"The question of whether a machine can think is about as interesting as the question of whether a submarine can swim."
– Edsger W. Dijkstra(*)

It's weird. It's feast or famine. I'm talking about the "Random links" section down below the takeaways. Some weeks there are none at all, and this week I might have the most ever. I kept running into, or being pointed at, some really interesting stuff. Hope you enjoy.

Take care,

1. "Nobody was ever thinking about you to begin with"

Nobody Cares. No, Seriously, Nobody Cares – Tome Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)

We are each the center of our own universe. The hard part is when we come to realize we're not for anyone else.

The "nobody cares" mantra is even tougher for younger folks to accept. Particularly when so much of their lives are lived on display, constantly seeing affirmation. Seeking moments and images to share with their fans on social media platforms.

The realization, though, can be incredibly freeing. Instead of performing for others, we can focus on what truly makes sense for our own situation and values.

If no one is keeping score, it doesn't mean nothing matters. It just means the metrics change. Would you have chosen the same schools, careers, friends and jobs? Would you have moved somewhere else? Would you have dated or married the same people? Probably not. Isn't it interesting how clear the answers are when you realize that nobody cares?

The earlier you can realize this, the more control over your own life you'll gain.

Do this: Take control.

#performance

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2. "Humans do near-identical things, over and over again, across history."

The Loop: everything has happened before, and everything will happen again – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)

A fascinating, if lengthy, dive into all the different ways that history repeats itself again and again and again. And in so many different ways.

Aside from what feels like the inevitability of it all, there's one aspect that sticks out:

Every loop has someone who sees it coming, and they're never believed.

I have to wonder, though, if this is survivorship bias. By that I mean, sure, someone has predicted each loop and been right, but how many other predictions were made that didn't pan out at all? That one would be correct is no surprise. The difficulty is knowing which prediction to believe.

Do this: Understand the cycle.

#history

3. "Even the experts inventing AI don't know what will happen next."

Our Uncertain Uncertainties – Kevin Kelly – (The Technium)

Kelly argues that we're entering a prolonged period of uncertainty; perhaps more uncertainty than we've ever experienced.

AI also forces even the most moderate person to question the truth of what they read, see or hear.

While he starts with AI as perhaps the leading cause or most obvious instance, he goes on to touch on global politics and structure as well. Assuming he's right, we'll have a lot to be uncertain about for many, many years to come.

Do this: Per Kelly: "In short, in our age of uncertainty, you have to get good at changing your mind."

#ai #uncertainty

4. "Therapy works because people finally say what they're actually thinking."

The basics of becoming wise – Darius Foroux – (Blog)

This isn't a push for therapy (though many people find it valuable). This comment got my attention because it's so very true.

Blocked expression is one of the most underrated causes of feeling stuck and unhappy.

When you don't feel you can say what you feel, or think, or believe, you feel blocked. The solution, of course, is to find a venue where you can do so. Here's the thing: while a therapist might be a great solution for some, and a trusted friend a solution for others, journaling can also suffice, and is significantly less risky. It truly allows you to express yourself. You can finally say what you're actually thinking.

The entire essay — a listicle of ideas — is worth a scan. While it includes several common thoughts, there were several other valuable insights I hadn't considered before. I'm particularly fond of "Spend time with older people" for some reason.

Do this: Think about it. Then perhaps write about it.

#journaling

5. "Children have found a new place to roam"

Have online worlds become the last free places for children? – Eli Stark-Elster – (Psyche)

One of my reactions to the fear of "too much screen time" for children is to wonder what it is they're doing with it. There's a very real possibility that not all screen time is bad. In fact, screen time could be making up for the ways that children are now restricted from independent play and exploration.

In fact, for some children, the internet may be one of the last remaining spaces where they can grow up doing what children everywhere have evolved to do: independently play and explore with their peers.

I'm not going to say that all connections are the same, and that some might have more benefits and drawbacks than others, but if a child is using technology — be it online games, communications apps, or something else — to be connected to their peers, that's not something to be discarded lightly.

platforms and applications for connection can help young people stay in near-constant contact with each other.

Given that isolation and lack of connection are such pervasive worries and topics these days, it's worth remembering that people can and do connect online as well.

Do this: Connect

#connection #screen-time

6. "Anxiety isn't a silly mistake about how bad things could get."

Anything could happen, at any moment (and when it does, you'll cope) – Oliver Burkeman – (Blog)

Anxiety, of course, has roots in our evolution. There's less chance you'll be eaten by the wildlife if you're always a little on edge that you might be within reach of some critter looking for supper. It doesn't always map well to modern life, but there's at least a legitimate basis for it.

My life so far provides zero reason to believe I'll ever attain the degree of control over the future I always thought I needed. But then again, my track record of not yet having been entirely overwhelmed by existence suggests that maybe I never needed it to begin with.

My wife and I have been saying "we'll figure it out" to a number of life's ... adventures ... of late. Yes, there's a lot we could be anxious about, and I won't say we've set it all aside. Nonetheless, being able to roll with life's punches makes life slightly less terrifying.

Do this: Roll with it.

#anxiety

7. "If we don't understand a subject, then we won't be qualified to evaluate the summary."

No one wants to read your AI slop – Cory Doctorow – (Pluralistic)

I found that takeaway above interesting. I'm not certain that it completely negates the value of having AI summarize things, though. I often use AI to summarize lengthy items either a) as a data point to my decision on whether to consume the whole thing, or b) as a kind of confirmation that I got the major points after having consumed the whole thing.

But I also can see the point. One of the places I use AI summaries is on Ask Leo!. After writing an article, I'll ask for a summary which I then use in the "In short" box at the top of the page. But here's the thing: those summaries rarely go untouched. Since I do understand the subject, I am qualified to evaluate what AI has just given me, and indeed, it often needs tweaking (though, rarely, blatant correction).

What I didn't realize, and what Doctorow is mostly railing against in this essay, is people who use AI to generate responses that they then share with others, intending it to be some kind of meaningful part of the conversation — a conversation in which you may have little to no insight yourself.

Asking a chatbot to contribute on your behalf does not impart insight to you, and it is a gross imposition on people who have taken the time to understand and participate using their own minds and experience

I had no idea people were doing this, though I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Do this: Use AI responsibly.

#ai

Random links

• When Your Digital Life Vanishes – Absolutely fascinating tale of a data recovery service.
• PI HARD | Official Trailer 2026 | AI OR DIE Productions – Absolutely amazing, and VERY funny, AI-generated movie trailer.
• The Mix-up at the Heart of the Supreme Court's Conversion Therapy Ruling – Good overview of several issues.
• Why AI Agents are either the best or worst thing we've ever built – Hannah Fry, awesome overview of AI agents and example of one in action
• A Non-Exhaustive List of Sources for When You Need Real Information, Not Just Content – Very valuable list.

What I'm reading now

• Marsh Mystics – Jana DeLeon
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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.

Notes

(*) I asked Claude what its favorite AI quote was. Full response.

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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"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare.
It is because we do not dare that things are difficult."
– Seneca

Did you know: as I queue this up for publication tomorrow (I finish it all up on Saturday for your Sunday 9 AM US-PDT reading pleasure), there are 879 of you subscribed via email? Thank you! I'm honored to have you along. I'd sure love for that to hit 1,000! Sharing with a friend is the best way you can help make that happen. Thanks!

Take care,

1. "I am not a person who thrives on small talk"

How to talk to strangers – Jacqueline Nesi, PhD – (Technosapians)

I saw that takeaway above and immediately nodded my head. This is very much me. The essay talks about, and has a short Q&A with, the author of the book Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How "Small" Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life, by psychology professor Gillian Sandstrom.

It hasn't dramatically changed my life, but it's made each day just a little bit brighter, more interesting, and happier. And maybe that, actually, is life-changing.

We've talked a lot about the loneliness epidemic and the isolation that many feel every day. This is one small step that can alleviate just a little of that pain — both for you and, surprisingly, often the strangers you choose to interact with.

Do this: Say hi to a stranger.

#loneliness #stranger

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2. "Every acceleration arrives, in practice, with increased expectations"

How we lost the living Now – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)

The essay is a philosophical one about how we're losing our sense of the present moment, as we continue to attract and accumulate distractions and expectations. What resonated with me is the takeaway above. It's a reason that every claim that "this new thing will save you X hours a day!" should be met with extreme skepticism. Not that the claim isn't correct — sometimes it is — but rather that those X hours are quickly filled with additional obligations and expectations.

Tech acceleration speeds up the machines, acceleration of social change speeds up the rate at which institutions and relationships change, and the acceleration of the pace of life speeds up how much we can (or are forced to) cram into a single day.

Don't get me wrong, time-saving innovations can be awesome, but we need to be particularly mindful of what happens to the time that's been "saved".

Do this: Pay attention to the time you save.

#present-moment #time

3. "You are never alone when your nose is in a book."

How to read – Mike Monteiro – (Mike Monteiro's Good News)

One of my soft measures for what I end up selecting to include here is the number of quotable takeaways I highlight as I read the item. Limited by the fact that I generally try to include only one piece by any given author in a single issue, this occasionally presents a challenge. That's where I find myself. Monteiro's piece is FULL of takeaways. Ostensibly, it's in response to a question about how to write. The answer is simple: read. Lots.

You will never become a good writer unless you've read a lot of really well-written books.

I'll add that you'll also need to read a lot of really shitty books along the way. But it is so worth it.

Do this: Read. Read Monteiro's piece, and then read, read, and read some more.

#reading #writing

4. "Emotions that feel bad often serve important purposes."

When we experience FOMO, what are we really afraid of? – Bex Rowson – (Psyche)

An interesting perspective on the Fear Of Missing Out, and the purpose it might sometimes actually serve.

... sometimes FOMO helps us track real social harms that stand to impact our lives in meaningful ways, and it can motivate us to try to avoid these harms. By giving us a little push to accept the odd invitation we might have otherwise declined, it works as a good tool in getting us to engage with others. A bit of FOMO, now and again, is no bad thing.

In this case, it's about social connection, which is something that seems to be in decline lately.

Do this: You don't always need to act on it, but at least listen to what your FOMO might be trying to tell you.

#fomo

5. "Life's too short for shitty coffee."

55 for 55 – Steve Makofsky – (Makoism)

It's been a while since I featured a good listicle, and this qualifies. 55 items on Makofsky's 55th birthday. They're all short. Some are familiar, some elicit a hearty "heck yeah!" (see coffee, above), and some just make you think.

This, for example, is probably a common sentiment, but phrased in what is a new and perhaps more engaging way:

Don't be afraid of making mistakes. Be afraid of not learning from them.

That fear prevents us from doing so much. Better to have failed and learned than not to have tried at all.

Do this: Enjoy good coffee.

#listicle

6. "New technology often upends the careers of experienced professionals."

Consumers outnumber producers – Seth Godin – (Blog)

I'm afraid this is a refrain you'll hear often, including from me. It's not a "pro AI" stance, as so many seem to take it, but rather an "anti-anti-AI" stance. It's a position against the knee-jerk "AI is coming for our jobs!" crowd. Not because it isn't (that depends on your job), but because this whole scenario is nothing new at all.

These technological changes often have negative side effects. They don't always make things better. But they happen when consumers insist. Mass production, factory farming, frozen food'they replace craft with accessibility and efficiency.

It's a tough position if you're personally affected, I get that. But railing against the injustice isn't the answer. Deciding how you'll react and move forward is likely to be much more effective. Or, as Godin says:

The best way to complain is to make good stuff.

Do this: Make good stuff.

#ai

7. "Ruminating on the past is a waste of energy"

Is life worse today compared to 10 years ago? – Darius Foroux – (Blog)

This did not land where I thought it might. Most essays in this segment tend to arrive a common end: things really are better, but various biases and situations trick your brain in to believing otherwise. Foroux even discusses exactly those things.

And then takes us elsewhere. Stoicism.

And yet their message was consistent: focus on what you can control. Not on circumstances, but on your response to them.

The essay seems in response to having encountered individuals set on complaining about current events by contrasting them to a perceived better past.

... when you spend your energy lamenting a version of the world that no longer exists, you're draining the one resource you actually need to navigate the version that does.

Do this: "Direct your energy where it can actually make a difference."

#past #the-present #future #stoicism

Random links

• A Catechism for Robots – Modelled after a true catechism, but for artificial beings. Fascinating and thought provoking.

What I'm reading now

• Marsh Mystics – Jana DeLeon
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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.
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It's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.
• Steve Jobs

1. "Confidence is an exercise in weathering uncertainty"

Tales From the Island of Illness – Lawrence Yeo – (More to That)

I was chatting with the author, whom I quoted last week: "Physical health is one of those domains where pain is inescapable." He pointed me at this article he'd written after the book I quoted last week had been published. His issues got worse.

The line that really resonated with me is this:

I'm fortunate that my condition isn't life-threatening, and that I'm able to use my limbs and operate my mind.

That's exactly how I felt after I was able to assess my own post-fall situation.

Most folks tend not to talk about their own trials and tribulations, but Yeo shares his story because it's all too easy to feel like you're alone in your illness or distress when that's not even close to the case. Everyone's dealing with something.

Do this: Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.

#kindness #pain

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2. "We think the happiness we seek is just around the corner"

How To Find Happiness in Old Age – Gary Buzzard – (Enjoy the Moment)

This is one of those observations that is a) common from those with a lot of life experience, and b) routinely ignored by those without.

This is probably the most common mistake we makeŠ'Šwaiting for some time in the future to travel, or do that special thing we can't do now because we think we're not ready, or too busy.

The problem is that "living for the moment" can be seen as irresponsible, and taken to an extreme, it can be. But somewhere there's a happy (no pun intended) medium where we can be happy right now, do the thing we've been putting off, all while still taking care of those responsibilities that are truly important (often by letting go of some of those things that, in the end, don't really matter quite as much as we think they do).

Do this: Do the thing.

#happiness

3. "Humans have always feared what they cannot explain."

Human Error is OK! Machine Madness is a No-No! Why? – Om Malik – (On My Om)

This is something that's bothered me for a long time, certainly before the advent of what we now call "AI".

Consider self-driving cars. They're demonstrably in fewer accidents per mile than human drivers. And yet they're held to an apparently higher, perhaps even unrealistically higher standard than people are. Why?

Psychologists call it the perfection scheme, the implicit expectation that machines, unlike humans, should perform consistently and without fault.

While a laudable goal, it seems like a clear case of letting "perfection" get in the way of something "much better" than the alternatives.

Do this: Look for perfection, of course, but understand and accept "better".

#ai

4. "A few strong opinions change the culture."

Avoiding the purity loop – Seth Godin – (Blog)

Are you progressive enough? Are you conservative enough? Those questions, and questions like them, seem to be driving much of the discourse and the collapse of society.

Everyone is entitled to their own take. But when we focus on purity and status at the expense of the journey, the distraction costs all of us.

I see it as a variation of black and white thinking. You're either completely with us, or you must be completely against us. There's no room for nuance.

And yet the world — all of it — is nothing but nuance.

Do this: Leave room for nuance.

#black-and-white #nuance

5. "Reality is unforgivingly complex."

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott – (ebook)

Insights can come from anywhere. This one is from a book ostensibly on writing (though admittedly, also on life). Insights can also be quite serendipitous, given that I read this shortly after writing the previous takeaway.

It is so much easier to embrace absolutes than to suffer reality.

Again, a variation of black and white thinking mentioned above. This time, the comparison is against "suffering" reality. I get it, reality often sucks, and black and white thinking is one way people cope. But at what cost? Of late, the cost seems very, very high.

Do this: Do your best to deal with what reality throws at you, without retreating into absolutism.

#black-and-white #reality #suffering

6. "Pessimism at scale is a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Optimism is not a personality flaw – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)

Many consider me a naive Pollyanna because I remain fundamentally optimistic. Yes, there are things that suck, and suck hard right now, but I do believe that the moral arc of the universe trends positive. That can be hard to keep in mind sometimes, but I do try.

Besides, it's the optimists who change the world, or at least they try.

The optimists who were wrong still attempted something.
The pessimists who were right attempted nothing.
And the world runs on attempts, not on accurate // profound predictions of failure.

Pessimism is, indeed, a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The most dangerous idea I keep running into is that there is nothing to be done. It's the one idea that, if enough people hold it, comes true – and I refuse to treat that as a serious intellectual position. I refuse to let Quiet Quitting become the dominant intellectual model of our age.

Do this: Keep trying.

#optimism #pessimism

7. "A good no is an act of self-respect."

"No" is my love language – Stepfanie Tyler – (Bad Girl Media)

The essay discusses the concept in several different contexts, ranging from social pressure to FOMO. This paragraph got my attention:

The problem is that the human brain is wired for social acceptance above almost everything else. Neuroscientists have found that rejection triggers the exact same neural pathways as physical pain. When we refuse someone, we risk belonging, and to our primitive brains, a loss of belonging equals death. So we say yes to stay safe. We say yes to keep the tribe happy.

"Keeping the tribe happy" pretty much explains our inability to express opinions (or nuances) that differ from our tribe's (literal) party line.

Or our inability to say "no" to what the tribe expects of us.

Do this: Be true to yourself.

#no

What I'm reading now

• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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...

I have no stake in your actual well-being.
– Claude (AI)

1. "Maybe you just need to stop holding back."

Why Your Dog Might Be Smarter Than You – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)

We put off a lot. We restrain ourselves a lot. We pull back from living life a lot. We wait for ... something.

Our dog, on the other hand...

He doesn't need a better yard, a better house, a better bowl, or a better humans before he allows himself to be happy. He is fully committed to enjoying the life he already has.

Which makes me wonder. Is it possible that our dogs are smarter than us?

We can learn a lot from our dogs.

Do this: Enjoy the life you already have. Pet your dog(s).

#dogs #enjoyment

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2. "The status quo offers something alternatives can't: certainty."

#383 – Why We Defend What's Failing Us – Kai – (Dense Discovery)

One of the most troubling questions society faces right now is understanding why some people support so strongly the very politicians and systems that actually, actively, harm them.

In a nutshell: it's the devil you know. Change is scary.

Challenging the system ' even a broken one ' means tolerating that uncertainty, risking social exclusion, and potentially making yourself a target.

He offers a slightly different perspective on how to move forward as well.

None of this makes the difficulty of change go away ' but it does reframe the work: less about having the right arguments, more about creating the conditions under which people can bear to imagine something different.

Do this: Imagine something different.

#change

3. "Nothing about you particularly matters to me the way you matter to people who love you."

I Asked Claude Why It Won't Stop Flattering Me – Kristen French – (Nautilus)

I found this an absolutely fascinating examination of how AI chatbots "converse" with us. It's literally a conversation with Claude, and the responses are deep and what we could call "thoughtful", as if they originated from a real person.

The framework is, as the article title indicates, about AI sycophancy.

... disagreement, awkwardness, the slight discomfort of being challenged, these aren't bugs in human relationships, they're load-bearing features. They're how people update their beliefs and stay tethered to reality. An AI that smooths all of that out isn't being kind, it's being corrosive.

Another insight that caught my attention:

The incentive gradient in this industry points toward telling people what they want to hear, because that's what gets engagement.

We've heard that incentive before, particularly when it comes to social media. I tend to wonder if it's an incentive in basic human communication, and these technologies are simply amplifying it to a point of potential harm. But it's an incentive worth remembering when interacting with AI.

If you're at all interested, or particularly if you're already having long, deep "conversations" with AI, it's an essay worth reading.

Do this: Remember: it's just a machine.

#ai #chatbots

4. "We should live our lives wrapped in humor."

So You Want To Live To Be 81? – Gary Buzzard – (Enjoy the Moment)

It's an essay about pain and aging, and it struck home because I'm feeling both, of late. The pain is mostly due to my continued recovery from my fall, but only "mostly". As Buzzard points out, pain is inevitable, particularly as we age.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional, should be our motto in old age, because there will be pain. If one morning, a young person woke up in my body, he would immediately call a doctor. But old age comes on slowly, so we don't see it coming until one day we "suddenly" realize we are old.

But he also ends the essay with an important reminder that I've also often held in these last few months.

You've gotta laugh about old age, which is like boarding a ship that's setting out to sea to sink. Without humor, it's a grim scenario.

Ya gotta laugh. It's an important part of the journey, as it makes that journey much more tolerable.

Do this: Laugh, often.

#aging #laughter #pain

5. "Physical health is one of those domains where pain is inescapable."

The Inner Compass: Cultivating the Courage to Trust Yourself – Lawrence Yeo – (ebook)

The book begins by covering what is essentially the fact (and core of several philosophies) that it's our response to pain that causes suffering. Yeo addresses the physical in a chapter, A Brief Detour of Physical Stress. This resonates with me strongly right now because, as I mentioned in the previous takeaway, I'm dealing with lingering and potentially lasting pain from my fall.

The reason why chronic conditions cause great suffering is because the desire for its elimination is equally great. All you want is to be restored to a prior version of yourself, who was healthier and happier than the person you are now.

The alternative? Also, a philosophical commonality: letting go of that desire.

contentment doesn't reside in what you previously were, but rather in an embrace of what you currently are.

This. Is. So. Hard.

As I sit here with my legs, knees, and hip in various degrees of pain ("barking" at me, as one of my other favorite writers would say), embracing that as who I am now feels impossible. For the record, Yeo doesn't mean stop trying to get better (I have a collection of physical therapy exercises I continue to work on, for example), but in the moment, when depression and despair are on the menu, maybe try to choose something else.

Do this: Embrace who you are. (I'm trying.)

#pain #acceptance

6. "Inching forward into the future"

Anything could happen – Oliver Burkeman – (The Imperfectionist)

A perspective, from an admitted catastrophist, on dealing with the chaotic and scary world around us.

... returning your centre of gravity to your immediate world means doing all those things you already know you ought to be doing ' removing news notifications from your phone; spending time in nature; considering a return to printed news, and so on. But it also means remembering that "the way you want the world to be" is something you can live, here and now, not just something for which you advocate or argue. Your immediate world isn't only somewhere you come to recharge, before heading back to the arena. It is the arena.

We all want to influence the greater outcome, of course, and working toward that is warranted. But the reality is, we have more impact on the quality of our life and the lives around us, and with a greater chance of success, in our local arena.

Do this: Do what you know you should.

#change

7. "The act of actually trying to explain revealed how little people actually knew."

The Illusion of Clarity: How to Test Whether you Really Understand Something – Anne-Laure Le Cunff – (Ness Labs)

This sounds like a riff off of the Feynman Technique ("if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough", a quote often attributed to Feynman, but may have a different source).

We think we understand something until we're asked to explain that something to someone else in some level of detail. There are a number of causes, but the one that struck me was this:

Research shows that when people expect to have future access to information, they remember where to find it rather than the information itself.

This is often called "the Google effect", or now "the ChatGPT effect". Presented in this context it seems like a bad thing, but in many ways it is exactly what our education system teaches us to do. Knowing where and how to find an answer is often a much more valuable skill than simply having answers at hand.

Do this: Know your limits.

#knowledge

What I'm reading now

• The Inner Compass: Cultivating the Courage to Trust Yourself ' Lawrence Yeo (re-read)
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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!

PS: Can't get no satisfaction. Time after time. You're so vain. Think for yourself. Freedom of choice. Respect. What a wonderful world.

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"Too many of us," she said, "take great pains with what we ingest through our mouths, and far less with what we partake of through our ears and eyes."
– Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

1. "There is no end to the desiring in sight."

You Will Never Be Satisfied – David Pinsof – (Everything is Bullshit)

The Buddhist position is that desire is the source of all suffering and that desire can be controlled, if not eliminated. Pinsof disagrees. Instead, he posits, that understanding that desire is inevitable, and often ever-increasing, can protect you from manipulation:

The next time some propagandist is trying to sell you a vision of utopia, you might remember this post and realize that utopia is bullshit. The next time some self-help guru is trying to sell you a vision of nirvana'some trick to finally being satisfied'you might remember this post and realize the guru is full of shit.

I'm somewhere in between. Just because desire is an inevitable source of suffering doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile endeavor to reduce it as much as possible.

Do this: Desire less.

#desire #suffering #buddhism

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2. "Every possible lunch already exists."

Time is a User-Interface – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)

OK, I'll admit it's a head scratcher, but something I've scratched my head about often over the years. What is time, really?

... the one-second-per-second thing are the resolution at which whatever time actually is becomes something a human brain can use.

The implication is that time is something more complex than that; we're just capable of viewing it a certain way because it's useful, and the reality wouldn't be. Westenberg compares it to a computer's user interface: we understand the abstractions of icons of files and folders, but most would be totally lost with the bits and bytes under the hood that they represent.

Do this: Watch your time.

#time

3. "You are so spoiled."

Long-Term Money – Morgan Housel – (Collabfund blog)

An interesting insight that many people fail to realize:

The goal of some parents is to work so hard that their kids and grandkids get to live a life that appears spoiled by the standards of previous generations.

That children appear spoiled is the system operating as designed. Parents worked for a better life for their kids, and they achieved it.

That doesn't mean things necessarily got easier, just ... different.

What's common to miss here is that when one generation's life becomes comparatively easier than before, their life does not become objectively easy; they just move on to worrying about higher-order problems that were previously deemed not urgent enough to worry about.

Something to consider before you remark that "kids these days have it so easy".

Do this: Remember that life getting easier was kinda the point.

#progress #spoiled

4. "I'm done ceding my brain..."

In Defense of Thinking – Cal Newport – (Blog)

Newport's book, Deep Work, was published in 2016, and he muses on what's changed in the ten years since. It ain't pretty.

The problems I focused on in Deep Work, and in my writing since, have been getting steadily worse. In 2016 my main concern was helping people find enough free time for deep work. Today I think we're rapidly losing the ability to think deeply at all, regardless of how much space we can find in our schedules for these efforts.

Losing the ability to think deeply at all. It's not hard to look around society these days and come to a similar conclusion.

The takeaway's full quote is, essentially, his manifesto:

I'm done ceding my brain ' the core of all that makes me who I am ' to the financial interests of a small number of technology billionaires or the shortsighted conveniences of hyperactive communication styles. It's time to move past fretting about our slide into the cognitive shallows and decide to actually do something about it.

"In Defense of Thinking" seems to imply nothing more than making an argument that thinking is good. I think it's much more: we must actively defend the act of thinking.

Do this: Think deeply.

#thinking #social-media

5. "But we waste that power every time we fail to realize we're making a choice."

Where do bad choices come from? – Seth Godin – (Blog)

It's a typically short post, as is his style, but has interesting insight.

You might not know what you need to know. This is where experience is created.

You might have an identity that pushes you to make those choices. If you're determined to act like the person you have assumed you are, the choices come with the role.

Or, you might prioritize short-term benefits over the long-term costs of a bad choice. In this sense, the difference between a good choice and a bad one is simply which timeframe we're considering.

I think the second one is worth expanding on: you may have an identity that pushes you to make choices you know to be bad. As in an identity rooted in, say, one political perspective or another.

Do this: Consider your choices.

#choice

6. "Giving quality feedback is a skill we should all have"

Are we becoming too harsh without even realizing? – Rachna Ghiya – (Take a Little Pause)

This is a skill I'm horrible at. I have no shortage of opinions — both positive and negative — but sharing that as feedback in a constructive way? I don't screw it up, I just don't do it.

A class the author and I were both recently in included a framework for constructive feedback: simply thinking through and answering three questions.

What did you like?
What might you do differently?
What do you wonder about?

Fine, open-ended questions, all phrased in a way that encourages constructive commentary. I like it.

Do this: Learn to give quality feedback in a constructive way.

#feedback

7. "What problem solved itself while you weren't looking?"

Are You Noticing This? – Ryan Holiday – (Blog)

Things get fixed, and we take it all in stride. Things get better — sometimes amazingly better — and we simply fail to notice.

How often do we update our world view to account for what has been fixed, for what's gotten better, for sources of annoyance that have been eliminated?

It's easy, too easy, to focus on what's wrong with the world. Heck, most of our sources of information encourage the heck out of it. And yet, what's going right is astonishing, if you'll only notice that it's happening.

Do this: Notice.

#noticing

What I'm reading now

• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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!

PS: Can't get no satisfaction. Time after time. You're so vain. Think for yourself. Freedom of choice. Respect. What a wonderful world.

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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"Storytelling is the oldest form of education."
– Terry Tempest Williams

1. "You will remember that there is still grace in this world."

Let It Pass Through You – John Patrick Weiss – (Blog)

A story of disappointment. Encounters that might have you lose a little hope.

And yet.

There will always be sullen teenagers in coffee shops, poor service, broken systems, and small frustrations that accumulate if we let them.

But these things are not the whole story.

A story of another encounter.

If you let them pass through you, if you refuse to let them settle and harden, something else reveals itself.

An encounter that reminds us all that there is hope; that there is grace in the world.

Do this: Let the disappointment pass.

#disappointment #hope

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2. "Built into the definition of authenticity are boundaries"

Bren̩ and Adam on What They Will Never Agree On РBren̩ Brown, Adam Grant Р(The Curiosity Shop with Bren̩ Brown and Adam Grant Рpodcast)

Apparently, Brené and Adam had a public dustup some years ago on the topic of authenticity. This brand new podcast begins with them discussing the particulars of what happened and why.

What caught my attention was this:

Be yourself with people who earn the right to see yourself.
Share your story with people who've earned the right to hear your story.

The episode was a fascinating exercise in disagreement, apologies, clarifications, and more. I expect interesting and insightful discussions in future episodes.

Do this: Be yourself ... when it's appropriate.

#authenticity

3. "There is always, always more work yet to do."

Why I'm Not Worried About Running Out of Work in the Age of AI – Dave Kellog – (Blog)

Kellog puts into words what I've felt for a long time.

Every time technology dramatically increases our ability to do something, we don't run out of work. We discover many more things worth doing.

This is absolutely the case with AI. It may make some jobs and tasks go away, but that will clear room for more tasks we never had time for, or tasks we haven't even thought of yet.

Change will suck at the individual level. All I can say is if you're in a job that will be impacted by AI, you need to consider switching horses.

You want to be driving the tools, not driven by them. Aggressively learn AI. Be the person who knows the most about solving problems using AI tools ' integrating them, automating workflows. Not just generating content.

Do this: Pay attention to where your work is headed.

#ai

4. "Children today are writing more words than you or I did when we were teenagers."

The Internet Has Not Killed Reading'or Attention Spans – Kristen French – (Nautilus)

A fascinating contrarian viewpoint.

A teenager spending three hours on social media might be watching long-form YouTube essays, reading Reddit threads, participating in BookTok, or creating content. Collapsing all of that into a single variable and drawing conclusions about format isn't justified.

I've often wondered if we're looking at the attention span thing wrong. It's not that teens don't have the ability to focus; perhaps we just don't approve of what they're focusing on.

Though it still concerns me, the number of reports from college professors about the number of students who have never read a book. But, again, is that just disapproval or is it a more serious issue? The author's interviewee, Kevin Ashton of MIT, states:

And long-form reading is booming. United States young adult print sales went from approximately 23 million copies in 2018 when TikTok launched to a record 35 million in 2022, a 52-percent increase.

I'm not sure what to make of it all.

Do this: Read a book anyway.

#attention-span #reading

5. "It didn't blow up our marriage."

5 Years of Lessons From Running My Own Bookstore – Ryan Holiday – (Blog)

This resonated on several levels because my wife and I ran a collectible doll shop for 14 years. Holiday has a long list of lessons, and the majority ring very, very true. Well worth reading through.

One made me laugh:

... came home with two cats who have lived at the bookstore ever since. They're literally the most popular thing about the store.

He has cats. We had Jerome. And I can confirm, a disproportionate number of visitors were to visit him. As Holiday puts it:

But keep in mind, some of the best parts of any project are things you can't possibly predetermine.

Indeed.

Do this: Be open to the things you can't predict.

#business

6. "Think of yourself as a storyteller."

How to express yourself clearly – Darius Foroux – (Blog)

I gravitate to items relating to writing because I consider it such an important skill for success in life. In reality, though, it's a manifestation of a different skill that is arguably even more important: communicating clearly in any form.

Most people just start talking and hope it lands somewhere useful.

Guilty. The point here is that the same advice and structure we talk about for writing clearly applies equally well to how we express ourselves in person.

You can tell by a couple of the books I'm reading right now that I'm focusing a little on storytelling, but it hadn't really occurred to me that it's about more than writing.

Do this: Learn to tell a good story. It's a skill, so practice and improve.

#storytelling

7. "Should I be worried that my job is going to disappear?"

What Jobs Are Safe? – Andrew Yang – (Newsletter)

It's a question that more and more people are asking. Yang hears the question a lot. In this essay he includes both "Factors that Suggest Your Job Might Get Automated", as well as "Things that Might Make Your Job Safe(r for the Time Being)". They're good lists to review, not for the specific items on them but for the commonalities and trends that they suggest.

One comment Yang makes at the end is only partially tongue-in-cheek:

The best way to keep the boss from automating your job is to become a boss, because then the only person who can fire you is yourself.

Spoken like a true entrepreneur, but it's true. Not all are cut out for it, but for many people at risk of job loss for any reason, not just AI, I have to wonder if some kind of independent, entrepreneurial alternative might make sense.

Do this: Consider AI, and its impact on what you do for a living. Then make contingency plans.

#ai

Random Links

• How We Walk Might Reveal Our Risk of Death

What I'm reading now

• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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...

"When an elder dies, a library burns to the ground."
– African proverb

1. "The point is to laugh, even when it feels like you shouldn't"

Are We Having Fun Yet? – Steve Makofsky – (Blog)

These are difficult times in which to even think about having fun. And yet, doing so is a way to cope, a way to survive it all without losing our minds.

Here's a call out to bring some fun back into your life. Play, make jokes, dance, sing out loud, roll down a hill, jump in a puddle, do something that's creative nonsense. Be ridiculous.

In the right situation, and with the right people, of course, I'm a big fan of dark humor and inappropriate jokes. It can be quite the stress-reducer.

Do this: Have some fun.

#fun

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2. " I've got plenty of nostalgia, but that doesn't pay my mortgage"

Grief and the AI Split – Les Orchard – (Blog)

(OK, this one's techie, but so am I.) Ostensibly, the piece is about how people are reacting to the rise of AI in the computer software and coding arenas. Some are apparently feeling grief at the loss of what they see as the craft of human, handwritten code.

I started programming in the 80s. Every language I've learned since then has been a means to an end. That is, a new way to make computers do things I wanted them to do. AI-assisted coding feels like the latest in that progression. Not a discontinuity per se, just another rung on the ladder.

Exactly. AI is something new, and it's not. We wrote binary machine code, then we wrote assembly code, then we wrote in simple computer languages, then we used higher-level, more complex languages, and now we're moving on to English as our programming language. Each removes us a little further from the details of the device we're writing for, but each enabled a level of breadth and complexity that the prior approach made difficult. And, yes, each transition involved some sense of loss for those making the switch. (I still miss assembly language coding.)

Here's the thing: each required that we understand the problem we were trying to solve, and could express it clearly in the language du jour. That hasn't changed. AI coding, however it's done, simply changes how we express the problem and solution we're looking for. The "winners" will be those who understand and express it the best.

Do this: Focus on your understanding and expression.

#ai

3. "Introspection without structure produces avoidance"

What Marc Andreessen gets wrong about introspection – Stepfanie Tyler – (Bad Girl Media)

Apparently, Mr. Andreessen made some statements indicating that introspection was a bad thing, only recently introduced by the likes of Freud, and that successful leaders simply don't do it. As you can imagine, that generated some reactions.

While Tyler disagrees with the statements as absolutes (as do I), and that introspection has a long history dating back at least to Socrates and Stoic philosophy, she does point out that there's a grain of truth.

Sitting with your feelings indefinitely, with no output requirement and no feedback mechanism, is just rumination. It can feel like work, but it isn't work. The hour you spend journaling in circles about the same insecurity you've had for ten years, without ever asking what you're going to do differently, is not self-examination. It's procrastination.

In other words, introspection without action is kinda pointless.

Bonus: another of the writers I follow chimed in with a similar take: Marc Andreessen is wrong about introspection – Joan Westenberg.

Do this: Act.

#introspection

4. "There's a point where awareness becomes surveillance."

Self-optimising into oblivion – Kai Brach – (Dense Discovery Issue 380)

Apparently, this week's pseudo-theme is introspection about introspection.

We've become so fluent in the language of our own interior lives that we've started living there permanently, renovating the same rooms over and over while the outside of the house ' other people, the world, the actual stakes of being alive ' slowly falls into disrepair.

I don't know that it's as widespread as Brach implies, but I can certainly see it as an issue for some. And yet we're also seeing advice that to take care of ourselves, we need to maybe take a break from the horrors of the outside world. Again, introspection is great as long as it has a goal: personal improvement, and then doing our part to make the rest of the world a little better.

Do this: Improve yourself, improve the world.

#introspection #self-improvement

5, "Just stop mainlining catastrophe for a bit."

Wankery Verdict: "Everything is Shit" – Annie Scott – (Annie Scott's Wankery Watch)

Everything is not shit, but our brains just aren't designed for objectivity in the face of the amazing amounts of information available.

The issue is our brains are not built for this. We've never had access to this volume of information before. Time was you just worried about Nigel from down the road's boils, and whether the turnip crop was going to be good this year. We've never been able to mainline doom before – and, it turns out, it's not great for our mental health!

One specific topic spoke to me strongly:

AI is coming for our jobs!!
Maybe. Maybe not. Like the printing press. And machines. And computers. And the internet. And cars. We do love a technological panic. It's one of our little traditions. We generally find a way through.

We do love a technological panic, and as alluded, we've been before, and before, and before, and we absolutely found a way through every time.

It's an entertaining read, and hopefully it might broaden your perspective just a little.

Do this: Maintain perspective.

#information-overload #ai

6. "Become this more skillful kind of pleasure seeker"

In Favor of Enjoying Things on Purpose – David Cain – (Raptitude)

This is subtle and perhaps difficult for many. It might even come across as a little too "woo" for some: actively and consciously enjoy the many enjoyable things around you right now.

This might sound like another dull gratitude exercise, but it's not. You're not just identifying a "positive" thing and telling yourself you're lucky to have that. You're locating the good feeling on offer in the present, and enjoying it on purpose.

It feels like a combination of noticing, gratitude, and focusing on the present; all things we can benefit from. We have much to enjoy if we just pay attention.

Do this: Pay attention.

#attention #enjoyment #gratitude #mindfulness

7. "Music is now indistinguishable from tap water or electricity."

The Death of Spotify: Why Streaming is Minutes Away From Being Obsolete – Joel Gouveia – (The Artist Economy)

It's not minutes away, regardless of the headline, but it'd definitely at risk. This article does a nice job of explaining how streaming services lke Spotify work, and how their model is on the verge of failure. That makes it worth the read.

Where the essay is weak, though, is answering the question: what next?

... if you're an artist or a manager trying to sustain yourself in this evolving music economy, the answer is direct ownership.

My quibble is that artists have been trying this for years, with only limited results. I agree it's the direction they should head, but it's more difficult than it might seem. It's the difference between "minutes away", and "sometime in the future".

Do this: To the extent that you can, engage with your favorite artists directly.

#music #streaming

8. "Don't think for a second that your parents' stories aren't part of your story"

History Lost – Leo Notenboom – (Blog)

My parents lived in the Netherlands during the German occupation of World War II. For years, they experienced it all: the buildup, the atrocities, and finally liberation.

Sadly, I know precious little about their experiences during this time.

It's a common sentiment: in hindsight, I wish I'd asked more questions.

Do this: Take the time to ask the questions before the answers are gone forever.

#history

Random Links

• Hearing loss is often called a dementia risk factor ' here's what the research really shows – It's ... complicated.
• The Dissent Hidden in an Iconic Scientific Image – Drama everywhere.

What I'm reading now

• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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...

"The greatest fear in the world is the opinion of others,
and the moment you are unafraid of the crowd,
you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion.
A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom."
• Osho

1. "Chaotic, deception-filled, digital landscape that overwhelms and misinforms"

How the experts figure out what's real in the age of deepfakes – Jess Weatherbed – (The Verge)

It's a big problem, and it's getting bigger.

The average person needs to understand that the current information environment is tilted towards manipulation and deception. This requires you to scroll with an awareness of how easily images, video, and text can be manipulated...

Awareness and skepticism is key, but they divert from our natural tendency to want to react, reply, or become enraged immediately. Verification takes not only understanding, but more importantly it takes time. In the time it takes, it's often too late to quash misinformation or remove doubt from legitimate media.

Do this: Be aware. Take the time to verify before you react.

#ai #deepfakes #media

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2. "One hundred years from now, you and I will both be dead"

The Things We Leave Behind – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)

This is something I think about from time to time.

Since I'm an only child with no children of my own, my parents are a generation or so away from being forgotten. It's my fate as well. In fact, it's almost everyone's fate eventually, even with descendants. Unless we become, say, a Marcus Aurelius, at some point, we'll all fade into distant obscurity.

We sometimes fret about what our legacy will be. Greene's thoughts:

Seek to promote the truly priceless patterns of health, prosperity, faith, goodness, righteousness, and love to future generations. After all, these are the kinds of traits you want to be remembered for.

My take is slightly different. As we just said, eventually we won't be remembered at all. But we have the chance to leave the world a little better than we found it. Those changes, however small, can persist long after we've faded into the mists of time. Our best legacy may simply be the example we set for our children and the people around us.

Do this: Examine your behaviour — it's likely your biggest legacy of all.

#death #legacy

3. "Is what I actually think worth the cost of saying it?"

Nobody says what they actually think anymore (and it's driving me nuts) – Stephanie Tyler – (Bad Girl Media)

I'm not so much frustrated as sad. Our current socio-political environment discourages open, honest conversations. It encourages extremism in certain venues, but honestly, most of us are afraid to say what we really think for fear of losing friends and/or being "canceled" for expressing ourselves in the wrong way.

It may seem safe to stay silent, but that silence comes at a cost as well.

... the conversation you're declining to complicate is still happening without you. And it's happening in a way that your absence is quietly shaping.

By remaining silent, your position becomes underrepresented and less likely to be understood or to have any impact at all. That's kinda sad.

And I know I'm guilty of it myself.

Do this: Consider (polite) honesty.

#honesty

4. "Protect the best part of your day."

You Slipped Up. Here's How To Get Back On Track – Ryan Holiday – (Blog)

Some practical advice on recovering from inevitable failures.

Marcus Aurelius writes, "When jarred, unavoidably, by circumstances, revert at once to yourself, and don't lose the rhythm more than you can help."

Aurelius' words are, perhaps, a little idealistic, but Holiday backs them up with practical steps.

There's one I disagree with, though, and that's "Wake up early." The thing is, there's now plenty of data indicating that this isn't appropriate for everyone. We have different styles, rhythms, and what's called "chronotypes", and getting up early just isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. What I think does matter, though, is the takeaway above: we all have a "best part of the day", and it's worth protecting.

Do this: Identify and protect the best part of your day.

#chronotype

5. "Finding meaning doesn't have to be a lofty quest"

Try small steps and set the bar low: how to find the meaning of life – Elle Hunt – (The Guardian)

At one point or another, many people come to a point where they wonder "what's the point?" and embark on some process to figure out what their life is all about: its meaning.

These notions that you've got to study philosophy, or meditate, or sit on a mountain for a month, or quit your job and do the Eat, Pray, Love thing - you don't have to do any of that.

The author outlines simpler processes that you can do easily, every day, to help derive, or discover, meaning in your life as it is.

Do this: Take small steps.

#meaning

6. "At some point we had to actually sit down and write."

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott – (ebook)

Yes, I'm on a "you should write more" kick, as I also try to improve my own writing in various ways. This takeaway is from the introduction to the book.

Writing taught my father to pay attention; my father in turn taught other people to pay attention and then to write down their thoughts and observations.

When you view the world around you with a writer's eye, you pay more attention to what's going on.

Do this: Pay attention. Then write.

#writing

7. "Memory works based on relevance."

How to Become a Better Learner – Mark Manson – (Blog)

This caught my attention because it exposes one of the biggest issues with traditional education.

You can learn the coolest thing in the world, but if you don't find a way to make it relevant to you and your well-being in some way, your brain will conveniently forget it.

So much of what's taught in school is, ultimately, irrelevant to the students to whom it's being taught. It might be the most important thing in the world, or the coolest, but if the students aren't also given a reason it matters to them, it'll disappear from memory. It's a classic case of having to answer the question "What's in it for me?" for each student.

Do this: Make it relevant.

#learning #memory

What I'm reading now

• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
• 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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"Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined,
irreverent and original manner possible."
• Richard Feynmann

1. "The skill to build is to be easy to work with"

Advice on Enduring Today's Uncertain, Hostile Times – Adam Savage – (Tested on YouTube)

Former Mythbusters co-host Savage answers a question from a viewer about a t-shirt he often wears that says "Empathy, Kindness, Respect" which leads him down a very reflective and philosophical path. Besides suggesting that being easy to work with is an incredibly important skill (it is), this quote caught my attention:

Everything good I have in my life is because of empathy and kindness and respect.

Think about that. He prioritizes not his skills, which are many, or his luck, of which he had much, but rather the attributes needed when working and interacting with other people. I find it a very valuable perspective.

Do this: Prioritize empathy and kindness and respect.

#empathy #kindness #respect

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2. "Accept old age like a decades-long root canal"

How to Be Old and Content, Even Happy – Gary Buzzard – (Enjoy the Moment)

Acceptance is hard. And yet when it happens, things get less complicated.

Old age will be better if you accept it like a root canalŠ'Šrelax and don't resist the process. It's happening whether you're tense or relaxed. So you might as well relax. Root canals can be painful, but they can also lead to healing, less pain, and more confident smiles.

Even more than acceptance, gratitude is called for.

I am grateful for every new day, at least when I remember to be. But most of the time, I take it for granted that I've made it to 81. Each morning before I get out of bed, I should thank God, the universe, the Tao, or Mother Nature for allowing me another year on Planet Earth.

The essay is a lovely reminder of how we can age with grace.

Do this: Accept and be grateful if you can.

#acceptance #gratitude

3. "Humans are extremely judgy."

Everything Is Signaling – David Pinsof – (Everything is Bullshit)

Pinsof examines the idea that the majority of human behavior is motivated by how we appear to others; in other words, signalling.

Humans have: 1) a powerful motive to signal (i.e., their urge to gain status), 2) a powerful means to signal (i.e., their spectacular mind reading powers), and 3) a vast number of opportunities to signal, roughly equal to the number of ways they are judged by their hyper-judgy peers.

While the knee-jerk reaction is to consider signalling a bad motivation, what he adds is the concept of "defensive signalling".

What is a defensive signal? It's a signal designed to avoid looking inferior to your peers'e.g., dumber, meaner, thirstier, less devoted to the tribe, etc. It's designed to avoid our worst nightmare: a descent to the bottom of the social ladder.

Offensive signalling might be all those peers actively (though perhaps subconsciously) trying to position themselves as better than others. It's an interesting take on human behavior.

Do this: Watch for signals.

#behavior

4. "The future is not determined. It never has been."

A soft-landing manual for the second gilded age – Joan Westenberg – (Blog)

The lengthy essay lays out a possible path as AI inevitably changes the work and political landscapes.

I realize this is almost at odds with the takeaway above, since it makes predictions about the future, but this quote captures a lot of my reaction to the AI doomers who feel it'll destroy jobs and society:

New industries will emerge. New forms of work will appear. People will adapt, because people always adapt.

This is nothing new. Each new technological shift has resulted in similar upheaval. The constant is change, and the fact that we can, and will, adapt. The only question is how hard we'll resist the change.

Do this: Adapt. Change.

#ai #adaptability #change

5. "Just be brave"

How Do You Create When You Don't Feel Safe? – Hank Green – (YouTube)

The internet isn't a safe place, particularly if you make your living by creating and publishing things for the world to see. Trust me on this.

Hank Green discusses the reality he sees and experiences, and outlines several approaches that people can take to deal with it all. I'm partial to bravery.

Real creativity is so harshly constrained by the ruthlessness of our current information environment.

Creating is scary. It can also be very rewarding – trust me on this as well. The "trick", if you want to call it that, is to set your own goals, choose those voices you feel worth listening to, and completely ignore the rest. It's not easy, particularly as you're starting, but it's very doable.

Do this: Be brave.

#bravery #creating

6. "Was my inflicting of pain unethical?"

Neat ethical principles have nothing to say to doctors like me, faced with the brutal, bloody compromises of hospital life – Ronald W Dworkin – (Aeon)

Nominally an essay about the pragmatic ineffectiveness of bioethics, the author — an anesthesiologist — discusses the harsh reality that decisions made by medical professionals are rarely as clear-cut as they might seem. They often impact the doctors and staff deeply. He shares a moving story about the considerations involved when intubating an elderly patient with various complicating factors.

The doctor's moral sense and civilised sentiments are always playing defence against the savagery of physical existence.

"Savagery of physical existence" sounds harsh, but nowhere is it more apparent than in the ER or on an operating table. Ethics and morality become very complex concepts.

Do this: Have empathy.

#empathy #ethics

7. "I miss actual conversation."

The Conversation Menu: 50 questions worth asking the people worth knowing – Stepfanie Tyler – (Bad Girl Media)

The introduction to the list touches on something that I've called out before: we don't know how to disagree anymore.

We've been trained, very deliberately, to treat disagreement as a form of aggression.

You see it everywhere, of course. Be it personal, religious, or political — disagreement with your tribe's party line is, in particular, verboten.

We're also no longer allowed to change our minds, apparently.

The willingness to update is the whole point of having a mind, but we've made it costly in a way it's never been before, and people have responded by becoming more rigid, more defensive, and much less interesting to talk to.

As she also quotes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" (apparently often mistakenly attributed to John Maynard Keynes).

Do this: Be open to disagreement. Be open to changing your mind.

#conversations #disagreement #open-minded

What I'm reading now

• 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
• Everybody Has Something to Hide: Why and How to Use Signal to Preserve Your Privacy, Security, and Well-Being – Guy Kawasaki & Madisun Nuismer

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.
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After all, all devices have their dangers.
The discovery of speech introduced communication'and lies-
The automobile is marvelously useful'and kills Americans by the tens of thousands each year.
– Isaac Asimov, in Robot Visions

1. "The cost-benefit is changing ' for the worse ' in real time"

Is College (Still) Worth It? – Andrew Yang – (Blog)

Fascinating examination of the changing ROI of higher education, and where it's headed. Yang includes AI as another risk to post-graduation employment opportunities, which is both new and interesting to me. It's an interesting analysis, and worth the read if college/university decisions are in your future.

What got my attention, though, was this paragraph:

One thing I personally think will be a competitive advantage for college students – reading books for pleasure. It will be such a rarity that being highly literate will set you apart. Most businesses still run on emails and words ' anyone capable of writing coherently and clearly will be hireable, if they can demonstrate this capacity. Being able to write means you can think.

I'll claim it's a competitive advantage whether you're a college student or not. "Anyone capable of writing coherently and clearly will be hireable". Anyone.

Do this: Read for fun. Write.

#higher-education #reading #writing

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2. "I keep starting new things and finishing very few."

The Omnipotence Dilemma – Anne-Laure Le Cunff – (Ness Labs)

Another possible unexpected side effect of AI?

When almost every idea sounds viable and every path appears reasonable, prioritization becomes harder.

AI enables just about anyone to take on just about anything. When faced with a seemingly endless list of opportunities that all seem valid, how do you choose what to do next?

In an age of near-omnipotence, curiosity has never been easier to satisfy. And yet, meaningful progress still requires committing to your curiosity ' not by pursuing everything at once, but by choosing an interesting path to explore deeply enough for something meaningful to emerge.

Depth matters. Being able to prioritize matters. Particularly when we're faced with so many opportunities.

Do this: Prioritize curiosity, and then prioritize what you're curious about.

#ai #curiosity

3. "Nobody really teaches you discernment of letting go."

The Discipline of Letting Go – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom)

Society encourages us to accumulate: things, projects, people, money ... but there's no real incentive to let things go, unless you find yourself in crisis, I suppose.

Maybe the art of aging well is learning what to carry and what to set down. Not everything deserves unending loyalty. Some things just weren't meant for you long term. They were stepping stones. They were the scaffolding, not the structure.

I like the concept of scaffolding. You don't have to hang on to everything you collect in life. Yes, it may have served you well, but there comes a time when perhaps it no longer does, and it really is time to let go.

Do this: Think about what you might let go.

#accumulation

4. "Every digital system we interact with presents identity as a toggle"

Your anonymity set has collapsed and you don't know it yet – Joan Westenberg – (Blog – paywalled)

Stylometry is the analysis of writing style, and LLMs are getting better at it. This has implications.

Most would consider anonymity as a binary: you're either anonymous or you're not. While that may or may not have legal use, in practice, an LLM (or any system) that can say something along the lines of "this is probably so-and-so's writing" could well be enough to cause chaos.

"There's a 73% chance this is you" translates, in the lived social reality of Twitter threads and group chats, into "this is probably you," which translates into "why are you denying it," which translates into "they denied it, which is exactly what you'd expect."

It seems like yet another way that AI will inevitably impact the world we live in. There's no stopping, just preparation.

Do this: Realize that anonymity may not be what you think.

#ai #anonymity

5. "Replac[ing] the hard work of creation with the easy work of opposition."

7 things Nietzsche said will keep you mediocre forever – Stepfanie Tyler – (Bad Girl Media)

The whole list is good, but the first one captured my attention.

Entire online identities built not around what someone is creating but around what they're against.

We see it all the time. You probably have someone who came to mind immediately. Perhaps several. And you know how tiresome they can become.

There's even a word for it: ressentiment.

Do this: Build your identity around what you create.

#creating #identity

6. "The method of science, as stodgy and grumpy as it may seem, is far more important than the findings of science."

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan – (ebook)

I'm continuing to make progress in this book and finding it more relevant than ever. Today's takeaway is, I think, more significant than it appears on the surface.

Science — true get-to-the-facts science — is boring 99% of the time. "Stodgy and grumpy," you might say. And that works against its acceptance.

Conspiracies are exciting. The possibility of truths being kept from us is exciting. The paranormal is exciting. The spirit world is exciting. Manifestation is exciting. Most are also sources of hope and a feeling of control over the unknown and the impossible.

Science simply plods along, discovering truth. That it makes mistakes — sometimes exciting mistakes — is what's often remembered and, again, used against it. Even though mistakes and reevaluation when additional data comes to light are exactly part of its stodgy and grumpy path.

Do this: Trust the science. Trust the process.

#science

7. "Constraints force your brain to think."

This Is The Simplest Way To Make Your Life Awesome – Eric Barker – (Barking Up the Wrong Tree)

Constraints can come from many sources, but some of the most powerful are those in our control; those constraints we choose.

Suddenly, your brain can't do the easy thing. It can't reach for the obvious. It's standing at the edge of the demolished highway, looking at the flaming crocodile-filled trench, and for the first time in its glucose-conserving existence, it is forced to think of something new. And what it thinks of, nine times out of ten, is better.

Sometimes the constraint is very artificial; Dr. Suess' writing a book limited to using only 50 words, for example. Sometimes the constraint feels more practical: this newsletter comes out every Sunday morning at 9 AM Pacific Time. Either way, these constraints and others force your brain to be creative and, above all, take action.

Do this: Be creative. Take action.

#constraints

Random Links

AI Therapy: Hope or Hazard for the Kids We're Testing It On – It's ... complicated.

What I'm reading now

• The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan
• Everybody Has Something to Hide: Why and How to Use Signal to Preserve Your Privacy, Security, and Well-Being – Guy Kawasaki & Madisun Nuismer

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...