Learn frameworks, then abandon them.
Embody a structure, then forget it.
Memorize the recipe, then throw it away.
Author Archives: John
Collect and Store
Information is plentiful. It’s water. But even rain is meaningless if we don’t store it.
Cultivate your storage containers. Memorialize what you learn.
The Endowment Effect
The endowment effect is a powerful cognitive bias that we live with. In short, we overvalue the things we have because we own them.
I can’t give away this sweater because my relative gave it to me. I can’t donate this printer because I bought it on sale. I can’t throw away this mug because I’ve taken it everywhere I’ve moved.
To fight this bias, look at your things through another person’s eyes.
I think about this while at clothing stores. When I enter, I look in the mirror and ask myself: how much would I pay for the clothes I’m wearing right now? If my clothes were taken and hung up in the store, how much would I pay for them?
Depersonalize, step back, and ask yourself how much you really value things.
Averages
Being the average between moral extremes is often where virtue lies.
Yelling
Yelling at a cat has no effect. It really illuminates how absurd it looks to be the yeller.
Judgment
We judge our thoughts too harshly and our actions too leniently.
Music Describes Life
Music language is great for describing life. Grace notes, accents, codas, forte, variations on a theme, diminuendo, crescendo.
What elements of life can’t be described by music?
Movement
If we were our pets’ pets, I’m sure they would comment on how little we moved. Much can be learned from a dog’s sprints or a cat’s stroll.
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