I came across conventionalcomments.org yesterday and love the idea. It is a simple convention for making clear comments on others' work products. In particular, code changes.
It is easy to unwittingly offend or confuse when commenting on someone else’s work, so I like that this gives a framework to set your intention early. Another nice side-effect is that it forces the commenter to think more clearly about what they’re actually trying to communicate.
“Creating the conditions for success is a very different project than finding a heroic move that saves the day.” (Seth Godin, Analyzing the Last Move)
This old highlight stood out to me today. I’ve been noticing more “success” popping up in my life from conditions I set up months or years ago.
This is a good reminder for me to keep planting seeds and watering them, even though it will be a long while before I see the first sprout.
I love that AI doesn’t judge me when I send it messages like:
CAn yuo kep it shorteR?
“You are not simply your own possession to torture and mistreat. This is partly because your Being is inexorably tied up with that of others, and your mistreatment of yourself can have catastrophic consequences for others.” (Jordan B. Peterson, Norman Doidge (Forward), Ethan Van Sciver (Illustrator), 12 Rules for Life)
I like a simplified version of that first sentence “you are not your own possession”. That’s something to think about. I was discussing that with some friends in Bible study yesterday, related to how we’re called to be light-givers in our community.
“The Internet is a novelty machine that pulls us away from age-old wisdom. Even though we’re just a click away from the greatest authors of all time, from Plato to Tolstoy, we default to novelty instead of timelessness.” (David Perell, The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online)
I find it hard to strike the right balance between novelty and good literature. I don’t think all novelty is bad, the tricky bit is that it has a much stronger gravitational field than classics, at least for me.
Deermons
My deermons lurk in the shadows of these morning runs. They hear every footfall. They watch with glowing eyes, waiting for me to fall. They taunt me, “Look how far you ARE from what you COULD BE!”
I retort, “Go lie in your bed of mud, deermon! Man’s fall from his potential is well known. It is his great agony. But do not steal from my heart the great JOY that is running toward THE IMAGE I was created in!
Hot take. I like it.
“People commonly use the word “procrastination” to describe what they do on the Internet. It seems to me too mild to describe what’s happening as merely not-doing-work. We don’t call it procrastination when someone gets drunk instead of working.” (Tim Ferriss, 5-Bullet Friday — January 26, 2024)
“Few people ask from books what books can give us. Most commonly we come to books with blurred and divided minds, asking of fiction that it shall be true, of poetry that it shall be false, of biography that it shall be flattering, of history that it shall enforce our own prejudices.” (Maria Popova, Virginia Woolf on How to Read a Book)
I often come to books with a blurred and divided mind. But I come to the book asking it to help me un-blur and un-divide. That the slow process of reading would give me clarity and a singular focus, free from the distraction of short-form or digital media.
What choices made you who you are?
“A Question Cal Suggests Asking People More Often “What are some of the choices you’ve made that made you who you are?”” (Timothy Ferriss, Tools of Titans)
I’m going to give this a try. I tested it out on myself and found this question made me dig a little deeper than I normally do in conversations.
Here are some choices I’ve made that made me who I am:
It’s been taking me a long time to read through “Thus Spake Zarathustra”. I pick it up in bits and pieces on my phone. It’s hard to read partially due to the heavy concepts and partially due to the antiquated language. I’ve realized I have some pretty fundamental disagreements with Nietzche, but it’s still interesting to see how he thinks. And every now and then a particular point hits home, usually his critiques of the church.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I’ve over-optimized for comfort, so this one really resonated with me and felt convicting.
To small virtues would they fain lure and laud me; to the ticktack of small happiness would they fain persuade my foot.
I pass through this people and keep mine eyes open; they have become SMALLER, and ever become smaller:—THE REASON THEREOF IS THEIR DOCTRINE OF HAPPINESS AND VIRTUE.
For they are moderate also in virtue,—because they want comfort. With comfort, however, moderate virtue only is compatible.