akos

All risk problems are data problems. If we can see the data, we can build a model for risk.

Two days later we finally caught the bus south simply by showing up, sitting down and just waiting for 90 minutes. The man was right - the bus did come, just on a more organic schedule than the rigid one we expected. We got to Hat Yai hours later.

A lot of things people choose to learn about are fake.

When I write, I push myself to make definite positive claims. Ambiguity allows thought to remain fluid on the page, floating into a different meaning when put under pressure. This makes it harder to push your thinking deeper. By making clear and sharp claims, I reveal my understanding so that I—or the person I’m writing to—can see the state of my... See more

Notice patterns

Take advantage of them

When you’re genuinely curious about the world, when you let that curiosity guide your reading, your thinking, and your creating, you become a magnet for ideas, conversations, and opportunities. When you’re interested, you’re never boring. And when you’re interesting, the world can’t help but pay attention.

Forcing the diffuse ideas and impressions in your head into a definite statement is an art form. You have to grab hold of what is floating and make it rigid and sharp. It can feel almost embarrassing, revealing your ignorance with as much vulnerability as possible.

And it is only the first step. Once you have made your thoughts definite, clear,... See more

The three years of solitary work at Montpellier had not been wasted in the least: that intellectual isolation was what had allowed him to access the cognitive space where new ideas arise. He had made himself at home there.

We have 24/7 access to everything, but no framework for living with that responsibly.