mar 27 in idea barrages

Some people, if they like formal study, they’re academic. Some people like disease outbreaks, they’re epidemic. But if you like both, you’re pandemic.

Your album of Alpine folk covers of Beck songs will be called YODELAY.

Just sittin’ here singing “SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW, THEY FORGOT HER MCFLURRY SPOON, AND AS SHE BEATS THEM DOWN SHE WONDERS, WHY HER EX TOLD HER SHE’S A LOON”.

Americans want a better tomorrow but are acutely aware of the fragility of their situations and want change that’s measured, slow and reversible in case it backfires. Outside the echo chambers, America just wants to live better without being scared by changing too fast.

Americans would rather die in sickness and poverty than accept the help of someone who says they know better. Pride’s our national mental illness but its not going away. Lecturing them will only drive them into the arms of monsters. Slowly build consensus instead.

If you by trying to fix everything at once fix nothing, you have failed. If you by trying to help people some, help people a little, you have succeeded.

Pride is the worst of all the seven deadly because every other flaw can be reasoned with, educated against, abated, explained, negotiated with. Pride doubles down in the face of its own failure. Pride makes people prefer death to its violation. It may be the worst thing of all things.

When you put “being right” ahead of doing good, “winning” ahead of doing good, being known, being heard, when you put “reaching for greatness” ahead of doing good, you will almost always find yourself fall short of all these goals.