Shovel Shit Every Once in a While – 7 Takeaways No. 51 – November 28, 2021

1. "shovel shit every once in a while"

We should shovel shit every once in a while to remind ourselves who we’d be if we weren’t who we are. – Cole Schafer – (Blog)

There are a couple of ways this can be interpreted. My take is simply this: regardless of where you are and what you have, take time to truly appreciate the path that led you here.

Do this: Be grateful.

2. "If you want to freeze culture, the first step is to reduce it to data."

Yesterday Once More – Grafton Tanner – (Real Life website)

Absolutely fascinating piece about how algorithms and recommendation engines — tasked with analyzing people’s tastes and behaviors — are now responsible for dramatically influencing, and homogenizing them.

A culture that thinks like an algorithm also “projects a future that is like the past"

The article continues on to discuss the effect of nostalgia on the process as well — right down to racism and other biases.

Predictive algorithms don’t really predict anything; they just make certain kinds of pasts repeatedly reappear.

As I said, fascinating.

Do this: looks closely at the recommendations you’re offered. Maybe step outside the box every so often.

3. "’an astronomically high dose’ of opioids"

Her husband died by suicide. She sued his pain doctors — a rare challenge over an opioid dose reduction – Andrew Joseph – (STAT website)

This is something my wife and I have commented on frequently: in the efforts to reduce the opiod addiction epidemic the pendulum has swung too far the other way. People in legitimate need of pain management are being denied the medication they need. This is both an exceptional case, but also illustrates a situation that is far too common.

It’s something we both worry about should we ever need aggressive pain management.

Do this: have the conversation with your own doctor, if needed, and support those affected if at all possible.

4. "false rumours tend to ‘mutate’ . . . just like a virus"

Ways to make social media less ‘viral’(*) – Madhumita Murgia – (Financial Times)

It feels somewhat ironic to compare false information about a virus to the virus itself, but it makes sense. One of the techniques used to slow false information is to throttle the velocity of information spread with techniques like asking people if they’ve read the article they’re about to share, limiting the size of groups, and more. I look at it as a way to alter the "R number" of the misinformation virus.

Even just requiring them to pause and think of something to write, makes them less likely to share misinformation.

We have a lot to learn about viruses. Both kinds.

Do this: think before you share.

5. "Black Friday long ago ceased being just a day; it’s now more of a vibe"

The Atlantic Daily: To Shop or Not to Shop? – Caroline Mimbs Nyce – (The Atlantic)

Of course last week was Thanksgiving here in the US, followed by so-called "Black Friday". What started as a single day of sales — often deep discounts — as well as conflict as shoppers mobbed various stores in search of those deals, has morphed into something else. The statement above caught my eye as it sums it up well — "Black Friday" has become a multi-day vibe. The essay (an interview with The Atlantic’s "in-house consumerism maven, Amanda Mull") goes on to describe why it exists, and what the retailers are attempting to accomplish with that vibe.

Do this: Make "small business Saturday" more than a one-day vibe and shop local when you can.

6. ". . . news turned into sugar for the mind."

News in the Age of Abundance – David Perell – (Blog)

This is a rather lengthy piece, but well worth the time.

Marketers promoted the benefits of cereal with slogans like “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Similarly, news organizations position themselves as an irreplaceable daily habit and with slogans like “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” While the Romans believed it was healthiest to eat only one meal per day and our ancestors only heard about major events, but we have been trained to be constant consumers, so we eat too much food and read too much news.

Perell first deconstructs the history of news beginning with newspapers, moving on to television, and of course ending up with the internet. He then tackles why there’s so much "news" and some of the problems resulting. He concludes with "Healthy News Consumption Is Possible" — two concrete steps you can take to improve your news diet.

Do this: pay attention to the news you consume and ask — will it really matter in a year?

7. "If–if–Omicron moves even faster than its predecessors . . ."

We Know Almost Nothing About the Omicron Variant – Katherine J. Wu – (The Atlantic)

I include this simply for the "we know almost nothing" aspect of the story. I expect there will be many, many news stories about Omicron in the coming days. That’s as it should be. The problem — almost dovetailing on the previous takeaway — is how inaccurate, incomplete, and sensational those stories are likely to be.

But it’s way too early to know if that’ll be the case. What’s known so far absolutely warrants attention—not panic.

Do this: pay attention, vet your news sources properly, maintain perspective, and don’t panic.

What I’m Reading

In progress (also on GoodReads):

• The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching – Thich Nhat Hanh

Daily:

• The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations for Clarity, Effectiveness, and Serenity – Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman

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*: Financial Times is one of my better resources, but has a hard paywall. Drop me a line if this article is of interest, and I can share a limited number of free-to-read links.