idj4thinking

Misterwives, certainly better than sister wives.

What was the last live performance you saw? The last musician I heard live was Misterwives, a poppy indie-rock band. This was a magical performance and the energy was impeccable. The new album they have out is very catchy, and I found myself going through it and getting a little obsessed with individual songs, particularlyContinue reading “Misterwives, certainly better than sister wives.”

Suspicious of Kaldor-Hicks as Optimality Conditions

Wikipedia explains that the Kaldor-Hicks improvement criteria is essentially a less stringent version of a Pareto improvement, something where in practice, everyone is made better off. In the Kaldor-Hicks view, merely the ability of the winners to compensate the losers is grounds for claiming something is optimal, regardless of whether such compensation occurs. The basicContinue reading “Suspicious of Kaldor-Hicks as Optimality Conditions”

Self-Actualizing My Interests

What do you do to be involved in the community? One barrier that many people find to making friends is that they don’t prioritize doing things they enjoy. Typically, friendship revolving around a shared interest, especially for a man, is easier to bond over. Men, in general, are more likely to bond working on aContinue reading “Self-Actualizing My Interests”

What can I help you with? I’m building a male friendship course and I want your feedback

I recently learned that 53% of men are dissatisfied in their relationships with their friends and that 1/7 men have no close friends. This number is frightening to me, because a lack of friendships makes it 25% more likely that someone dies in the next four years. And, that’s not even considering the mental anguishContinue reading “What can I help you with? I’m building a male friendship course and I want your feedback”

Contextualize, Recontextualize, Repeat

Oddly, one of the best ways to build momentum is to believe you’ve already started building momentum. If you imagine yourself as talented and able to solve any problem that gets in your way, you get discouraged less easily because your self-image contextualizes the time it takes to succeed as a step on the wayContinue reading “Contextualize, Recontextualize, Repeat”

Applying Economic Analysis to Common Law

Economic analysis of law looks at how law as an institution shapes the incentives of individuals and firms, looks at how risk is allocated, and how resources are segregated. The figure most associated in law and economics, or economic analysis of the law is Richard Posner who’s general contribution was that common law is andContinue reading “Applying Economic Analysis to Common Law”

Why I Don’t Vote 🗳️

Do you vote in political elections? Habits repeat and reinforce each other. The more one engages in an activity, the stronger they’ll hold the beliefs that correspond with that activity. The more they’ll hold the values that associate with what one does. Oftentimes doing something small can lead to cascading effects, regardless of whether it’sContinue reading “Why I Don’t Vote 🗳️”

The Seth Godin Formula: Assessing Seth’s Books

I’ve read 3 of of Seth Godin’s books at this point, Tribes, Linchpin, and Purple Cow. Tribes is about the idea that you must become a leader. Linchpin argues that in order to be appreciated, you must do things that make you important. Purple Cow suspects that uniqueness and difference are important in order toContinue reading “The Seth Godin Formula: Assessing Seth’s Books”

What thoughts are holding you back?

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often? What’s Preventing You From Achieving Your Ten Year Goals in Six Months? – Peter Thiel I love when you ask yourself questions that really push you to assess what you’re doing and where you are going. If you’re trying to getContinue reading “What thoughts are holding you back?”

Smite 2 Player Experience Predictions

Smite 2, a longtime meme in the Smite Ranked Community has been confirmed, and is coming out in alpha testing this weekend. From a veteran player perspective, it’s unclear if this offers many practical benefits. It’s not as if the core game play is changing much. On the other hand, slightly updating rosters between FIFAs,Continue reading “Smite 2 Player Experience Predictions”