Paul Graham wrote about the acceleration of addictiveness as a product of technological progress: our ability to create more concentrated versions of substances means we will create more potentially addictive substances, and this poses some risks to society unless we get better at dealing with them. I’ve been reading Peak, a book about expertise by … Continue reading The Acceleration of Experience
Category: Today I Noticed
Appeal to Their Beliefs, Not Yours
Veganuary (a challenge where non-vegans go plant-based for January) is coming up and I’ve been reflecting on how we vegans can be better at talking to omnivores about changing their diet. I think we often forget that it’s easier to get someone to adopt a behavior by showing how it fits with their beliefs rather … Continue reading Appeal to Their Beliefs, Not Yours
I Don’t Know the Steps
Have you ever asked someone for advice on how to do something, and what they tell you to do is just as unclear as your original goal? Like asking someone how to be more attractive in dating and being told to be more confident. My friend might be able to turn on the confidence switch, … Continue reading I Don’t Know the Steps
Focus on Your Speed, Not the Destination
Our desires are shiny, eye-catching baubles. We are entranced with all the places, physical and metaphorical, we want to go: I want to travel the world (or change it), achieve fame and fortune, find true love, and a million other smaller but equally real desires. With these desires acting as a beacon, we become frustrated … Continue reading Focus on Your Speed, Not the Destination
Why Begin Something Endless?
Everyone has a list of shoulds. I should eat better, I should exercise more, I should spend less time on the computer and more time with my loved ones. All the things we know are good for us and may genuinely want, but are so hard to show up for. One problem with how we … Continue reading Why Begin Something Endless?
The Second Time is Much Easier
When you are learning a board game for the first time, you have to carefully go through all the rules, many of which won’t even make sense until you start playing. It’s cumbersome and confusing and generally not all that pleasant. You just hope that the payoff is worth it. The second time is much … Continue reading The Second Time is Much Easier
Doing More in Less Time
There are a handful of skills that end up forming the backbone of most projects and domains you could care to imagine: reading, typing, writing, reasoning, searching for information, developing an understanding of new concepts, applying those concepts, making decisions, forming opinions (note: this list is not intended to be exhaustive so much as a … Continue reading Doing More in Less Time
The Pragmatic Philosopher 