Four Fun Things

I get a little disheartened when I read comments on David Brooks’s books and columns, especially in the New York Times. He falls on the right side on the political spectrum and writes in a liberal space. Sometimes his opinions are political, sometimes not, but every single time there is a knee-jerk reaction in the comments to very his existence as a conservative. He is criticized for being a man, for having money, for opinions he has expressed anytime within the span of his career; sometimes these criticisms are relevant, but mostly not. And I do not see the same criticisms leveled at white, privileged, well-off public figures who express reliably liberal opinions. I do not feel the same way as David Brooks on a lot of things, but I appreciate the level-headed way he speaks and writes.

This post from Kottke.org (the words are not his — they belong to Bret Victor — but I give him credit for finding and highlighting it) has stuck with me for years and shaped the way I read and the way I approach other people’s ideas: https://kottke.org/14/01/bret-victors-2013-reading-list

“It’s tempting to judge what you read: I agree with these statements, and I disagree with those.

However, a great thinker who has spent decades on an unusual line of thought cannot induce their context into your head in a few pages. It’s almost certainly the case that you don’t fully understand their statements.

Instead, you can say: I have now learned that there exists a worldview in which all of these statements are consistent.

And if it feels worthwhile, you can make a genuine effort to understand that entire worldview. You don’t have to adopt it. Just make it available to yourself, so you can make connections to it when it’s needed.”

Rather than feeling the knee-jerk need to accept or reject an opinion, I try to think of that thought, “I have now learned that there exists a worldview in which all of these statements are consistent,” and take it from there.

My mom would make me egg and cheese on an everything bagel for morning flights!

I love the pink and white stripes on that tee, but am I the only one who’s looking forward to the end of everything being cropped?!

that cover!!!!
thanks for the round of links!

Boxy tees forrrrrevvvverrrrrrrrr please and thank you

$52 for a tshirt? Am I the only one who thinks that’s ridiculous?
($52 In Canadian dollars anyway…)

The pink shirt is the kind of top I have been looking for this spring. The wide stripe is great. Thank youfor the link!