Michael Brooks

@mike

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“Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary. It's time for that to end.”

Sebastian Junger • Tribe — Sebastian Junger

this hurdle I have to jump over each time I write: How can I say this more crisply? When I write (which is really just to say: when I think) it all boils down to one simple, but utterly excruciating question: What am I really trying to say here?

Isabel Hazan • distillation

“Sometimes fear does not subside and you must do it afraid.”

– Elisabeth Elliot

Communicate like a Senior: Use clear deltas

open.substack.com

communication

Use deltas when talking with stakeholders or when trying to highlight once choice over another.

When to Do What You Love

paulgraham.com paulgraham.com

meaning and work

‘Follow your passion’ is advice that doesn’t work most people. It’s far more nuanced than thought. In most cases, we’re better off trying to understand what we like, staying curious about those things, and see where we can do great work.

A work of fiction is, in a sense, always “wrong.” It is a complicated organism. It is not, ever, an accurate or correct or true or 100 percent “defensible” representation of reality. It’s always somebody’s take on reality, full of inadvertent falseness (full of, that is, inadequate attempts to be truthful.)

relationships

Here’s a short audio reflection from the Waking Up app:

https://dynamic.wakingup.com/moment/MO55B39?share_id=A02967D1&code=SC67B5846