Some call it purpose. Others call it passion. For whatever reason, an organizing principle is important for human flourishing. Athletes provide an excellent study for this phenomenon, as they devote every fiber of their being to a narrow goal. Then, once they retire they suddenly find themselves adrift in life’s…

2020 was a firestorm, dominated by survival and reaction. It was hard, full of work, shock and fear. 2021 was a slog, the long tail of missed expectations and setbacks. It was a never-ending malaise abounding with false starts and dashed hopes. 2022 is still an unknown—a scant 12 hours…

The COVID epoch has forced us to confront distinct changes in posture, rhythms and environment. Rather than gradual evolutions that dawn upon us once at inflection points, the last two years are marked by sudden, seismic change. Societal behavior pivots constantly, friends come and go, jobs rotate more frequently. …

Modern society is structured around competition for your attention. Our jobs, social interactions, entertainment and vast swathes of the economy are built around algorithmic delivery systems that reward interaction. It may be fiscally lucrative and sensorially gratifying, but our minds are being forced to operate in a manner that defies…

There was a brief, shining moment earlier this Summer in which I felt on the verge of returning to a degree of normalcy. There were glimpses of a past life; I returned to the office, ceased worrying about the health of my family and started participating in society for the…

Today is the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While it may not look much different from, say, the 2018 version of this date, something about round numbers and the passage of time strikes a chord at the collective heart of a people. The internet and airwaves are full…

We talk all the time about Moving Fast and Ruthlessly Prioritizing, but not often enough about how they compliment each other. In tech, we like to set 50/50 goals. …

Postmarked JAN 2021 There were plenty of explicit moments last year that so cleanly cut to the core of who we are. It seems trivial trying to recap them given the sheer number. There was loss, grief, unrest, anxiety and division like I’ve never seen before. I’ve been trying to…

In Second Treatise on Civil Government, John Locke establishes many of the principles that undergird modern democracy. This seminal work of political philosophy portrays government as a civil contract between citizens and authorities. The legitimacy of institutions is derived from their ability to provide for the people they serve; absent…