1/ "You understand what is going on in your neighbourhood better than what is going on in your city; which you understand better than what is going on in your state; better than what is going on in your country; better than what is going on across the globe." ~ @normonics
2/ "Politics is not scale-free. One can be Libertarian at the federal level; Republican at the state level; Democrat at the county level; Socialist within the commune; Communist at the family level." ~ @nntaleb
3/ "Central governments are immune to Second-Order Effects (they are too far from them in both the temporal & social dimensions); but locals cannot escape them. Hence, locals are more incentivized to care about them, even; or rather especially; unconsciously." ~ @DellAnnaLuca
4/ "Too many people's mental model: We shall offer massive amounts of cash to bureaucrats who cannot de facto be held accountable; and let them decide what to do with them opaquely." ~ @normonics
5/ The best functioning democracies are the smallest, both in scope and scale. Smaller democracies of like-minded citizens can achieve consensus faster & build smaller (thus more efficient) bureaucracies to execute on that consensus." ~ @mathieuhelie
6/ "The distant future is small free cities with drone armies and skill-based immigration policies, surrounded by a sea of failed socialist states." ~ @naval
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One of the greatest tricks the devil has ever pulled is convincing the world that procrastination is a vice and never a virtue.
In Antifragile, @nntaleb makes the confession that he uses procrastination as a filter for his writing.
If he feels strong resistance to writing a certain section, he leaves it out as a service to his readers:
“Why should they read something that I didn’t want to write?”
Montaigne reportedly worked on polishing his most famous book, The Complete Essays, from 1570 until 1592. He was quick to start, but very slow to finish.
His French comrade, Louis de Bonald, came up with a witty remark: “All that is to last is slow to grow.”
The most underrated skill of the 21st century: knowing how to relax 🏖️
Prioritize rest. At all costs.
Rest not in the sense of watching Netflix or scrolling TikTok but searching for stillness ☀️
THREAD
1/
“If you want to understand what a society truly worships,” Joseph Campbell wrote, “don’t examine its art or literature...simply look at its tallest buildings.”
2/
The Industrial Age normalized workaholism.
We idolize workaholics & recognize them as heroes of our secular society.
I want to read, take long walks, meditate, play with my dog, and sip wine with my friends & fiancée whenever I want. I write. Seek beauty. And largely work on projects I love.
THREAD
1/
Fresh coffee. Books. Frequent laughs & naps. Nature. Art. Work which I hope may be of some use. A cozy place to call home.
Such is my idea of wealth & happiness.
There’s nothing more complex, meaningful, and difficult to build than a simple life.
2/
The only definition of success:
You’re able to look in the mirror every evening and realize—with deep certainty and joy—that you haven’t disappointed the person you were at 18 years old, right before the age people start getting corrupted by life.
One of the biggest illusions of modernity is that we can separate beauty from functionality.
(thread)
1/
Contrary to popular belief, beauty is NOT purely subjective.
It does not simply “lie in the eye of the beholder.”
Beauty (in architecture) is a sacred phenomenon, inspired by elements & patterns & colors we find in nature.
2/
One study found that, by age 3, kids prefer fractal patterns.
“So, since children are not heavily exposed to these natural patterns, this preference must come from something earlier in development; or perhaps it is innate.”