On research:
- Details are where interesting avenues are revealed.
- Sometimes a problem isn’t solved because the wrong people are working on it.
- Barriers to higher education create institutional bias in research.
- The newest resources may not be the best resources.
- Know your own blind spots and cognitive biases.
- Ego and commercialization inhibit progress.
On education:
- Education is not a virtue, it’s a privilege.
- It is a student’s responsibility to discover how they learn best and implement it.
- It is a teacher’s responsibility to teach with integrity and accessibility.
- Grades and GPA are counterproductive metrics.
- Using search engines and finding information in books provides context for learning.
- A student should be made intellectually uncomfortable during their education.
- Every academic area and skill is valuable.
- Knowledge should never be put behind a pay wall.
On technology:
- Well-informed technology allows for greater human autonomy.
- Monopolies prevent technological progress.
- Privacy is the cornerstone of freedom.
- Technology reflects the values of the engineers that built it.
- Those who think only AI is the future underestimate human ingenuity and creativity.
On art:
- Artisans and artists preserve and develop culture. They engineer humanity.
- Art that challenges us helps us grow.
- Everyone ultimately will return to art for comfort and inspiration.
- The process of creating something is natural and human.
- Developing artistic skill is valuable.
On relationships
- Honesty is the basis of strong relationships.
- Kindness forgives misunderstandings.
- Consistency builds trust and reputation.
- The best way to respect others is to recognize their effort.
- Mentorship and more unconventional connections are critical.
- Seek out people who speak highly of others and speak up for themselves.
On identity:
- Words should be supported with action and intent.
- If something needs to be fixed, if you can, fix it.
- Don’t fear failure but learn from your mistakes.
- Most metrics we measure ourselves with are counterproductive.
- Sustainable growth is enduring. Quick gains burn out.
- Identity is flexible, but that does not mean it is purposeless.
On society:
- Compromise is not the enemy of progress.
- Making deplorable things taboo only pushes them underground.
- The value of labor is intrinsic, not monetary.
- Humans are generally good but easily fooled.
- Cycles are broken with justice and education.
- In an “ideal society” no one would be kept from necessities for any reason.
A summary:
- Leave things better than you found them.