8.5, Pause. Subtract
“A joyful life is an individual creation that cannot be copied from a recipe. Happiness is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person.” M Csikszentmihalyi
Hi Friends:
Last weekend, I spent a bit of time at the Ruby & Calvin Fletcher African American History Museum. It's a pretty small museum in Stratford, CT, and you can go through the exhibits in less than two hours, with an accompanying museum guide as part of the tour.
Per the museum’s description, “The exhibit is a collection of artifacts which reflect decades of turbulent times for African Americans in the United States during the period of slavery and the Civil Rights movement.”
They are expanding to a bigger location later in the year, so there are all sorts of future possibilities. The exhibit that stuck with me though, was a KKK uniform that Mr. Fletcher explained had been dropped off at the museum earlier this year, in 2024. Someone anonymously dropped off the uniform in a box, with a note that basically said the history of this uniform could best be explained by the museum.
It makes you wonder what else is lurking in family closets, just waiting to be discovered.
Anyways, on with the links.
Do Nothing, Then Do Less [podcast, 44 minutes]
How doing nothing saved a pilot’s life. This podcast episode explores the counterintuitive idea that sometimes inaction is the best course of action. Sometimes, doing nothing is the best option. Our brain also has a tendency to favor adding solutions over removing them, even when the latter is more effective.
The Life-Changing Power of Shutting Up
It is better to be kind than to be right.
40 Unconventional Pieces of Advice That Most People Ignore
I’m not sure how unconventional these actually are (“read books” isn’t that far out of left field, although I guess few actually do), but there are quite a few good gems.
12. Show up. Consistent and focused effort beats talent in the long run. Daily actions compound in remarkable ways. To excel at anything, pick a direction, make a little progress every day, and keep going.
13. Actions reveal your beliefs. You’re defined by what you do, not by what you say. Fancy words don’t make up for a sloppy character.
Ask questions — things that you might have noticed in your job, or in your past, that just don’t add up. Keep them in your head.
Ghanaian Fantasy Coffin Maker Paa Joe
Ghanaian sculptor Paa Joe makes coffins (both human-sized and mini sculptures) modeled after real-life objects that were important to the deceased.
Below the Fold 👀
I knew it wasn’t just me! Here’s why jalapeño peppers are less spicy
Once again, for the 7th year in a row, Finland is the world’s happiest country. The same report found that the United States has “fallen out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012, driven by a large drop in the wellbeing of Americans under 30.”
Here’s an easy travel tip for keeping track of your flights.
This is interesting ✨
Ted Gioia argues that entertainment is dying, replaced by a "dopamine culture" of endless, mindless scrolling. He argues that tech companies prioritize addiction over art, turning users into "junkies" with negative mental health effects.