Blog

All posts are my own opinion and do not represent any organization I am affiliated with.

Writing Once a Day

I wrote a couple different things today, and none of it turned out the way I wanted. I'm questioning if it is a good idea to write and publish something every day. It seems to be pushing me to write shorter and less well-written things, while also giving me less time to think about what I want to write about.

In doubting my choice to write daily, for now, I will persevere. My takeaway thought is: "how do I write more often while maintaining or improving quality?"

Fun: Ok Go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MejbOFk7H6c

I love how the car hits pianos each tuned to a different note/chord. The making of video is also great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_26801&feature=iv&list=PL07D399D8CE9C0B48&src_vid=MejbOFk7H6c&v=75aqU54CaYE

There's More to Life Than Happiness

"It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness."

"To the European," Frankl wrote, "it is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to 'be happy.' But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to 'be happy.'"

"Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desire are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided,"

"Nearly a quarter of Americans do not have a strong sense of what makes their lives meaningful."

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/theres-more-to-life-than-being-happy/266805/

These are quotes from Viktor E. Frankl a holocaust survivor who wrote Man's Search for Meaning. I'm now more interested in reading his book and have moved it up on my to-read list.

I'm also now wondering if I should change my daily question from "How happy were you today?" to "How meaningful was your day?"

Spurious Correlations

Fun reminder that correlation does not imply causation.

http://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations

Logical Persuasion

Just as you can not persuade logical thinkers with irrational rhetoric,
you can not persuade illogical thinkers with rational rhetoric.

It is sometimes easy to forget:

you can not persuade illogical thinkers with rational rhetoric.