Venkatesh Rao on Substack
substack.com
Venkatesh Rao on Substack
One could forget, watching such a civilized group, that traditional politics is argumentative for a reason. It isn’t that politicians don’t know how to be nice, but rather that politics is rooted in the idea of a big, motley people taking their fate into their own hands. Politics is the inherently messy business of negotiating and reconciling incom
... See moreAnand Giridharadas • Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World
Shortform note: A disagreement is worth your time and attention if the dissenting opinion is specific, objective (rather than a personal attack), and focused on the future—it’s concerned about outcomes rather than something that happened in the past. Otherwise, it’s likely just an empty complaint.
Shortform • Principles
In the most independent-minded people, the desire not to be told what to think is a positive force. It's not mere skepticism, but an active delight in ideas that subvert the conventional wisdom, the more counterintuitive the better.
bad time • How to Think for Yourself
An important point: trust doesn’t mean you always agree; in fact, it makes it easier to disagree with someone.