Dear Cole Enthusiasts,
How are you liking this new format? Feel free to comment below or write back to me directly. Any and all feedback is welcome. If you dig it, I would also appreciate it if you shared this by forwarding it to a few friends, who can sign up here.
- Cole
what we are reading…
The Metaverse is Bad (The Atlantic)
In science fiction, the end of the world is a tidy affair. Climate collapse or an alien invasion drives humanity to flee on cosmic arks, or live inside a simulation. Real-life apocalypse is more ambiguous. It happens slowly, and there’s no way of knowing when the Earth is really doomed. To depart our world, under these conditions, is the same as giving up on it. (more)
Personal Sovereignty is Built On the Frontier of Society (The Sovereign Weekly)
We are greatly influenced by the environments we live in and the people we surround ourselves with. These thoughts have been on my mind as I work through what comes next. And the idea that I keep coming back to is a simple one. If you want to become a Sovereign Individual, you need to get to the frontier of society. (more)
Beyond Smart (Paul Graham)
If you asked people what was special about Einstein, most would say that he was really smart. Even the ones who tried to give you a more sophisticated-sounding answer would probably think this first. Till a few years ago I would have given the same answer myself. But that wasn't what was special about Einstein. What was special about him was that he had important new ideas. Being very smart was a necessary precondition for having those ideas, but the two are not identical. (more)
#coletakes
checked luggage: for many years I have been a steadfast believer in carry-on only travel. Even traveling for months, I figured out how to get everything into my trolley. If I was going skiing, kiting, or playing golf, I would arrange to ship my things ahead of time. However, maybe I have it all wrong? Is waiting for a few extra minutes (or more, I know) worth the effort of not having to overstuff an overhead bag? Lately, I have taken a less rigorous approach to this and seem to be enjoy the “space”.
“quality” cities: we use to talk about the weather, but now it seems everyone talks about where they live and why in a post covid world. The reality is most cities either have a quality of people or a quality of life… rarely both. For most of my adult life I was a firm believer that NYC was the only place to live because of the quality of people. Having now lived in Europe for the past few years, I tend to favor my vastly improved quality of life. However, is there is a place that truly has it all?
the value of our senses: if you had to lose one of your senses what would it be? For me, it seems obvious that it would be my sense of smell. In many cases, I believe I would gain from this as I would not have to deal with the smell of wet garbage, public restrooms, nor cinnamon. Do you agree?
tweet of the week…
p.s. listen to this set from Arutani at Fusion this past summer