I admire the work of journalist Anne Applebaum. She has a knack for producing details through her reporting that are unpredictably illustrative of her arguments. She does not produce your expected narrative to fit a bucket of left wing or right wing journalism. Incisive, thoughtful, and razor-sharp. We need mode people like Anne.

The writer James Clear asks in his 3-2-1 Newsletter: Which belief once protected you, but now confines you? Reflection time. I suspect one of these is the belief that status, power, and titles will bring protection and safety. So many people fall for it. An alternative (albeit riskier) belief would be to focus on lifestyle.…

Today I was listening to a podcast on the science of sleep and how to optimize the different stages of sleep. The differences between REM sleep and deep sleep and how the first few 90min cycles restore the body while the last cycles the emotional experiences of the day. I wonder how my brain will…

I have forgotten the value of metrics in my sports performance. For the last few years, I have been solely focused on improving the baseline systems that make me show up even in the worst of days. Consistency has been achieved. Now the next step is to measure things. Recently I got a Garmin Instinct…

I have worked both with micro-managers and macro-managers. And I have taken notes on both the strengths and weaknesses. To summarize, my experience working with a micro-manager is tainted with character-building and sharpening of my stoicism. I am grateful for the experience, but will certainly not repeat. My experience working with a macro-manager is colored…

I have been sick for the last few days and one thing has become clear: you need to treat good quality rest like a non-negotiable and sacred activity. Any investment that improves your quality of sleep (a quality mattress, a quality pillow, quality sheets, dark curtains, a bedtime routine) will pay dividends to your body,…

A very big problem on the political left is our willingness and readiness to set up our very own with much greater intensity and energy than to the other side. The all-or-nothing attitude. The excommunication of imperfect allies. The moral certainty required to define an enemy. A new form of puritanism defined by sharp contrasts:…

I recently discovered on Spotify the French electronic artist heylucas. His single “life is beautiful” is surprisingly a good summary of what mindfulness brings you: Focusing on your sense puts you right into the present moment and when you are in the present moment what happens is you begin to notice all the simple things…

Today I stumbled upon a copy of Bertrand Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy on display at the local bookstore. I was walking back home from grocery shopping. I was very glad to find it –I have been looking for it. I first read Russell’s meta-analysis on the greatest thinkers that shaped western civilization when…

Today is a good reminder that all bodies eventually fall apart. No amount of healthy lifestyle choices (not smoking, not drinking, not eating trash, plenty of aerobic exercise) will make you an eternal ephebe. We all face decay, and eventual death. Perhaps this very quality of decay makes youth so much more precious. Perhaps life…