What I like to read
66 pieces · updated Mar 2026
Articles by other writers that I've read and found worth keeping.
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EssayMar 2026The article analyzes the difficulty of human behavior change and habit formation, drawing insights from the author's experience building a habit coaching app. It posits that effective change hinges on increasing motivation and significantly reducing friction, alongside proper context and repetition. The core argument emphasizes that suggesting tiny, achievable actions and illustrating their compounding effect is crucial for sustainable progress.
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EssayMar 2026The article advocates for "Grey Thinking," an approach that rejects rigid, binary classifications to embrace the continuum of reality. It argues that most complex issues lack simple 'good or bad' answers and instead require acknowledging multiple perspectives, scale, and second-order consequences. This helps develop a more accurate understanding by embracing uncertainty and avoiding oversimplified ideologies.
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EssayFeb 2026Consumer products, especially those seeking mass adoption and growth, often optimize for the "Marl" persona—users with short attention spans and a craving for instant gratification—leading to gamified experiences over deep utility.
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EssayFeb 2026Habits form through repeated, rewarding actions in stable contexts, reinforcing cue-response loops. They can be influenced by environmental changes, specific intentions, and consistent practice, while breaking bad habits involves disrupting automaticity through mindfulness and replacement behaviors.
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EssayJan 2026An idea is a new combination of old elements, and generating them is a systematic, trainable, 5-step process involving intentional data gathering, mental digestion, subconscious processing, an 'aha' moment, and critical refinement.
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EssayJan 2026Good science involves discovering novel and impactful knowledge by cultivating deep curiosity in a domain, extensively reading to identify gaps, forming precise hypotheses, rigorously experimenting, gathering diverse evidence, and meticulously validating results before communication.
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EssayJan 2026Research is the systematic process of reducing uncertainty within a scientific community's knowledge base. It involves mapping existing uncertainties, prioritizing them based on impact, neglectedness, and tractability, and designing experiments to resolve the selected questions.
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EssayJan 2026This article outlines ten life lessons derived from Navy SEAL training, emphasizing that individual resilience, embracing difficulty, and consistent effort in small tasks are fundamental to achieving larger goals and making a significant impact on the world.
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EssayJan 2026Leadership is the art of influencing others, shaping attitudes and behavior, and can be separate from values and morals
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EssayJan 2026Active listening involves comprehending, retaining, and responding to information, while suppressing one's ego and considering the other person's emotions and intentions
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EssayJan 2026Models simplify complex systems, allowing for understanding and prediction, despite being imperfect representations of reality
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EssayJan 2026Success comes from avoiding major mistakes and playing to your strengths, rather than trying to make brilliant moves
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EssayJan 2026People with a growth mindset believe their abilities can be developed, while those with a fixed mindset think their traits are unchangeable, affecting their motivation and behavior
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EssayJan 2026Mental models help simulate time, predict the future, and understand the world, while also identifying mental process flaws, to make better decisions and avoid problems
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EssayJan 2026Charlie Munger's success is attributed to his unique approach to learning, avoiding stupidity, and focusing on being consistently not stupid, rather than trying to be very intelligent
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EssayJan 2026Decentralization and simple strategy enable companies to make better decisions and foster a culture of trust and autonomy
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EssayJan 2026Our brains edit past decisions to make us appear smarter, making it difficult to learn from mistakes, but keeping a decision journal can help reveal blindspots and improve decision-making
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EssayJan 2026Combinatory play combines existing ideas to form new ones through voluntary reproduction and combination of mental images
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EssayJan 2026Persistent and creative self-promotion can lead to recognition and opportunities
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EssayJan 2026Focusing on virtues like courage and cleanliness while ignoring external validation and fleeting concerns can lead to a more fulfilling life
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EssayJan 2026The Feynman Technique works by simplifying complex concepts through teaching and reviewing, revealing knowledge gaps and refining understanding
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EssayJan 2026Embracing uncertainty and being open to changing one's mind allows for growth and better decision-making
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EssayJan 2026Habits operate as algorithms in the background, powering lives and influencing automatic behavior, making them more reliable than goals for achieving success
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EssayJan 2026Darwin's success was due to his working method, which involved giving priority attention to evidence that disconfirmed his theories, allowing him to refine and strengthen his ideas
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EssayJan 2026Adopting a systems-driven approach and focusing on personal energy maximization can lead to increased productivity and success
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EssayJan 2026Time is a fixed resource that can be allocated and managed to improve one's life, and people should focus on using it effectively rather than trying to find more of it
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EssayJan 2026Effective reading requires active engagement, reflection, and application of knowledge, rather than passive consumption, to build a robust mental latticework and enhance retention and understanding of information.
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EssayJan 2026The key to a fulfilling life is not to focus on achieving specific goals, but to find a way of life that aligns with one's abilities and desires, allowing for personal growth and self-actualization
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EssayJan 2026Innovation occurs when companies recognize limits and change course, as incremental improvement becomes increasingly expensive and new technologies emerge with higher limits
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EssayJan 2026Inversion is a mental model that involves approaching problems backward by considering what would lead to the opposite of the desired outcome, or what to avoid. This strategy helps uncover hidden assumptions and prevent negative consequences, often proving easier and safer than solely seeking positive actions.
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EssayJan 2026Reading 25 pages daily can lead to consuming large volumes of text over time, making it possible to read lengthy books without feeling overwhelmed
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EssayJan 2026Education develops existing character, with true learning occurring through experience and self-directed effort, rather than solely in a classroom
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EssayJan 2026Makers require large blocks of uninterrupted time to focus, while managers need to be available for meetings and decisions, highlighting the importance of scheduling to match work type
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EssayJan 2026Consuming high-quality information is crucial for producing valuable insights, as the mind functions like a factory that requires great raw materials to generate excellent products
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EssayJan 2026Operating within your circle of competence gives you an advantage, while crossing the perimeter reduces your advantage and increases the risk of unseen problems
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EssayJan 2026Mental models are simplified explanations of how things work, acting as tools to compress complexity into manageable chunks. They help us understand the world, make better decisions, avoid problems, and spot opportunities by highlighting key information.
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EssayJan 2026The core mechanism involves cultivating self-awareness and intentional habits to achieve internal freedom and a default state of happiness by observing and reconfiguring one's "monkey mind" and detaching from external desires.
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EssayJan 2026The mental model of proximate vs root causes involves looking beyond immediate causes to find the underlying reasons for an event or problem, allowing for more effective solutions and prevention of future issues
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EssayJan 2026Solving problems you can make headway on brings pleasure and helps others, regardless of perceived importance
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EssayJan 2026The mechanism of enduring love is rooted in the emotional connection and shared experiences that transcend physical presence
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EssayJan 2026Second-order thinking involves considering the long-term consequences of decisions by thinking beyond the immediate outcome
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EssayJan 2026Focusing on essential information by ignoring non-essential details leads to better results
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EssayJan 2026Creativity arises from connecting existing ideas and recognizing relationships between them
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EssayJan 2026Adapting to the current environment and creating something new is more valuable than copying existing models
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EssayJan 2026Establishing rapport with others involves using techniques such as artificial time constraints, accommodating nonverbals, and slowing down speech to build trust and credibility
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EssayJan 2026Mortimer Adler's four levels of reading provide a progressive framework for engaging with texts, moving from basic comprehension to deep understanding and subject mastery by matching reading effort to the material's importance and your learning goal.
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EssayJan 2026Increasing reading time isn't about speed-reading or having extra hours, but rather a result of deliberate time allocation choices, reducing passive consumption, and integrating reading into daily routines for continuous knowledge acquisition.
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EssayJan 2026Consistent, deliberate learning, especially through voracious reading and dedicated thinking, compounds intellectual capital over time, leading to enhanced understanding, improved decision-making, and the ability to identify unique opportunities.
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EssayJan 2026The butterfly effect describes how tiny, seemingly insignificant initial changes in complex, chaotic systems can lead to vastly different and unpredictable long-term outcomes, making precise forecasting impossible.
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EssayJan 2026Open-mindedness, characterized by a willingness to challenge one's own beliefs and genuinely understand others, drives continuous progress and learning, whereas closed-mindedness leads to stagnation by prioritizing ego over truth and understanding.
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EssayJan 2026The Feynman Technique is a learning method that involves explaining a concept simply to a child, identifying gaps in understanding, then organizing and simplifying the explanation. This process deepens comprehension and turns information into usable knowledge.
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EssayJan 2026Understanding personal advantages and limitations leads to better decision-making by waiting for opportunities within one's circle of competence
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EssayJan 2026The intelligence curse describes how advanced AI, by automating work and making non-human factors of production dominant, will remove powerful actors' incentive to invest in regular people, leading to widespread disempowerment and the breaking of the modern social contract.
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EssayJan 2026This mental model describes consciously applying a "most respectful interpretation" or "hypothesis of generosity" to others' actions, overriding our natural, self-centered default to make negative assumptions. It involves actively choosing a positive lens to understand situations and foster empathy.
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EssayJan 2026The Munger Operating System outlines a collection of ethical principles, mental models, and behavioral disciplines emphasizing continuous learning, objectivity, and deserving trust to achieve a successful and fulfilling life.
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EssayJan 2026Evaluate decisions using a two-track analysis of rational factors and subconscious influences to minimize misjudgment
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EssayJan 2026Time is a valuable resource that is often wasted due to poor prioritization and mismanagement, leading to regret and decreased productivity
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EssayJan 2026This article outlines a three-step system for taking notes while reading, emphasizing active engagement, a delay period for consolidation, and selective transcription to improve information retention and practical application.
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EssayJan 2026Effective management involves embracing humility, persistence, and clear communication, while avoiding common pitfalls like overconfidence and poor decision-making
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EssayJan 2026Earning an opinion requires deeply understanding multiple perspectives, seeking contradictory evidence, and testing thinking against strong counterarguments
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EssayJan 2026Focusing on achieving the best outcome rather than proving oneself right leads to better decision-making
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EssayJan 2026The article presents life advice from Cheryl Strayed's "Dear Sugar" column, emphasizing that life's challenges, regrets, and seemingly insignificant moments all contribute to one's becoming. It highlights the potential for profound personal growth and forgiveness through accepting and navigating these experiences.
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EssayJan 2026Adopting a professional mindset involves focusing on systems, processes, and long-term growth, rather than short-term goals and outcomes
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EssayJan 2026Developing integrity, generosity, and kindness is a choice that can be made by anyone, regardless of their background or intelligence
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EssayJan 2026First principles thinking involves deconstructing complex problems to their fundamental, irreducible truths, separating facts from assumptions. This foundational understanding enables the creation of novel solutions and innovative approaches rather than merely refining existing ones.
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EssayJan 2026Mistakes are inevitable, but it's the response to them that defines growth, as admitting and learning from errors without defensiveness is key to improvement