Month: April 2022

Yeah, I read Max Weber’s The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism in college. So did you.

I’m now realizing that I have about five productive hours in me every day. Then the intellect and the hunger and drive to succeed isn’t so sharp. But my The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism brain module doesn’t turn off and I keep grinding for hours more, to negative effect.

Apparently the book describes something real in me. Or it spun a myth that I took as true.

It’s something to look at.

Probably isn’t compassion. It probably serves the giver more than the recipient of seemingly compassionate acts.

Anon is a good way of life. It keeps true motives visible.

I’m back here for journaling and writing and thinking. I created a Twitter anon alt. It’s easy to publish, easy to write. Got into a rhythm. A good, self-reinforcing rhythm.

What’s also easy is the distraction. Even though I followed only one person (a relentlessly positive poaster), I found myself off in the weeds of the Itchy and Scratchy Show that seemingly infects all who inhabit Twitter. And many of those who did not play the political bashing game seemed to be playing the commercial marketing game. Lemme sell you something. Or the ego game. I’m so smart, look at me.

No more Twitter. Back here. No agenda, no distraction, no commerce, no ego-stroking. I’m just here because it’s an easy, low-friction way to get stuff out of my head, with the added benefit of “I done did something!” because I hit “publish.” Yes, I am that shallow. There is no commerce because I’m not selling anything. There is no ego because I do my best to stay anon.

There is a Twitter account to accompany this blog. @reality_laughs. That’s me. It’s there. I think I will just leave it sitting, unused. It was a hidden method to promote readership of this site. That’s my ego, so the Twitter promotion must cease.

. . . is a thing. When looking at the environment for clues, remember that you are seeing the survivors — people, ideas, businesses, intact families, etc.

Some of these have stood the test of time. All are still being tested; their failure date has not yet arrived. Be mindful of this, too — just because it exists does not mean it is a survivor. It is a survivor up to now.

Time is the filter. Remember that everything worthwhile is Lindy.

But most of all, in your day-to-day life, remember this single imperative, your goal above all other goals:

The big lesson of survivor bias is that you should optimize for being a survivor.

Thank you @visakanv for that insight.

I think most people are lost, frankly. Only a few people do the inner work that is necessary to be at peace.

People give the facade of spiritual development and inner peace but they don’t have it.

People give the facade of “I got my shit together” but they don’t.

All it takes is imperfect efforts at spiritual growth. You don’t even have to be good at it. Just sincerely desire to change and take whatever shitty efforts you happen to be capable of at the moment.

Put those spiritual pennies and nickels in the piggy bank and after a while you have some real spiritual money. Everything is OK.

Who dares wins.

Passive income is a conjecture that the future is going to look like the past.

@dvassalo on Twitter

This is an important business insight.

It is also an important spiritual and personal insight. There is no “one and done.” There is no glide.

Keep working.

describing a desired outcome is a much more powerful signal than listing a set of attributes

@visakanv