## 18:56 some notes on various things, cleaning up

### <span class="todo TODO">TODO</span> read through these articles?

[how to lobotomize
yourself](https://ava.substack.com/p/how-to-lobotomize-yourself?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxOTQ4ODUwNiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzIyNTYwMjYsIl8iOiI3Mk5YMiIsImlhdCI6MTYxMjgzNzU3NiwiZXhwIjoxNjEyODQxMTc2LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMjM0MTciLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.PhiBt-iJeB0rNxTXK5sCwatTxS2Zl_ZOz4yeg4Db6Kw):
forgetting [there is so much to
do!](https://ava.substack.com/p/commitment-as-a-defense-against-the?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxOTQ4ODUwNiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzIxMjk2NDUsIl8iOiI3Mk5YMiIsImlhdCI6MTYxMjgzNzQ5OCwiZXhwIjoxNjEyODQxMDk4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMjM0MTciLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.wNJ0EADqQG5c5SbLmNxkp7ibwDufrPjPEEhMTiHRdhs)
[under-reported covid opinions don't receive
word](https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/journalism-and-legible-expertise?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxOTQ4ODUwNiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzIyNzk3MTIsIl8iOiI3Mk5YMiIsImlhdCI6MTYxMjgzNjczOCwiZXhwIjoxNjEyODQwMzM4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItODkxMjAiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.YgWqmg4tB6TSbPmChx8at9LFy5NDWhZED2QAZnGjS3w),
because they don't want to contradict cdc narratives and make vaccines
questionable entirely! [quick learning
article](https://adlrocha.substack.com/p/adlrocha-my-learning-system?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMDY5MzAyMSwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzIyMTgxMjUsIl8iOiI3Mk5YMiIsImlhdCI6MTYxMjgzNzQ3OCwiZXhwIjoxNjEyODQxMDc4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMTM3MDEiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.CqcAy7nfm9lZ-nQIJa9PFZXY-1hXAaAE4Fr1avMSYYk):

- stop consuming, stop producing! if you want to learn you have to put
  things into practice.
- Target something you want to replicate and reiterate it to others

[the genetics links are incredibly good
here](https://gwern.substack.com/p/jan-2021-gwernnet-newsletter?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxOTQ4ODUwNiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzIyMDMzMDksIl8iOiI3Mk5YMiIsImlhdCI6MTYxMjgzNzUwMywiZXhwIjoxNjEyODQxMTAzLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItNDgwNDEiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.DG1NxLgRyAcCAoH6pC0pgL0rU0VWHqnh8vVq-TrDRHY);
the mechanisms of cult production, when prophecy fails, why we fight
over fiction; everything is heritable!

### Committment is a defense against the void

[src](https://ava.substack.com/p/commitment-as-a-defense-against-the?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxOTQ4ODUwNiwicG9zdF9pZCI6MzIxMjk2NDUsIl8iOiI3Mk5YMiIsImlhdCI6MTYxMjgzNzQ5OCwiZXhwIjoxNjEyODQxMDk4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMjM0MTciLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.wNJ0EADqQG5c5SbLmNxkp7ibwDufrPjPEEhMTiHRdhs)
there is so much going on at once that it's hard to pace! we're driven
to create and consume and keep up; it's nauseuous. "the balance between
willing to change and improve and knowing who you are is tricker than
ever before". don't lose individuality by adopting the interests of
others; copying the style of others means that you abandon your own. if
you don't make a choice nothing ever happens - optimizing in the wrong
way makes things existential! committment isn't just necessary to get
good; it's necessary for *peace of mind* - it allows you to survive all
of the optionality

you can't optimize perfectly for what people think - and as nice as
email is it's hard to feel empty when feedback isn't empty! who are you
with no notifications? if you know, you can't be disturbed.