Problem solving guide
Before landing on a solution to a problem, these questions are the key to a good outcome: Am I solving the right problem? What outcome do I really want?...
Topic
Humanitas
7 posts
Why not consequentialism
When deciding whether an action is better or worse than another action there are three primary contenders for decision making criteria: either (a) some actions are inherently preferable/better/ideal/good/right/correct, or (b) the cause or (c) the consequences of some actions are what makes them preferable to others...
Not "Mostly Harmless"
Adams, in Hitchhiker's Guide, was clearly joking about humans being mostly harmless, which means we ought to consider potential answers to the following questions in light of space-travel prospects in the coming centuries...
Vetinari and Carnegie
Continuing this series on influence and power dynamics, I consider Pratchett’s Vetinari and imagine his critique of Carnegie’s "How to...", as he sets out to influence people - without winning unwanted friends...
Life value-drivers
In this series I’ll consider tasks and techniques used to good effect in business that can be adapted to be useful in broader life. In the first of this series, I’ll repurpose a profit and loss model for choosing which actions to focus on to make progress achieving one’s life goals, whether it’s to become well-read, to circumnavigate the globe, to foster deeper connections with friends, or any other goal...
More compelling drawing room confessions
Questionnaire-guided self-exploration can aid efforts to ‘outgrow oneself’ - a phrase I credit to The Marginalian. Answers to the following would likely be more insightful, and more of a call to action, than answers to Proust’s original questions...
Jeeves and Cromwell
The ability to exert influence in the world is not necessarily ring-fenced to those who appear to be in power if we take lessons from models of influence. In the first of this series, I consider Wodehouse’s and Mantel’s contrasting protagonists and find certain patterns...