The Era of Addictiveness
We'll increasingly be defined by what we say no to. (#476)
1. The Acceleration of Addictiveness
This short essay from 2010 has only become more relevant. The thesis: technological progress means that «increasing numbers of things we like will be transformed into things we like too much.» And the tricky part: As a species, we wouldn't want to stop it. So, on an individual level, «we'll increasingly be defined by what we say no to.»
Speaking of articles that aged well: Over at my other newsletter «This Aged Well», we're now halfway through season one. Pick from 10 great reads that stood the test of time. 10 more to come. Join here.
2. Why Tim Cook Is Going All In on the Apple Vision Pro
After conquering our pockets, palms and ears, Apple is now going for the face. What do we make of it? This piece examines the wider impact, beyond raving reviews and derisive dismissals. Key bit: «Apple is taking us into the future, into a new era of computing. Some of us are running as fast as we can to get there, and others are being dragged, kicking and screaming. But we’re all going.»
3. Can we live without waste?
The BBC's new podcast Rare Earth takes a – don't imagine this too literally – deep dive into everything we throw away, and asks: Why are we rubbish at tackling waste?
4. The Woman Who Spent Five Hundred Days in a Cave
In the middle of the pandemic, a Spanish woman decided to retreat to a cave, all alone, and break the world record by staying there for five hundred days. When she reappeared after 508 days, she was upbeat and in good shape, «her grin was even wider than when she’d gone in.» That, however, was only half the story.
5. A unified theory of fucks
You're born with a finite number of fucks to give. So your challenge in life is to give a fuck about the right things, and make sure you never run out of fucks to give. The unified theory of fucks comes with a life hack: the infinite fucks loop, if you will.
What else?
Instant-gratification links that make you go wow! or aha! the moment you click.
- Just realised that the great What If? series is now on YouTube as well. Start here: What if Earth suddenly stopped spinning?
- When your Australian accent turns you into the worst parent in the history of the universe.
- Fun little quiz: Pick an artist and see how many of their songs you can identify by listening to a 5 second snippet.
- With the Superbowl coming up this weekend, a true treasure from the archives: the best answer to any interview question ever.
- Looking for some good book recommendations? Have a look at all the recommendations from the guests on Ezra Klein's podcast.
- The New Yorker turns 99. Love how, over time, its original cover has been adapted for various contexts.
Books for curious minds: Never Split The Difference
Over the years, I've seen and heard recommendations for that book countless times, and I never felt compelled to read it. Well, I finally caved in, and I'm glad I did. Turns out it's more than just tactical advice (this is what I always found off-putting about it), but in fact nuanced and empathetic – while still providing actionable advice on how to navigate tough discussions where you're looking for a specific outcome.
In every issue, I recommend one book. Some new ones as I read them, some older ones that continue to inform how I look at the world and myself.
A gem from the archive
A series of images that people have given away because they were «too hard to keep» for them. What makes this so powerful is that most of these images look downright ordinary and no explanation whatsoever is given. It’s entirely up to your imagination why this particular image might have been «too hard to keep», and for whom.
Jason Lazarus
This is a randomly picked gem from the archive of the Weekly Filet, going back to 2011. For manually curated time-tested treasures, have a look at my newly launched second newsletter This Aged Well.
Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!
— David 👋
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