Fighting misinformation. Quiet kindness. Digital echo chambers. Be the example. Speaking truth. Creativity. What a coincidence!
Beliefs are theories. Actions are experiments. Emotions are feedback. Life is a science and its objective is growth.
– Mark Manson
(Sometimes I run into quotes I want to share but that don’t warrant the full takeaway treatment below. I may start including those here. We’ll see. Life is change, after all. 
)
1. “Galileo would have had a low Scientific Rotten Tomatoes score”
Ten Strong Suggestions for Surviving the Age of Misinformation – A. J. Jacobs – (Experimental Living with A. J. Jacobs)
This essay includes only the first five (the rest are promised in a couple of weeks). This isn’t a plain old listicle, it’s actually a deepish dive into each of his suggestions, and they’re quite good.
This got my attention:
I’m 99.999 percent sure the theory of evolution is true. That’s based on the evidence I’ve read and the experts I’ve talked to. But I’m not 100 percent sure evolution is true. There could always be shocking new evidence that overturns my belief. That’s the point of science — it must be falsifiable.
That’s the point of science. I’ve used the exact same “99.999%” statement with regard to some of my own beliefs. Claiming to be a science-based, rational man, I can’t be any other way.
Do this: Check your certainty.
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2. “Quiet acts of grace, leadership, and kindness.”
Powerful People Come in All Packages – John P. Weiss – (Blog)
Weiss tells stories of individuals that made a difference in his life, and the lives of others, by example, and by kindness.
They are some of the hidden people in this world, who quietly shaped the lives of others for the better. They may not be famous, and once those who remember them pass on, they will suffer their second death. They will be lost to the ages. But they made the world a better place.
This got my attention because I’ve experienced it myself. Many people have affected my life, of course, but one who perhaps set me on a path to where I am today was a TV repair man.
Do this: Be an example of grace.
3. “Trapped in digital echo chambers of our own making”
How Personalization is Fragmenting Democracy – Joan Westenberg – (@Westenberg)
This is a great explanation of how the attention economy is, in so many ways, incompatible with a functioning democracy.
… a political landscape that looks less like a coherent national conversation and more like millions of simultaneous, disconnected and increasingly unhinged monologues.
It’s easy to blame “the algorithms” and the purveyors of same. But it’s equally important to blame ourselves for not being much more discerning about what we consume. Yes, it’s more work. Yes, it’s more thought. But it’s more important than ever.
Do this: Recognize you’re in an echo chamber, and do something about it.
#algorithms #democracy #echo-chambers
4. “You only need to exist and interact.”
What Do You Want To Model?: You’re More Influential Than You Realise – David Elikwu – (The Knowledge)
This is a short riff on what boils down to being intentional about setting a good example, and realizing you are always setting an example whether you realize it or not.
If you don’t learn from the experiences in your life, others certainly will.
We often joke that we learn from some people by counter-example, but the reality is regardless of how you view it, we’re always noticing the behaviors and decisions of others and learning from them. Others are learning from you. Are you an example, or counter-example?
Do this: Be the example you want to see in the world.
5. “The Truth must dazzle gradually”
The Right Way to Say the Unsayable (gift link) – Arthur C. Brooks – (The Atlantic)
The quote above is actually from Emily Dickinson.
The Truth must dazzle gradually, or every man be blind.
At issue here is that we all have opinions and/or positions that we’re reluctant to share publicly. Brooks discusses some of the ways to think about “going public”, so to speak, and whether the risks are real, and if they are, whether they’re worth it. It’s not an easy problem to solve. Ostracism is painful and is probably the leading reason many people refuse to come out of the closet with their true feelings.
Do this: Speak the truth, if you dare.
6. “Creative people don’t see unusual information as quite so unusual”
A key part of creativity is picking up on what others overlook – Madeleine Grossis – (Aeon)
The essay delves into thoughts on why some people are more creative than others, at a neurological level. While explanations are always interesting (albeit somewhat academic), I’m drawn to how to use this information.Here that means how to foster my own creativity. The closest I found was this:
information that gets flagged doesn’t necessarily have to be directly related to the problem at hand; its value lies in the potential connections it can inspire, leading to innovative and unexpected outcomes
I interpret that to mean more experiences, especially outside of your areas of expertise, help stimulate creativity within your areas of expertise.
Do this: Expose yourself.
7. “1 in a million chances do occur – about once every million times.”
From the archives: On Coincidences – Chance can be a fine thing – Clive Hunt – (The Skeptic)
I’ve long thought that people’s inability to comprehend very large (and very small) numbers contributes to bad decisions, misinformation, and magical thinking. That same thinking extends to the likelihood of coincidence.
The mind can find patterns in randomness, thereby misleading one ‘s subjective assessment of how surprising (and therefore inexplicable) some event is
I’d say the mind is constantly looking for patterns, because we so desperately want to have explanations for everything. It makes evolutionary sense, since explanations give us a greater ability to know what to expect in the future, and thus more chances to avoid the bad and seek the good. The problem is when the mind wants patterns so badly that it’ll make ’em up even when they’re not there, leading to ineffective or even damaging conclusions.
Shit happens.
Do this: Beware of magical thinking.
#coincidence #magical-thinking
What I’m reading
In progress:
- A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin
- How to Read a Book – Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
- Where Good Ideas Come From – Steven Johnson (re-read)
- Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman (audio)
Daily:
- A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Selected from the World’s Sacred Texts – Leo Tolstoy
A full list of my common sources is on the sources page, and I list the books I’ve read on my Reading List page.
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Worthwhile read
How Personalization is Fragmenting Democracy Joan Westenberg
Interesting
What Do You Want To Model?: You’re More Influential Than You Realise – David Elikwu