"Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary."
– Jim Rohn

7 Takeaways is working. By that I mean the weekly deadline is achieving its goal of forcing me to consume better content. Even when it comes down to the last minute (as some weeks it does), I never regret the time I spend looking for and reading interesting stuff. It goes beyond what you see here, of course, since I don't mention everything I read.

Hopefully you'll find this stuff interesting as well, but more than that, I hope it inspires you to consume better content too. I think we could all use more of that these days.

Take care,

1. "We systematically undervalue time"

How to Spend Money So It Actually Makes You Happier – Daniel Pink – (YouTube)

Some of this is pretty well known. Experiences generally trump possessions, for example. But the one that caught my eye is about buying time. Examples he includes:

� � Hiring someone to clean your house twice a Month, paying for grocery delivery, living closer to work, even if the rent is a little higher, choosing the direct flight instead of the cheaper one with a 5-hour layover.� �

Yes, I understand that not everyone can afford to "buy time", but it's a very worthwhile thing to consider when possible.

Spending money to save time will make you happier.

Do this: Evaluate where you spend your time and your money. Remember that only one of those is finite in the end.

#happiness

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2. "We can't out-discipline a reflex"

A Field Guide to Information Overload – Hana Lee Goldin, MLIS – (Card Catalog)

I think most people's knee-jerk reaction to information overload and general overwhelm is to think that they need to be more disciplined about information consumption. In a sense, that's true, but the idea here is that much of how we consume has become habitual. And habits, as we're also very well aware, are incredibly difficult to change.

The "field guide" offers specific manifestations of the problem, and for each, a "why" it happens, what it does to us, and strategies for addressing the issue. I found them fascinating.

Overload is the condition of the world we've been handed. But what we get back by seeing it clearly is room to think: the attention to follow an idea to its end, and to have thoughts that are ours and not just reactions to whatever reached us first. That clarity is what lets us live in this world on our own terms.

Do this: Get intentional about handling information and overload.

#information-overload

3. "I have never returned from a walk and regretted it"

This Won't Solve All Your Problems (Just Most of Them) – Ryan Holiday – (Blog)

Much like the 7 Takeaways' origin story, this post is mostly for me. As I continue to recover from my fall, walking has become an important part of my continued rehab. While I'm 90% back to normal, that last 10% seems to be taking 90% of the time, and most of it is rebuilding my stamina and strength for walking.

Of course, you don't have to be on some recovery journey for walking to benefit you. Especially today, it's a common recommendation for many reasons.

Sitting at our computers, we are overwhelmed with information, with emails, with one thing after another. On a walk, the mind, relieved of all those inputs, can wander, drift, reflect, process, imagine, make connections, have ideas, or simply get a little peace and quiet.

Do this / note to self: go for a walk.

4. "Why are you taking this class?"

Enrollment and learning – Seth Godin – (Blog)

This paragraph got my attention:

One honest answer is, "I have to get a good grade to get to where I want to go." That means certification, compliance, regurgitation. It means enrollment in the outcome, not the process. When this happens, we're seeing a failure of the system we call education. Because that's not learning.

So much of "education" is not learning something because you want to learn it; it's learning something because you're required to. As Godin states, that's not learning at all.

This is why people cheat. This is why people use AI to write their papers for them. They're not interested in actually acquiring knowledge; they're only interested in getting the grade, passing the class, or getting the certificate. That those grades are built on a lie is irrelevant; they got what they set out to get.

Do this: Learn because you want to.

#education

5. "The students who said cheating is wrong were in the minority."

Building Integrity in the Age of Normalized Cheating – Brené Brown and Adam Grant – (The Curiosity Shop)

Serendipitously, related to the Godin takeaway above, I ended up listening to this podcast episode this week, and it was quite the eye-opener. It's a reaction to Grant's New York Times Op-Ed There's Really Only One Way to Stop Students From Cheating (gift link). AI is enabling cheating at a level we've not seen, and those using it don't seem to see it as a bad thing.

Most of the students made excuses.

They said, well, you know, an Ivy League school is a pressure cooker and we're just, we're stressed and everyone cheats.

And so it's like, it was almost like they were major league baseball players during the doping era.

And they just said, look, you got to use Chad GPT as your performance enhancing drug.

This is how you win.

I didn't make the rules.

I just winning.

This is a broken system and we are doing what we need to do to survive in it.

And I was just appalled that there was no mention in a lot of the essays of integrity. There was no, there wasn't even in a lot of cases, any guilt or shame about cheating ...

I'll call back to the statement I made above: too often the student's goal in our education system isn't learning, but passing the test. Those are two very, very different things, and our education system is optimized for the latter. As is cheating.

Do this: I'd actually recommend reading the Op-Ed, and perhaps listening to the podcast (I've linked to the transcript above, but there's also an audio player); it goes into the topic deeply. Then consider how we make education about learning again.

#cheating #education

6. "The strange wistfulness of used bookstores"

Between the Covers – Susie Dent – (Words)

I became acquainted with Susie Dent after watching a British show, "8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown" (via BritBox in the US), apparently a comedic riff on "Countdown" (not available in the U.S. as far as I can tell). They're both game shows that include a dictionary-based twist. Dent is a linguist on both shows, and I later found that she had her own Substack. Her fascination with language is infectious.

To hurkle-durkle, from Old Scots, is to linger beneath the covers long after you should be up. Guilty as charged on that particular day, although I'm not sure 'guilt' is the right word for every instance of hurkle-durkling. Sometimes it feels entirely necessary, and this is particularly true when there is a book involved.

'Vellichor', ... is 'the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time [--] a hidden annex littered with thoughts left just as they were on the day they were captured.' It would be hard to put it more eloquently.

If language is of any interest, you might find her writings fun and educational.

Do this: Go ahead, hurkle-durkle. You know you want to.

#language

7. "The ones who have done a form of blue collar work treat those around them best"

You should send your kids to work – Adam Singer – (Hot Takes)

If this were a text message thread, I'd be responding with 👍👍👍💯💯❤️❤️‼️‼️ and more. (And if character encoding weren't such a complicated beast, all of you would be able to see what I just did. If you don't see emojis, visit the web archive of this email.)

Probably the most frequent observation I have here is that the ones who have done a form of blue collar work treat those around them best, including those they manage or hourly workers they encounter throughout the day. They're never unnecessarily rude, they're more patient and kind, they empathize more (with people who actually deserve their empathy, not randomly).

I spent four and a half years working in a grocery store, and in my own experience the work — everything from stocking shelves to working with the public — was invaluable in shaping who I was to become. I would prefer never to do it again , but I'm immensely grateful that I did.

This is in light of news that summer employment for youth is down to its lowest levels in some time. That means many are not learning important skills that will aid them later in life, regardless of what their eventual path might be.

Do this: I'm tempted to go all boomer and say "Get a job!", but I know it's not that simple. I'll just say, consider what and how you can encourage kids to learn.

#education #work

Random links

Other things I found interesting this week.

• Understanding the tech giants' oversized influence in American schools – via NPR's Fresh Air

What I'm reading now

• Neuromancer – William Gibson (Re-read)
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott

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.
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Some links above may be affiliate links.
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"If people stop going to the circus, the clowns go home."
� Seth Godin

As this is being sent Sunday morning, you'll find me driving the back roads in and around Mt. Vernon, Washington. I'll be a supporting volunteer for Bike MS, benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Society. My role as "SAG" (Support And Gear) is really more about stalking all the riders, making sure they're safe, and aiding any that run into trouble. Most common trouble? Flat tire. Among other things I carry a "real" bicycle pump that stranded riders really do seem to appreciate.

This is all a side effect of my amateur radio work, and I've been doing this particular event for something like 15 years. It's a good time for a good cause.

1. "Don't argue with an employee who cannot change the rule"

6 Things You Should Never Do in Public – Daniel Pink – (YouTube)

OK, so maybe Mr. Pink needed to vent a little, but it's a list you'll identify with, as having seen the behavior in others so often. The sad part? We've probably all violated these "rules" at one time or another, and perhaps even often.

The rule in this takeaway speaks to me because I've seen it so often.

When a flight cancels or the return gets refused, we displace our frustration onto whoever's available instead of whoever is responsible. The gate agent did not invent thunderstorms, the barista did not set corporate policy on oat milk. Aim your complaint at people with actual power over the outcome.

I encourage you to watch the video if only to smile as you recognize all six.

They really do boil down to one rule: Be kind and considerate.

Do this: Be kind and considerate.

#kindness

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2. "Your brain gets dumber at the precise moment when you think you're being more careful"

Discover vs defend mode – Adam Singer – (Hot Takes)

Over-simplifying, your brain has two modes: discover, which is curious and creative, and defend, which is protective and threat-scanning.

Why are so many in modernity trapped in defend mode? For most of those who are, the attention economy has realized defend mode is sticky/addictive and the path of least resistance to hooking you, and discover mode is not.

Discover mode is more of a slow flow state, whereas defend is attention-grabbing and urgent and typically bite-sized. The solution? Noticing, and making conscious choices.

Do this: Notice. Aim for discover mode.

#attention

3. "One strategy for saving the rainforest apparently involves chocolate and caffeine"

Grandmas vs. the Apocalypse – (The Sacred and The Strange)

This made me smile.

Across parts of the rainforest, women, many of them mothers and grandmothers, are helping restore damaged land by using one of humanity's oldest and least intimidating weapons. Planting stuff.

Things like cacao (chocolate) and coffee. I heartily approve.

Better yet, some of the trees being planted today may still be producing food and income years from now. A woman planting cacao or coffee is not simply planting something for herself. She may be planting something her children'and perhaps her grandchildren'will eventually benefit from.

That is a remarkable act of optimism.

Indeed.

Do this: Perform an act of optimism.

#optimism

4. "Hope has a shame problem"

You Are Not An Idiot for Believing Things Can Get Better – JA Westenberg – (Blog)

It is extremely unfashionable to have a positive attitude — hope — about our future. Things are bad, and as a result the only socially acceptable position to have, apparently, is to believe that things will only get worse.

Except that position is no more well informed than any other. In fact, it's often worse, since we intentionally close our minds to contrary evidence.

The defeated asshole version of yourself isn't actually more informed, more intelligent, or more enlightened for their pessimistic view of the world; they've just smuggled in an easy way to quit without the shame, and they're pretending it's a mature assessment of the facts.

It's easy and comfortable to be exceptionally cynical these days. Just don't confuse comfort with accuracy.

Do this: Reconsider your cynicism.

#hope #positivity

5. "When we remember that an experience is finite, we tend to appreciate it more"

Ness Letters: Fleeting Encounters – Anne-Laure Le Cunff – (Ness Labs)

An interesting perspective on the value of the fleeting connections we make with others throughout our day.

But seemingly minor encounters can contribute more to our well-being than we might expect.

Simple encounters like the people you bump into as you go about your day count. And it's worth leveraging. Rather than ignoring them or minimizing interaction, maybe do a little more.

You don't need to seek out more people to interact with. Just start experimenting with the people already woven into the fabric of your days.

This is hard, particularly for introverts like myself, but it really does add value and can even improve happiness.

Do this: Interact.

#happiness

6. "Do Not Go Past The Mark You Aimed For"

What It Takes To Build The Life You Actually Want – Ryan Holiday – (Meditations on Strategy and Life)

This concept came at me two ways this week, all within the space of a couple of hours. Understanding what "enough" is, is critical to a life worth living. We don't need to constantly try for more and more and more.

It takes discipline.
The discipline to figure out what you actually want your life to look like.
The discipline to turn down cool, lucrative opportunities. =
The discipline to say no to the investors, the acquirers, the well-meaning people who have ideas for how you can really blow this thing up.
The discipline to not go past the mark you aimed for.
The discipline to not scale.

That last item reminded me of comments made on the How to Trust Yourself When Everyone Has an Opinion with Love Thy Nader's Mary Holland Nader episode of Simon Sinek's A Bit of Optimism podcast. The guest, founder of a financial startup, related being told some time ago by Sinek:

Do not build this company with the goal of exiting, or you're going to lose your why and your purpose

Understanding not just what is enough, but what that means and how to get there. If exiting is your goal, then you're in line with venture capitalists who love to invest, control, maximize revenue, and then exit themselves, leaving an empty shell behind; the very definition of "enshitification". On the other hand, if you know what you want to accomplish, if you can define "enough", you can stay true to yourself and remain in control of your life.

Do this: Have discipline.

#discipline #enough

7. "All or nothing, good or evil, total victory or total failure"

A is for Airtight Categories, B for Blanket Statements, C for Cherrypicking.... – Rebecca Solnit – (Meditations in an Emergency)

This speaks to an issue I've long felt passionate about: black and white thinking. Solnit dives into it deeply, and while typically framing it in political terms, it's an issue I see frequently across a broad spectrum of topics.

Discussing the supposed death of The Inflation Reduction Act:

... talking about it in all or nothing terms ill-equips people to understand or engage with the reality of the situation. I'm not sure why people declared it dead, except as part of this habit of making everything into an absolute, when the reality is so often so much more complicated, interesting, and full of possibilities.

As I've said in my own essay on the topic (referenced below), there's no room for shades of grey. Shades of grey require thought, thought requires effort, and effort requires intention. It's easier just to pick a black or white side and move on. Unfortunately that distances you from the more nuanced reality, no matter which "side" you pick.

Do this: Entertain shades of grey.

#black-and-white

8. "We're being trained to be lazy thinkers"

Seeing Both Sides is a Curse – Leo A. Notenboom – (blog)

From five years ago:

Being able to see both sides of an argument is a curse.

People want black and white. If you're cursed with an ability to articulate shades of grey, it'll be taken as blanket disagreement no matter what your actual opinion.

Anything seen as less than 100% agreement is disagreement.

If we are to survive, that must change.

It's still true today.

Do this: Entertain shades of grey.

#black-and-white

Random links

Other things I found interesting this week.

• Dolly Parton – One of the better write-ups of her life.

What I'm reading now

• Neuromancer – William Gibson (Re-read)
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott

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.

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"If you want someone to pay attention to you....
Turn into a smartphone......"
� Vanessa Stallings

This week's background music? Various DJs on YouTube, including Lika, Val Baker, Miss Monique, and others. Another that I turn to frequently for focus is Jason Lewis's Mind Amend. I don't really know if the isochronic tones and binaural beats have an impact, but the music it's all set to works for me.

Hope you're having a good week.

1. "Apparently the most terrifying feature on a smartphone is still the phone."

The Quiet Disappearance of Conversation – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)

Apparently we're literally talking less.

Turns out, research suggests that while we're communicating more, we're talking less today. In 2005, the average person spoke approximately 16,000 words each day. By 2019, that number had fallen to fewer than 13,000. Researchers determined that we now speak about 300 fewer words per day'year-over-year.

I get it. There are so many reasons why, most of them collected on that device in your pocket. But it comes with a cost, of course.

Even brief interactions with strangers improve our mood.

Brief interactions that involve, you know, talking.

Do this: Talk.

#communication

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2. "What is politics all about? Bullshit"

The Correct Answer to Every Philosophical Question – David Pinsof – (Everything is Bullshit)

Pinsoff takes on deep philosophical questions, but rather than what he sees as the traditional, boring approach, he takes his own.

There are several questions he tackles, ranging from the meaning of life, the existence of god, and whether or not free will is a thing, but the one that got my attention is the takeaway: What is politics all about?

Most political arguments are not about persuasion but about inter-mongrel dominance contests, attempts to silence or disparage opponents, and bids for moral or intellectual superiority, while concealing the fact that they're about these ugly things.

Feels like he nailed it, laying bare what underlies most political discourse today.

If you're at all curious about a different take on The Big Questions, it's an entertaining read. It's also thought provoking if you let it be.

Do this: Let it be.

#philosophy #politics

3. "Flood the zone with shit"

The Flood is the Strategy – Hana Lee Goldin, MLIS – (Card Catalog)

I think we're all familiar with the phrase, having heard it in 2018 from Steve Bannon, at that time the president's former advisor. It refers to crafting a news cycle so full of "important" and "urgent" items that the average person can not only not keep up, but can't tell truth from fiction, or prioritize any of it.

Goldin offers six "sandbags" to use against the flood. The first is likely the most important of all: stepping away from the flood.

Stepping away during a public crisis can feel like neglecting a duty. Continued exposure can weaken the attention we need to evaluate later reporting. We step back so that we can return with enough attention to compare accounts and decide what deserves further examination.

Preserving not just our sanity, but our ability to rationally address what's actually happening is the goal. The problem? It takes intentional steps, and many, many people are so flooded that they can't even consider it.

Do this: Step away for a moment.

#politics

4. "Read people you disagree with"

The Intellectual Circle Jerk and Why We Can't Stop – JA Westenberg – (Blog)

One of the hardest things to do is to change your mind. Today's media landscape almost ensures it's near-to-impossible, feeding you only information that supports your pre-existing beliefs. Challenging yourself takes intention, and it takes work ... work that most people find so uncomfortable as to never even consider it.

The more useful practice is to look for the strongest version of a challenge to your existing framework, find the smartest person who holds it, and take seriously the possibility that they might be right and you might be wrong.

Finding that "strongest version of a challenge" can be difficult, particularly since it lives outside of our echo chambers. But remember, the best way to argue with someone is to know their position better than they do. And, of course, keep in mind that they could be right.

Do this: Remember they might be right.

#arguments #echo-chambers

5. "Remember you must die"

What Does Memento Mori Mean? The Stoic Practice Explained – Jon Brooks – (The Stoic Handbook)

To be clear, it's not meant to be a morbid focus point rendering everything pointless. Just the opposite, actually, it's intended as a reminder that our time here is finite and that we should make the best of it.

If my time is limited, is this a good use of the next part of it?

To which I would also add: if my time is limited, does what I'm spending energy on right now really matter as much as I seem to think?

It's also not an excuse to obsess.

Remembering death does not prove that every minute should be productive. Rest, play, attention to friends and unhurried care can be excellent uses of a finite life.

Do this: Memento Mori.

#death #philosophy #stoicism

6. "Nobody makes a good call acting in a full-on tizzy."

How to think clearly when everything feels like an emergency – Danny Kennedy – (Big Think)

Slow down.

The amateur move under pressure is to speed up. The trained move is to steady yourself first, then sort.

It's easier said than done. The keyword is "trained", in my opinion. It's something you need to consciously practice — perhaps in less urgent crises, building the skill for true emergencies.

Panic serves no one. Breathe.

Do this: Per the essay: First, stabilize. (Yourself) Second, sort decisions by consequence.

#overwhelm

7. "Confidence is not competence"

A field guide to seeing through false expertise – Alexis Zahner – (Big Think)

Overwhelm makes us all the more susceptible.

When your brain becomes overwhelmed ' called cognitive overload ' it enters a protection mode and does one of two things: It attempts to manage this stress by shutting down to certain topics because they feel too complex to deal with, or becomes passive, going along with a popular view or opinion because it's easier than thinking for yourself.

It's so easy to let your guard down and go into what feels like a safer, default, less critical mode. And that's when the misinformation sneaks in.

... the most dangerous credibility failures are not the ones where we are obviously fooled by something implausible. They are the ones where we are already inclined to believe something, and surface credibility simply provides the justification we were already looking for.

The essay includes a list of steps to take to make sure the information you take in is credible.

Do this: Take the time to take those steps.

#overwhelm #misinformation

Random links

Other things I found interesting this week.

• Neo-Etiquette Basics: The New Rules of Being Human – You will nod your head repeatedly as you read this list.
• How to cut off your parents – Who owes what to who?

What I'm reading now

• The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances: A Novel – Glenn Dixon
• Neuromancer – William Gibson (Re-read)
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott

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.

Continue Reading...

"When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, 'I am going to produce a work of art.' I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing."
— George Orwell

More music from my past this week: Heart. And to showcase my eclectic nature, as I write this, I'm listening to a Gregorian Chant playlist.

Still recovering from all those Corgis. It was a blast, but a tiring one.

Hope you're having a good week.

1. "Would this have happened to my male counterpart?"

The Misogyny Tax – Kate Manne – (More to Hate)

Every time a woman is suspected of succeeding, it will be a recipe for her being taken down, scolded, and reprimanded on some trumped-up charge or other.

Manne shares her story of rampant misogyny for having the audacity to put some of her Substack behind a paywall. It's an example of a common problem women face; what men can do without thinking or backlash, women are routinely vilified for.

Of course it's more than that as well.

It's worth pointing out that similar penalties apply, mutatis mutandis, to anyone subject to racism: just as a woman will pay a tax relative to a male peer of the same race, a person of color will pay a tax relative to a white counterpart of the same gender. The same can be said'again, mutatis mutandis'for those subject to classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and fatphobia, in all of their multiply burdensome intersections.

In today's society it's only getting worse.

Do this: I strongly recommend reading the essay. Especially if you're a white male.

#misogyny

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2. "Needing to unclench, again and again and again."

Let's stop talking about A.I. – Oliver Burkeman – (The Imperfectionist)

Burkeman is tired of how almost every conversation in almost every realm eventually turns to AI. As he points out, it brings out "a major disease of our times: overthinking".

So whatever insecurities already lurk in your psyche, it's highly likely to activate them. Both hostility to and zealous enthusiasm towards A.I. can be explained this way.

While AI is certainly the topic of our time, it seems this characterization can apply to many, many topics that latch on to our collective psyche. Sometimes we need to take a step back, and ... as the takeaway suggests ... unclench a little.

Do this: Step back, and ... you know.

#overthinking #ai

3. "Reading is one of the healthiest hobbies for your mind"

The Reading Mind: Surprising Science-Based Benefits of Reading Everyday – Anne-Laure Le Cunff – (Ness Labs)

I disagree with the essay's title: it's not surprising at all.

Studies show that reading can help relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. Research has also been shown to slow the rate of memory deterioration and even improve your memory and thinking skills. And researchers have found that, compared to using social media, reading helps improve concentration by increasing the capacity for longer attention spans.

Aside from promoting the benefits of reading, the article also discusses how odd it is that reading activates the same regions of the brain across the works, even though we've not had nearly enough time for that to be a result of evolutionary changes.

The steps suggested to begin, resume, or improve a reading habit are simple: pick something you'll enjoy, commit to as little as a single page a day, and pick a time of day that works well for you. Me? Sci-Fi, multiple pages, and bedtime, at a minimum. (I also make sure that I always have a book with me, in the form of the Kindle app on my phone.)

Do this: Read. Develop the habit.

#reading

4. "Nurture a ‘serendipity mindset.'"

3 ways to make your own luck – Jonny Thomson – (Big Think)

It's safe to say I've had a very lucky life. I attribute that mostly to a positive mindset and being open to the opportunities that crossed my path. Yes, there was some hard work involved, but as we know, hard work alone doesn't guarantee success.

We cannot stop the traffic jams, but we can choose the podcast to listen to.

I truly believe that the combination — positivity and openness — is key.

The truly lucky person is the one who is paying attention and is ready to jump when the time comes.

Do this: Pay attention.

#serendipity #luck

5. "Why are we so obnoxious?"

Issue 401 Your call is important to us – Kai Brach – (Dense Discovery)

In his newsletter intro, Brach points to two articles discussing Japanese culture for us to compare and contrast. One is the typical "I went to Japan and everyone was polite, quiet and on-time" kind, and the other ... less so.

... watching a country so rule-bound now that a stroll through a park comes with a looped announcement banning rollerblading and running, while everyone shuffles past staring at their phones.

... plenty of writers in this genre skate right past Japan's very real problems ' overwork, rigidity, bureaucracy, conservatism ' to make a tidy point about the terrible state of our public toilets.

It's easy to miss the whole picture when we're fixated on one aspect that has our attention, be it toilets or, in the U.S. at least, national politics.

Do this: Look for the whole picture.

#culture

6. "Technology was supposed to make room for life"

Never Enough – Armin Ronacher – (Dark Thoughts)

One of the biggest problems in the tech space right now (and perhaps other spaces, I suppose) is FOMO: the Fear Of Missing Out. It drives unrealistic desires and unreasonable actions.

Everyone is chasing the person ahead of them, with little time to remember where they meant to go.

Rather than deciding whether something, anything, is correct, appropriate, or "right for me", actions are based on trying to outdo someone else. The corporate world is even worse: rather than deciding whether something is the right thing to do, the decision is based instead on competition and one-upsmanship.

... find peace not by getting ahead, but by no longer needing to.

While that might be a difficult ideal to apply at the corporate level, as an individual it's life-changing.

Do this: Worry less about competition and FOMO.

#competition #fomo

7. "Writing was already in trouble because we created a world in which nobody expects to pay for it."

No, AI isn't coming for writers – we were already fucked! – Annie Scott – (Annie Scott's Wankery Watch)

We need proper writing. Not just because it's better and more engaging to read – but because it's one of our most important defences against misinformation. Proper journalism has this curious little eccentricity: it is supposed to be true – researched, checked and supported by evidence.

Scott makes the case that well before AI came along, good writing was already in trouble. We became used to it being free, online. Our expectations were set. As a result, good writing — the kind that costs both time and money — is on the decline. Yes, AI's helping that decline, but it was already well underway.

I try to do my part by paying for many of the subscriptions I have (they're marked on my sources page), but it's a difficult situation becoming more difficult every day.

Do this: Don't expect everything to be free, especially the good stuff. And if you can, pay for what you identify as quality writing.

#writing #ai #internet

Random links

Other things I found interesting this week.

• The Trouble with Cancer Screening – Tests for cancer often lead to more confusion than clarity. Here's how to understand them.
• Mecca and the mall – In a bid for spiritual renewal, I made a pilgrimage to Islam's holy city. Almost everything I expected to see was gone
• Stay – A touching remembrance of a dog, recently lost. Having recently lost a pet myself, this landed hard.

What I'm reading now

• Neuromancer – William Gibson (Re-read)
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan

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.
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Some links above may be affiliate links.
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"Terrorism as we ordinarily understand it is inately media-related."
� William Gibson, Neuromancer

Last week it was Pink Floyd, this week it's Alan Parsons. I'm having a good time listening to the music of my past.

Unrelated to anything (other than, perhaps, a somewhat less organized list below?), by the time you see this I'll be recovering from our 22nd hosting of the Pacific Northwest Corgi Picnic. As I like to say, I'll have the poop of 100 Corgis that had all been running around my back yard to deal with.

1. "Resilience is built in ordinary moments"

The Paradox of Progress – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)

Focusing mostly on today's children Greene echoes the common concern that we've made life too easy, and that as a result kids are suffering.

Almost half of young adults on earth are struggling at a level that meaningfully interferes with daily life.

And he points out that it's not a failure on the part of the kids, but rather a symptom of a larger problem. It's the result of lots of little improvements in life that, over time, have removed or at least dramatically reduced, the need to build resilience.

And individually, none of those decisions seems particularly consequential. But make enough things optional for long enough and eventually you may discover that the things holding people together have quietly disappeared.

There's no simple solution, but it starts with awareness.

Do this: Teach resilience.

#resilience

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2. "Physical books constantly provide landmarks"

Why Weird People Like You Still Read Physical Books – (The Sacred and The Strange)

I'm a Kindle reader. I've even been known to purchase the Kindle version of a physical book I already own, just to ensure that I'll actually read it. With the Kindle app on my phone I have thousands of books in my pocket wherever I go.

But that's not to say there isn't something different, something special, even, about reading a physical book.

Reading, it turns out, isn't merely transferring information from paper to brain.
The texture of the pages, the weight in your hands, the cover art, and even watching the bookmark slowly creep toward the back all become part of the experience.

The essay raised some interesting observations on the difference.

Do this: Read books. Paper or electronic, I don't care. Read.

#reading

3. "The web, as we have it, is incredibly fragile"

What just happened to TheNumbers.com should worry us all – Stephen Follows – (Decoding the world Through Data)

This hit very close to home because I've experienced it. Not yet as bad as described in the article, but bad enough that I had to double my investment in the server hosting Ask Leo!.

Let's back up. The issue is a simple one: TheNumbers.com was taken down by an overwhelming flood of bots, AI scrapers, and AI agentic access. The 30 year old site simply couldn't handle the load, and the 30 year old design wasn't something that could simply be fixed to compensate.

By 2024, automated traffic had surpassed human traffic, and just last month, Cloudflare announced that bots had reached 57.5% of web page requests.

My numbers match that. TheNumbers.com, however, was hit harder, with only 10% of their traffic coming from actual human visitors.

It's a dilemma. If it's of any interest to you at all to understand what online publishers are facing right now I encourage you to read the article. I'm not kidding when I say it's an existential threat; at some point the cost of maintaining a site either defending from, or feeding the bots simply becomes too high.

Do this: Click through to the sites you care about. Their livelihood depends on it.

#ai

4. "A library is not an endorsement of every book inside it."

This Is Why We Opened A Banned Books Library (In Rural Texas) – Ryan Holiday – (Meditations on Strategy and Life)

Book banning is stupid. And yet it's the go-to action from pearl-clutchers and the intolerant, believing that banning a book will somehow prevent some kind of social calamity. It's the banning that's the calamity. (Not to mention the Streisand effect that so often results.)

The whole point of school'and libraries'should be introducing kids to books that make them laugh, make them think, and show them that books can be provocative and transgressive and interesting and creative.

"Make them think." That's so often exactly what the banners are afraid of. The concern is that the thinking will challenge their own One Truth in some way.

Holiday includes several things you and I can do to counter the efforts.

Do this: Read a banned book. Share a banned book.

#reading #censorship

5. "What will people think of me for asking?"

Ness Letters: The Courage to Be Curious – Anne-Laure Le Cunff – (Ness Labs)

I've often been perplexed by people who aren't curious. We all start out as curious children; what happened along the way to quash that instinct? Fear, mostly. Le Cunff identifies three specific fears: judgement, change, and responsibility. It makes sense, particularly when those fears originate in our formative years.

Spend time with people who reward questions rather than performances of certainty. A good curiosity circle gives you permission to think aloud, explore raw ideas, and change your mind.

Curiosity is is so incredibly important for so many reasons, But these days it does seem to take a certain amount of courage to ask questions.

Do this: Have the courage. Ask the questions.

#curiosity #questions

6. "We need to find ways to actually want to be with other people."

Strong Ground – Brené Brown – (ebook)

It feels like the dilemma of our times.

In a time fueled by discord, divisiveness, and increasing dehumanization, we need to find ways to actually want to be with other people. It's hard to buy that what makes us human will save our sanity and our jobs when in fact so many of us have become untethered from our humanity and fundamentally disconnected from one another.

The deck is stacked against us, it seems. We need to take intentional action to be with others.

Do this: Take action.

#people

7. "Oftentimes, loneliness has little to do with the lack of people around you, but the lack of people who understand you."

The Inner Compass: Cultivating the Courage to Trust Yourself ' Lawrence Yeo – (re-read)

In a moment of serendipity, this came across my screen not long after the preceding takeaway. I think one of the reasons we do often resist being with other people is that we envision being with people we don't like, for any number of reasons. And yet being with others is how we find and discover those who end up mattering most to us.

I'm writing this the day before the Corgi Picnic, mentioned above. After the picnic, after all the guests and strangers and acquaintances go home, the "after party" (really just a relaxed decompression) will be left with a core group of "our people". These are the people that matter. These are the people who understand.

These are the people we would never have found had we not put ourselves out there, one way or another, in the preceding days, months, and years.

Do this: Cherish your people.

#friendship

What I'm reading now

• Neuromancer – William Gibson (Re-read)
• The Gate of the Feral Gods: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4 – Matt Dinniman
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan

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.
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Some links above may be affiliate links.
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"The road not taken is often an imaginary one."
� Tom Greene

I found myself listening to Pink Floyd the other day, or rather, an exceptional cover of one of their songs by a YouTuber "sina-drums" (Sina Doering). I was particularly taken by her group's take on the hit Money, which they also recorded in the same studio as the original: Abbey Road. The performance is just amazing.

That, in turn, led me to listening to the entire Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon as I drove around the next day. The 50 year old album (technically a 2023 50 year anniversary remaster) brought back many, many memories.

In classic 7 Takeaways "Do this" fashion, take a few minutes to dig up the music that moved you when you were younger and give it a listen.

1. "Whoever sent the link never made it past the headline"

The Unspoken Rules of Information Etiquette – Hana Lee Goldin, MLIS – (Card Catalog)

This is an awesome framing of the unspoken rules we all both follow and all too often break when sharing information. The problem is that especially now, in today's volatile online environment, understanding and following the rules is more important than ever.

Each of the rules that follow works the same way. The sender does something small before the message goes out, like reading the article first or adding a line of framing, and the recipient feels the difference when that care is missing. Leave out the small step often enough, and the recipient starts trusting our messages less.

All six are important, but for some reason #4 — "Don't ask for research and then reject the answer" — speaks to me the most as something I see so terribly often on social media.

I suspect you can already bring to mind individuals you see share things that you simply no longer trust. This codifies why.

Do this: Don't be that person.

#information-etiquette

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2. "What keeps people in love is not what makes them fall in love in the first place."

Three Rules for a Lasting Happy Marriage (gift link) – Arthur C. Brooks – (The Atlantic)

My wife and I have been married for 46+ years as I write this. Particularly after my fall late last year, I've put a fair amount of thought into what it is that makes a marriage last.

What truly matters is your virtue, your heart, your character, and your soul'all dedicated to your true love and expressed in both the big and the little things of life.

Especially the little things.

Brooks mentions humor earlier in the essay, and I have to emphasize that. It's certainly a key part of our relationship, in both good and difficult times, and has been from the start. Of course it's more complex than that, but if you can't truly laugh with your spouse, it just feels ... odd.

Do this: Laugh. Together.

#marriage #laughter #relationships

3. "It's oddly difficult to do nothing"

How to Exist – David Cain – (Raptitude)

Here's an experiment for a true daredevil.

Sit there for three minutes, following two rules:

• Don't do anything.
• Be content.

In other words, just exist. Do nothing else. For three minutes.

I'll bet you can't. Certainly not these days.

It's a skill you can develop, and in doing so you'll find yourself less frenetic and more calm in general. It's well worth it.

Do this: Exist.

#meditation

4. "History never really changes. It just gets a different barber."

Being Bald is Better? – (The Sacred and The Strange)

The essay begins by pointing out how Romans once outlawed long hair, because it reminded them of barbarians. Romans, apparently, didn't want to risk confusion with barbarians?

When small-minded people become anxious, they often begin arguing about appearances. Suddenly everyone is expected to dress, speak, worship, eat and look a certain way.

Upon reading that quote my mind went immediately to the 60s where long hair on men was a radical act of non-conformity, and something looked down on by The Establishment™. Sure enough, the author was thinking along the same lines.

In the 1960s, some Americans looked at a young man with shoulder-length hair and saw a menace to civilization.

Silly, in hindsight. The question is simple: what standards are we enforcing (typically via social pressure) that will seem silly 10, 20, or 50 or more years from now?

Do this: Quit obsessing about appearance, and many other social "norms".

#social-norms

5. "Hurt and harm are not the same."

How to Combat Pain – Shankar Vedantam, Rachel Zoffness – (Hidden Brain podcast)

Timely, for me, for a variety of reasons.

This isn't an "it's all in your head" explanation of pain ... and yet, it kinda sorta is, but in a concrete and much less dismissive way. Zoffness, the guest psychologist who studies the nature of pain, tells two stories. One of a construction worker who's jaw is impaled with a nail, but he doesn't feel or realize it until dealing with a "toothache" a week later. The other is of another construction worker who steps on a seven inch nail which shoots right through his boot and caused excruciating pain — except it actually shot between his toes and missed his foot completely.

Clearly there's more going on than pain being a simple reaction to physical events.

And pain is our body's warning system, it's our danger detection system. So, our brain, including this construction worker's brain, used all available information to decide whether or not to make pain and how much.

Whether or not to "make" pain. Fascinating.

In no way am I negating the very real pain we feel (including myself, as I sit here typing). But it seems that this perspective opens up so much in terms of pain management.

Do this: Be open to alternatives.

#pain

6. "Fear won't lie, because it can't"

Fear is information. – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)

A different perspective on what we, and others, fear.

If you want to know what someone actually values, pay attention to what they protect.

Words are one thing, but when the rubber hits the road it's our actions that most clearly express what we value.

Fear, even in ourselves, is something we can use.

Acknowledge the fear and read it carefully; and refuse to be moved by it until you've understood what it's telling you.
Then decide whether the information changes the plan.

That pause takes a little strength of will.

Do this: Understand the fear.

7. "Thriving in old age is an inside job"

How Can I Live a Long Life and Actually Enjoy It? – Gary Buzzard – (Enjoy the Moment)

OK, I'll admit it. This line got me:

I was 68 before I realized I was a senior and accepted my age.

Well, crap. Guess how old I am. I don't feel like a senior, except ... my body is slowly, and somewhat persistently, starting to raise the issue. Maybe, just maybe, I am. Kinda. Barely. Sort of.

A Harvard study concludes that people who have the highest satisfaction with their own aging have a 43% lower risk of dying from any cause over four years compared with those who were the least satisfied. People with more positive attitudes about growing old tend to live longer and healthier lives than those with negative thoughts about aging.

And that's the challenge, isn't it? To maintain a healthy, positive attitude about your own life and aging, particularly in an ageist society that almost explicitly devalues it.

Do this: Work to develop or maintain that positive attitude.

#aging

8. "We end up letting politicians manipulate us"

On Numbers – Leo A. Notenboom – (Blog)

In general we are horrific at understanding large numbers, and even worse at understanding statistics.

We end up doing dangerous things because we don't understand just how dangerous they are.

We end up throwing money away, say in lotteries, because we don't understand just how heavily the odds are stacked against us. (That lotteries are a "tax on people who don't understand math" isn't far from the truth.)

We end up letting politicians manipulate us into supporting their ideas because we have no comprehension of just how outrageously large the numbers they're throwing around are.

The list goes on.

Do this: Understand how large numbers and statistics can be used to manipulate you, and watch for it.

#manipulation #numbers #statistics

What I'm reading now

• Neuromancer – William Gibson (Re-read)
• The Gate of the Feral Gods: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4 – Matt Dinniman
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott
• The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive – Brandon Sanderson
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan

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.

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"The best conversations are ventilated."
� Sahil Bloom

How to use 7 Takeaways: click the links to the articles that interest you and read those articles.

My commentary isn't really the point; it's meant only to give you a sense for what I've found interesting. My intent is that every week maybe one or two of these will speak to you as well, and that you'll click through to read the original article.

Curation is not content. It's just a guide to surface interesting and informative essays and videos produced by others.

I'm mentioning this because I sometimes get commentary on my comments that indicate the person didn't actually read the content I was commenting on. That kinda misses the point, as far as I'm concerned. To get the most out of 7 Takeaways, I hope you're taking the time to dive deeper into the various items I share each week.

1. "Simple rules that make life work"

Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)

I read it, and I'm betting you may have as well. Robert Fulghum's book was a meme before memes were memeing (if that's a thing). Greene reminds us of what it meant.

• Share.
• Be kind.
• Say you're sorry.
• Hold hands.
• Stick together.
• Never lose your sense of wonder.
• Look.
• Be grateful.

...

They're simple enough for a five-year-old to understand, yet somehow difficult for grown adults to practice. Somewhere along the way, we didn't outgrow those lessons'we simply buried them under busier lives.

I know that some find them over-simplistic and childish, even. But isn't that kinda the point? Simple, easy-to-remember rules that make a difference. I know I'm going to dig up the book and re-read it; it's been far too long. (He's still with us, by the way.)

Do this: Be kind. Among other things.

#rules

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2. "Be useful"

How to be useful – Mike Monteiro – (Mike Monteiro's Good News)

That's in response to the question "What's your go-to piece of advice in life?"

The thing about being useful is that it's a two way street. You figure out something that you can do to help your friends, your family, your community, and that's great. But being useful is also an amazing mental health trick. It makes you feel necessary. It gives you purpose.

It's perhaps one of the most important things you can do: not just serve others, but help yourself along the way.

What often gets missed is that it's important to be useful in a way that others actually need and want, not some way you think they need or want. Your usefulness is driven by their needs, not your perceptions.

Helping other people makes me feel useful, which re-energizes my sense of purpose.

Can confirm.

Do this: Be useful.

#purpose

3. "Understanding that challenge better than you already do now"

What's the best self-help tip, if you could only use one? And how do you put it into practice? – Spencer Greenberg – (Clearer Thinking)

A very serendipitous single piece of advice takeaway to follow the previous single piece of advice takeaway.

It's often possible to reach deeper levels of understanding than we have. And a better understanding leads to better solutions.

Rather than just paying lip-service to the concept, Greenberg follows with several specific steps to take. Rather than trying to "technique" your way out of a specific situation, these are things to practice so that they come naturally. My take is that this applies to more than the interpersonal challenges mentioned in the article, but just about struggle we might face.

Do this: Focus on understanding before [re]acting.

#understanding

4. "What matters is putting the idea into your own words"

How to Read Like a Scientist – (Ness Labs)

With the decline in reading skills we're seeing these days, I thought it timely to see a very relevant "how to" article on reading better. One simple trick (sorry if that sounds click-baity):

Practice 1: Formulate a hypothesis
By explicitly stating what you expect to get out of a book, you will instantly make your reading experience more generative.

What's fascinating is that it doesn't have to be super fancy or clever. Testing what you read against what you expect is what keeps you more engaged. Even if you're wrong ("I expected X, but it was really Y"), the results will be more memorable, literally.

Do this: Read with intention.

#reading

5. "Willingness to change your mind is the ultimate sign of intelligence"

A Few Things I've Changed My Mind On – Sahil Bloom – (Curiosity Chronicle)

My snarky reaction is that there then sure seem to be a lot of unintelligent people about. That's harsh, but the reality is we've become more cemented in our positions than ever. And, yes, I'm thinking specifically of political and philosophical positions, leading to the divisive mess we're in these days.

The most impressive people I know change their minds often in response to new information or evidence.

Many people resist even exposing themselves to new information or evidence that might risk contradicting their perceptions.

Bloom's piece isn't political, and he shares several interesting things on which he's had a change of heart.

Do this: Question everything, including your own beliefs.

#beliefs

6. "People are best persuaded by their own arguments, not yours."

Stop giving advice. Start asking better questions. – Danny Kenny – (Big Think)

... a good question moves someone further than good advice. People are best persuaded by their own arguments, not yours. Telling someone what to do, how to be, or who to be does not work in the long run.

And yet we love to, long to, tell people what to do or what to think.

It's the classic case of letting other people come up with your idea. When it's their idea, they buy into it much more deeply. That applies to the workplace, to school, to life in general.

There are several valuable thoughts here on replacing advice with questions. While it's generally targeted at a business/coaching audience, it really does apply everywhere else we well.

Do this: Learn to ask.

#questions

7. "We should treat highly distracting digital garbage like junk food"

Why Reading Matters – Cal Newport – (Blog)

Newport weighs in on the issue raised by The Atlantic article The End of Reading Is Here (mentioned in last week's issue). In summary, he's in whole-hearted agreement.

... every cultural attribute that we celebrate ' from human rights, to logic, to progress, to the very notion of an independent self ' are conceptual children born from the mind-shaping power of the written word.

His "what to do about it" is to treat the presumed cause of the problem — digital junk food, as he calls it — as we do literal junk food.

... something we largely avoid ' and purposefully schedule a non-trivial amount of time each day to read, write, and self-reflect, just as we now dedicate time to walking, jogging, and weight lifting.

I'm not sure the metaphor works, or that it's particularly useful, but I'm all for more thought and discussion on the issue.

Do this: Read.

#reading

Random Links

• A 30-Day Protocol to Rebuild Reading Capacity – From Card Catalog, for "readers who miss reading".

What I'm reading now

• The Gate of the Feral Gods: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4 – Matt Dinniman
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott
• The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive – Brandon Sanderson
• The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke – (Audio)
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan

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.

Continue Reading...

"It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it."
� Oscar Wilde

This issue might be a bit of a downer, for which I apologize. While it certainly highlights skills and actions you can take to better yourself, the challenge is to actually take those actions and develop those skills. The Atlantic's article on the decline of reading (takeaway #7) implies many, if not most, are unlikely to take those actions.

It all leaves me with very mixed feelings. I will say that for those willing to make the effort, the opportunities to set yourself apart and succeed in ways others are unlikely to are significant.

1. "The only ability that will matter is your own judgment"

This Skill Makes You Dangerous In The AI Era – Sandeep Swadia – (YouTube)

Critical thinking. Critical thinking is the skill that will make you a superpower in the coming years. Misinformation and misdirection are only going to get worse.

I think t� � he answer lies in staying close to reality and investing in your own judgment,� � in your own critical skills

Swadia outlines five specific "distortions", as he calls them, that we need to guard against.

• Authority replacing evidence
• Marketing "true lies"
• Groupthink / consensus pressure
• AI over-reliance / cognitive offloading
• Self-deception / wishful thinking

He gives examples for each, as well as the steps needed to protect yourself from each.

Do this: It's a video worth watching, but if I had to sum up one thing to do, it's a theme that's common across a lot of my writing: be skeptical.

#critical-thinking #skepticism

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2. "Your brain evolved to solve problems, not to watch things."

Harvard Scientists Studied 200 Aging Brains for a Decade ' One Daily Habit Made All the Difference – (Better Within)

Reading. The habit is reading.

And not just reading feeds or even articles, it's deep reading. In other words, books.

People who maintained a regular reading habit experienced cognitive decline 32% slower than non-readers.

That's a significant number. Unfortunately, current technology is pushing us away from this type of reading, at a deep, long-term cost.

The brain operates on a single, non-negotiable principle: use it or lose it.

The essay includes more examples, but the importance of reading has been one of my themes here for some time.

Do this: Do I have to say it? READ. Read books.

#aging #reading

3. "Practice good happiness hygiene"

10 Practical Ways to Improve Happiness (gift link) – Arthur C. Brooks – (The Atlantic)

They are, indeed, practical. Brooks will also admit that they're likely things we've all heard before, in various places and in various ways.

Brooks quotes Gretchen Rubin:

"These ideas are terrific'and familiar," Rubin told me recently. What impressed her wasn't their originality (your grandmother might've told you most of them); rather, it was the fact that they were both effective and practical. "For many of us, the bigger challenge isn't knowing what actions would make us happier, but actually doing those things."

Actually doing those things. That's where we fall down.

Do this: Review the list. Do the things. Start with one and do it regularly.

#happiness

4. "People pay more, sometimes dramatically so, to have fewer options."

Infinite choice is the curse of the AI era, and you already hate it – JA Westenberg – (Blog)

The essay, as the title indicates, is about AI and how it appears that it will continue to provide more choices, rather than fewer; sometimes an overwhelming amount.

I found it a great reminder of the concept of "decision fatigue".

... deciding is work that depletes the same cognitive resources as manual labor ...

I find it fascinating that, explicitly or otherwise, we do indeed make choices that avoid excess decision fatigue. We often even pay more for the privilege. Examples range from Costco's limited selection to the "decide for me" menus at high-end (and high-cost) restaurants.

Do this: Watch your decisions.

#decision-fatigue

5. "Science and science leadership don't stand still"

Who pays the cost when Americans opt out of science? – Adam Frank – (Big Think)

Last week I shared a story on Not All News Is Bad: mRNA vaccines safe and effective, confirms Lancet review. In response, I received a very angry unsubscribe: "Why are you pushing these lies? " This person believed that one of the most prestigious medical journals known was lying. This person had left any understanding of science long behind.

There are many reasons, and the essay above goes into several of them. But the takeaway for me, that I'm not seeing discussed as often as I would like, is this:

History shows that once a nation begins to slip in those commitments, the frontier of scientific progress moves elsewhere. Just as important, history shows that the nations making this commitment are the ones that prosper from the latest scientific breakthroughs.

I don't know if, how, or how quickly we can turn this around, but the U.S. is clearly losing its leadership position and all the benefits that come with it.

Do this: Learn what science means, and then trust the process.

#science

6. "An internet built for chatbots instead of people"

The Shape of Enshittification. – Ryan Levesque – (The Digital Contrarian)

That feels like jumping to a conclusion. Levesque lays out how and why it's a rational conclusion; I'm just not sure it's the end. So many things are evolving, it seems just as likely we'll move to something beyond that at some point. What that looks like is unknown, but I don't think it's that simple. Nonetheless, it's very likely a state of the internet we'll be transitioning through for some time.

I do like this observation:

The market for information is collapsing into the chatbot. But the market for transformation is moving the other way.

Again, I see this as a transitional period, as there are many, many factors involved.

It's a longer article, with many interesting observations along the way. Worth your time.

Do this: Watch the transformation.

#ai

7. "Many Americans are proudly postliterate"

The End of Reading Is Here – Rose Horowitch – (The Atlantic)

Well. This is depressing. As an avid reader my entire life, the trend is both disappointing and scary.

... people are losing the ability to think deeply about writing. That doesn't mean they are forgetting how to decode individual words. Rather, they are losing the higher-order abilities of comprehension and synthesis. America, in other words, isn't illiterate. It's postliterate.

It's a lengthy article, but I do recommend you read it. There are many aspects to what's happening around us. As someone who's subtly and not-so-subtly been advocating for deeper thought and critical thinking specifically, the decline in reading skills is deeply concerning. I want to find hope, I really do, but what I'm reading (*ahem*) has little to offer.

Do this: Read. Read more. Read deeply.

#reading #critical-thinking

Random Links

• Researchers affirm long-held belief that viruses can trigger Parkinson's disease – Texas A&M. Fascinating.
• Stop AI-Shaming Our Precious, Kindly Em Dashes'Please – I feel this.

What I'm reading now

• The Gate of the Feral Gods: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 4 – Matt Dinniman
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott
• The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive – Brandon Sanderson
• The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke – (Audio)
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan

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.

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All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.
– Blaise Pascal

I've been slowly updating my sources page. There've been some additions and removals, of course, but the biggest change is that I'm trying to steer more of my subscriptions to using RSS. I'm listing separately those I get via email, and those I get via RSS in my feed reader (Feedly – ignore their fixation on threat intelligence, it's also just a good feed reader). You can also see which subscriptions I pay for to support the author(s). It's been interesting to see what's changed since I last updated; some have stopped publishing, sometimes without explanation. I keep running across other good sources, though, and the list keeps expanding. I haven't counted, but it's safe to say there are dozens of sources I skim and/or read throughout the week.

1. "The hardest and most rewarding thing you can do is face the silence."

Pascal would have thrown away his iPhone – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)

I mentioned last week that my parents were never bored. I would often catch them just sitting, and when asked they would say that that were thinking.

We seem to no longer be able to do that. Not only are we incredibly uncomfortable with stillness and potential boredom, tech is now leveraging that in the form of infinite scroll, algorithmic feeds, and a constant drip of dopamine.

When we stop moving, when the noise fades, when we confront our own mortality and smallness, we feel a terrifying emptiness.

It's not something to be avoided. It's something to be embraced, and to learn and grow from.

Do this: Sit and just think for a while.

#boredom #social-media

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2. "You get to just be here, and do stuff!"

Reality just keeps unfolding – Oliver Burkeman – (The Imperfectionist)

We are biased to the point of desperation, looking for closure. Looking for an end. Idealizing about the time when we'll be "done" with something, or that something will be complete.

Letting that go is incredibly difficult, but also incredibly powerful.

... there's nothing to stop you relaxing into reality right here and now ' relaxing not only in the sense of taking it easy, but of relaxing into action, doing what needs doing, fully taking up your place in reality. You needn't save yourself for some future point of resolution.

I bump into this all the time. I'm constantly waiting for something before embarking on something else. There's no need. You can just do stuff.

Do this: Be here. Do stuff. What are you waiting for?

#closure #waiting

3. "Stupidity is a very special species of failure"

What Makes Humans Stupid (Gift link) – David C. Krakauer – (Nautilus)

A fascinating overview. One definition of stupidity:

Stupidity begins where error is elaborated, defended, refined, institutionalized, and made the foundation for further action. Stupidity makes everything progressively worse.

It lands, as so many essays do today, on AI.

If intelligence is a necessary precondition for stupidity, and intelligence and stupidity scale together such that it takes real intelligence to be spectacularly stupid, then super-intelligence will be the opening act to an era of super-stupidity.

You can't have stupidity without intelligence, just as you can't have right without wrong, light without dark, and so on. The scaling presented here is interesting. What would super-stupidity look like, and would we survive it?

Do this: Acknowledge errors quickly, so as to better avoid stupidity.

#intelligence #stupidity

4. "The most optimistic men and women had, on average, an 11'15% longer lifespan"

The Life-Changing Magic of Active Optimism – Sahil Bloom – (Curiosity Chronicle)

Bloom defines something he calls "active optimism".

Active Optimism is about belief that begets action. The belief that things will work out, and the action to make sure they do. Earned faith.

I like the concept. It reminds me of my thoughts on The Secret. Wishing or sending thoughts out into the universe does nothing. However, the actions you take, consciously or otherwise, are what make those things happen. This is explicit: Negativism accomplishes nothing. Passive optimism accomplishes nothing. Active optimism implies taking action to see that optimism fulfilled.

Do this: Be optimistic, and act on it.

#optimism

5. "The feel of the paper, the weight of the book"

What you lose when you stop reading physical books – Jasna Hodžić – (Big Think)

This is a topic that often results in passionate positions. Some feel reading electronically is close to not reading at all, and that physical books are vastly superior. Others feel that e-books and related electronic content are vastly superior in terms of access to nearly infinite information at any time, wherever you may be.

The truth, as is so often the case, is somewhere in between. As for me, it's probably no surprise I lean hard to the electronic side, to the point where I've re-purchased physical books in electronic form so that I'll actually read them. (I also wonder if the type of screen makes a difference: electronic paper, for example, being more "book like" than a traditional phone or computer screen.)

If you know you want to ponder a book, I suggest reading in print. If it's going to be what I call a 'one-off' read, the medium won't make much of a difference.

Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, it's worth pondering which approach best serves you, and when.

Do this: Read.

#reading

6. "They were all saying the same things"

Why I Stopped Reading Self-Help Books, And What I Read Instead – Raja Sekar (Medium)

I got "turned on" to self-help books midway through my career at Microsoft when I was introduced to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by my manager at the time. It's stood the test of time, in my opinion, and remains one of my foundational recommendations. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many of the books I've read since then. They often promise much and deliver little, or they deliver the same messages in different clothing.

Set goals. Build habits. Think positive. Take action. Focus on what matters. Believe in yourself.

This seems to apply frequently to many of today's popular self-help publications: same message, different package. Perhaps the packaging makes a difference in how the message is received, but it's still the same old same old.

These days, when I pick up a book, I ask myself a few questions before committing: Is this about something specific that I actually want to learn? Is the author qualified to teach this particular thing? Will I be able to apply something from this within the next week?

Perhaps those criteria will select better books; perhaps they'll select the same books. What matters is that you ask yourself whether or not there's something valuable or just a rehash of concepts you're already well acquainted with. (As an example of a more transformative book, the author mentions Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, and I agree.)

Do this: Read better.

#reading #self-help

7. "I want to hear more."

Time Scarcity, Asking Questions, and Pocket Presence – Brené Brown and Adam Grant – (Dare to Lead Podcast)

I ended up listening to this podcast episode as a rerun on the current Curiosity Shop podcast. While it's an interesting podcast episode in its own right, there were to aspects to the discussion that caught my attention:

• The willingness to pause and think before responding.
• The question/statement "I want to hear more".

Both are signs of a deeply engaged conversation where both participants are listening to understand, rather than listening to respond. The latter is what we all tend to do too often. Yes, it can make for a better podcast, but it just makes for better conversations in general, yet it's a difficult skill to cultivate.

I found myself listening to how these two individuals interacted as much as I listened to what it was they were saying.

Do this: Listen.

#listening #understanding

Random Links

• The Self-Help Evidence Pyramid – Eighty-two popular self-improvement techniques sorted by how strongly the research actually supports them.

What I'm reading now

• The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 3 – Matt Dinniman
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott
• The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive – Brandon Sanderson
• The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke – (Audio)
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan

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.

Continue Reading...

Freedom is responsibility with a sexier name.
– Seth Godin

If you're paying attention to my reading list, you might note it's not growing as fast as in years past. It's been an ... interesting ... year so far. I find myself more in rest and recovery mode than I do anything else, so that's what I'm allowing myself to do. More naps, and more World of Warcraft.

1. "Lazy, not biased."

Misinformation Spreads at the Speed of Impatience – Hana Lee Goldin, MLIS – (Card Catalog)

It's not that we're not capable of critical thinking, it's that we're not inclined to do it.

Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it; so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late; the jest is over, and the tale has had its effect.

That's a quote attributed to Jonathan Switch from the early 1700's. The only thing that's really changed is the speed at which falsehood flies, it would seem. And it's that speed that's the problem:

... the speed of our information environments can prevent critical thinking from activating in the first place.

We're simply in too much of a hurry to share/comment/whatever to take the time to critically think about what it is we're spreading. And the systems we use are designed to maximize rapid-fire thought-free engagement.

Do this: SLOW DOWN and think.

#critical-thinking #information-literacy

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(Or just forward this to a friend; that helps too.)

2. "The outrage just aged out"

In 5 years, nobody will give a damn about AI-detectors. – JA Westenberg – (Blog)

As the title of the essay suggests, Westenberg believes AI is on the same path as any new and largely disruptive technology; eventually it'll be common place background noise. AI will be a tool, like a pen, typewriter, or word-processor. That something was written by, or its writing was assisted by AI, will eventually no longer matter.

I'm inclined to agree. If some writing speaks to you, moves you, answers a conundrum for you, does it really matter how that writing was generated?

AI detection is

... a proxy for something else they actually care about – usually one of three things:

• Did this person put in the right amount of effort to produce thing?
• Is thing any good?
• Can I trust the person who created thing?

"Is this thing any good" is probably what matters the most (since it kind of envelops the other two as well). If it's good, why care? And yes, there's always a person behind the effort, driving the tool that is AI, and deciding if the results are what was intended.

If a blog post meaningfully changes your life, gives you the strength to get sober, inspires you to create – I don't think you'll care about the provenance as much as what you gained from reading it.

I suspect that eventually we'll get there.

Do this: Judge the content first. Then the source.

#ai

3. "The only truth about old age is your truth."

You Are Not Your Thoughts – Gary Buzzard – (Enjoy the Moment)

The topic of the essay is, of course, its title: the difficult realization that you and your thoughts are separate things. The takeaway above got my attention, but what followed really made it real fro me:

The truth about your sore legs, knees, and hips. The truth about your fear. The truth about all the things you have to give up in old age. The pain, loneliness, simple joys, and friendships. Your spouse's smile. The sunrise.

Everyone's truth is different. But understanding your own can help navigate the path you're on.

Do this: Recognize your truths.

#aging

4. "Creepy guesses about who we are"

How and Why to Fight Back Against Social Media Bans – Molly Buckley, a legislative analyst at the EFF, via Taylor Lorenz – (User Mag)

Social media bans are a horrible, horrible idea. The Buckley details how they go wrong, and how they turn us into even more of a surveillance state, without necessarily even working.

For example, in Australia, where a social media ban has been in effect since late 2025, a majority of young people can still access social media, those who can't have lost their access to the news, and crisis helplines are reporting skyrocketing numbers of calls from youth left stranded without online community or resources.

I'm in no way saying that Social Media doesn't have serious issues, it does. This is not the solution.

Do this: Fight back, while you can.

#social-media

5. "Everyone expresses condolences ' but no one wants to simply listen."

Abyss – Julie Reshe – (Aeon)

This is a difficult read. The subtitle: "The testimonies of Ukraine's war widows reveal the mortal risk of love and the possibility of dying while alive: a black pain". The themes are universal: the pain of loss, and the pain of living with the loss.

Most people assume that it's something to be "fixed".

... when trauma speaks, when depression talks, we assume that's not the real, happy you. You are presumed to be exaggerating, misreporting your own experience.

The fact is trauma is real and true and deserves to be heard.

Do this: Listen

#trauma

6. "Did I help anyone today, even in a small way?"

Your life matters (even if you're not famous) – Darius Foroux – (Blog)

No mater what today's comparison culture might lead you to believe, you do not need to be famous, or have a large audience, to have an impact.

Impact moves through proximity, not popularity.

It's the people we touch, the people we're close to, on whom we leave the greatest mark.

Feeling like you matter has almost nothing to do with fame or status. It comes down to whether you make a real difference to the people actually in your life.

This is a very difficult message to get across, particularly to younger folks who are being bombarded by "influencers" (many of whom are fake to begin with) tantalizing them with the "influencer lifestyle". Even if possible, it's only for a very few. Everyone can make a difference closer to home.

Do this: Act locally.

#impact

7. "Humans hate boredom."

How to Be Less Busy and More Happy (gift link) – Arthur C. Brooks – (The Atlantic)

My parents were never bored. I might catch them doing nothing — say sitting in a chair looking out a window — but when I asked they simply said they were "thinking". I sometimes wonder if that was an equivalent to meditation for them. Today that would appear as "doing nothing", and somehow be seen as a waste of time.

It's anything but.

... too much discretionary time is scarier than too little, and we overcorrect ...

The result is a packed calendar and a constant feeling of being behind.

Do this: Dial it back a little.

#boredom

Random Links

• The 5 Most Common Delusions Worldwide – Not what I expected.

What I'm reading now

• The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 3 – Matt Dinniman
• Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences – Neal Allen, Anne Lamott
• The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive – Brandon Sanderson
• The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke – (Audio)
• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan

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.

Continue Reading...