Thought provoking
Every angel is an asshole somewhere.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb • The Bed of Procrustes
Whenever they decided to do a bit of extra work – say, to hoe the fields instead of scattering seeds on the surface – people thought, ‘Yes, we will have to work harder. But the harvest will be so bountiful! We won’t have to worry any more about lean years. Our children will never go to sleep hungry.’ It made sense. If you worked harder, you would
... See moreYuval Noah Harari • Sapiens
Watch what triggers people.
That's what they care about.
Tweets From Paul Portesi · @PaulPortesitwitter.comThe Internet broke the private-public wall; impulsive and inelegant utterances that used to be kept private are now available for literal interpretation.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb • The Bed of Procrustes
The main advertising influence on their success is fame. As you'll see, I believe the most probable driver of brand success -- and the central principle of communication that we advertisers can control -- is fame. Not brand meaning, or relationship building, or brand purpose or any of the other fantasies that the advertising and marketing industry
... See moresee • The Three-Word Brief
During the early days of the pandemic I got obsessed with the way that politicians and pundits would stumble over the government's apparently excellent slogan 'Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives'. I eventually learned that it's because ears and brains have been trained (or are neurologically predisposed) to expect a list of three like this to
... See moreRussell Davies • Everything I Know About Life I Learned From PowerPoint
I remember asking for The Beatles Illustrated Song Book for Christmas one year & then being dismayed by how every song had so many chords in it. We had an acoustic guitar that my mum had bought as an ornament while at college & I would sit looking at the pages of the book & then at my fingers on the fretboard, feeling totally helpless. Then punk
... See moreJarvis Cocker • Good Pop, Bad Pop
If something (say, a stock price) looks slightly out of line, it is out of line. If it looks way out of line, you are wrong in your method of evaluation.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb • The Bed of Procrustes
The story of Thuan, Tippi, and the spread of Vietnamese nail salons is pretty amazing. But even more surprising is the fact that it’s not unique.
Other immigrant groups have cornered similar niches. Estimates suggest that Cambodian Americans own approximately 80 percent of the doughnut shops in Los Angeles, and that Koreans own 65 percent of the dry