New York City
January 2025 It doesn’t get much better than a weekend in the city seeing friends, visiting museums, and eating great food.
We are who we choose to be
We are what we watch. We are what we listen to. We are what we speak. We are who we spend our time with. We are what we eat. We are what we believe. We are our devices, our instruments. We are our homes. We are the places we frequent. We are what we practice. … Read More
behavior and behavioral neuroscience book list
A few folks have asked me for book recommendations in the field of behavioral science. I tend to lean toward behavioral literature and research for practical application in socioeconomic development, and also toward behavioral (or cognitive) neuroscience. Here’s a short list of sources I’ve found relevant and useful over the years. I’ll keep this list … Read More
Public business
Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not. – John Adams to his son Thomas Boylston Adams, September 2, 1789.
Lessons in Kindness and Care: Reflections from Professor Yumi’s Class
While studying at Columbia, I had the pleasure of studying under Professor Yumi Shimabukuro, Director of Urban & Social Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Professor Yumi is such a kind and optimistic professional and educator. She works tirelessly on systemic policy design and analysis to help marginalized populations around the … Read More
Stuck
If you want to do something that you’re passionate about, but you find yourself stuck in a cycle of uncertainty… Practice the process of taking one small step in the direction of your passion. Considering all the possible outcomes–plausibile and implausible–has a way of immobilizing us. And the time spent being stuck is time you … Read More
Fear, Choice, and the Journey Beyond Comfort
In the distant past, our ancestors had no choice but to fear—fear of being chased by predators, fear of starvation, fear of sickness. But today, fear is largely manufactured in our minds. Fear is a choice. Apathy is also a choice. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re not in a place where your work, … Read More
Outrage vs. Engagement: How Purposeful Action Rewards the Brain Beyond the Click
Outrage pulls us in. Each scandal or absurd headline sparks a quick dopamine rush. It’s much like a gambler “loss chasing,” finding an excuse to keep playing, hoping to break even. But here’s the twist: while these spikes feel powerful, purposeful action—like voting, volunteering, or learning about the issues—feeds the brain in ways that truly … Read More
if everyone is doing it
When everyone is doing something the same way, it might be a good time to try something different. The job market is tough right now. LinkedIn and social channels are flooded with stories of job seekers spending months and sometimes years looking for the next job. Hundreds of thousands of applications are going into ATS … Read More
Subliminal
When I first got into behavioral science, I was all about the work of Tversky and Kahneman or Thaler and Sunstein—guys whose names come up in any serious conversation about decision-making and human behavior. But if I’m honest, it was my deep dive into psychology and neuroscience that really kicked things off for me. One … Read More
Just work
Full podcast episode here.
The world’s opinion
Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson from Society and Solitude, published in 1870.
on feeling optimistic again
I came across a post in the r/self Reddit community that inspired me to write today. The OP, a 40 year old male, wrote that he had visited a college with his young daughter recently, and the experience had made him feel sadness. The idea that the beautiful and hopeful experience that is being a … Read More
Moonshots
We often start with the easy stuff. It feels productive—small wins, minimal risk, a sense of momentum—but in reality, it could be a distraction from tackling the harder challenges. As Astro Teller, Director of X (a Google company), said on Simon Sinek’s podcast, A Bit of Optimism, most people solve the easiest problems first because … Read More
Why we love hero stories
Hero stories are everywhere—movies, books, news headlines, even social media. Whether it’s a fearless leader changing history or a viral video of someone stepping up for a stranger, our culture is obsessed with tales of extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. They capture our attention, stick in our minds, and keep us coming back for more. … Read More
Growth vs. fixed mindset
Growth mindset is the ability to see opportunity in struggle, to learn from experiences, to adapt to changing circumstances. Less emphasis is placed on outcomes, more emphasis on process. Growth mindset assumes the principle of impermanence, that much like life itself, experiences do not occur in perpetuity, but last for only a limited period of … Read More
Pick something and ‘send it’
Just left a doctor‘s office and the physician’s assistant was a young undergrad unsure about what he wanted to do with his career. My advice: pick anything, literally anything you’re interested in. Work your ass off for 2-3 years, and reassess. If you are fulfilled by it, if it gives you purpose, keep going. If … Read More
Thoughts on Resistance
Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That’s why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant … Read More
Music: getting started in 2024
A barista at the local cafe today asked me what a young musician can do to build more momentum with their target audiences, and how to make music that’s close to them while also appealing to what’s trendy in the mass market at that time. Admittedly, the latter question made me sad. 😂 Artists should … Read More
Vulnerability in relationships
I came across a Reddit post recently in the r/AskMenAdvice sub regarding vulnerability in relationships. The OP posed the question: help me understand the fear that someone will use your vulnerability against you. How does someone hurt you if you share personal feelings or vulnerable info? Several male redditors chimed in detailing accounts with their … Read More
The Sunday Flow: Re-watching old movies
Good Will Hunting, The Big Lebowski, Into the Wild, Jurassic Park, the Star Wars original trilogy, Indiana Jones, Midnight in Paris, Lost in Translation, Notting Hill… These are just a few of the films I’ve watched countless times. Films that bring comfort and peace of mind. Films from my childhood and films that helped me … Read More
Pennebaker writing protocol and effects on well-being
I caught a recent Andrew Huberman podcast detailing a writing protocol found to influence long-term outcomes in health and short-term indicators of physiological arousal and reports of negative moods, first introduced by Pennebaker, J. W., & Beall, S. K. (1986). Pennebaker et al. found that writing about traumatic or even trivial events can have therapeutic … Read More
The Concept of Repair with Becky Kennedy
A 2023 TED talk from clinical psychologist Becky Kennedy hit my YouTube algorithm this morning. I found the concept of “repair” interesting in the context of parenting, as her talk is rooted, but also in the context of adult-adult relationships. I’ve always struggled to name this idea of repair as Kennedy describes it, typically naming … Read More
Brianna Wiest and Letting Go
Brianna is a great writer. Looking back, I’m fortunate to have kept most of my friends. I’ve only received one “you’ve changed” and one “you’re almost there,” both in negative contexts, both implying that I don’t fit some ideal, of sufficiency or perfection. Memories that are vivid in my mind. But by practicing the values … Read More
Pizza Crawl 2023
As the fellas entered their late thirties (and forties), they decided it might be best to move away from the annual drunken Columbus, Ohio pub crawl, and adopt a more responsible pizza crawl instead. The now infamous 2022 pizza crawl saw a valiant effort to keep the focus on pizza tasting, but was interrupted by … Read More
2023 Review
I challenged myself. I completed a masters program. I traveled solo by bike through Europe. I competed in the pro division of an XC mountain bike race. I moved to a new place. I read many books. I wrote hundreds of thousands of words. I met amazing people. I prioritized my mental and physical health. … Read More
Disappointing affirmations
Disappointing Affirmations is a popular instagram handle that pairs the comedy of sarcastic affirmations, a parody of the current trend in wellness content, against the beauty of nature and landscape photos. There is an overwhelming amount of wellness content out there. Assuredly, people are becoming fatigued by it. The verdict is out on whether practicing … Read More
Adam Grant creative filtering process
From the Huberman Lab podcast. On getting feedback for a new book concept, Adam suggested the following process: Other notes Visit Adam Grant’s site at: www.adamgrant.net Visit Andrew Huberman’s site at: www.hubermanlab.com
Impermanence
A few thoughts on the topic of impermanence. Nature’s first green is gold,Her hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf’s a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay. — Robert Frost Life is always changing, always evolving. Anyone who has lost something … Read More
FOMO, Hedonic Treadmill, Process vs. outcomes
FOMO, or “fear of missing out”, was the subject of my guided meditation this morning. FOMO could be a leading cause to the teen mental health crisis we’re seeing. The verdict is still out on that, but many millennials and younger generations are taking note, and are actively switching off social media in an attempt … Read More