Image prompt: the engine and the road, killer slasher childrens book, Pastel Art, Signage, 2D, Pentagon

[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 3000 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

The Engine and The Road: Rethinking Sustainability

Imagine yourself as a meticulously designed engine built for the long haul. The purpose of this engine? To move. To generate momentum. To carry yourself and others forward, through your career, your passion, or your day-to-day life. But now think: What happens when you floor this engine without any breaks? The answer may sound simple—burnout. But let's dissect this further, especially when some believe that an engine's worth is in how hard it can be pushed.

The Multiple Facets of Sustainability

Sustainability has become a catchphrase. From eco-friendly products to stable economies, it seems everyone is searching for the sustainable option. Yet, when it comes to personal sustainability, the narrative often takes a back seat. What do I mean by personal sustainability? It's your ability to perform your job or pursue your passion in a manner that doesn't deplete you to the point of quitting or, worse, losing your sense of self.

The Startup Conundrum: Scale vs. Effort

In the startup ecosystem, there's a fascinating paradox. Early on, you're told to "Do things that don't scale," to go that extra mile for every client. While this approach is good to get you off the ground, it doesn't serve you well when you're trying to reach cruising altitude. You need to shift gears. You can't keep running an entire company like you did when you were a team of five.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room. Some people would argue that to succeed, you have to constantly operate at full throttle. After all, didn't all those overnight successes we hear about work 100-hour weeks? The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. While it's true that effort is a significant contributor to success, continual 100-hour weeks present a skewed form of sustainability that may not work for everyone.

The Teacher's Tale: An Unsustainability Story

Let's take a deep dive into the world of teaching—a profession that's often cited as a 'labor of love.' Teachers indeed carry an enormous load. It's not just about imparting knowledge but also grading, mentoring, and sometimes, playing the role of a parent, counselor, and friend.

Now, there's a view that if you truly love what you're doing, you'd put in all the hours needed to be excellent at it. Quitting or even taking a break would be tantamount to betrayal or failure. But here's the thing: even passion needs to be sustainable. Teachers are humans, not inexhaustible resources. And if you push human resources to their limits, there are costs—drop in quality, health issues, or even leaving the profession altogether.

The Art of Saying No

In a world that's obsessed with the hustle, saying "no" is almost sacrilegious. But here's another perspective. Saying "no" to tasks that you can't do well or can't manage isn't a sign of laziness; it's a sign of specialization. Every "yes" you give has a hidden cost, often paid for by robbing time and energy from other tasks you should be focusing on.

The Equation of Sustainability: A Revisit

In the original post, the equation for sustainability was simple: keep your energy input greater than or equal to your energy output. But for those who believe in "put your head down and shut up and work," this equation looks incomplete. For them, running on a deficit is not necessarily a bad thing; it's an investment in future success.

This argument holds some weight. Yes, investments often require you to put in more than you get out. But every good investor also knows that diversified portfolios are less risky. In the context of personal sustainability, diversifying could mean learning to balance different aspects of your life—work, family, health, and personal growth. An all-in investment in just one of these aspects could be the equivalent of putting all your eggs in one basket.

Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Living

Adaptation is key. What works today might not work tomorrow. Similarly, the level of energy you can output today might not be the same a year from now. This holds true even if you are of the mindset that hard work trumps all. Circumstances change, both externally and internally. Adapting to these changes doesn't mean you're giving up; it means you're smart enough to modify your strategy for long-term success.

The Ripple Effect

Finally, let's acknowledge the widespread implications of personal sustainability. When a teacher burns out, it's not just a personal loss; it's a societal loss. Similarly, when a startup founder faces burnout, the repercussions aren't limited to them; it affects the employees, investors, and even the industry to some extent.

Concluding Thoughts

Personal sustainability is not about avoiding work; it's about intelligently managing your energy so that you can work better, for longer. It's not an excuse to slack off but a strategy to enable growth—both personal and for those who depend on you. So the next time you're asked to go the extra mile, think carefully. Assess the cost and decide whether it's a sprint you can afford, keeping in mind that life is not a sprint; it's a marathon.

[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 2000 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

What Doesn't Kill You: The Power of Choice and Perspective

We've all heard the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." But have you ever stopped to consider what that actually means? And how you have the power to decide whether this phrase applies to your life or not?

The Fork in the Road

Picture life as a road. Things happen. A tire goes flat. The engine stalls. You even crash. The reality is, you can look at that stalled car in two ways. One, it's an obstacle that defines you, cripples you. Or two, it's a challenge, a chance to show your grit and your skill. The choice is yours.

Resilience: Your Built-in Muscle

Think of resilience like a muscle. It's there, part of you, waiting to be used. When life punches you down, your resilience can be the thing that pushes you back up. But it doesn't grow unless you use it. The more you let challenges build you up, the stronger that resilience muscle becomes. You're not just surviving; you're thriving.

The 3D Model of Life

Here's another trick. Ever tried looking at a situation from multiple angles? Different viewpoints give you a fuller picture, a 3D model of what you're dealing with. It's like piecing together a puzzle. The more perspectives you consider, the clearer the overall image becomes.

Spatial Awareness: More Than Just Where You Stand

Let's get deeper. Spatial awareness isn't just about knowing where you are; it's about understanding your relationship with everything around you. It's a different kind of sense, one that feeds your mind, not just your eyes or ears. 

Knowing where you stand in relation to your challenges gives you power. It helps you grasp the situation at hand and act with intention, not just react out of emotion. 

Storytelling and The Human Connection

When you can understand your situation deeply, you can also talk about it more effectively. Telling your story isn't just about saying what happened; it's about making other people feel what you felt. By connecting with others, your story doesn't just become a tale of survival; it turns into a beacon of hope and strength for everyone who hears it.

The Art of Reframing

The skill to reframe your challenges is perhaps the most liberating. What if the worst day of your life was actually the best day of your life, just in disguise? Reframing doesn't mean pretending something bad is good. It means finding the good that can come out of something bad.

Your Choice, Your Power

The beauty is, you get to choose. You decide if a hurdle is a stop sign or a stepping stone. You choose whether to be a victim of your circumstances or a master of your fate. And with that choice, you don't just change your life; you also inspire change in the lives of those around you.

Conclusion: Own Your Journey

So yes, what doesn't kill you can make you stronger, but only if you let it. It can teach you resilience, offer you a fuller understanding of life, and even turn you into a storyteller who inspires others. All it takes is the courage to choose, the wisdom to see, and the will to move forward. 

Life doesn't come with a manual, but it does offer choices. How you respond to what happens to you could be your most significant decision. So choose wisely. Because what doesn't kill you doesn't just make you stronger; it makes you wiser, more aware, and, most importantly, more human.

Choose to be strong. Choose to be wise. Choose to own your journey, no matter how twisted the road may be. And remember, it's not just about surviving; it's about thriving.

[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 3000 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

Seeing the World Through Math: A Mathematical Lens for Everyday Life

As a math teacher, there's a saying I often share with my students: "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail." For me, math is that hammer. I don't just teach equations and algebra; I see the world through a mathematical lens. It's an intriguing, all-encompassing way to make sense of our surroundings. 

Everyday Mathematics: Beyond the Obvious

Most of us are familiar with the basic math that governs our lives. Money, stocks, tipping at a restaurant – these are daily reminders that numbers play a part in everything we do. But what if I told you that math stretches its invisible tendrils into areas you've never even considered?

Consider the simple act of sending an email. You might think that if you send an email to one person, the impact is x. So if you send it to five people, the impact should be 5x, right? But it doesn't work that way. The cumulative effect isn't merely multiplied; it's expanded. It's more than five times. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Inverse Relationships: Uncovering Hidden Truths

As we delve deeper, the waters of mathematical logic become murkier and more fascinating. Inverse relationships, for instance, are everywhere. They're in the way we perceive value, the way we make decisions, and even the way we understand truth.

Here's an amusing yet profound example: the "Bike Shed Problem." Imagine a committee tasked with building a nuclear plant. You would think they would spend most of their time discussing the critical aspects, like where to place the plant. But in practice, they might spend 90% of their time discussing where to put the bike shed on the site. The seemingly inconsequential decisions consume the most time, while the pivotal choices are glossed over.

This inverse relationship between importance and attention is not only counterintuitive but also deeply revealing about human nature.

Mathematical Insights into Decision Making

The Bike Shed Problem isn't just a humorous anecdote. It's a stark illustration of how our decision-making processes are often flawed. It shows that we tend to dwell on trivialities and overlook the monumental.

In the real world, we often entrust committees with big decisions, hoping that collective wisdom will prevail. But as the Bike Shed Problem illustrates, committees can get mired in the mundane. The reality is, informed, educated individuals usually drive significant changes, both good and bad. They make the decisions that shape our world, while committees argue about the bike sheds.

Consider how many corporate boardrooms have been ensnared in minutiae while missing the big picture. Think about how many governments have become paralyzed by endless debates over trivial matters. These scenarios aren't mere happenstance; they're manifestations of mathematical principles in action.

Unintuitive Mathematics: Exploring Further Examples

Mathematics is full of surprises, and often, what seems intuitive is anything but. Take the concept of x and one over x. This relationship between a number and its reciprocal is not linear; it's inversely proportional. And these sorts of relationships aren't just confined to textbooks; they're reflected in our daily lives.

For example, consider happiness and material wealth. As wealth increases, happiness might not follow suit. There's a point of diminishing returns where more money doesn't equate to more happiness. That's an inverse relationship at work, and it's not something most of us naturally grasp.

Or think about success and effort. You might assume that doubling your efforts will lead to doubling your success. But in many endeavors, the relationship between effort and success is nonlinear. Sometimes, a small change in input leads to a massive change in output, and vice versa.

These examples illustrate that understanding mathematics is more than just solving equations. It's about recognizing the hidden patterns and structures that govern our world.

Conclusion: Embracing the Mathematical Worldview

As we've explored, math isn't confined to the classroom. It's a universal language that can help us understand everything from personal finance to human behavior.

But more than that, embracing a mathematical worldview encourages us to question our assumptions. It challenges us to look beyond the obvious and recognize the underlying principles that shape our lives.

The world, seen through the lens of math, is a place of beauty and complexity. It's a landscape where the mundane can be profound, where the intuitive can be misleading, and where the hidden truths are often the most enlightening.

So the next time you tip your waiter or decide to send an email to a friend, take a moment to appreciate the mathematics at play. And maybe, just maybe, you'll start to see the world a little differently.

Math is more than numbers and equations; it's a way of thinking, a way of living. It's a hammer that can break down complex problems into understandable parts. And in a world that often seems chaotic and confusing, that's a tool we all could use.

Whether you're investing in stocks or deciding where to build a bike shed, the principles of math are there, guiding your way. Embrace them, and you might just find that everything adds up. After all, in a world where everything can be expressed through equations and ratios, why not let math guide the way?

Further reading

If this piqued your interest, here are some books that delve into how math shapes our lives:

- "How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking" by Jordan Ellenberg

- "The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity" by Steven Strogatz

- "Thinking in Numbers: On Life, Love, Meaning, and Math" by Daniel Tammet

Remember, math is not a subject to be feared or dreaded; it's a gateway to understanding the universe. So pick up your hammer and start seeing the nails. It's a beautiful world out there, waiting to be understood.

[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 2000 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

[[I'm not terribly happy with how this turned out, too chopped up, think my custom instructions are messing it up]]

A Drafting Job That Turned into Lessons for a Lifetime

I. An Unexpected Start: The Drafting Position

Life often doesn’t follow the plans we lay out. It takes unexpected turns, leading us down paths that teach us lessons more valuable than we could have ever imagined. 

I was in a transition phase, equipped with a degree in architectural engineering and a mind filled with dreams but struggling to find a job in a competitive market. Then the unexpected happened: I was offered an AutoCAD drafter position with SolarCity.

A. The Decision to Accept

The job wasn't exactly what I had been seeking. But it was a foot in the door, an opportunity in a growing industry of solar energy, and a chance to move to California, a place burgeoning with optimism and potential.

The lesson here? Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and grab an opportunity, even if it doesn’t seem perfect.

II. Growth and Progression: From Drafter to Project Manager

Once in the door, I didn't stay still. The position, which began as a drafting job, evolved quickly.

A. A Rapid Progression

In a whirlwind of six months, I moved from drafting to team lead, and then another six months saw me designing systems for people's homes. 

B. Unique Opportunities

A special team dealing with a variety of roles, including project management, customer service, and design, led me to work on a massive project with the U.S. military to retrofit military bases with solar rooftops.

The key takeaway? Growth comes quickly when you seize opportunities and embrace the chance to learn and adapt.

III. Process Evolution and Efficiency: Finding Ways to Do Better

Work isn’t just about what you do; it’s about how you do it.

A. The Challenge of Scaling

Working on 500+ homes with repetitive designs, we were faced with the need to streamline our process. This wasn't just about getting the job done but doing it efficiently and effectively.

B. Learning from Experience

The experience taught me the importance of thinking ahead, being proactive, and continually finding ways to improve the process.

IV. Beyond Solar: Transferring Skills to Teaching

The skills I acquired in those five years extended beyond the engineering and solar field.

A. Moving to a New Role

I left SolarCity and ventured into a new world – teaching. But what surprised me was how seamlessly the skills I had gained transferred into the classroom.

B. Skills That Transcend Job Titles

Managing people, communicating clearly, adapting to different scenarios, and being consistent and reliable – these were things that had shaped me at SolarCity and continued to guide me as a teacher.

V. The Big Picture: Lessons in Life and Work

The story isn't just about a job in solar energy or a transition to teaching. It’s about much more profound and universally applicable lessons.

A. Embracing the Unexpected

Life doesn't always present us with the exact opportunities we seek. But accepting something unexpected may lead to growth and lessons you never anticipated.

B. Continuous Growth

Don't be afraid to evolve, to move from one role to another, or even from one industry to another. What you learn in one place can often translate into valuable skills elsewhere.

C. The Importance of Efficiency

Understanding how to do things efficiently is a skill that goes beyond any particular job. It’s about thinking creatively, being proactive, and finding ways to do things better.

D. The Transferable Nature of Skills

Skills are often more transferable than we realize. The management and communication skills I honed in solar energy were just as applicable in a classroom setting.

VI. Conclusion: A Journey Worth Taking

That job as a drafter with SolarCity turned out to be more than a job. It was a journey filled with lessons about adaptability, growth, efficiency, and the unexpected ways skills can transfer from one part of life to another.

As with any journey, the path was filled with twists and turns, surprises and insights. But looking back, it all makes sense. Each step taught me something valuable, each challenge shaped me a little more, and each success gave me the confidence to move forward.

What might seem like just a career move or a simple job decision can sometimes be a profound learning experience. You just have to be open to the lessons life is offering. Sometimes, it's the unexpected paths that lead to the most enlightening destinations.

[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 2000 word blog in the style of Morgan Housel]

[[I'm not terribly happy with how this turned out, too chopped up, think my custom instructions are messing it up]]

Goodhart's Law for Correlation and Causation: A Journey into Human Misunderstanding

I. Introduction - The Mystery of Measures

The world is a strange place, filled with connections and coincidences. Sometimes we link things together that shouldn't be linked, and that's where the madness begins. Today, we'll take an exploratory journey into human logic and its funny quirks, mainly focusing on Goodhart's Law, correlation, causation, and our knack for getting things spectacularly mixed up.

A. The Charm of Goodhart's Law

Imagine a world where everything we measure becomes our goal. It sounds appealing but leads to disaster, like chasing a rainbow only to find there's no pot of gold. Goodhart's Law says that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. It's one of those ideas that make you stop and think.

B. The Quirkiness of Correlation vs. Causation

But there's another, equally fascinating concept that dances around human misunderstanding like a mischievous sprite: the confusion between correlation and causation. Just because two things happen together doesn't mean one is causing the other. Let's dig into this more.

II. The Weird World of Correlation and Causation - A Love Story Gone Wrong

A. Correlation vs. Causation: A Definition

In simple terms, correlation means two things move together; causation means one thing makes the other happen. Sounds simple, right? But the human mind loves to jump to conclusions, and that's where things get tangled.

B. Historical Confusions

Throughout history, people have confused correlation with causation, leading to some funny and sometimes tragic mistakes. Let's look at some examples.

III. The Illusion of Correlation - or Why Ice Cream Doesn't Cause Sunburn

A. Ice Cream and Hot Weather: A Delicious Mistake

On hot days, ice cream sales go up. So do sunburns. Does that mean ice cream causes sunburns? Of course not! But it's a classic example of how our minds can link things together in odd ways.

B. Waking Up Early and Success: A Tricky Connection

Here's another one: successful people wake up early. But does waking up early cause success? It's a complex issue, and we'll take a thorough look at why this seemingly obvious connection might not be so clear after all.

IV. Connecting with Goodhart's Law - A Weird Cousins' Reunion

Goodhart's Law and our correlation-causation mix-up might seem like separate issues, but they're like distant cousins, sharing some genetic material.

A. Goodhart's Law Revisited

Let's revisit Goodhart's Law and see how it plays with our main theme. When you target a measure, you distort it. When you target a correlation, thinking it's a cause, you're in for a surprise.

B. The Twisted Logic

This is where things get twisted. People target things thinking they're causes when they're merely correlations. Let's dive deeper into this rabbit hole and see where it leads us.

V. Real-world Applications - or How to Not Mess Up Your Life

A. The CEO Morning Mistake

Think waking up early will make you a CEO? Think again! We'll dissect this myth and understand why it's more complex than it seems.

B. The Diet Trap

Ever tried a celebrity diet? Did it work? We'll explore why copying someone else's diet might not give you the results you desire.

C. The Mystery of Happiness

Can you copy happiness? If happy people do something, does that mean you'll be happy if you do it too? We'll dive into this profound question and try to unravel the mystery.

VI. The Bigger Picture - A View from Thought Mountain

Understanding these ideas gives us a powerful new way to see the world. It's like opening a new door to a room filled with insights and wisdom.

A. Life Lessons

What can we learn from all this? We'll reflect on how these concepts can guide us in our daily lives, careers, and relationships.

B. Future Implications

What might the future hold if we all understood these ideas better? We'll dream a little and look at the potential benefits to society and ourselves.

VII. Conclusion - A Thoughtful Goodbye

Life is a complicated, tangled web of connections and misunderstandings. But we've taken a fascinating journey today, unraveling some of those knots and seeing things a bit more clearly.

Remember, just because two things happen together doesn't mean one is causing the other. It's like a cosmic joke played on the human mind. But now we're in on the secret, and we can laugh along.

Let's take this wisdom into our lives, question what we think we know, and be more thoughtful and intelligent in our choices. The world will be a better place for it, and so will we. The mystery has been unraveled, the journey complete, but the exploration of our own understanding never truly ends. Let's keep questioning, keep exploring, and keep growing, one thought at a time.