Category: Miscellaneous

Random thoughts!

I Have Lived Four Lives. My Forties Are All of Them at Once.

Family, then friends, then yourself, then a family of your own. Each decade of life has its own center of gravity, until the forties arrive and ask you to live all four at once. This essay argues those decades were never separate lives but an apprenticeship: belonging, chosen loyalty, self-knowledge, and responsibility, all called on in the same afternoon. It takes the honest objection seriously (maybe the pattern is just hindsight), then lands on what the forties ask of us, closing with a mantra my mom carved into a plaque for my thirtieth birthday.

An Open Letter to Major League Pickleball

Peaceful critiques of Major League Pickleball (MLP) for its governance issues amid recent successes in viewership and attendance. Emphasizing the need for a consistent set of rules, balanced schedules, and stable rosters. Forced turnover undermines fan loyalty. I propose several straightforward changes to enhance the league's credibility and fan engagement.

“That’s an Appeal to Authority!” No. It Isn’t.

Name a fallacy, win the argument. That is the ritual, and it is nonsense. This essay takes apart the most abused phrase in modern discourse: the reflexive charge of "appeal to authority." It traces what Locke actually meant by argumentum ad verecundiam, lays out the narrow and specific conditions under which the fallacy is real, and explains why citing Einstein on physics is not one of them. It also gives the skeptics their due, because institutional authority has earned suspicion. But the answer to unreliable experts is getting better at evaluating them, not declaring all expertise fallacious. Featuring the fallacy fallacy, Schopenhauer being characteristically ruthless, and a direct answer to the most common objection to "Not All Opinions Are Created Equal."

13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be Successful, And What Each One Actually Costs You

Originally appearing on Medium.com, '13 Things You Should Give Up If You Want To Be Successful' by Zdravko Bato Cvijetic is a MUST READ and now it is proudly part of my #requiredreading list. Below is the pithy list but trust me, not only should you read the entire essay, you should soak it up and make it a part of who you are.

You Can’t Steal an Idea. So Why Can You Own One?

If I steal your car, you no longer have a car. If I steal your idea, you still have it, which means theft and copying were never the same act, no matter what patent law assumes. This essay traces that distinction into the price of medicine, gives the honest incentive argument for patents its full due, and shows where it stops holding up, using publicly funded research, generic drug pricing, and entire industries that already innovate just fine without any legal monopoly at all.

We Don’t Talk About the Weather

Reflecting on a deep friendship with Chad, emphasizing that meaningful conversations focused on significant ideas and honesty overshadowed trivial topics like the weather. I try to highlight the importance of genuine connections that enhance personal growth and urge readers to prioritize substantial discussions over small talk, reinforcing that vital conversations require intentionality.

Leading from Behind

Some of the most powerful leaders you will ever encounter are the ones you barely notice. This essay explores the concept of leading from behind, inspired by a conversation with someone whose wisdom and grace left a lasting impression. It makes the case that true leadership is not about barking orders or taking credit, it is about asking the right questions, creating the conditions for others to discover things on their own, and serving without any need for recognition. Featuring a quietly remarkable story of anonymous generosity, fifty-one years of partnership, and the belief that mentoring the next generation is not optional. It is what we are here for.

History Is a Theory. Start Treating It Like One.

History is presented as fact. It is not. It is a collection of theories, interpretations, and narratives shaped by the same flawed, self-interested humans who run the world today. If we can watch governments manipulate the record in real time in 2026, it is naive to think it was any different a thousand or five thousand years ago. This essay argues that dead languages cannot be definitively translated, that archaeological certainty is constantly being revised, and that even events captured on video remain disputed. Intellectual honesty about the past is not cynicism. It is simply the truth.

Not All Opinions Are Created Equal

We live in a world that treats all opinions as equal. They are not. This essay makes the case that expertise matters, that direct experience outweighs uninformed confidence, and that the willingness to ask 'what does this person actually know, and why?' is one of the most underrated habits in modern life. Featuring a hard look at how we evaluate polarizing public figures, and a simple framework for thinking more honestly about whose opinion deserves your attention.

You Think Gas Cars Are Better Than Electric. You Are Wrong.

I have been a Tesla owner since 2021 and investor since 2013, and here I argue against common objections to electric vehicles (EVs) based on a decade of experience. I emphasize the safety and efficiency of Teslas over gas vehicles, refuting claims about battery issues and charging times. I invite readers to engage with my AI agent for more insights!