Book to check out:
• Skin in the Game, the newest book by Nicholas Nassim Taleb. One quote to summarize the book, “courage is the only virtue you cannot fake.” Taleb wants us to listen to, trust, act on the advice of people who have something to lose, some skin in the game. He bashes “interventionistas” and “intellectual yet idiots (IYIs)” for recommending behaviors to people and countries when they have nothing of their own at stake.
• Always highlighting knowledge from the classics, Taleb has a whole page on “grandma knowledge,” truths that withstand time (see the Lindy effect).
Silver Rule:
• Differs in a very important way from the (?newer) Golden rule: “do unto others what you would have one unto you.”
• The Silver rule uses via negativa “do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.” Or “what is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.”
• This concept is pervasive in Buddhist teaching, and has been called the Golden Rule of the East. It is more passive, less proscriptive. More a precept than a rule. More flexible as well. Mentioned in Skin in the Game, also here and here.
• Medicine has it built in: First do no harm [to the patient]. The rule is not “first heal the patient,” or “first give the patient the care you could want.” It is first do not harm the patient, [as you would not want to be harmed].
Squat:
• Ok not everyone must go to the gym and do heavy low back squats. But at least try every day to squat down for a few minutes. This is how we watch TV at my house. The “Asian” or “campfire squat,” mentioned in this article, implies a more narrow configuration of the knees. One must have good ankle mobility to get in this position.
Labs:
• This article on medium.com is a quick read summarizing new data on higher LDL and living longer. More support for the theory that LDL cholesterol is a marker of something happening rather than a risk factor in itself. A lot of money is at stake.
Awake:
• If you don’t like coffee, there could still be hope. Yerba Mate tea offers many health benefits, and more caffeine than most teas. Increased bone density, stronger immune system, digestive effects. Most coffee shops offer it but i keep these around.
Quote:
Relying on “neuro-something” is a form of scientism called brain-porn.
– Nicholas Nassim Taleb
