On the use and abuse of thought experiments.
On a childhood possession and the nature of grasping.
How our lives slip through our own fingers.
"The most destructive frivolity of all comes only from the incurably serious."
And how to do what scares you, at the same time.
People who say "I'm a jerk and proud of it" are sending a signal they should be avoided. The problem is we aren't always in a position to enact that advice.
How PCs become trash accumulators that rival any closet, garage, crawlspace, or basement.
On a Zen concept vs a psychological one.
It doesn't mean the present moment is the only thing that exists, or that plans are foolish things.
"Beginner's mind" is not something we can impose on others.
I don't see any of this ending well, but I'd rather be on whatever side of history valued verifiable truths over comfortable lies.
Steve has some notes on pathological fandom that are worth a read. A few things stood out.
Being generally incurious about life is bad enough; it's far worse when you're trying to create.
"No man demands what he desires; each man demands what he fancies he can get."
On what we do with the discovery that we're not things, but processes.
Boredom's not a burden anyone should bear.
Comics and video games are low-hanging fruit that anyone can use for cheap shots about maturity.
Self-pity is no way to ask for help.
On the autohypnosis of the boob tube.
And one of the most intoxicating for do-it-yourselfer creators.
How not to let self-determination turn into a mission to merely offend.
“You have to worry about your own work and ignore what everyone else is doing.”
Why the morality-play view of personal responsibility is bogus.
“The premise is not ‘I have you what you need, let me give it to you.’ It’s ‘You have what you need and we’ll find it.’”
I started writing, why? Because "I could do that, too."