Tangential Tuesday #45
Adulting, Bravery Debates, Family vs. Calling, The Amazon, trash talk, 1 YEAR!
Hi everyone. I’ve been slacking on the newsletter recently. No excuses.
On the positive side, I started this newsletter just about a year ago! Only missing 7/52 weeks is not too bad.
Let’s get into it 😃
⚔️ Against Bravery Debates
There’s a tradition on Reddit that when somebody repeats some cliche in a tone that makes it sound like she believes she is bringing some brilliant and heretical insight – like “I know I’m going to get downvoted for this, but believe we should have less government waste!” – people respond “SO BRAVE” in the comments.
The persistence of bravery debates is actually kind of weird. Shouldn’t it be really really easy to figure out who’s being oppressed by whom? The Spanish Inquisition had many faults, but whining about being unfairly persecuted by heretics was, as far as I know, not one of them. Can two opposing positions really be absolutely certain they are under siege?
This articulates why I’ve intuitively felt like certain debates are going nowhere without actually knowing why.
The most classic example of bravery debates I’ve seen is politics. I hear stories right wing people complaining about how the are discriminated against on college campuses.
Yet some liberals also complain about the world being run by capitalists and their opinions not being heard.
Your argument does not get “extra points” for being brave. Stand behind facts and logic. I’m sure there are a few exceptions to this rule, but they are just that - exceptions.
👨👨👧👦 Do You Want a Family or a Calling?
I believe the unvarnished reality about work-life-balance is this: the only people who successfully follow an all-consuming, high-impact professional calling are: a) either single or married to a someone who has a "career" (or less) and not a "calling" and, b) do not have kids.
If you are skeptical of this quote (I was, and you should be too), see The Power Of Hyperbole.
🌳 Why Everything They Say About The Amazon, Including That It's The 'Lungs Of The World,' Is Wrong
Singers and actors including Madonna and Jaden Smith shared photos on social media that were seen by tens of millions of people. “The lungs of the Earth are in flames,” said actor Leonardo DiCaprio. “The Amazon Rainforest produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen,” tweeted soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
This article demonstrates two things:
Mainstream media and “influencers” have a ton of power in spreading ideas and shaping the conversation
Ideas spread through these channels are not optimized for truth.
Now, I realize this article might sound a bit woo woo conspiracy theory esque. And the truth is I have no idea what’s actually happening in the Amazon. But this seemed like a pretty grounded take to me. I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
🧠Understanding
Virtually all investors have been told when they were younger — or implicitly believe, or have been tacitly encouraged to do so by the cookie-cutter curriculums of the business schools they all attend — that the more they understand the world, the better their investment results. It makes sense, doesn’t it? The more information we acquire and evaluate, the “better informed” we become, the better our decisions. Accumulating information, becoming “better informed,” is certainly an advantage in numerous, if not most, fields.
I try to remind myself of this whenever I find myself wanting to consume vast amounts of information for no clear purpose.
Like all hard truths, even though I believe that this is true deep down, I find that I need constant reminders to actually put this truth into practice.
🧑 Adulting
I recently moved into a new apartment (address at the bottom of the newsletter has been updated)! I’m still living in San Francisco, but now in the Mission District.
It’s been a ton of fun, but it’s also made me realize that this is my first time basically furnishing an apartment from scratch.
There’s so many decisions to be made. What vacuum should we buy? What about a trash can? How do you make a room look good without spending absurd amounts of $$? The list goes on.
There’s also the fun of figuring out all your new surroundings. What restaurants/bars are nearby, grocery stores, how you get to work, etc. Sometimes I forget how much your living situation permeates every aspect of you life.
If you have any tips on how to adult better (especially things you wish you knew when you were my age) let me know.
🗑️Trash Talking
Go to 2:45 on this video. My friend Zack shared this video with me this week. It’s hilarious, but also super insightful.
If you watch about 2 minutes of the video, you’ll get to see George Hotz being totally absurd, and trash talking all other self driving car companies. It’s unheard of. It’s super disrespectful and unheard of. But it’s hilarious, especially because there’s an element of truth in what he’s saying.
I think Americans tend to forget that work can and should be fun and grandiose. Give yourself permission to be a little more outrageous and passionate and excited this week.
A special treat, just for the newsletter 😊
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for pics of the new apartment.
See you next week,
Taylor