People excuse their moral shortcomings by doing good things that are trivial, observed Slavoj Zizek. “It is okay that there is injustice in the world, because I recycle” or when it comes to politics, “I did not vote for this imbecile, so it is not my fault that the country is in crisis.” Implicit in … Read more
The 48 Laws of Power is a great book that contains tremendous insight into cunning, deception, self-deception, and power. Greene weaves short historical anecdotes to support his arguments in each chapter. And each chapter is a proverb or recommendation. There is something unfashionable and intrinsically distasteful about blanket statements that tell you how to live … Read more
Yuval Noah Harari has written three books that are unlikely to lose their appeal any time soon. In accessible language, Harari takes his readers on a journey into the past, the present, and the future. Harari’s central argument across these works, is that we must update the language with which we discuss political and philosophical problems … Read more
There is a tradeoff between intensity and extensity. The specialist is a believer in intensity, he gains his advantage by knowing something that no one else knows. The generalist is a believer in extensity, he gains advantage by making multiple bets. The specialist places more value on his own rationality, the generalist places more value … Read more
“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” The quote is from a post-apocalyptic novel called “Those Who Remain” by the author G. Michael Hopf. One could be tempted to say that things must be this way – it is the circle of life. If such a cycle did not … Read more
In simple situations, a physical object will follow the path of least resistance, among a set of alternative paths. The way in which water flows is an example. A similar idea is the “principle of least effort” which applies to human behavior.
It is typical, that in times of political and economic uncertainty, for each person to imagine themselves a head of state, and to devote significant energy into trying to conceive of alternate systems of governance, a new social contract, or a better economic system. Without the constant renewing and vitalizing supply of progressive thinking and … Read more
Andrew Carnegie once said, “As I get older, I pay less attention to what men say, I watch what they do.” Today, people use a shorter version of it. If you want to know about the intentions of others, don’t listen to their words, but pay attention to their actions. Authors such as Jordan Peterson … Read more
In The Allegory of the Cave, Plato tells us about the prisoner who saw the light. But what is more interesting, is to think about the type of experience he had. At first, he is blinded by the light. His eyesight is damaged, and as he readjusts his vision and moves forward in the new … Read more
‘Satan finds some mischief for idle hands to do.’ If you go through the literature on productivity, time-management, or behavioral economics, you will notice a common presupposition: you have imperfections in your brain that will be harmful to your well-being. The reason you procrastinate is that your brain is a faulty machine that does … Read more