68: Rules Aren't Real 📐
Dispensing with the status quo is the key to escaping mediocrity.
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67: Not all that glitters 🪩
In one morning I came across three stories that made me think twice about the ‘metaverse’. It’s not some abstract future dystopia—it’s already here. Many of us already inhabit mini-metaverses full of personalised algorithms, and few of us are ready to take off the headset. The first...
66: Win the small hill ⛷
Sometimes in order to win the game you're optimising for, you must lose the ones you've been told were important.
65: What you want for dinner 🍽
How often do you revisit ideas you believe to be common sense? When thinking of possible ways we could develop our thinking or improve our lives we naturally gravitate to new ideas instead of investigating existing patterns. When you start thinking from first principles, a lot of things you might...
64: Constraints and consistency 🎲
People become great by being creative within the boundaries and persisting when others might quit.
63: Nobody cares 📵
Sometimes you will be out in the field, pushing the limits of expectation, on the verge of changing the world, and not a single soul will care. The masses often sleepwalk through innovation. You can only make great things if you’re willing to be ignored and unafraid of going...
62: The hard thing about hard work ⚒️
Brandon Sanderson is one of my favourite authors. If he writes something I’m going to eat it up. But not immediately. Because Brandon likes to write big beefy books that could double as self-defence weapons or stools for small cats. He writes a LOT. He recently surprised his entire...
61: It Sounds Better Over There 🎋
Whenever words are carried by saltine winds over vast expanses of water, they somehow gain the magical property of resonating clearer in our minds. This is why we seem to fall head over heels in love with wisdom from faraway lands. It explains our obsession with Ikigai. It’s why...
60: The Sum of our Parts 🧩
No one human knows how to make a pencil from scratch despite it seeming like a fundamentally basic thing - something every child can use. To construct something as simple as a pencil takes mining graphite, cutting wood, shaping metal, and figuring out whatever modern erasers are made out of....
59: Greener Grass
The Sword of Damocles has become synonymous with imminent danger and the threat of sudden calamity - but that’s only half the story, and perhaps the wrong half to focus on. If you’ve never heard of Damocles before, you’re in for a treat! The story of Damocles...
57: The Power of Impostors 👻
What the heck is an impostor anyway? Someone who is not supposed to be there. An impersonator. A copycat. A covert intelligence gatherer. Uninformed. Uninitiated. Uninvited. Maybe that’s you. It’s definitely me—but maybe there’s power in that. The ones who are different I am not supposed...
A Tree in the Woods
If the cameras turn off, do the Kardashians still exist? People are designing their lives and actions around black camera lenses, hoping that an audience will exist on the other side. People stand alone in rooms swinging their arms violently and making faces at the wall, because TikTok promises their...
56: Finding your passion 🔮
People spend their lives chasing passion. We have dreams of what life should be like. What it could be like, once we find the magic that's missing. We all want to get paid to do something we love. And we want to be paid well for it! To...
55: Almost Invisible 👻
We quickly get used to the sound of alarm bells. My smart watch keeps vibrating, every single hour, reminding me to stand up. I turned on the feature because I know sitting for too long is unhealthy. And when I say I know, I KNOW. I know it in my...
54: A glass half full 🥃
Is the glass half empty or half full? Apparently, your answer indicates whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist. I think that’s silly. It’s a question of orientation, not optimism. Are you picking it up or putting it down? What’s your motivation in the scene? Are...
🎙️ Politics, Migration, and Urbanisation with Stu Patience
David speaks with Stu Patience, a nonprofit co-founder, teacher and blogger. He lives and works in Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of Saya Suka Membaca, an Indonesian literacy charity that trains teachers to teach reading in Indonesian in an effective and fun way. They talked about: 🌍 The political history of Hong...
You Don’t Need to be Original: Learn From the Old to Create Something New
Everyone wants to be first. Our competitive and status-seeking nature drives us to chase the novel. We want new experiences. We want to make fresh discoveries. When it comes to learning, despite being frequently frustrated at how little we know, it is important to remember that there is no expectation...
Play Asymmetric Games: Invest in Opportunities that Multiply
Linear games get linear results. In order to win a linear game, you need to move the needle. You must increase your input for your output to change. Earning money is a linear game. You need to work to earn every additional dollar. Making money, however, is different. When you...
🎙️ The Power of Intentional Living with Kyle Kowalski
David speaks with Kyle Kowalski, a thoughtful entrepreneur, adult learner, and proponent of slow living. As an "independent, inquiring, interdisciplinary integrator," he shares insights on topics ranging from intentional living to mental mastery. They talked about: 🌿 The philosophy of slow living 🧘♂️ The antidote to career burnout 🎨 The influence...
What Do You Want To Model?: You’re More Influential Than You Realise
Everyone you have heard of, seen, or encountered was a data point that shaped your understanding of the world. The homeless man on the street, the waiter in the restaurant, the celebrity on television, and the athlete in the stadium. They taught you about the possible states of human existence....
Find Your Take: Honesty is your Best Punchline
As a correspondent on The Daily Show, Hasan Minhaj honed his comedic voice and developed a unique brand of political satire. While many aspiring comedians might focus on honing their jokes and perfecting their punchlines, Minhaj credits a different aspect of comedy as being crucial to his success: the "...
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