You know those revolving sushi bars where you sit down at a table and the food passes you by on a conveyor belt? You grab the items that look good to you, and you let the rest pass you by. I think that’s a good illustration of our thoughts. In this illustration our brain isContinue reading “Revolving thoughts”
Author Archives: icorteso
Pride
Someone recently told me that pride is always a bad thing, and that it would be a good idea to remove one’s pride completely. That got me thinking, what do you replace pride with? I think I have an answer. First, I will admit that pride had always been a tool of motivation for me.Continue reading “Pride”
Extremes
Life is full of mysteries and unknowns, and that is good-enough reason to search for answers. But, sometimes, we get tired of looking. We decide there’s nothing to find. Or, at least, we act like it. Then, we are in danger of missing the truth. Let’s assume that the truth is useful. It helps usContinue reading “Extremes”
Third time
When you’re out and about and unexpectedly hear someone call out your name, never turn to look the first time. Wait for the second or (preferably) third time they call. If you need reasons, here are some: (1) You may have mistaken what you heard.(2) They may be calling someone else, and it would beContinue reading “Third time”
Test: Do nothing
Politics is about resolving conflict. When the right answer is not clear, it’s useful to apply some sort of test (something like a philosophical razor). I call this one the “do nothing” test. Let’s say the US congress is debating a new bill, and the political parties just can’t seem to agree on a pathContinue reading “Test: Do nothing”
Journey or destination
What’s more important, being right or being thoughtful? I’m a big fan of logic and reason and critical thinking (though I don’t claim to be particularly good at it). As a consequence, I often find myself struggling to reach conclusions on controversial topics. I think it’s important to consider different facts and opinions. Then, weContinue reading “Journey or destination”
Like a badge
It’s tempting to try to use our weaknesses as an excuse. After all, weaknesses are obstacles that can seriously derail our plans. Coming to terms with these obstacles is the first step in any strategy to live with them. But we could get too comfortable with our flaws, to the point where we pretend toContinue reading “Like a badge”
Incompetence
A few years ago, I heard someone say, “the job of congress is not to pass laws, but to stop bad bills from becoming law.” Now, I can’t help but see government through that lens. The idea is that change should not come easy. One reason is that frequent change could cause instability. Another reasonContinue reading “Incompetence”
A smile and a wave
Now that the gyms are closed (temporarily, because of the virus), I’ve switched my workouts to long runs. My favorite routes are ones with scenic views, easy distance markers, and—very importantly—ones where I’m likely to cross paths with other people. There’s something nice about the limited social interaction of bumping into some stranger on theContinue reading “A smile and a wave”
No more threat
You ever feel nostalgic about bad things? It makes a lot of sense to miss a good thing, because then there’s an incentive for the good thing to happen again. But what incentive is there to repeat, or even remember, a bad experience? Nostalgia is like missing something, but with a deeper, personal, and sometimesContinue reading “No more threat”
Ivan Cortes 