Community Archives

You Win by Not Being Stupid – 7 Takeaways No. 228

What are you talking about? AI & creative work. Building useful skills. Hard things. Rejection, it’s a good thing. I know I’m right. Don’t be stupid.

Carved wooden relief art of several people gathered on the front porch of a traditional southern home.

You Are a Product of Your Environment – 7 Takeaways No. 220

Front porch discussions. Are you helping or hindering? Be kind, not an asshole. Trendy diagnosis. Returning home. Acting our of fear. Look for all the data.

A crowded movie theater shown in dim lighting, with intricate wood-carved details of the audience leaning forward in their seats, screaming, and pointing at the screen. The screen displays a silhouetted character walking into a dark room.

Your Audience Would Be Screaming – 7 Takeaways No. 212

Quiet contribution. Asking for help. Show up. Everyone’s faking it. Zoom out. Service. Success.

A group of people walking past a traditional library. All the people are looking down at their phones, absorbed in their screens, while the library behind them stands mostly unnoticed. The library building is grand and classic, with large columns and a sign that clearly identifies it as a library. The people are dressed in modern, casual clothing, and their attention is entirely on their smartphones. The scene is set in daylight, with a slightly melancholic tone, highlighting the contrast between the focus on digital devices and the neglect of traditional reading spaces.

Reading Is Not As Necessary As It Once Was – 7 Takeaways No. 193

Mud-colored glasses. Playing in the street. Connections are complicated (and important). Telling yourself stories. Dare to see stupid. Does reading matter? (YES!) Taking risks.

A chimpanzee standing upright on its hind legs, with a confident expression, throwing a shiny metallic dart with a bright green flight at a wooden dartboard hung on a rustic, earth-toned concrete wall in the distance, the board's surface worn and scratched, surrounded by a subtle gradient of shadows, with the chimpanzee's fur a mix of dark brown and lighter tan hues, its facial features defined by a prominent forehead, almond-shaped eyes, and a small nose, its skin tone a warm, golden brown, the entire scene illuminated by a soft, natural light with a hint of warmth, capturing the dynamic movement of the dart in mid-air and the chimpanzee's focused intensity, with a shallow depth of field to blur the background and emphasize the subject.

Poorer Predictions Than Dart-throwing Monkeys – 7 Takeaways No. 192

Confidence means little. We’re all just making it up as we go. New technology is scary. Depression is scary. Being wrong is scary. Phone calls are scary. Personal change is scary.

A stereotypical 30-year-old man in his parents' basement, sitting at a computer and yelling at it. The basement is cluttered with old furniture, boxes, and gaming posters on the walls. The man has a frustrated expression, with his mouth open in a yell, furrowed brows, and clenched fists. The lighting is dim, with a single overhead light casting shadows.

Online Crowds Can Be As Unthinking As In-person Ones – 7 Takeaways No. 191

Rocking chair time? Politics will get worse before it gets better. Special ideas often aren’t. Even when not lies, statistics often mislead. The irrationality of crowds. Go ahead, look the fool. Read.

A digital painting of a person in a chaotic environment, symbolizing the embrace of chaos. The person stands confidently in the center, with a relaxed posture and a slight smile, indicating their acceptance and control amidst the chaos. Around them, a whirlwind of abstract, swirling colors and shapes represent chaos. The colors are vibrant and intense, with reds, blues, and greens clashing and blending in a dynamic and disorderly fashion. Papers and objects appear to be caught in the tumultuous wind, adding to the sense of disarray. The background is a blur of motion and energy, further emphasizing the theme of chaos. The composition is dynamic, with a sense of movement and fluidity.

Learn To Embrace Chaos – 7 Takeaways No. 160

Thinking, boredom, choices & uncertainty, Tolstoy’s thoughts on social media, and more.

Read Without Guilt — 7 Takeaways No. 68

Reading, Patience, Community, Fear, Substack, Age, Kindness