John's Blog

Just because a theory is falsifiable doesn’t mean that it’s good.

A theory that a specific flower blooms in the springtime because the month of May is sacred is falsifiable because it can be tested. If the flower blooms in May, you have evidence your theory works.  

But good theories have explanatory power. And these explanations should be hard to vary. In the flower example, one could easily vary the theory: maybe it blooms in May because May is the month with the fewest letters. The theory is equally valid to the “May is sacred” theory, if the flower blooms in May. 

Good theories with good explanatory power exist when each part of the theory is critical to the explanation. The best theories are ones where the slight variation proves the theory wrong.

Depending on how you look at it, you’re living in heaven or hell.

There are only two valid theories: ones that have been falsified and those that are falsifiable, ready to be disproved.

Think through how things will go wrong in advance saves you from pain in the future.

If you don’t know what to do, pause, write, or breathe. Don’t act.

The easiest cure for brain fog is a long walk.

Inspiration is a scarce resource. When it hits you, strike quickly.

Podcasts are better than audiobooks because we listen to connect with people. Listening to a scripted read isn’t as good as a listening to a natural conversation.

I know I should brush my teeth for two minutes, but this can feel like an eternity. Now, I have a toothbrush that buzzes every thirty seconds. It tells me when to switch to another quadrant. With the buzzer, the two minutes fly by.

Manage your time like how you brush your teeth or eat a steak. Cut it up into manageable chunks. If you do that, time won’t be daunting.

“Focus on what you have, and gain what you lack. Focus on what you don’t have, and lose what you have.” – Greg Mckeown