John MacGaffey

Links for December 26, 2021

🕹 The Great Online Game — Not Boring Packy McCormick's essay on how the internet has become an infinite game with real-world rewards fundamentally changed how I think about the internet. It's one of my favorite essays: The Great Online Game is an infinite video game that plays

Borrowed Stardust

Fermi's Paradox poses the question: Given that the universe is so massive, and given that it must have many places that can support life, where is everyone else?

Gifts

Gifts are a medium for expressing our appreciation or love.

Windstorms

If you try to stand up perfectly straight in a windstorm, you'll topple over. Trying to maintain perfection, it turns out, makes you vulnerable.

Carrots and Sticks

Is it more effective to incentivize people with a carrot? Or to inspire fear in them by brandishing a stick?

Your Process is the Product

Tesla doesn't make cars, it makes factories. The cars are just the byproduct.

Daily Butterflies

Over time, staying in your comfort zone becomes uncomfortable, because it means your personal development has halted.

The Gift of Simplicity

Complexity is tempting because it's easier in the short term, but you'll pay the cost later on.

One Hundred Posts

This past week, I published my 100th consecutive daily blog post. I've wanted to write online for years, but my perfectionism stood in the way.

Changing Stories

Changing the stories we tell ourselves is the most powerful way to initiate change.