Becoming a jerk
Don't let anyone make you a jerk, no matter how pure their intentions.
Don't let anyone make you a jerk, no matter how pure their intentions.
When others are unkind or unpleasant, I take comfort in the power I have over them: the power to lose respect for them. No one can force me to feel otherwise.
I endeavor not to be a conformist nonconformist.
In 2008, Michael Pollan coined the following phrase as a simple summary of his nutritional advice:
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
Maybe we need equally simple advice for this new, “social” (actually, profoudnly antisocial) world we live in. Maybe it should be something like:
Use the web. Not too much. Mostly learn from experts.
The other day, I was listening to an interview with John Carmack wherein he described his use of the Finger protocol early in his career. The Finger protocol, which predates modern blogging, enables the publication of status updates, simple maxims, and even longer essays. There are no likes, no comments, and no news feeds. Readers need to seek out content that interests them.
It strikes me that thoughts is very similar. I appreciate that it doesn't offer “modern” social networking features. I don't learn much from hot takes; I'm not sure anyone does. If you disagree with something I write and are genuinely interested in the subject, let's have a real conversation about it. I also welcome thoughtful written rebuttals. Comment sections don't foster these things.
Better is not always better. Ancient wisdom.
I don't know anyone who has genuinely changed their mind as a result of being scolded and judged.
As a contrarian minimalist, pack rat tendencies interest me. In particular, I've been thinking about how much time some people spend parting with their possessions.
Getting rid of things is not hard. I could throw all of my belongings in garbage bags or call a company to clear out my apartment. However, it's challenging to decide which material things to keep. It's hard to figure out which items spark joy.
Getting rid of things is not hard. Keeping things is.