Blog - Page 2 of 28 - 7 Takeaways

a classic wind-up cymbal-banging monkey toy sitting on top of a stack of newspapers, magazines, and books

The World Is Messy – 7 Takeaways No. 262

Your opinion. It’s a messy world. Groupthink is everywhere. Aging and letting go. Common sense isn’t. The importance of friends. The power of expectations. Understanding versus agreeing.

a newspaper displaying a headline "Truth? Fiction? Lies? Manipulation? How do we know?"

Everything Feels Like Propaganda – 7 Takeaways No. 261

Your brain as a DDOS target. Use critical thinking, please. Feed yourself better content. Is it real, or a PR attempt? Convenience is weakening us. Speed versus accuracy. Keep your eyes on the near term prize.

A Series of Fortunate Events – 7 Takeaways No. 260

Hiatus explained. People are awesome. Amazing serendipity. Taking a break. Even sucky meditation helps. Staying in touch. Choosing family.

Hiatus

Due to unforeseen circumstances, 7 Takeaways will be on hiatus indefinitely. I hope to return in 2026.

An older gentleman looking into a mirror which reflects his younger self.

Your 80-Year-old Self – 7 Takeaways No. 259

Looking forward to look back. Pay attention to now. So something nice. Your cosmic smallness. The speed of change. Irrelevant skills. Serendipity is luck.

a grumpy older man looking at a newspaper with the masthead "Great News!", and various positive story headlines.

More Complaining Than Gratitude – 7 Takeaways No. 258

Complain, complain. Be reasonable! AI will make us better? Stillness can be fear. No one is thinking. The value of diverse interests and friends. The universe is talkative.

A library with dust and cobwebs everywhere. Books are stacked on tables, covered in dust. The shelves have cobwebs. It's clear no one has picked up a book in ages.

Choosing to Be Functionally Illiterate – 7 Takeaways No. 257

Reading takes effort. Put on your pants. Inspiration vs cynicism, fight! Fools never listen. Just do things. Imposing our standards on others. Simplification vs. complexity, fight!

An individual receiving ideas beamed into their head from 100's of social media sites and mobile devices. They're sitting at a desk, staring glassy-eyed at a computer screen.

A Collection of Downloaded Opinions – 7 Takeaways No. 256

Local significance. Taking time to think. Thinking practice. Imperfection done beats perfection never seen. What can you learn? Where do your opinions come from? Embracing the chaos.

I Am in Awe and Therefore I Wonder – 7 Takeaways No. 255

Mattering in the very long run. Word salad. Dealing with “those” people. Sometimes just listen. Awe and wonder. Acceptance as meditation. Acceptance as strategy.

an individual calmly sitting with eyes closed on a park bench in the distance in a park setting next to a pond where ducks are swimming.

Embrace the Solitude – 7 Takeaways No. 254

Boredom is a good thing. Ideas in competition. Dumbasses yell at me. Manners? What manners? Question the ideas you hold dear. Everyone’s background music is different. Speaking and writing clearly.