Reflections
This is a collection of thoughts that are less developed than the stories in the main archive. Think of them as brief entries in my intellectual journal that I share every now and then.
Many reflections are for patrons only, but there are some that are available for all readers.1
The pursuit of meaning is the distinguishing feature of our species. How do we harness it to bring out the best of ourselves?
Our relationship with time defines this strange emotion.
If you can't eradicate it, opt out of it while you can.
If you view knowledge for its utility, you will never fully appreciate it.
Dependency is not love, yet we often confuse one for the other.
Shield yourself against the winds of external response.
Decouple an interest from its practical value. That's how agency is born.
A 2-step framework you can use to unearth ideas worth writing about.
The best game to play is the one that requires no scoreboard in the first place.
If you can master the art of the start, then any creative endeavor is possible.
In a culture so focused on managing time, we have become subservient to it.
We live in a beautiful world where curiosity - not geography - is the bottleneck.
A list of 7 contradictory truths.
A motto that anchors me.
The strangest part of a dream is not the dream itself, but the fact that you don’t recognize its strangeness.
If you don’t do what’s important today, you’re robbing yourself of the gratitude you’ll feel tomorrow.
Don't be fooled by what you can't see.
On small ideas, distraction-free environments, and the importance of iterations. (Patrons Only)
A reflection on the cheery topic of pain and suffering. (Patrons Only)
A video reflection on the nature of burnout, the incessant need to produce, and the overemphasis on consistency.
An exploration into the battle between our inner critic and the voice of compassion. (Patrons Only)
12 answers to 12 great questions. (Patrons Only)
A reflection on the many perspectives of 2020, and what it means to better calibrate your own. (Patrons Only)
A reflection on trying to comfort a crying child, and how language is next to meaningless in this particular endeavor. (Patrons Only)
A reflection on balancing purposeful work amidst the natural constraints of time. (Patrons Only)
A reflection on the nature of incentives, and how they test some of our deepest ethical intuitions.
A three-point reflection on (1) language as the gatekeeper of thought, (2) the one word to resolve money problems, and (3) what it means to avoid the status trap. (Patrons Only)
A reflection on pursuing questions as opposed to answers, working on just one thing, and the fluidity of attention.
A reflection on synchronous communication, internalizing what other creators are doing, and viewing the future in an optimistic light. (Patrons Only)
A 16-minute audio commentary on a big post about money. (Patrons Only)
A reflection on the categorization of ideas, the power of fiction, and what it means for me to connect with my audience. (Patrons Only)
"Productivity." Some of you may roll your eyes at that word, while others just can’t get enough of it. What have we gotten right about productivity, where have we gone wrong, and what has worked for me?
Three personal reflections on the nature of time, interpreting boredom, and the power of daily journaling. (Patrons Only)
When you show interest in others, it's only inevitable that everyone will be interesting. This is a reflection on the reciprocal nature of curiosity.
Three takeaways from the longest month ever. (Patrons Only)
All of the posts published in Year One have been carefully formatted into a downloadable PDF bundle for offline viewing. (Patrons Only)
An intimate look into an eventful year. (Patrons Only)
A 35-minute, behind-the-scenes analysis of one of the more popular More To That posts. (Patrons Only)
Here's a detailed, step-by-step look into how a More To That post is made. (Patrons Only)
The Patreon stop motion video quite literally took over 100 hours to make. This post distills that whole process into a few minutes for you. (Patrons Only)