I'm reading The Black Swan by Nicholas Nassim Taleb at present. I haven't gotten very far, but it's quite interesting. A Black Swan event is one that is an outlier with a heavy impact which was predictable in retrospect, but not in prospect (that is, you can see where it came from with hindsight, but … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Black Swan
Thoughts
On the Purpose of Fiction
Actions are largely driven by emotional responses, which in turn are created by thoughts. Now, a man may, of course, act a given way through cool reflection: because he sees it is the thing to do. But he will not do so reliably. The head rules the hands through the heart. A man becomes moral … Continue reading On the Purpose of Fiction
Friday Flotsam: Good and Bad or Social Types
One of the key dividing lines in the world, as I see it, is between those who think in terms of good and bad and those who think in terms of this or that kind of person. Of course, there's a lot of overlap there, and the latter would say that they are thinking in … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Good and Bad or Social Types
Altering Thoughts
As I’ve shared before, I suffer from moderate depression. Lately, in my effort to combat it, I’ve been reading a book called Feeling Good by David Burns, MD. Though I’m very skeptical of most modern psychology, this one is actually based on pretty solid insights, ones that harmonize with what I read from older authors … Continue reading Altering Thoughts
Friday Flotsam: The Best Animals
I love dogs. I miss having one, and I hope (once I have a life again) to be able to get one of my own. That's one of the many things I'm looking forward to. Most people like dogs, and I think it's fair to say that people in general like dogs (with a few … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: The Best Animals
Keystone Truths: The Transcendent Manifests in the Concrete
One of the keystones for understanding the world, as I see it, is this: men desire the transcendent, but only experience the concrete. I say we desire the transcendent. Freedom, love, justice, happiness, and so on. There are indeed people who seem to desire nothing but pleasure or material things, but in the first place … Continue reading Keystone Truths: The Transcendent Manifests in the Concrete
Thoughts on ‘King Kong’
Chatting a little while ago with a friend (whose site you should definitely check out and whose work you should buy), we touched on the subject of the original King Kong and its relation to later versions of the story. It got me thinking about the film, and different aspects about it, and so I … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘King Kong’
Catholic Match – What Do I Have to Offer
My latest piece at Catholic Match went up today: One of the ideas that comes up in job hunting is “distinct value add.” Basically, what do you bring to this company that no one else does? The problem for many of us, of course, is that in most cases a truthful answer would be something … Continue reading Catholic Match – What Do I Have to Offer
Everyman Corona Thoughts
I offer some of my thoughts on the present insanity at The Everyman: In fact, we are wedded to the idea that any given problem is solvable, and that we – those fortunate enough to be born in the age of science and reason – do not have to put up with what our poor … Continue reading Everyman Corona Thoughts
Some Thoughts on Authority
Lately my thoughts have been focused largely on the subject of authority, which I think is one of, if not the chief blindspot of the modern mind. As such, tackling it adequately would require a much larger post than I have time for tonight, but I wanted to present a few of the conclusions I've reached. … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Authority
Serpent's Den 