[The following was copied and pasted from GPT-4 after I fed it a transcript of a 3 minute ramble I had recorded while walking just now and asked it to turn it into a 500 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

Title: Unmasking Joy: The Equation of Reality, Expectations, and Happiness

The aphorism, "Comparison is the thief of joy," encapsulates a profound truth. We often find ourselves evaluating our happiness not solely based on our experiences but by juxtaposing them with others'. Paradoxically, this act of comparison can lead us astray, taking the joy we found in the simple act of existence and muddying it with unnecessary competition.

It's a convoluted equation, where happiness equals reality minus expectations. Take a splendid reality—abundant, joyful, and fulfilling. Yet, if your expectations are grander, inflated to the point of impossibility or improbability, unhappiness creeps in. If expectations outweigh reality, you're left in the deficit, the red zone of negative happiness.

But here's the rub. Setting expectations too low—expecting the worst—is also a fallacy. If we live our lives bracing for disaster, we confirm our worst fears, consciously seeking out negative outcomes. This leads to a pessimistic life view, curtailing our chances and stifling opportunities. The joy of risk, the fundamental human trait that has spurred evolution—our ancestors forging communities, taking chances—is lost in the morass of dread.

So, how do we navigate the labyrinth of expectations to uncover happiness? The answer lies in two concepts: embracing the 'base rate' and cultivating a 'zero expectations' outlook.

'Base rate' is a term borrowed from statistics, referring to the inherent probability of an event—the most likely occurrence, the center of the bell curve. Understanding the base rate is understanding the norm. It's accepting that if something regularly happens to others in your situation, you're not exempt—it's likely to happen to you too. This comprehension anchors our expectations to reality, taming the often wild imaginings of what could be.

On the other hand, harboring zero expectations can be equally liberating. This isn't about giving up hope or aspirations, but about viewing reality without the rose-tinted glasses of predetermined ideals. Without expectations, reality, whether brimming with positive instances or tinged with negatives, is seen in its true form. It's a raw, unfiltered perception of the world.

Consequently, to traverse the path to happiness, we must strike a balance between these two concepts. Accepting the base rate of outcomes tempers our expectations, aligning them more closely with probable outcomes. Simultaneously, encouraging a mindset of zero expectations allows us to experience life in its naked essence, undistorted by what we think it should be.

In conclusion, the dance between reality and expectations is a subtle art, a nuanced choreography that we must learn to perform in our pursuit of happiness. By acknowledging the base rate and adopting a zero-expectations attitude, we might just find that we have uncovered a new path to joy, undeterred by the unnecessary detour of comparison.

[The following was copied and pasted from GPT-4 after I fed it a transcript of a 3 minute ramble I had recorded while walking just now and asked it to turn it into a 500 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

Title: Transforming Life's Chaos into Order: The Power of Reminders

The hectic pace of life often feels like a chaotic swirl of events, responsibilities, thoughts, and ideas. As this whirlwind of activities plays out, it's easy to forget things, even those that matter. These forgotten fragments aren't a reflection of our character or a judgment on our capabilities. They're merely evidence that our minds are juggling a multitude of tasks, thoughts, and ideas.

Here's something to remember: you're not a bad person for forgetting. It's simply the reality of having a lot on your plate. But, as with many aspects of life, there are ways to make this manageable, to transform the chaos into order. How? The humble yet powerful tool of setting reminders and tasks.

Being adept at scheduling can be a game-changer. By organizing your day, week, or month, you ensure that important tasks don't fall by the wayside. The key here is not only to set these reminders but also to act on them when they buzz.

Say you suddenly remember you need to order something online. You're not currently at your computer, but you know you will be later in the evening. Instead of relying on your memory, set a reminder for 8:00 p.m. to "order X." It takes barely 30 seconds, but this simple act can relieve a surprising amount of stress. Research has shown that setting reminders can significantly alleviate anxiety about pending tasks, essentially offloading the mental burden.

The second part of this productivity equation, though, is equally crucial: acting on these reminders when they ping. If you're in the middle of your favorite TV show when your "order X" reminder buzzes, pause your show and place the order. Two minutes later, you're done, and you can return to your program.

However, life isn't always predictable. What if you're not lounging on the couch when that reminder sounds but instead are out to dinner with friends? No problem. The flexibility of reminders is part of their charm. Easily edit the reminder's time to when you expect to be home or to a quieter moment when you can handle the task, such as Sunday night.

Adopting this habit does more than ensure tasks get done; it also enhances your sense of agency. It empowers you to take control of your life and activities, leading to more productivity and less stress.

In our modern age, this strategy is all the more feasible because of technology. Your phone, computer, and the cloud serve as omnipresent assistants, ready to remind you of tasks wherever you are.

Remember: life can be chaotic, but you're not at its mercy. With the right tools and habits, you can transform life's tumult into manageable order, one reminder at a time.

[The following was copied and pasted from GPT-4 after I fed it a transcript of a 3 minute ramble I had recorded while walking just now and asked it to turn it into a 500 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

Title: Cut Costs, Style Freedom: A Tale of Shifting Perspectives, Sustainability, and the Art of Maintenance

Hey there, friends. It's a sunny day, and I've got an unusual, yet compelling subject to share: my journey with home haircuts and its strange parallel to life and investing. Yes, you heard it right. Cutting hair, for me, is much more than a personal grooming ritual; it's a lifelong journey that unveils a myriad of lessons about savings, freedom, and the art of maintenance.

Ever since I was 18, I've been my barber. Simple math shows that I've saved over $5,100 across 18 years, assuming a $20 haircut once a month. What began as a quest to save a few bucks, over time, morphed into something more profound. I realized the autonomy it offered me - the ability to style my hair as I pleased, anytime, anywhere - was the real wealth I was accruing. A 'do to match my beard? Easy. A different vibe for a spontaneous night out? Done. All without a salon appointment or an insistent stylist.

Now, as I journey through life, my hair, like most men's, has decided to take a different path. Thinning, receding, going AWOL in places. But the beauty of self-styling is that you adapt, tweak, and evolve. Buzz it a bit more often, keep it short, throw in a nice tan – it's the spirit of resilience and embracing change.

And here comes the most important part of the journey - the blade saga. Over the years, I've owned four pairs of hair clippers, each ranging from $25 to $50. The first three pairs died on me after a few years. It was frustrating but seemed inevitable - or so I thought. Until one day, I saw these glaring words on my fourth pair of clippers: "KEEP BLADES OILED." In a moment of revelation, I followed that simple instruction and, voila, eight years on, they are still going strong!

Here's where the metaphor gets real. This one minor act, oiling the blades, extended the life of my clippers exponentially. It's akin to how an investment grows over time, given the right care and attention. Just like regular oiling keeps the clippers running smooth, regular contributions and prudent decisions keep your investment growing. Ignore the advice, skip the small maintenance steps, and you end up spending more than necessary, not unlike my three dead pairs of clippers.

In the grand scheme of things, it isn't just about the money saved or the autonomy over my hairstyle. It's about an overarching philosophy of life - sustainability, adaptability, and the profound wisdom hidden in the seemingly mundane. As I draw this parallel between my home haircuts and life, I want to leave you with a thought that I've shared with my students: "Keep the blades oiled." Take care of your tools, investments, relationships – the things you cherish and rely upon – because more often than not, maintenance is the key to lasting value. 

So, whether it's your haircut, your career, or your life savings, remember to keep those metaphorical blades well oiled. That's what keeps things running smoothly for longer. As always, stay curious, friends, and keep discovering those little nuggets of wisdom in your everyday life. Until next time.

[The following was copied and pasted from GPT-4 after I fed it a transcript of a 3 minute ramble I had recorded while walking just now and asked it to turn it into a 500 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

Title: Mapping Innovation: An Approach to Harnessing Collective Progress

Hello readers, today let's venture into the vast yet interconnected world of innovation and progress. Our aim? To construct a grand network of ideas spanning diverse industries, inventions, and evolutionary leaps in products. This proposed exercise is not simply an academic endeavor, but a necessary exploration in our quest to comprehend and, eventually, catalyze innovation. 

Envision a vast diagram, a network if you will, where each node represents a specific innovation, a unique idea, or a distinct set of skills. These nodes, tagged meticulously, would be interlinked, reflecting the shared skills, overlapping benefits, and cross-industry applications. This network, in its complexity, would serve as a visual roadmap, leading us to potential progress in seemingly unrelated fields. 

The purpose of such a network is manifold. On one hand, it might inspire fresh connections in our minds, sparking innovation by drawing parallels between distinct fields. Simultaneously, it could offer a different lens through which we perceive existing innovations, enriching our understanding and appreciation of the intricate web of progress.

Indeed, projects of this magnitude could qualify for innovation grants from pioneering organizations like Stripe or visionaries like Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, who have consistently championed the pursuit of understanding progress.

But why is this network critical?

Simply put, it makes the implicit explicit. As a teacher, one of my key goals is to unearth the underlying learning from any experience and explicitly state it. This process is comparable to the 12-steps program in Alcoholics Anonymous, where the first step towards progress is awareness and recognition. 

This process of 'naming' or identifying is critical in the realm of innovation as well. The phenomenon known as Goodhart's Law states: "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure." This underscores the importance of explicitly defining an idea or innovation. Until we give an identity to an idea, until we talk about it openly, it exists in a state of implicit obscurity, a limbo where ideas with great potential may wither away unseen. 

Building this network is akin to naming these ideas. Once we do, we bring them out of the shadows, giving them an identity, making them a part of our collective consciousness. This is the point where true progress happens - when an idea is identified, recognized, and shared for others to build upon. Without this process, we are left grappling in the dark, our hands reaching for ideas that have yet to be named and recognized.

So let's embark on this journey of making the implicit explicit, of connecting the seemingly unconnected, of mapping the landscape of innovation. We might stumble upon unexpected parallels, trigger new thoughts, or simply gain a new perspective on old ideas. Regardless of the outcome, this process of creating a network of innovation is not just an exercise in comprehension, but also a step towards creating a shared language of progress. And who knows? The next big idea might just be a connection away.

[The following was copied and pasted from GPT-4 after I fed it a transcript of a 3 minute ramble I had recorded while walking just now and asked it to turn it into a 500 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

Title: Voice to Text: Unleashing Ideas Trapped in the Mind

It seems I've stumbled upon a new method of capturing and nurturing my fleeting thoughts, one that may just revolutionize my approach to idea generation and sharing. This new tool in my arsenal? A humble walk, a recording app, and Google's cutting-edge AI, GPT.

Let me elaborate.

My mind often bustles with thoughts, insights, ideas - fragments of innovation begging to be explored. In the past, I would diligently jot them down in Evernote or Google Drive, bullet point outlines that held the seeds of future blog posts. The intention was always to revisit these thought-germs, to expand them into coherent, engaging stories that I could share with my readers.

Yet, more often than not, these ideas remained confined to their bullet-pointed prisons, unshared, unexplored, unrealized. The connection between conception and fruition seemed to be lost somewhere in my meticulous note-taking and drafting process.

To tackle this, I turned to an unlikely ally: Google's AI. I began recording my thoughts during walks, converting these voice notes to text using Google's transcription services, and pasting this raw, unstructured thought-data into GPT. 

My request to the AI? "Take this and turn it into a 500 word blog post in the style of Morgan Housel." 

If you're unfamiliar with Housel, he's an acclaimed author and blogger who seamlessly blends finance and psychology. His clear, engaging style of storytelling is a masterclass in making complex ideas digestible and, importantly, memorable. Borrowing his writing style might seem ambitious, but remember, our ultimate aim is improvement, and to improve, one must have a model to strive towards.

So, how does this process of idea translation via AI work out?

Interestingly, GPT uses something called "cosine similarity" to decide what comes next. In other words, it measures the cosine of the angle between two vectors in a multi-dimensional space to predict the next word or idea. It's a fascinating melding of linguistics and mathematics.

Is the result perfect? Certainly not. The output is essentially an average of all possible responses based on the AI's estimation of word or idea probabilities. But it is something tangible, a completed work, even if it’s a rough version of what was initially in my mind.

And herein lies the beauty of this process. It bridges the gap between intention and action, between idea and creation. These AI-assisted posts may not be flawless, but they're a significant step up from the dormant bullet points languishing in my digital notes.

This approach has breathed new life into my ideas that were previously resigned to obscurity. I'm unearthing these once-forgotten thoughts and giving them a chance to be seen, read, and perhaps even inspire. I'm taking my implicit ideas, making them explicit, and in the process, creating a trove of thought pieces that, while perhaps not perfect, are undeniably my own.

Because in the end, isn't it better to have something imperfect than nothing at all?