Field Notes

This is a periodically updated list of observations and personal reflections curated from my social media posts.

• A culture that worships people in positions of authority shouldn't be surprised when authorities start acting like gods.
• The claim "there would be no innovation without capitalism" and the claim "there would be no morality without religion" share a hidden premise.
  Both assume that people left to their own devices are inert. And only an external system of incentives or punishments makes them productive or good.
  Both are overstated when evaluated against evidence.
• Critical thinking is anti-thetical to compliance.
  It’s impossible to be a conformist and think independently at the same time.
• Having a child is structurally and without exception, a selfish act.
  Every motivation, from legacy, passing on values, deriving fulfillment, to even the generous impulse of wanting another person to experience life's beauty...
  originates in the parent's own needs and assumptions.
  An entire existence, with all its suffering and uncertainty, is thrust upon someone who never asked for it.
  Altruistic intentions for having children are simply a sophisticated layer of this selfishness.
• Tech-bro billionaires are fundamentally misanthropic in their philosophy. Some of them quite openly so.
  If you're hoping for the products they're building to magically do good for humanity or for you, you're delusional to say the least.