The reading collection
Psychology, geopolitics, philosophy—and everything in between.
373 readings · 193–204
Chapter 5: Community Humans have bodies After the 2016 U.S elections, Silicon Valley’s assumptions had been disrupted. They were used to seeing themselves as part of the solution to bigotry, but now could not deny…
Influence by Robert Cialdini teaches us about the science of persuasion. The author himself spent his life studying the most common techniques that were used by salesmen and persuaders, and the six most pervasive…
Law 43: Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others Coercion eventually backfires, you must seduce others into doing what you want. You must pay attention to their emotions, and slowly break down their defenses. If you…
Seeing The Cracks At first sight, things appear perfect. When you first meet someone – you don’t see who they are. You only see future possibilities. Your first impression is determined by their superficial…
The Tulip* A man said to a Dervish: “Why do I not see you more often?” The Dervish replied, “Because the words ‘Why have you not been to see me?’ are sweeter to my ear than the words ‘Why have you come again?”’ –…
Law 47: Do Not Go Past The Mark You Aimed For; In Victory, Learn When To Stop There is wisdom in knowing when to stop. After you have achieved victory, don’t tempt fate. In 559 B.C, Cyrus defeated his grandfather…
Do we need God to make sense of life? Jordan Peterson and Susan Blackmore debated whether God was necessary for meaning to exist. They first discuss the nature of memes and archetypes.
The Science Fair Project In 1965, a 17-year-old Randy Gardner decided not to sleep for 11 straight days and observe what happened for his science fair project.
Miles Davis* THE OLD MUSICIANS STAY WHERE THEY ARE AND BECOME LIKE MUSEUM PIECES UNDER GLASS, SAFE, EASY TO UNDERSTAND, PLAYING THAT TIRED OLD SHIT OVER AND OVER AGAIN…. BEBOP WAS ABOUT CHANGE, ABOUT EVOLUTION. IT…
Forcing Strategies In 1833, Mr. Thomas Auld, a slave owner of a plantation in Maryland, called back his slave Frederick Douglass, who was 15 at the time, from Baltimore. Douglass had spent several years in the city,…
Chapter 3: Typographic America The Bible was the central reading matter in all households – Protestants shared Luther’s belief that printing was “God’s highest and extremest act of Grace, whereby the business of the…
Law 31: Control the options: get others to play with the cards you deal Ivan the Terrible* For the wounds and every other evil that men inflict upon themselves spontaneously, and of their own choice, are in the long…