68: Rules Aren't Real 📐
Dispensing with the status quo is the key to escaping mediocrity.
Dispensing with the status quo is the key to escaping mediocrity.
In one morning I came across three stories that made me think twice about the ‘metaverse’. It’s not some abstract future dystopia—it’s already here. Many of us already inhabit mini-metaverses full of personalised algorithms, and few of us are ready to take off the headset. The first...
Sometimes in order to win the game you're optimising for, you must lose the ones you've been told were important.
How often do you revisit ideas you believe to be common sense? When thinking of possible ways we could develop our thinking or improve our lives we naturally gravitate to new ideas instead of investigating existing patterns. When you start thinking from first principles, a lot of things you might...
People become great by being creative within the boundaries and persisting when others might quit.
Sometimes you will be out in the field, pushing the limits of expectation, on the verge of changing the world, and not a single soul will care. The masses often sleepwalk through innovation. You can only make great things if you’re willing to be ignored and unafraid of going...
Brandon Sanderson is one of my favourite authors. If he writes something I’m going to eat it up. But not immediately. Because Brandon likes to write big beefy books that could double as self-defence weapons or stools for small cats. He writes a LOT. He recently surprised his entire...
Whenever words are carried by saltine winds over vast expanses of water, they somehow gain the magical property of resonating clearer in our minds. This is why we seem to fall head over heels in love with wisdom from faraway lands. It explains our obsession with Ikigai. It’s why...
No one human knows how to make a pencil from scratch despite it seeming like a fundamentally basic thing - something every child can use. To construct something as simple as a pencil takes mining graphite, cutting wood, shaping metal, and figuring out whatever modern erasers are made out of....
The Sword of Damocles has become synonymous with imminent danger and the threat of sudden calamity - but that’s only half the story, and perhaps the wrong half to focus on. If you’ve never heard of Damocles before, you’re in for a treat! The story of Damocles...
What the heck is an impostor anyway? Someone who is not supposed to be there. An impersonator. A copycat. A covert intelligence gatherer. Uninformed. Uninitiated. Uninvited. Maybe that’s you. It’s definitely me—but maybe there’s power in that. The ones who are different I am not supposed...
If the cameras turn off, do the Kardashians still exist? People are designing their lives and actions around black camera lenses, hoping that an audience will exist on the other side. People stand alone in rooms swinging their arms violently and making faces at the wall, because TikTok promises their...
People spend their lives chasing passion. We have dreams of what life should be like. What it could be like, once we find the magic that's missing. We all want to get paid to do something we love. And we want to be paid well for it! To achieve the...
We quickly get used to the sound of alarm bells. My smart watch keeps vibrating, every single hour, reminding me to stand up. I turned on the feature because I know sitting for too long is unhealthy. And when I say I know, I KNOW. I know it in my...
Is the glass half empty or half full? Apparently, your answer indicates whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist. I think that’s silly. It’s a question of orientation, not optimism. Are you picking it up or putting it down? What’s your motivation in the scene? Are...
Welcome to the seventh issue of Wayfinder. Wayfinder is about learning to navigate life’s toughest decisions. The choices that keep you awake at night. The decisions that have you second-guessing yourself. The moments when the stakes are high and the path isn’t clear. Wayfinder is designed to guide...
David speaks with David Kadavy, a prolific author and online writer. His most popular books are “Mind Management, Not Time Management: Productivity When Creativity Matters” and “The Heart to Start: Stop Procrastinating & Start Creating”. He currently has 12 available books on Amazon and has sold more than 100,000 books...
In the 1920s, every bowling alley hired young boys to reset the pins and return balls while people were playing. Bowling was becoming incredibly popular, but in order for people to keep playing, someone had to be down at the end of the lane risking their shins and fingers to...
Welcome to the sixth issue of Wayfinder. Wayfinder is about learning to navigate life’s toughest decisions. The choices that keep you awake at night. The decisions that have you second-guessing yourself. The moments when the stakes are high and the path isn’t clear. Wayfinder is designed to guide...
David speaks with Jonny Miller, Founder of Nervous System Mastery and host of the Curious Humans Podcast. Nervous System Mastery is a 5-week online training that will equip you with a custom toolkit to regulate your nervous system, build resilience, reduce stress & feel more aliveness. If you’re interested in...
I don't have any moral judgement on whether it is better to read fiction or non-fiction. But here's what I know - fiction is harder to write. Why? It contains more layers of truth. When you read something worth recommending to others, it's either: * A. accurate * B. believable, or * C....