22 Comments

Point 30 is a direct response to point 22 😅

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Point 16 will pique the interest of your family members who’ve read infinite jest, an outcome of variable utility

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Incredible list-- Merry Xmas thanks for this amazing substack 🙂🎄

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I hazarded at least a possible answer to your question about pie vs. cake a few years ago: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/01/america-forgot-how-to-make-pie-crust/

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What is the exact mechanism for #3?

Thank you for excellent content, as always.

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On point 22: Did you have anything specific in mind when coming up with this one?

On point 23: Obisidian user here; To me, the personal benefit lies in collecting all kinds of information in a semi-structured, searchable way and having it at my disposal whenever I need it. That's the value-add. Granted, a massive flat file could provide most of that.

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Re: point 26: How dare you. 🧁

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It's a funny list, but since I'm the only true nerd in my family, there's no one to argue with for most of the items. I question the premise behind some of them (e.g., I don't accept that agriculture made life worse), but I guess that's just further fodder for argument, isn't it?

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Regarding #1.

I think it's arguable that the Guinness book of records has caused harm for the many people trying and failing (or not) to do really pointless, stupid and dangerous things. There's also likely a ton of bullshit involved.

But the idea of pushing humanity to our limits and achieving the most amazing and crazy things is a value worth keeping and nurturing. So I'm going with net good.

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Tour de France: bad crashes always make the highlights... people already know the price cyclists pay.

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I found them all wonderfully wicked; some more than others. It's a cacophony of colliding conundrums; but OH, so fun to discuss, debate or postulate. 😉

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2. I embrace explicit materialism about the few things that I'm openly materialistic about (good food, books, a nice view) and many people do but are only open about them with their close ones. Explicit materialism for its own sake or to compete with others is low status.

12. Meaning in life is just satisfaction/fulfillment that gets you to the next moment.

14. This may be too technical for me. More broadly it seems to be asking what would one do with perfect self control. I think you'd develop principles and set some baseline for degrees of change over time.

26. Good cake is on the same level as good pie and fresh well made cake is better than good pie, in my opinion. Your comment could be due to only having access to good pie and ok cake.

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