Stoic philosophy is often assumed to have originated entirely in Greece, through philosophers such as Zeno. However, such a characterization ignores vastly similar Eastern philosophies such as those found in Buddhism or the Bhagavad Gita - a text that was authored in a similar time period, transmitted orally for centuries prior, and is one of … Continue reading The First Stoics – Philosophical Themes In The Bhagavad Gita
Life Lessons from Machine Learning
What comes to mind when you hear the term “Machine Learning”? A bunch of programmers hunched over their computers in a dark room, working on something completely virtual & divorced from reality? A group of scientists creating a Frankenstein monster that has no resemblance to us whatsoever? It may certainly seem that way, but you’d … Continue reading Life Lessons from Machine Learning
Reinventing Democracy – The Google Way
In the past, we had discussed the reasons why democracy is fundamentally flawed, needs to be overhauled, and what its replacement should look like. Admittedly, it was a highly abstract topic. Hence why we had also discussed a simple idea of how democracy could be reformed, to look more like the Jury system, as opposed … Continue reading Reinventing Democracy – The Google Way
Why Philosophy gets no Respect in Society
There was a time when Philosophy was one of the most respected intellectual disciplines in humanity. Philosophical greats such as Aristotle, Plato and Kant are world renowned today, even centuries after their death. Others like Pythagoras and Newton considered themselves to be natural philosophers, and their contributions to mathematics have made them scientific idols even today. … Continue reading Why Philosophy gets no Respect in Society
The Deafening Silence Around Animal Cruelty
The past week has produced a number of interesting articles which have become instant talking points. There was one about the continuing lack of opportunities and hurdles facing women in the sciences. There was another about how rich people subconsciously empathize less towards people who aren’t as powerful as them. As can be expected, both … Continue reading The Deafening Silence Around Animal Cruelty
Starve the Beast – How to get shit done in your life
Say what you will about the Republican party, but they sure know how to get what they want. Case in point: government spending. Everyone has something they would like to get from the government. Government workers want more pay. Soldiers want better veterans’ benefits. Retirees want enhanced social security and medicare. Youths want subsidized college … Continue reading Starve the Beast – How to get shit done in your life
Election by Jury – Ten Years On
Imagine if you were accused of murder, and facing life in prison. Who would you want deciding your fate? A jury of randomly selected citizens, who have spent weeks sitting in a moderated courtroom, listening to all evidence and testimony presented by both sides? Or a public referendum where every single person in your state … Continue reading Election by Jury – Ten Years On
I Shouldn’t Have The Right to Disrupt Your Life
There are protests, and then there are protests. Some protests are peaceful non-disruptive demonstrations. They gather large groups of people in places where they cause minimal disruption to the lives of non-protestors. If they manage to attract lots of people, and if their cause is morally appealing, they succeed in raising awareness and creating political … Continue reading I Shouldn’t Have The Right to Disrupt Your Life
The Israel-Palestine Debate Shows The Dangers of Groupthink
The philosopher Simone Weil posed a very insightful metaphor that I think is particularly apt today. To paraphrase greatly: Imagine if you were a mathematician trying to solve some very hard problems. If by chance you arrive at an odd number as an answer, everything is fine and life goes on as normal. But if … Continue reading The Israel-Palestine Debate Shows The Dangers of Groupthink
Proof that 4×4 is sometimes 10
TLDR: Base-16. Read on for a longer explanation if you haven't heard that term before. Yes, you read the title right. Under some specific circumstances and contexts, 4 times 4 is indeed 10. And this isn’t just abstract philosophizing or a gimmick - this is something engineers are directly working with and utilizing every day, … Continue reading Proof that 4×4 is sometimes 10
The End of Boredom
As an elder-millennial, I’ve seen boredom evolve dramatically over the course of my life. It has happened slowly, gradually, over many decades. So slowly that I never realized just how radically it has been transformed. And just how deeply troubling it really is. 1980 - 1990: The Age of Socializing As a kid growing up … Continue reading The End of Boredom
Beyond Affirmative Action – How To Avoid Stunting Entire Generations of Kids
Given recent news around Affirmative Action, it is understandable that it is all anyone can talk about. Regardless of your opinion on this topic however, what is not debatable is that countless millions of children in America are currently being shortchanged, and denied the childhood they need to succeed and pursue the American dream. Just … Continue reading Beyond Affirmative Action – How To Avoid Stunting Entire Generations of Kids
Past Returns Do Not Predict Future Performance – Not Even for Indexes
“Returns represent past performance, are not a guarantee of future performance, and are not indicative of any specific investment.” We’ve all seen these disclaimers a million times before. Most people who are financially savvy nod along when they hear this, and think they have fully internalized this. But in truth, most haven’t. The majority of … Continue reading Past Returns Do Not Predict Future Performance – Not Even for Indexes
Nonqualified Dividends – You’re Probably Paying Too Much in Taxes
Disclaimer: This discussion centers around American tax law. If you aren’t American and don’t live in America, you may not get much value out of this. Real talk. I thought I knew a lot about personal finance. I thought I knew everything I practically needed to know to minimize my tax bill as an average … Continue reading Nonqualified Dividends – You’re Probably Paying Too Much in Taxes
How to Get Yourself Stuck in a Political Quagmire – Why Nothing Will Change after Tyre Nichols
If you haven't been living in a cave, you've likely heard recent news involving an innocent black man being brutally beaten to death by multiple police officers. As someone who supports greater oversight and accountability for police officers, let me make a prediction. Any bipartisan outrage that currently exists, will in time be replaced by … Continue reading How to Get Yourself Stuck in a Political Quagmire – Why Nothing Will Change after Tyre Nichols
Don’t Get Triggered by Analogies – They are a Powerful Tool for Logical Reasoning
I was recently reading a book by US General McChrystal, and his experiences fighting the Al Qaeda terrorist insurgency in Iraq. In the book, he brought up something that I found particularly interesting. The world has become “flatter” and faster. People are more connected, more mobile, and move faster than ever before. These changes have … Continue reading Don’t Get Triggered by Analogies – They are a Powerful Tool for Logical Reasoning
Aim to be Financially Independent
If you’ve done your research on Retirement Planning, you might have come across FIRE - Financial Independence Retire Early. Usually when people talk about FIRE, it’s an overnight switch that involves a massive lifestyle change. Quitting your job, pulling your kids out of their current school, moving your family to an entirely new low-cost-of-living region, … Continue reading Aim to be Financially Independent
Buy vs Rent – Ignore the Rent on the House You’re Looking To Buy and Live In
Buying a house is a huge financial decision that will impact your life for over a decade. It is far too important to be left to folksy catch-phrases. If you’re debating whether to buy a house or continue renting, you should definitely spend some time looking into buy-vs-rent calculators, of which there are many: NerdwalletNYTimesRealtor … Continue reading Buy vs Rent – Ignore the Rent on the House You’re Looking To Buy and Live In
Competition is Good, Cartels are Bad, and so too are Unions
As a lifelong liberal, I’m firmly of the opinion that America needs to do more to shore up its middle class. I’m strongly in favor of taxing the rich, cutting taxes on the middle class, increasing the EITC (or at the very least increasing the minimum wage), and beefing up social services such as public … Continue reading Competition is Good, Cartels are Bad, and so too are Unions
Would you get Blood on your Hands to Save a Life?
I was recently debating a philosophical conundrum with some friends, when I realized that something that seemed morally obvious to me was actually considered abominable by others. Something that made me realize that our common understanding of morality may not be nearly as common as I had thought. Some tangential context that sets the stage. … Continue reading Would you get Blood on your Hands to Save a Life?
Should Parents get Paid more than Singles?
Picture this. You get hired on the same day as a colleague. Both of you have the same qualifications, and will be doing the same job. The main difference you can discern is that your colleague is a married man and main breadwinner for his family, whereas you are a single woman with no kids. … Continue reading Should Parents get Paid more than Singles?
The Fall of Afghanistan shows the Failure of Democracy
As we watch the shocking videos of Kabul falling to the Taliban, the seeds that led to this disaster become clear. confidential effort on “Lessons Learned” conducted by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an agency created by Congress, painted a devastating picture of corruption, incompetence, lack of motivation and other … Continue reading The Fall of Afghanistan shows the Failure of Democracy
Congress v. Popular Vote
Light red cells indicate elections where the party's representation in Congress is significantly less than its share of the popular vote. Bright green cells indicate elections where the loser of the popular vote ends up winning control of Congress. Senate elections are grouped into 3x blocks, since the entire senate goes up for election over … Continue reading Congress v. Popular Vote
GaME On – Big Corporations are Harmful to the Free Market
In past articles, we have discussed how big-corporations, particularly in the financial industry, put at risk our economy and financial system. Recent events around Gamestop trading, have served as a perfect illustration of the risks and dangers inherent to Big Banks. Context: There has recently been a frenzy of trading activity in shares of Gamestop. … Continue reading GaME On – Big Corporations are Harmful to the Free Market
Meritocracies Are Unfair – And That’s The point
When your father suffers a heart attack and needs emergency surgery, who would you rather have operating on him? An inspiring doctor who lost an arm in a tragic car accident, and still heroically manages to attain an average level of success as a surgeon?Or the son of a multimillionaire who has breezed through life … Continue reading Meritocracies Are Unfair – And That’s The point
Outlook Zen 