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30 ideas that changed my worldview

“The unexamined life is not worth living” is one of those of what is best described as “pseudo-profound dribble” (dribble being a family-friendly replacement for the correct term).

In reality, a life lived without looking back is totally worth living; in fact, those who live in the present are generally y/dp/1626254060). As I’ve written, thinking too much about the past can lead to regret as we second-guess our decisions that didn’t go well. There are even entire philosophies — Stoicism — about living in the present and letting go of the past. Those Socrates-quoting (it was probably Socrates who uttered this quote, at least according to Plato) people don’t even think about what they are saying, let alone realize how absurd the statement is.

So, now I’ve told you about the uselessness of reflection, it’s time to reflect on what I learned in 2018! I was originally going to use that Socrates quote to start this article and lecture you about the importance of looking backwards, before, in a plot twist, realizing it’s complete bunk. Fortunately, this about-face reinforces the one overarching idea I took away from 2018: we are all wrong about a lot of things a lot of the time, but, we can get less wrong.

While some may view this conclusion pessimistically — if we’re just going to be wrong, why learn anything at all? — I see it as a great opportunity. Yes, we are currently wrong about many of our beliefs — including our foundational ideas — but that just means we have the chance to get less wrong as we go through life. As we accumulate experiences and learn from data, we can gain a more accurate worldview and, as we’ll see, it turns out that worldview is almost always more optimistic than we originally thought.

To continue in my quest to get less wrong and because the end of the year is a time for lists, I’ve listed 30 things I learned in 2018 from books, podcasts, life, and other people. These aren’t meant to be absolute truths, and, I wouldn’t be surprised if a year from now I come back and correct the majority of these! I don’t claim these are the final beliefs I’ll hold the rest of my life, just what I currently believe. As the evidence and society changes, I’ll re-evaluate my positions to make sure they are still compatible with reality.

One Year, 30 Ideas

I’ve listed the sources for these ideas in parenthesis and provided a link the first time a source appears. Books are in italics, “podcasts or short works are in quotes”, and life is something I picked up through everyday experiences or from family, friends, co-workers, etc. As a glimpse into my ever-evolving worldview, this is more personal than what I usually write but as always, if you have criticisms, objections, or your own ideas, don’t hesitate to add a comment or write to me on Twitter!

With that said, here’s what I learned in 2018:

1. The world has never been better and continues to improve despite a general consensus of the opposite. Far from being a naively optimistic idea, this is a conclusion fully supported by the relevant data and statistics: Humans today are less violent, healthier, wealthier, have more rights, and do a better job of protecting the environment than at any point in recorded history. (Factfulness; Enlightenment Now; The Rational Optimist)
2. Fulfillment does not from external rewards or material accumulation but is derived internally, by doing work that you can take pride in. We create meaning in life through our work — which does not have to be a traditional job. (Drive; The Road to Character, Mastery; life)
3. Meditation is difficult, requires a formidable amount of concentration, and only improves slowly with deliberate repetition, yet the scientifically (and experimentally) proven benefits make it a worthwhile practice (Waking Up; 10% Happier; “The Waking Up Podcast”; life)
4. We have built a society with almost unlimited options from the smallest choices — which toothpaste to buy — to the largest — what to study — yet, rather than creating a utopia, this has made us miserable and contributed to increased rates of depression. More options mean we spend longer making decisions and more time regretting them (The Paradox of Choice; life)
5. An incredibly valuable — yet exceedingly rare — skill is the ability to change one’s mind in light of new evidence. Changing one’s positions when the facts change is not a sign of weakness but shows mental fortitude. The entire enterprise of science is based on self-criticism and updating theories as better evidence is found. (Hitch-22; Superforecasting; Science Friction)
6. Data are never objective. The very act of collecting information encodes biases in it that reflect the goals of those gathering the information and the measurement tools (Dataclysm; The Signal and the Noise)
7. Morals/ethics are a product of evolution and were not invented by any particular religion. As a natural phenomenon, we can scientifically study morals/ethics to make objective claims about the right actions to take. (The Moral Landscape; The Science of Good and Evil; Behave)
8. To make accurate predictions: constantly make forecasts and use the feedback to improve your next estimates, gather data from as many diverse sources of information as possible, express predictions with uncertainty, and change your predictions when the facts on the ground change (The Signal and the Noise; Superforecasting)
9. The fact that living standards are getting better around the world means that our policies in areas such as poverty reduction, disease eradication, environmental protection, and human rights expansion are working. Viewing the world as it really is — rather than through a distorted lens — not only gives us a more optimistic, realistic worldview, it also shows we collectively have the ability to improve the world and should keep at this endeavor (Enlightenment Now; Factfulness)
10. Writing is thinking: there is no better way to make sure you understand a topic than writing an article about it for a general audience. If you are struggling to understand a concept, try writing an article — even if it’s just to yourself. (Bird by Bird; life)
11. Problems are solvable. Whenever you encounter a problem, know there is an answer as long as you’re willing to work at it. Anything not prohibited by the laws of physics can be accomplished by humans given enough time. (The Beginning of Infinity)
12. There is no single secret to doing hard things like writing, learning a new skill, or making a positive life adjustment. There is instead a sequence of simple, actionable steps that over time add up to a major change (Bird by Bird; Behave; Deep Learning Cookbook; life)
13. “Natural” does not mean good. Rape, xenophobia, vengeance, outrage, and violence are all natural, but very few people (apart from the president of the United States) would argue we need more of them. Don’t fall for the myth that natural is better than man-made whether it is used as an argument for a food, product, or opinion (The Blank Slate; Behave)
14. No matter your external situation, you can be miserable or in euphoria depending on your mental state and attitude. Happiness is not about what happens to us but about how we respond to it. (Waking Up; How to be Miserable; _“_Stoicism philosophy”; life)
15. Free will — the idea we make choices at our own discretion — does not exist. (Behave; The Science of Good and Evil; Incognito; The Blank Slate; Predictably Irrational; “The Waking Up Podcast”)
16. If you are by yourself, you should be working; if you aren’t working, spend your time with others. (s.com/quotes/130011-if-you-are-idle-be-not-solitary-if-you-are), How to be Miserable)
17. Helping others — through volunteering, writing, teaching, a public service job, or being there to listen — is the most rewarding experience a human being can have. (The Road to Character; Behave; life)
18. The advertising model for the Internet is a terrible idea: instead of paying directly for content, we pay with our limited time and attention. A subscription model is more sustainable, more honest for all parties, and can lead to better content that is not constrained by advertiser’s agendas (“The Waking Up Podcast”; life)
19. Capitalism may be the single best anti-poverty device ever invented. It is also effective at increasing health, raising living standards, expanding human rights, protecting the environment and increasing tolerance. While capitalism is not perfect, it’s the best way to organize an economy thus far put in place (The Rational Optimist; Enlightenment Now)
20. There (probably) is not a single universe, but an infinite number of them — a multiverse. We (possibly) are living in a simulation and soon will reach the point where we can create our own simulated worlds. Neither of these should affect how you live your life. (Our Mathematical Universe; The Inevitable; But What if We’re Wrong; “The Waking Up Podcast”)
21. History only appears to follow a straight path in hindsight (the narrative fallacy). History books typically draw a single path to connect events after the fact, when reality is actually a mess of random occurrences that follow no plan. (The Black Swan; But What If We’re Wrong; Predictably Irrational)
22. A certain amount of stress is beneficial for people and systems. We should aim not just to be resilient against stress, but to learn how to gain from it. Moreover, sometimes we are better off eliminating things from our lives (tv, news) rather than adding new things — a concept known as addition by subtraction. (Antifragile;__The Black Swan; Behave; life)
23. Writing consistently improves your writing (and thinking) and makes it easier. Even bad writing is better than no writing; get your ideas down in a rough first draft without worrying about how good it is. (Bird by Bird; life)
24. One of the most effective ways to be miserable is to reduce your exercise. Other good ways include spending as much time as possible with screens, focusing only on yourself, and revisiting past decisions (How to be Miserable; CGPGrey video “7 Ways to Maximize Misery”)
25. The 21st century may be defined by an increasing gap between those with technical skills who can control computers (programmers) and those who whose jobs will be taken by (narrowly) intelligent machines. This is problematic because a world without meaningful work for humans would be a complete dystopia. (21 Lessons for the 21st Century)
26. Innovation occurs most often not deep within one field, but at intersections between fields. It is in these fertile boundary grounds that ideas find applications beyond the original narrow use envisaged by the inventor. Make sure to not silo yourself within your field. (The Innovators)
27. Humans are not born with equal abilities or opportunities, and ignoring this leads to policies that reinforce disadvantages rather than working to eliminate them. The theory that people are born the same (“blank slate”) denies all biological evidence to the contrary (The Blank Slate; Behave).
28. Formal education is, unfortunately, necessary for most jobs, not because you will learn anything useful, but because you need a piece of paper certifying you can jump through arbitrary hoops and follow orders. Also, college can be detrimental to physical, mental, and financial health. (life)
29. Minimalism is an enjoyable lifestyle: modern consumer culture has taught us fulfillment comes in the form of new cars, gadgets, and items, but it really comes from the work we do and the experiences we have. Limiting the number of things you own makes it easier to travel, reduces costs, and frees you to focus on the important things in life (The Paradox of Choice; Drive; The Inevitable; “The Waking Up Podcast”; life)
30. In New York City, it’s possible to live my dream life without either a car — thanks to public transit — or a permanent address — thanks to Airbnb. (life)

As always, I welcome feedback, discussion, and constructive criticism. I can be reached on Twitter @koehrsen_will.