I am a worrier. I worry constantly about things that other people seem to just take in stride. I worry about the things that could go very wrong in my life, and what I can do to pre-empt or mitigate them. At different times in my life, I have worried intensely about: Being unemployedDying aloneMy … Continue reading Be Very Afraid of Being Too Afraid
Source I read today a very thought-provoking piece by Yuval Harari, a historian and philosopher. “You can vote but you can’t choose what is true.” A paraphrased summary of his thesis: Elections are awful ways of determining what is true. For that, we need to turn to experts and institutions, not popularity contests. However, elections … Continue reading We Don’t Need Elections to Figure Out What People Want
Disclaimer: The intended audience for this article is someone who is reasonably savvy on financial planning. If you’re a novice, stop reading now and just do whatever your financial planner tells you to do. The conventional advice for financial planning in retirement has generally been the 4% rule. Ie, on the day of your retirement, … Continue reading The New Rules for Retirement Financial Planning
Stoic philosophy is often assumed to have originated entirely in Greece, through philosophers such as Zeno. However, such a characterization ignores vastly similar Eastern philosophies such as those found in Buddhism or the Bhagavad Gita - a text that was authored in a similar time period, transmitted orally for centuries prior, and is one of … Continue reading The First Stoics – Philosophical Themes In The Bhagavad Gita
Source Nov 19 2119, New York - There was a time when most people in the world were impoverished food renters. Ownership of food was concentrated in the hands of a tiny sliver of farmers and big corporations. Everyone else was at the mercy of this tiny sliver who wielded all the power. Until one … Continue reading People Used To Throw Their Money Away At The Grocery Store
With the rise of Xenophobia all over the world, from Trump to Brexit to the Freedom Party, it’s worth pausing for a second and asking ourselves why. Why are people so threatened by immigrant workers? Why are people so threatened by the growth and progress happening in foreign countries? Why are people so threatened by … Continue reading Humanity is not a Zero-Sum Game
There is a widespread perception that “political correctness” is characteristic of liberals. It certainly is true that liberals are quick to pounce on statements that stereotype or offend certain demographics. That said, here are some instances of conservatives showing they can be just as politically correct, about the people and issues they care about. Musician … Continue reading Conservatives for Political Correctness
I've heard no shortage of stereotypes in my life. I've heard stereotypes about Men, Women, Whites, Blacks, Mexicans, Indians, Chinese, Arabs, Italians, French, Israelis, Canadians, Brits, Americans, Engineers, Lawyers, Bankers, Cops and even Postal workers. You name it, I've heard it. Every now and then, I come across a positive stereotype. "Japanese people have so … Continue reading Is It Okay To Stereotype?
I recently came across an interesting article, discussing the evolution of the popular phrase “Better that 10 guilty men go free, than 1 innocent man go to prison.” More specifically, it discusses how the exact ratio has varied throughout all of human history. A perfect demonstration that as poetic as the phrase may sound, coming … Continue reading Better that 10 Innocent Men be Murdered
I'm a pragmatist when it comes to immigration, and I think it's hard to find politicians who are willing to publicly stake out pragmatic positions on this issue. Here's my blueprint for what I think immigration reform should look like. End Illegal Immigration We are all for immigration, but through the proper channels, and with … Continue reading A Centrist Blueprint for Immigration Reform
When Dave first heard about the basilisk from a believer, he scratched his head in confusion. “I have to give all my money to help build a super AI. And if I don't, it will one day resurrect me from the dead and torture me?” It sounded too comical to believe. And if he had … Continue reading Dave’s Basilisk
Virtually every election season, we’re treated to a chorus on job creation. Who has saved more jobs. How will they protect your job. And who is going to be the grinch that takes your job away. But perhaps our focus is misguided. Perhaps we should be focused not on creating jobs, but on eliminating them. … Continue reading Prosperity Comes From Eliminating Jobs, Not Saving Them
In recent weeks, we have seen much hand wringing over the role that Social Media, Special Interests, Fake news, and Foreign Governments have played, in determining the outcomes of our political processes. To be sure, there is great merit in all of these accusations. Lobbyists should not be able to veto bills that serve the … Continue reading We Need A Democracy That Cannot Be Hacked
In an earlier article, we discussed the primary factors that drive long-term stock market returns. Namely: Earnings yield Real GDP growth Inflation We also discussed ignoring fluctuations in the PE Ratio, because: PE ratios tend to be cyclic, and do not increase or decrease in perpetuity Over the long term, fluctuations in the PE ratio … Continue reading Correlation between Stock-Market-Returns, GDP Growth and PE Ratios
“The stock market is nothing more than a ponzi scheme”“It’s all just fake money”“Stocks prices are completely arbitrary. It can rise or crash any day” Chances are, you’ve heard some variation of the above, many times in your life. It’s hardly surprising - stocks play a crucial role in our economy and personal savings. And … Continue reading What drives Stock Market Returns?
One of the most interesting paradoxes studied by Philosophers, is also one that challenges our entire approach to science and knowledge gathering. Despite its monumental importance, there currently exist no satisfying resolution to this paradox. Which is unfortunate, because by studying this paradox, and learning how to resolve it, we all stand to benefit immensely, … Continue reading Solving the Raven-Paradox and Improving the Way we do Science
As a lifelong agnostic, I never thought that I would find myself arguing for the existence of “souls”, much less claiming that I’ve found proof through Philosophical reasoning. And yet, as I consider the alternative, I find myself unable to accept any other conclusion. If we were to assume that human consciousness arises purely out … Continue reading Philosophical Proof for the Human Soul
A couple days ago, the NYTimes published an op-ed proclaiming “The Truth about NYC’s Elite High Schools”. The truth, according to them, is the following: NYC’s elite high schools are a bastion of bias and discrimination. In order to remedy this, they need to abandon their current test-based entrance system, in favor of one that more … Continue reading The Real Truth about NYC’s Elite High Schools
I’ve long been a champion of Basic Income. As we head towards an uncertain future where automation and offshoring becomes the norm, we need more safeguards to protect the most vulnerable members in our society. Instead of paternalistic welfare programs, full of bureaucracy and central planning, the idea of putting money directly in the pockets … Continue reading Forget Basic Income – we need Guaranteed Employment
In the wake of the 2008 crisis came the realization that our financial system is teetering on the brink, at the mercy of banks that are too big to fail. A lesson that’s hardly surprising to Software engineers who have known for decades that "God Objects", entities that are far too widely encompassing, produce intractable … Continue reading Too Big To Fail: A Call for States’ Rights
Outlook Zen 