Great quotes, forecasting the future and AOC Interview
Weekly Ink #14
A weekly newsletter with findings, practical wisdom, and interesting conversations from across the web, curated by yours truly.
Contemplations
Meditations, practical philosophy, and the occasional restless thought.
The wedding madness continues! Last week, I shared some of my favorite book excerpts. This week, enjoy a selection of quotes I've saved over the years, ranging from truisms to memorable quips. I hope they amuse, entertain, and inspire you as they have me. Note: I may be off for the following two weeks. We’ll see. But definitely not stopping.
If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone. - Epictetus
When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending. - Thich Nhat Hanh
We have been fighting on this planet for ten thousand years; it would be idiotic and unethical to not take advantage of such accumulated experiences. If you haven’t read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren’t broad enough to sustain you. — General Jim Mattis
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. - Viktor E. Frankl
Democracy does not require uniformity. It does require a basic sense of solidarity; for all our differences, we’re in this together. - Barack Obama, Farewell address
It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. - Miyamoto Musashi
Insights
Curated stories and ideas.
This study tried to improve our ability to predict major geopolitical events. It worked: As part of a new side project I’m working on, I’ve been reading a lot about forecasting and what can be done to understand trends and glean insights into the future. It turns out that looking around the corner is very hard and borderline impossible. Yet, there seem to be some tools and mental models to help us better understand what’s ahead. Anyway, I found the content remarkably insightful and relevant despite being nearly ten years old. Is the typical policymaker or expert meaningfully better today at making decisions and forecasting the future compared to 10 years ago? I'm going to hazard a guess and say no. Like stoicism, which is currently in vogue, and mindfulness, so is the ascent of decision sciences. But it’s one thing to be interested in and claim to adhere to a principle or framework; it’s another to actually be committed to the process.
If A.I. Can Do Your Job, Maybe It Can Also Replace Your CEO: I really enjoyed this article and would recommend you check it out if you have the time. I’m not sure this is a spicy take, but to me, A.I. as CEO seems like the biggest unlock it can deliver. I mean, we’re talking about a potential wholesale disruption of the elite, an upsetting of the established hierarchy. If nothing else comes from the apparent A.I. revolution, let it be this: a wholesale dismantling and disruption of the existing hierarchy so that we may rebuild one that allows more people to benefit from the gains of what makes America America: business.
I just discovered that Substack links can be embedded inside Substack, and that’s pretty cool. The above link is worth reading if you are interested in A.I. In a very different vein from the prior piece, this one is more about practical and current applications. If you haven’t played around with it in a few months, now is a great time to do so. If you haven’t tried Claude but know ChatGPT, I recommend starting there.
Dialogue
Voices, perspectives, and conversations from our community and across the web.
AOC on Trump vs. Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tech, Gaza & More - On with Kara Swisher: Regardless of what you think of AOC, this is an excellent conversation. It’s candid and informal, covering various topics, from the recent verbal confrontation between her and Marjorie Green to A.I. I Would recommend a listen.
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