Blog - 7 Takeaways

A younger person making a selection from a softly lit wooden box or drawer, slightly ajar, filled with words in the style of old typeset letterpress letters, vintage dictionary pages, and small labeled tags — like a jeweler's tray, but for words instead of gems. Warm amber tones. Evokes the idea of a personal vocabulary as an accumulated treasure you can draw from.

The Words We Choose – 7 Takeaways No. 294

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.

An individual sitting comfortably in an overstuff chair in a used book store reading a book and surrounded by shelves of used books. There's a Corgi asleep in the corner.

The Strange Wistfulness of Used Bookstores – 7 Takeaways No. 293

The value of time. Information consumption habits. Go for a walk. Learning versus passing the test. Learning versus cheating. Beautiful and exotic words. Get a job, kids.

A character standing between two giant boxes — one solid black labeled 'total success,' one solid white labeled 'total failure' — trying to squeeze themselves into one or the other, while a soft rainbow of smaller, differently-shaded boxes sits ignored in the background, unused.

All or Nothing – 7 Takeaways No. 292

Public behavior. Brain failure, just when you need it. Chocolate, caffeine, and the rain forest. Yes, things can get better. Fleeting interactions matter. Knowing when to stop. Black and white. Seeing both sides.

An individual holding a smartphone, looking at it in fear. The smartphone is receiving a call from "Real Person".

The Most Terrifying Feature on a Smartphone – 7 Takeaways No. 291

Fear of conversation. Philosophy solved. Flood zone safety. Consume the contrary. Making the best of your life. Don’t panic! Looking for competence.

An over-the-shoulder view of an individual looking at a computer screen with the word "AI" repeated dozens of times in different sizes and fonts on it. The individual looks constipated, with smoke coming out of their ears.

Needing to Unclench – 7 Takeaways No. 290

Misogyny in action. Not talking about AI. Healthy hobbies. Serendipity and luck. Seeing more than a slice of culture. The cost of FOMO. Paying for writing.

A close up of a computer monitor that is disappearing in the style of "The Blip" from the Avengers movies.

The Web, As We Have It, Is Incredibly Fragile – 7 Takeaways No. 289

Building resilience. Physical books. Valuable websites are disappearing. Banning books is stupid. The courage to ask questions. Wanting to be with people. Finding the right people to be with.

An angry person with an exploding cloud over their head looking at a computer screen with a news article on it. The headline is "BIG SCARY HEADLINE", and the body of the news article begins "Now that we have your attention, it's really not that bad..."

Never Made It Past the Headline – 7 Takeaways No. 288

Read before sharing. Laugh for longevity. Sit still, if you can. Changing social norms. Pain hurts. Fear doesn’t lie. Getting older. Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

A kindergarten classroom full of happy children.

Everything I Ever Needed to Know – 7 Takeaways No. 287

Kindergarten rules. On being useful. On understanding better. Reading like a scientist. Willingness to change your mind. Asking questions. Reading matters.

A Corgi in a lab wearing a lab coat holding up a test tube and looking at it quizzically.

Your Brain Evolved to Solve Problems – 7 Takeaways No. 286

Critical thinking is a superpower. Problem solving is a superpower. How to improve happiness. Fewer options can be better. Science doesn’t stop (or care). The internet is for chatbots. Reading is on the decline.

Two Corgis in a coffee shop setting talking with one another over a table. One has their head cradled in their paws showing great interest in what the other is saying.

I Want to Hear More – 7 Takeaways No. 285

Face the silence. Be here, do stuff. Stupidity is special. Optimists live longer. Paper versus ebooks. Most self help is repetitive. Deeply engaged conversationalists.