Author Archives: idj4thinking

The odds are your vote isn’t going to sway an election. Yet, despite this, people keep trying to bully their way into your time by encouraging you to vote as a moral decision. But, the rationale they hold up is especially bad. There’s a few different moral justifications for voting. Let’s go through several ofContinue reading “Why Not Not Vote?”

Most people agree that gerontocracy is bad. Rule by the elderly seems to happen under democratic leadership for better or worse. So, unless there are strong incentives to prevent that, it’s likely that the old will remain in power. Unless of course, my revolutionary idea for bringing about good government comes along. If you challengeContinue reading “Good Governance Reform: Wrestling Edition”

I have reasonably bad anxiety. I will be existing in my car, writing, reading, and suddenly nothing is ok. I’m worried that I won’t make anything of my career, that I’ll be mediocre, I’ll die, and I’ll die alone. Sometimes I hate that I can’t just relax. My default setting is a teensy bit paranoid,Continue reading “Embracing Anxiety”

Do you sharpen the sword by having smart enemies? Facing off against talent, do you rise to the occasion? Does dancing with the devil bring an otherworldly cunning to you? What does it say about you when your enemies are daft, dumb, and deranged? Are you on the side of the righteous? Is winning enough?Continue reading “Do you want smart enemies?”

I’m not a person who likes admitting error. If I can avoid acknowledging my mistakes, and just move forward, that’s my preferred method of resolution. That method is unfortunately not always possible. Some people need the validation that you were incorrect to move forward. You need to grin and bear it. Here’s what I doContinue reading “Eating Crow Gracefully”

Purity is often associated with consistency. Textures like linen, glass, and ground up sand all highlight a type of blandness, an irreducibility. The fibers and grains come together to paint a picture, one that’s not really dependent on any specific aesthetic preference. The harsh rays of the sun are meditative. The dessert is motionless, nothingContinue reading “Meditative Heat”

The quintessential movie antagonist is Regina George. Blonde, immaculate looking, a natural leader, filled with spite, manipulative and charming. Many people identify more with her than Katie, and especially Janet, especially in the original movie. The second movie lacks a lot of the subtlety that I think the original movie had, particularly with the characterContinue reading “In Defense of Regina George”

The placebo effect refers to the effect patients have when they receive the null treatment. One might think that the null treatment would do nothing. Clinical trials are set up in such a way that there’s double blind treatments. Only some of a group are tested, and it’s unclear to the people being tested which.Continue reading “Is it unethical to market the placebo effect?”

Likely everyone who clicked on this has had this or something like this happen to them. I’ve come off as abrasive in the past when I in no uncertain terms correct people and comment on their attitudes. This is not an ideal strategy for doing well, and might short-change your longer term goals. Let’s walkContinue reading “How to Approach Work When You Aren’t Given The Benefit Of The Doubt!”