An effective way to become an expert on a subject is to write about it every week for a few years. The process of writing crystallizes the essentials of a subject matter. Even better, it helps if you integrate the Feynman Technique: Repeat the iterative ladder ad infinitum.

The right-wing version of American imperialism believes that the world is a better place because of them. The left-wing version of American imperialism believes that the world is worse off because of them. Both are ways of seeing the world in a self-referencing and solipsistic way, because in the end what matters is what the…

By breaking international law and due process, the US president has signaled that it is permissible for big countries to crush small countries. The post-war era of peaceful cooperation is over. Plato’s philosopher-king is dead. Might makes right. Power is everything. Long live the strongman. The U.S. president has given moral authority to the Goliaths…

On the morning of New Year’s Day, I was walking the streets of Midtown Manhattan and the lower portion of Central Park. Among the things that I was thinking was the question “how would you live your live if you knew you only had 1 more year left?” This exercise, albeit a bit morbid, forces…

I don’t believe in resolutions. I do believe in building systems. The problem with most resolutions is that they fall flat in addressing systemic issues about identity. Who you are at your core will eventually override any cosmetic behavior change. The real stuff involves deep introspection: an examination of one’s own past to get you…

Why is it that people from “third world” countries report higher levels of happiness compared to those from the “first world”? I believe it has to something with exposure to suffering and pain. The less exposed you are to pain, the more comfortable you become, the more complacent and accustomed you become to the good…

It is incredible how much you can achieve with simple and primitive things done consistently: walking 15,000 steps, getting early morning sunlight, getting 8 hours of quality sleep, a diet based of fresh produce, drinking 2 L of water, writing by hand, outdoor sports like running or surfing, spending time with kids and pets, being…

Today is the first Christmas I spent it away from my family in México. The current Administration has made it risky for individuals like me to do what legal advisors call “non-essential travel,” of which traveling to reunite with family during the holidays is considered non-essential. The current Administration has made it clear to inflict…

In September last year, the professor that recently passed away was reviewing my setup for the week’s experiments on earthen materials. I was then his teaching assistant and was responsible for delivering the week’s lab assignments. I was unsure if the two soils required for the experiment were the right ones. One was from Pecos…

If I had the resources, I would go on an extended holiday to understand who I really am. To ask the important questions, such as “What do I want out of this life?”How can I find the courage to face reality squarely and grapple with the sunk-cost fallacy of my current trajectory?