Brian

“Act as a research assistant. Summarize the top 3 developments in {specific field, e.g. 'AI policy' or 'climate tech'} from the past 90 days. Include source citations, key players, and potential second-order effects for professionals in the space.”

Ross Douthat interviews Peter Thiel on politics, technology, and the apocalypse. One fairly minor quote that's worth thinking about: "I would define the middle class as the people who expect their kids to do better than themselves." This is actually a great working definition: a dividing line between middle and lower class is the assumption that

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What 5-Minute Action Could Shortcut You to What You Really Want?

Most people take the long way around. They imagine multi-year plans to finally do the thing they care about. Derek challenges that mindset with a simple question: what’s the five-minute action that could start you down the shortcut path?

Derek also offered a framing I loved: instead of asking “Is this idea true?”, ask “What action does this idea create?” If a belief drains your energy or keeps you stuck, toss it. If it moves you toward growth, connection, or creative output, follow it.

Amidst the tone of graven importance the writers of these essays, maybe there’s not much to say that feels new—or if there is, we are often side-stepping it. In her book Hole Studies , Hilary Plum points out how contemporary essayists, she says, write “I’ve been thinking a lot about . . .” and “then just virtuously mention a subject, not saying one... See more