, similar to the ears or eyes. What the mind sensed was not sounds not images but thought bubbling up from what we would call our subconscious.

James Clear in his book, Atomic Habits, shows a better way to change our habits. We tend to think motivation comes before change but it's often the other way around. We don't become motivated to change until we see changes.

Recently, a friend wanted to offer me her review of a new movie. However, before she felt safe to do so, she had to check to make sure no one was listening. Is this the future we want?

Technology, inventions, changes, choices we make... are all examples where we can rarely know the full impact of them until far into the future. The Birth Control Pill, designed to curb unwanted pregnancies, actually led to more pregnancy. The far-reaching political ramifications of this technology couldn't have even been dreamed of by its inventors.

A repeat from earlier in the year. Antifragility is a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book "Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder." It refers to a property of systems or organisms that thrive and improve when exposed to stressors, volatility, and uncertainty. Unlike fragile things that break under pressure, antifragile entities become stronger and more resilient over time. The co...

"In a hundred years we'll all be dead and none of this matters." That statement can fill one with an existential dread but it also has another way to approach it. Ruminating on ones own mortality has an upside.

Right now, the present moment, is the only time you can DO something. The rest is just thinking.

A thought experiment.... if you knew for certain you wouldn't fail, what would you undertake to do?

THIS IS NOT ADVICE. A few years ago, I started getting some symptoms that I just assumed were 'due to getting older'. Well, all of those symptoms are gone through, I assume, a combination of eating better, exercising, better sleep, etc. Maybe we don't have to accept things as inevitable?

In 2019, Donald Trump said that Covid came from a lab in Wuhan China, not a wet market. President Trump, as a messenger, meant that several media outlets, as well as people, put that info into the 'nutty conspiracy camp' and even Facebook banned such speculation. Today, it turns out he was likely right. What has that cost been?

Stories are very powerful and persist even when they're false. Often, like Procrustes Bed, we'll change events to fit into the story we've concocted. But, how do we know it's true?

Fire can be good or bad or neutral depending on context. Carbon Dioxide is plant food but it can also pose an existential threat to the planet. Donald Trump can say things that are right! But, so can Joe Biden. In short, two things can be true at once.

We need to get certain macronutrients in our diet. We need certain amino acids (proteins) and fatty acids. However, there are no essential carbs. Why? Why do human beings get dental caries at a much higher rate than other animals?

When we engage with others with whom we disagree, what is/are our actual goals? Are we trying to change behaviour and attitudes OR do we just want to yell at people?