Valerie

Now imagine riding life's opportunities and challenges like waves—diving deeper into them instead of just skimming the surface, and getting excited rather than discouraged when you see them coming. So what would you prefer: a life in flat water, sunbathing on a board whose speed and maneuverability you've never tested, or riding a wave with full aw... See more

What passes for happiness, then, is often just the brief dopamine flare of acquisition, quickly followed by the familiar slump of craving more. The late sociologist Zygmunt Bauman called this “liquid modernity” – a world in which nothing solidifies long enough to satisfy. We swim in a sea of options, each promising fulfillment, none delivering perm... See more

One of the most intelligent case studies in design is the Chinese tea cup. They’re made without handles simply because if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to drink.

Humans naturally want to add more. Add a cardboard sleeve, add a warning on the outside of the cup, add a handle. The result of all these things never cools down the actual contents.

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