10 Ideas From 2024
From tech and philosophy to babies and aliens
Hello there,
An important update first. We re-launched the 2nd edition of our book ‘Think Like The Minimalist’ and it’s getting some nice reviews- grab a copy if you haven’t already.
I wrote 50+ articles this year. That’s a lot of nonsense for one person to generate.
That entire pile contained a bunch of interesting ideas that many seem to have missed because they subscribed to the newsletter later in the year.
If there’s one thing I’ve realized reading so many diverse books, it’s that some of the most unusual insights appear when you mine deep, go beyond what everyone’s talking about, and try to look for niche topics that aren’t commonly explored.
In that light, let me share 10 of my best pieces from 2024 which touched upon some fascinating stuff.
If you’re on holiday and don’t intend to bomb your liver into oblivion, consider spending some time reading these by clicking on the title (links are embedded).
[The 2-line descriptions are just meant to provide a gist, a deeper exploration by reading the source article is strongly recommended]
Here we go:
Eat the menu: We don’t eat the food, we eat the menu. We don’t drink the wine, we drink the price tag. Our experience of the F&B we consume is highly driven by aesthetics and perception…and not necessarily by the tongue.
Exponential Gap: Tech moves exponentially, but our regulations move linearly. This creates a major gap, which tech companies exploit with their business practices- and this often ends up hurting workers (think of gig workers who have none of the benefits & security but work harder than regular employees- all because we had no law or regulations for this new class of workers created by the smartphone revolution)
The Authoritarian Playbook: How can you spot an authoritarian? By seeing if they’re sticking to the conventional playbook: a) Buy out the referees of the system (like SC judges), b) eliminate the key players of the opposition (through scandals or taxes), and c) change the rules of the game (changing the constitution and making it easier for themselves to amass more power for longer). Scary stuff, everyone must know about this.
Why Painful Rituals Exist: So many tribes across the world have extremely painful initiation rites before a member can be confirmed as one of them- from crocodile scars to torturous bee stings. Why do they do that? Think of these as extremely high sign-up costs. If someone invests so much, it’s a clear signal that they’re truly committed. It’s also a way to filter out the freeloaders who will exit the tribe at the first sign of trouble or bribery. In a way, this is human culture’s proof-of-work mechanism. Read the full thing- it’s one of the most fascinating pieces of ‘24.
How Shopping Malls Trick Us: Shopping malls are designed to do 2 things- make you tired and disorient you as much as possible. Why? Because when that happens, our ability to practice self-control depletes, making us more prone to impulse purchases. Lots of walking, no place to sit, flashy lights, no windows- why do you think all these are common features of every mall?
The Status Game: Should you play the status game? Not really. Not unless you’re okay with constantly trailing the luxury class as they ramp up their purchases and get ever-costlier items that’ll always be out of reach for the average Joe. It’s a forever war, and the normies will never get to feel they’ve “arrived”. Opt out of the game and meditate instead.
The Truth About Motivation: The conventional idea of dangling bigger rewards and bonuses to drive performance seems to be broken. Surprisingly, it leads to worsening performance- because instead of doing a good job, people only chase the reward, leading to a narrowing focus which affects their creative thinking.
The Loss Of Knowledge: We may arrogantly believe that we’ve created enough redundancy in our data storage capabilities that our knowledge will survive the test of that time, but that isn’t true. All our digital info is built on the bedrock of electricity, computers, and the internet. If modern civilization collapses and we destroy our electrical grids and computers, the next civ may not be able to access all the data unless they can build the technologies needed to read computers & servers. We run the very real risk of wasting our knowledge bounty without making concrete efforts at preservation.
Baby Psychology: When babies talk to pet dragons, they’re not being stupid, innocent kids. They know those animals don’t exist. Rather, it’s a sophisticated way to simulate social interaction and get a hang of how other minds operate. It’s kids learning psychology through DIY methods.
Why We Must Seek Out Aliens: The legendary Carl Sagan argued that we must try and get in touch with alien civilizations. It’s a project where success would mean we’d have lots to learn from their art, politics, philosophy, etc. And even a failure would mean success- because the absence of any other form of life would confirm the preciousness of human life and nudge us to prevent wasting it away via wars, famines, inequality, etc.
That’s it, friends. What were your favourite articles, insights, or ideas from the year? Respond to the email, and let’s start a conversation.