loving the process
Natalie Audelo and
loving the process
Kurt Vonnegut, talking about when he tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope:
“Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of
... See moreThe purpose of education is to develop agency within a child. Purposeful work and achieving mastery are tools to getting there. They aren’t the results of learning and imagination, it’s the other way around—learning is simply the consequence of doing. To understand this is to understand the ecology that fosters genius and talent.
Simon Sarris • School Is Not Enough
why summaries don’t work
One thought I’ve often had about success is this: none of it is solid or is guaranteed to last. A supposedly great book can be forgotten or become dated. Laurels fade pretty quickly. But the one thing that seems pretty resilient is the pleasure one takes while writing – the alteration of the mind that takes place as we work a thing up the ladder,... See more
George Saunders • Office Hours
Choose work you have a natural aptitude for and a deep interest in. Develop a habit of working on your own projects; it doesn't matter what they are so long as you find them excitingly ambitious. Work as hard as you can without burning out, and this will eventually bring you to one of the frontiers of knowledge. These look smooth from a distance,... See more
Paul Graham: Essays • Superlinear Returns
when in doubt, follow your curiosity
Ted Hughes:
“And that’s how we measure out our real respect for people—by the degree of feeling they can register, the voltage of life they can carry and tolerate—and enjoy. End of sermon. As Buddha says: live like a might river. And as the old Greeks said: live as though all your ancestors were living again through you.”
Most of the time, bad habits are simply a way of dealing with stress and boredom.
James Clear • How to Break a Bad Habit and Replace It With a Good One
I don’t care if I’m popular, I’m just going to do this. I’m a lifer in this. I’m going to do this forever.