Ben Guttmann

What are you arguing about? (There are only three options)

There are a lot of things we argue about. Politics. Manners. Money. Education. Sports. Business strategy. Vacation plans. Dinner plans. It’s one of our fundamental modes of interacting with others. But despite that infinite list of debate topics, all arguments can fit into just three categories: blame, values, or choice.

September 18, 2023

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Understanding the end-of-history illusion

We believe that we've arrived, that we are at the end of history. When we look back, we tend to think that we’ve changed a lot in the past, but now we’re pretty much done changing. After years of growth, our permanent selves are now here – but this is far from the truth.

August 28, 2023

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The big benefits of small talk

Many people see small talk as a waste of time and breath, some see it as a source of anxiety, and others see themselves as better than it. But ultimately, I fall firmly in favor of small talk, and so should you. It just might make you more successful, more understanding (and understood), and more happy.

August 14, 2023

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Balancing abstraction and detail. Or, why I love weather radar.

I don’t care that much about where the next train is; I only care about when it’s coming. I do want to know exactly how much flour is in the cake recipe, though. There's stuff you want to be simplified and stuff you don't. But weather often lives in the in-between.

July 17, 2023

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We're terrible at choosing photos for ourselves

Second only to tapping out new usernames, selecting a profile photo is one of the most common chores in our life of a thousand services. The problem is, we’re terrible at it. The Enlightened Idiot comes to the rescue once again.

July 10, 2023

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