Is college still worth it? Doing anything means doing nothing. Let that stuff go. AI vs. anonymity. It's easier to disagree. Science is boring. Coloring within the lines.
After all, all devices have their dangers.
The discovery of speech introduced communication—and lies…
The automobile is marvelously useful—and kills Americans by the tens of thousands each year.
– Isaac Asimov, in Robot Visions
1. “The cost-benefit is changing – for the worse – in real time”
Is College (Still) Worth It? – Andrew Yang – (Blog)
Fascinating examination of the changing ROI of higher education, and where it’s headed. Yang includes AI as another risk to post-graduation employment opportunities, which is both new and interesting to me. It’s an interesting analysis, and worth the read if college/university decisions are in your future.
What got my attention, though, was this paragraph:
One thing I personally think will be a competitive advantage for college students – reading books for pleasure. It will be such a rarity that being highly literate will set you apart. Most businesses still run on emails and words – anyone capable of writing coherently and clearly will be hireable, if they can demonstrate this capacity. Being able to write means you can think.
I’ll claim it’s a competitive advantage whether you’re a college student or not. “Anyone capable of writing coherently and clearly will be hireable”. Anyone.
Do this: Read for fun. Write.
#higher-education #reading #writing
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2. “I keep starting new things and finishing very few.”
The Omnipotence Dilemma – Anne-Laure Le Cunff – (Ness Labs)
Another possible unexpected side effect of AI?
When almost every idea sounds viable and every path appears reasonable, prioritization becomes harder.
AI enables just about anyone to take on just about anything. When faced with a seemingly endless list of opportunities that all seem valid, how do you choose what to do next?
In an age of near-omnipotence, curiosity has never been easier to satisfy. And yet, meaningful progress still requires committing to your curiosity – not by pursuing everything at once, but by choosing an interesting path to explore deeply enough for something meaningful to emerge.
Depth matters. Being able to prioritize matters. Particularly when we’re faced with so many opportunities.
Do this: Prioritize curiosity, and then prioritize what you’re curious about.
3. “Nobody really teaches you discernment of letting go.”
The Discipline of Letting Go – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)
Society encourages us to accumulate: things, projects, people, money … but there’s no real incentive to let things go, unless you find yourself in crisis, I suppose.
Maybe the art of aging well is learning what to carry and what to set down. Not everything deserves unending loyalty. Some things just weren’t meant for you long term. They were stepping stones. They were the scaffolding, not the structure.
I like the concept of scaffolding. You don’t have to hang on to everything you collect in life. Yes, it may have served you well, but there comes a time when perhaps it no longer does, and it really is time to let go.
Do this: Think about what you might let go.
4. “Every digital system we interact with presents identity as a toggle”
Your anonymity set has collapsed and you don’t know it yet – Joan Westenberg – (Blog – paywalled)
Stylometry is the analysis of writing style, and LLMs are getting better at it. This has implications.
Most would consider anonymity as a binary: you’re either anonymous or you’re not. While that may or may not have legal use, in practice, an LLM (or any system) that can say something along the lines of “this is probably so-and-so’s writing” could well be enough to cause chaos.
“There’s a 73% chance this is you” translates, in the lived social reality of Twitter threads and group chats, into “this is probably you,” which translates into “why are you denying it,” which translates into “they denied it, which is exactly what you’d expect.”
It seems like yet another way that AI will inevitably impact the world we live in. There’s no stopping, just preparation.
Do this: Realize that anonymity may not be what you think.
5. “Replac[ing] the hard work of creation with the easy work of opposition.”
7 things Nietzsche said will keep you mediocre forever – Stepfanie Tyler – (Bad Girl Media)
The whole list is good, but the first one captured my attention.
Entire online identities built not around what someone is creating but around what they’re against.
We see it all the time. You probably have someone who came to mind immediately. Perhaps several. And you know how tiresome they can become.
There’s even a word for it: ressentiment.
Do this: Build your identity around what you create.
6. “The method of science, as stodgy and grumpy as it may seem, is far more important than the findings of science.”
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan – (ebook)
I’m continuing to make progress in this book and finding it more relevant than ever. Today’s takeaway is, I think, more significant than it appears on the surface.
Science — true get-to-the-facts science — is boring 99% of the time. “Stodgy and grumpy,” you might say. And that works against its acceptance.
Conspiracies are exciting. The possibility of truths being kept from us is exciting. The paranormal is exciting. The spirit world is exciting. Manifestation is exciting. Most are also sources of hope and a feeling of control over the unknown and the impossible.
Science simply plods along, discovering truth. That it makes mistakes — sometimes exciting mistakes — is what’s often remembered and, again, used against it. Even though mistakes and reevaluation when additional data comes to light are exactly part of its stodgy and grumpy path.
Do this: Trust the science. Trust the process.
7. “Constraints force your brain to think.”
This Is The Simplest Way To Make Your Life Awesome – Eric Barker – (Barking Up the Wrong Tree)
Constraints can come from many sources, but some of the most powerful are those in our control; those constraints we choose.
Suddenly, your brain can’t do the easy thing. It can’t reach for the obvious. It’s standing at the edge of the demolished highway, looking at the flaming crocodile-filled trench, and for the first time in its glucose-conserving existence, it is forced to think of something new. And what it thinks of, nine times out of ten, is better.
Sometimes the constraint is very artificial; Dr. Suess’ writing a book limited to using only 50 words, for example. Sometimes the constraint feels more practical: this newsletter comes out every Sunday morning at 9 AM Pacific Time. Either way, these constraints and others force your brain to be creative and, above all, take action.
Do this: Be creative. Take action.
Random Links
AI Therapy: Hope or Hazard for the Kids We’re Testing It On – It’s … complicated.
What I’m reading now
- The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan
- Everybody Has Something to Hide: Why and How to Use Signal to Preserve Your Privacy, Security, and Well-Being – Guy Kawasaki & Madisun Nuismer
My Reading List – everything I’ve read since 2021.
My Sources Page – the common sources I scan/read regularly.
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