Microcosmographia lxxii: History of Uncertainty
Cleaning the house every Saturday morning has become my de facto philosophizing time. At first it was just because of the rare chance to focus on a physical...
Microcosmographia lxxv: Pristine Substrate
In meditation and mindfulness practice, we’re asked in a multitude of ways to stop identifying with our thoughts, at least for a moment. This is a pretty...
Microcosmographia lxxiv: Orbital Mechanics of the Heart
Microcosmographia lxxiv: Orbital Mechanics of the Heart Do you think I can complete this letter in one sitting? Let’s find out. I have absolutely dozens of...
Microcosmographia xlii: It’s Okay To Say Things That Seem Obvious
Microcosmographia xlii: It’s Okay To Say Things That Seem Obvious When planning a writing project, a talk, a presentation, or even a conversation, I often...
Microcosmographia lxxi: Litany of the Long Self
If you’re anything like me, your brain does not summon up reasons to be proud without some delicate coaxing. It helps to keep a “done list” to complement...
Microcosmographia lxiv: Incantation 3 — Okay, Compared to What?
This most powerful incantation may be my most important discovery of 2021. Any judgment you make, especially about yourself or your situation, must be in...
Microcosmographia lvxiii: Incantation 2 — So what are you going to do about it?
This incantation works to transmute outrage, melancholy, and general complainy crabbiness; into resoluteness, tranquility, and general reasonableness. It’s a...
Microcosmographia lxv: Elementary particles of meaning
One of my favorite moments in deep discussion with a dear friend is when the conversation seems to hit bedrock. Jon Bell and I talk quite a lot, and one...
Microcosmographia lxii: Incantation 1 — What if you just didn’t?
There are a few commonsense exhortations that I have found that funtion like magic incantations, cutting through unhelpful thought patterns and wresting me...
Microcosmographia lxiii: How to Pause
Microcosmographia lxiii: How to Pause Hallon, I’m apparently joining a couple of friends like Sarah and Ash by, while not having intentionally and officially...
Microcosmographia lv: The Discipline
After ten years away, I reread Anathem by Neal Stephenson, a book I’d suspected might be my favorite novel. Now I can say that it is. It’s set in a culture...
Microcosmographia liv: Erasure Meditation
I recently had my worldview forcefully re-centered by Steven Pinker’s book Enlightenment Now. It vividly illustrates that the world is categorically far...
Microcosmographia liii: Hanging out with Darwin
So we had a child. Two months in, I have a lot of feelings and hopes and thoughts about that. If you want the cute photos and sentimentality, I can add you...
Microcosmographia xlvi: Sekai Caravaggio Aruki
Celebrating Inbox Zero by lying on the couch listening to Curtain Call by haruka nakamura, I imagined a video documentary series about historical figures. Do...
Microcosmographia xvi: Our Mathemindful Universe
Do you meditate? I used to associate the practice with certain spiritual traditions or worldviews, and I got some moderately useful advice from books like...
Microcosmographia xli: Wave Existence
How important do you think it is to be consistent? I think I assumed for a long time that of course a person should remain more or less the same person all...
Microcosmographia xxxi: Balanced Values
What are your values? Yours individually, and those of your organizations and projects? I think identifying values works best if you can phrase both the...
Microcosmographia xxxviii: Habit
Routine and habit are, I believe, the only reliable tools for improving yourself and your situation. I think they tried to convince me of this in grade...
Microcosmographia xxxv: おやすみなさい
In February I had an evening that made me think, as long as I can experience something like this at least once per year, then life is going well. It's been...
Microcosmographia xxxiv: Clammbon 2016 Trip Report
This was written for Dramatickers, my fan-site for the band Clammbon. I thought that newsletterfriends might like to read it, too. If you’re in a hurry you...