You are what you read. Please don't judge me. Memory isn't what you think. The words you use matter. The cost of science denial. Understand thyself. Fear and aging. Never stop learning.
“People judge you by the words you use.”
— an old ad for a vocabulary product
FYI, the update of my sources list is mostly done. It’s a longer list than I imagined, and I’m privileged to be paying for more than I thought. Have a look.
Take care,
1. “The picture of the world we carry is built from the sources we choose to follow.”
A Field Guide to Media Ownership – Hana Lee Goldin, MLIS – (Card Catalog)
An excellent overview of what I’ll call “the ownership bias” problem. The piece discusses not only who owns what, to some degree, but also includes tools and techniques to discover ownership and those who influence the content we see.
… media becomes easier to recognize for what it is: a set of choices made by people and institutions with interests about what to show us.
In other words, everyone has an agenda. Everyone. That doesn’t mean that their output can’t necessarily be trusted, but exactly how much to question is an important part of media literacy. Understanding who has an agenda, and what that might be, is critical.
Do this: Understand who’s behind the content you consume, and what their unspoken agenda might be.
Support 7 Takeaways
(Or just forward this to a friend; that helps too.)
2. “What men fear most is being judged when they’re asking for help.”
Why So Many Older Men Are Quietly Giving Up – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)
“Giving up” in the essay title is a reference to suicide.
The demographic with the highest rate of suicide in the US is men aged 75 and over.
This is both surprising, and yet when you dig into the possible reasons, it also kinda makes sense.
As they age and retire, their sadness is often caused by a loss of enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose—a loss of significance …
Purpose is frequently correlated with happiness, and it make sense that loss of a feeling of purpose would have the exact opposite effect.
I chose the takeaway quote I did because it applies to much, much more than just depression and sadness. Society makes it very hard for men to ask for help, and fear of judgement is certainly a huge component.
Do this: Ask for help if you need it. If you’re the one being asked, provide a safe space.
3. “When you remember an event, your brain reconstructs it from pieces”
The surprising link between false memories and imagination – Big Think and Anne-Laure Le Cunff – (Big Think)
I have “memories” that I’m not convinced are real. For example, I’m not certain if events in my childhood are accurate memories, or stories I’ve incorporated from photographs at the time.
… some of the features that make memory fallible may also make imagination possible.
I find that relationship fascinating. It’s not cause and effect — being forgetful doesn’t mean you’re imaginative — but that the same tools within the brain are used for both. I also wonder how much of this is responsible for the “alternate facts” believed so passionately by some.
Le Cunff also lays out three techniques to leverage your brain’s tendencies into your creative work.
Do this: Question yourself.
4. “The words we choose can actually change our lives”
Name-dropping – Susie Dent – (Words)
Words are powerful. Here, Dent focuses on the words we use to describe emotion.
The most exciting, to this lexicographer’s mind, involves our emotional word-hoard: the depth of vocabulary we possess with which to express how we are feeling. We now know that having what is rather coldly known as ‘emotional granularity’ means we make fewer visits to the doctor, hit the bottle less, and live more happily. Because the ability to precisely name your emotions gives you control over them.
The better you’re able to describe your emotions, the better off you’ll be, literally. I find that fascinating. Expanding your vocabulary as an approach to better health and self-improvement.
The piece goes on to define a few words, mostly for fun, that illustrate the concept. One that made me laugh was “age-otori”, a Japanese expression for “the misery of a bad haircut”.
Do this: Better articulate your feelings.
5. “Science denial has little to do with science”
Who pays the cost when Americans opt out of science? – Adam Frank – (Big Think)
The United States is losing (or has lost) its leadership position in many different areas. That this is happening with science makes me sad.
I learned that science denial is not about science … Instead, it is about a kind of tribalism: If you identify as a member of certain groups … then you oppose certain kinds of science.
That tribalism is the cause makes me even sadder. I don’t think it’s something that we’ll recover in my lifetime.
The answer to the author’s essay title question is simple: we all do. Well, Americans do. That science leadership will shift to other countries is inevitable, and those countries will benefit. Given the prognosis for America’s decline, I wish those other countries well.
Do this: Believe the science. Please.
6. “Self-understanding is discouraged by almost everyone.”
The Inner Compass: Cultivating the Courage to Trust Yourself – Lawrence Yeo – (ebook)
I’ve come to deeply appreciate people who are self-aware. These are the folks who’ve taken the time, perhaps “done the work”, to understand themselves at a level most never do.
Without self-understanding, you will always use external validation as a proxy for what you want and how you’ll get it.
Not only is it discouraged by society in general, but it’s also a subtle approach to fitting you into a box.
Teachers want you to follow their curriculums, parents want you to follow their rules, and peers want you to follow their preferences. Conformity takes precedence over curiosity, and this is what makes a young mind so impressionable.
Curiosity is perhaps the most costly casualty.
Do this: Stay curious, particularly about yourself.
7. “Age is just a number, and I’m 13, okay?”
Old Age Is What We Think It Is –And That’s The Problem – Gary Buzzard – (Enjoy the Moment)
The takeaway above made me laugh, because it’s something I’ve said before, at least with respect to my sense of humor.
In some ways, the real takeaway is the essay’s subtitle:
We should stop counting the years and enjoy the sunset
Buzzard was prompted to write about “aging stressors” — things about aging that worry him. It’s a long list, and I share many (especially the one about falling, now that I’ve had the experience).
But the message is pretty simple: by focusing on the fears, we’re reinforcing the stereotype. Not that some of those fears shouldn’t be taken seriously (see: falling), but spending our days worrying about them isn’t helpful either. There’s much more to life that we miss out on when we do that.
Do this: Enjoy the sunset.
8. “Teach your children how to learn, so they can be ready for a future you can’t even begin to imagine.”
The 50-year Takeaway – Leo A. Notenboom – (Ask Leo!)
I’ve learned a lot in 50 years in this industry, and one of the most important things I’ve learned is the importance of continual learning itself.
Put another way, there’s absolutely no way I could have known in 1976 what my work in 2026 would entail, other than the very vague terms: computers and technology. Things are moving too quickly in directions we simply can’t guess to make long-term predictions, much less long-term commitments.
Here’s another implied takeaway: it’s not going to stop.
…
Focus instead on learning how to learn, learning how to question, learning how to think, and learning how to fail and benefit from the experience.
Do this: Keep learning. NEVER stop.
Random links
Other things I found interesting this week.
- The Real 9/11: Citizens Succeeded, Institutions Failed
- Trans Person Bigot? Your Super Yacht May Be In Danger.
What I’m reading now
- Tell Me Where It Hurts: The New Science of Pain and How to Heal – Rachel Zoffness Ph.D
- There Is No Antimemetics Division: A Novel – qntm
- The Inner Compass: Cultivating the Courage to Trust Yourself – Lawrence Yeo (re-read)
My Reading List – everything I’ve read since 2021.
My Sources Page – the common sources I scan/read regularly.
Support 7 Takeaways
Your support helps keep 7 Takeaways viable. I appreciate your consideration VERY much. I have options for recurring Support (Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly options) as well as one-time support over in The Ask Leo! (my “day job”) store. Purchasing any of the books using the links on my Reading List also helps.
Another thing that really helps is sharing 7 Takeaways with a friend. Just forward this email on. And if you received this email from a friend, you can subscribe at 7takeaways.com to get your own copy every Sunday.
Thanks!
If you’re having difficulty viewing this email, visit 7takeaways.com/latest.
If a link to a source above leads you to a paywall, please read my note on paywalls.
Some links above may be affiliate links.
If someone forwarded you this email, subscribe at 7takeaways.com.