4-2-3-1: on brevity, enjoying the moment, and the fragility of humanity
Also: the pathologies of tech, the greatest striker to grace the game, and power laws.
4 Articles:
The 'Sprezzatura' of Aphorisms
Part of the reason why I created this blog in the first place was to break out of the 280-character mode of thinking and communicating, and have a space to flesh out ideas more thoroughly. When you enter that mode of thinking, you are constantly trying to drill down further. However, if done incorrectly, it can lead to overanalysis and unnecessary explanations.. This has given me a newfound appreciation for aphorisms. When done correctly, these short, pithy sentences convey ideas in a more elegant manner.
One of my favorite examples of this is Kevin Kelly's "bits of advice." They convey a lot in a few words and exemplify what I strive for when trying to communicate concisely but impactfully. Here are a few of my favorites:
"Five years from now, you will wish you had started today."
"Tend to the small things. More people are defeated by blisters than mountains."
"Prototype your life. Try stuff instead of making grand plans."
Tech is Finding Out
The pathologies of social media are well-documented and not worth rehashing here. However, with the general economic backdrop of rising rates, there is now a questioning of some tech practices that emerged during the low-rate environment. The obvious ones include various convictions for fraud and other crimes. We are currently in the "finding out" stage of the mentality of "get to market, then find out how to make money."
An Ode to R9 Ronaldo
We have seen in recent seasons the return in popularity of the traditional Number 9, the obvious example being Erling Haaland's impact on Manchester City's historic treble1. However, when I think of the pantheon of great strikers, there is one player who inspires a type of joy that very few can bring to the game. The goals, the trophies, and dare I say those jaw dropping moments somewhat miss the point of why Ronaldo Nazario occupies the place he has in football. To be able to take the ball and dance past a whole side is one thing, to do it with a smile on his face and inspire joy in both home and away fans is another. When he scored a hattrick against Manchester United in the Champions League, he was met with applause and not the typical derision. In an era where it feels like football is increasingly about systems, marginal gains and optimization, looking back at Ronaldo Nazario reminds us of the joy some players can bring. As Owen Blackhurst in Mundial put it:
Watching him elicited feelings like that first grope at your teenage disco or climbing a podium on your original lads’ holiday and reaching for those fucking lasers. It was a shot of pure adrenaline that could eviscerate cynicism, shred club loyalties, and render whole pubs mute. Whole actual pubs full of men wearing ill-fitting jeans covered in today’s paint and yesterday’s curry left speechless by a bald blur with teeth like a Disney character.
Embracing Uncertainty
A common reflex when faced with moments of uncertainty is to run towards charting a path towards clarity. After all, uncertainty is often an uncomfortable notion to confront, and having a sense of direction provides a psychological safety net, whether actualized or not. The tonic to this is "Negative Capability": the willingness to embrace uncertainty, live with mystery, and make peace with ambiguity. Or, as Albert Einstein put it, "The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious—the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art."
Two Ideas:
Instead of a tax-free personal allowance each year, consider implementing a system where the first $100,000 you earn is tax-free.
A Moment of Intensity or Steady State?
Ask yourself: Is a steady state of 60% happiness/success (or any desirable metric) preferable to a fleeting moment of 110% followed by a reversion to the normal 30-40%? In other words, is a steady state more preferable than one fleeting moment to hold onto?
Three YouTube Videos/Podcasts:
"Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" - Freakonomics
"Football and Its Relationship with Gambling" – Football Weekly Special | The Guardian
The Zipf Mystery
One Book:
I've already mentioned one book here, Kevin Kelly's Book of Aphorisms. While it is definitely a great read, books of this nature should never be read cover to cover. Instead, open them to a random page to collect a few nuggets of wisdom.
Instead, the front-man in our 4-2-3-1 lineup is Timothy Snyder's "Black Earth." It is a thought-provoking account of the Holocaust and the circumstances in which such atrocities were able to occur. "Black Earth" also draws parallels between the past and present, warning against the dangers of overlooking or underestimating the fragility of states, the erosion of legal systems, and the consequences of environmental degradation. Snyder argues that these factors can create conditions conducive to the emergence of genocidal ideologies. It perhaps provides a more somber answer to the question of how we would act when confronted with some of the evils we have seen throughout history.