Issue #246 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — The competent programmer is fully aware of the strictly limited size of his own skull; therefore he approaches the programming task in full humility, and among other things he avoids clever tricks like the plague. ~ Edsger Dijkstra This is true for any field. To do your best work, keep…

Issue #245 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — The function of ritual, as I understand it, is to give form to human life, not in the way of a mere surface arrangement, but in depth. ~ Joseph Campbell #1. Art is transformational. Sarah and I are friends with the artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya and try to see her installations whenever possible. So far…

Issue #244 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — Throw up into your typewriter every morning. Clean up every noon. ~ Raymond Chandler #1. Revision. I’ve mostly switched over to Obsidian as my note-taking app, but I’m not yet a power user. So I’m browsing articles written by people who are much deeper into the Obsidian game. For example, this explanation…

Issue #243 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. ~ Guillaume Apollinaire #1. When to have a bias for inaction. Ian R. sent me a counterpoint to bias for action: I have a personal rule that goes in the opposite direction: “if you have to ask yourself whether something is a…

Issue #242 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — Some TikToks, as I do every Tuesday, to give a different view on topics we cover. Since our actions are guided by a complicated mixture of emotions and rationality, it is important to consume self-improvement tips that are more than just facts. …

Issue #241 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. ~ Maya Angelou #1. Tiny habits can get very, very big. One of the knocks on the phrase “tiny habits” is that they sound like they won’t get you anywhere. …

Issue #240 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. ~ Dale Carnegie #1. Bias for Action. I love this phrase, bias for action, because I love action. But I’m also deeply suspicious of logic and reason — that probably seems like a weird thing to say. But it’s coming from a place of…

Issue #239 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — Stories change people while statistics give them something to argue about. ~ Bernie Siegel #1. An example of an active day. Below is a response to my newsletter about longevity and grip strength. I like it as a model of what we each might expect to do when we retire and as yet another reminder that we…

Issue #238 of the Better Humans Daily. Subscribe here for inspiration and knowledge. — Grip pressure — not mechanical flaws — is the biggest factor when you’re nervous. You unconsciously grip it tighter, which keeps you from making a smooth swing with a natural release. Keep your grip pressure light, and you’ll be surprised how much your mechanics stabilize. ~ Ernie Els I don’t…