Distraction Archives

Four vignettes stitched together in one image: An elderly man and his dog leaning gently toward each other. A little girl racing past on her tassel-bright bike. A snail carefully inching across a sidewalk crack. A single bright leaf unfurling.

Choose Joy – 7 Takeaways No. 251

Moar anger! Storm chasing. Hope power. Enough already. Rest up. Find joy. Find people.

a young boy at a desk with a computer, books, and notepad in front of him while he stares out a nearby window at a bird on a tree branch.

Made to Be Distracted – 7 Takeaways No. 240

Stop complaining. What, me worry? Who your work is really for. No plan survives. Squirrel! Grabbing your attention. Beliefs vs. truths (fight!).

A whimsical woodcut-style illustration of a gnat curiously looking at a glowing mobile phone screen.

The Attention Span of a Gnat – 7 Takeaways No. 207

Media Literacy. Attention Spans. Memento Mori. Rebel Optimism. Thinking Deeply. Help Someone. Subscribe to People.

A steam engine locomotive falling into a river. The train is depicted mid-fall with the front of the locomotive tipping downward as it leaves the end of the tracks, where a bridge should have been. There is a sense of motion and urgency as the train plummets towards the water below. The river beneath is wide and turbulent, with splashes and waves forming where the train is about to make impact. The background shows a natural landscape with trees and a clear sky, adding to the dramatic scene of the accident.

The Roaring Locomotive of Self-deception – 7 Takeaways No. 188

We don’t know how AI works. Rationality? Nah. I’m bored. Simple explanations. You’ll ignore my advice. We’re right, they’re wrong. How you say it matters.

Photo of two professors, one male with a beard and the other female with glasses, having a passionate discussion at the front of a large lecture hall. Behind them, a diverse group of college students watch with a mix of amusement and surprise. The atmosphere is light-hearted, resembling the animation style of popular animated movies.

The Suppression Of Viewpoint Diversity – 7 Takeaways No. 149

Hope, Choice, Risk, Distraction, Rituals, Cancel Culture, Savoring

Midjourney: a cup of coffee on a serving platter with a flower and a bow.

Caffeine is a Gift — 7 Takeaways No. 115

Individualism, Compassion, Study, Caffeine, Quests, Distraction, The Commons

A Gentle Hug — 7 Takeaways No. 90

Sad Gap, Mindfulness, Envy, Distraction, Accents, Longevity, Hard Questions, Change

Anxiety — 7 Takeaways No. 73

Anxiety, Comparison, Reasoning, Probability, Advice, Beliefs, Distraction

Pessimists Make Poor Party Guests — 7 Takeaways No. 57

Pessimism. Trust. Improvement. Time. Zero-Days. Distraction. Boredom.