A special welcome to the This is True readers who signed up this week after Randy made mention of my little side project. The 7 Takeaways homepage does a fine job of describing what this is, but if you’re curious about its background, shortly after I started I described what I’m up to over on my personal blog. Again, welcome. I hope you find some value or inspiration or something worth pondering or . . . well, something. 1. “All it needed was just a spark” ‘I am broken’: South African communities are gutted by a wave of looting, arson … Read more

1. “We treat ideas like possessions” The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable – Nassim Nicholas Taleb – (audio & ebook) The full quote: The problem is that our ideas are sticky: once we produce a theory, we are not likely to change our minds—so those who delay developing their theories are better off. When you develop your opinions on the basis of weak evidence, you will have difficulty interpreting subsequent information that contradicts these opinions, even if this new information is obviously more accurate. . . . Remember that we treat ideas like possessions, and … Read more

1. “Words matter” How to Think like Shakespeare – Scott Newstok – (ebook) If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything. I love this sequence. I love that it dates back to Confucious*. Do this: Watch your language. Literally. 2. “The truth is … Read more

1. “We are the legacy of our nation’s tainted past” Cousins – Lucian K. Truscott IV – (Facebook post) I found this a stirring essay by one of the descendants of Thomas Jefferson about the relationships between the descendants of Martha Jefferson, his wife, and the descendants of Sally Jennings, his slave. It’s as disturbing as you might imagine. Those who claim others are erasing history seem dead set on . . . erasing history. Do this: read the essay. Reflect. And if you’re in a position to, act. 2. “a compromised cultural immune system” The Cause of America’s Post-Truth … Read more

1. “You have a moral responsibility to do what you do best.” An Indomitable Will – Mark Manson – (Mindf*ck Monday newsletter) The takeaway is actually a paraphrase of something said by Will Smith: I’m world-class at only a couple of things. And every hour I’m not doing those things, I am doing a disservice to myself and the world. There are people out there who are world-class at other things—cooking, marketing, writing, whatever—and for me to not hire them and support what they do, also does a disservice to the world. It’s a fascinating perspective. With great talent comes … Read more

Thanks to everyone who reported the weird characters in the last two 7 Takeaways emails. I honestly don’t know what changed, but put in place a hack solution I’ve used elsewhere that should clear things up. One thing I do know is that I hate character encoding. (If you don’t know what that means, be thankful.) 1. “The world works better when we get to know each other.” 34 Mistakes on the Way to 34 Years Old – Ryan Holiday – (blog) Yes, I’m still learning from the youngsters. Holiday shares a number of mistakes he hopes to learn from. … Read more

1. “Social media has not corrupted us, it’s merely revealed who we always were. “ Social Media Isn’t the Problem… We Are – Mark Manson – (Mindf*ck Monday newsletter) This is a long read (by today’s standards anyway — calculated as 30 minutes). Worth. Every. Second. Even if you end up not agree with the premise, Manson presents a lot of what I consider to be compelling evidence for the underlying position. Social media has not changed our culture. It’s shifted our awareness of culture to the extremes of all spectrums. And until we all recognize this, it will be … Read more

1. “You can’t help someone you don’t understand” If You Want to Be a Better Writer, Start Listening Twice As Much As You Talk – Sinem Günel – (Medium) This is one of those adages that traces its origins back to Epictitus — “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” — and probably even further. Everyone knows it. Everyone can parrot it. Why do so few actually do it? I’m not pointing fingers — I’m as guilty as anyone. If anything this takeaway is as much a reminder for … Read more

1. “Code words. That’s all language is.” Code Words – Seth Godin – (Blog) A small post, but oh-so-true. Can’t count the number of times I’ve been in “violent agreement” with someone, only to find that it was all about slightly different definitions of a word. Once that was cleared up the agreement became … less violent. Do this: Make sure everyone’s talking about the same thing, especially if you feel an argument coming on. You may be surprised. 2. “Nobody wants their worldview torn apart if loneliness is the outcome.” 3-2-1: On dealing with conflict, writing books, and working … Read more

1. “It is wrenching and infuriating, humbling and perplexing, tragic and seemingly hopeless.” War, Again… – Dan Rather – (Steady newsletter) It never ends. I can’t remember a day when there wasn’t conflict in the middle east, and when there weren’t broken promises of peace. It’s sad and disheartening, and everything else in the quote above. Rather makes this point: We are all shaped by our experiences, histories, biases, and self interests. In this case, you can add the fraught overlays of religion, nationalism, and culture. While that’s absolutely a characterization of the parties in this conflict, as well as … Read more