The Friday Update - Read History

Happy Friday,

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to stop worrying three times. It’s a theme. Indeed, “fear not,” is not only the way He most frequently greeted friends, “do not worry” is the Bible’s most common command. All of which suggests, God is serious when he instructs us to elevate trust and downsize anxiety. But how? The path forward includes prayer, meditation on his character, focusing on his promises (not our problems) and confiding in friends. It’s easier said than done, but it is the way to reset our heart. Our fears may be loud, but we cannot let them be Lord. 

AB Again

Next week, popular HBS professor, social scientist and best-selling author, Arthur Brooks releases his 15th book: The Meaning of Your Life. After hearing him discuss it last week, I ordered a copy. Among other things, AB—who says HBS students have become “undeniably, desperately, incorrigibly unhappy”—uses neuroscience to argue that our efforts to eliminate boredom have shut down the right hemisphere of our brain. He also explains that it is that side that “asks big questions, explores meaning and discovers purpose.” I’ve not yet read the book, but AB stated that it’s 1/3 theory and 2/3 practical next steps.

THE Cubs! 

Congrats to the Cubs on their strong showing this season. They are only one game out of first place!

IS2M

1) Though first stunned by the $50M grant awarded to Meghan Sullivan—the Notre Dame philosopher working on AI ethics (hear my interview w/ her here)—I now realize that’s chump change compared to the $2.5T being invested in AI this year.

2) The Peter Principle explains a lot these days.

3) Profanity is surging, especially in @#$X!! podcasts and among #$&@%!! politicians. 

Without Comment

1) 4B rounds of Wordle were played last year.

2) The record breaking 720M-views-in-the-first-24-hrs of the new Spiderman movie trailer suggests P. Parker > C. Kent and Marvel > DC.

3) Per this report, the scientific studies that fail to replicate are the ones garnering the most attention.

4) For the 9th consecutive year, Finland sits atop the World Happiness Index. The US ranks 26^th.

5) Per this analysis of Fed Reserve data, there are 430K U.S. households worth $30M (or more) and 74K worth $100M (or more).

6) Per this WSJ report, enrollment at vocationally focused community colleges is up 20% since 2020.

7) In 1880, more than 50% of the US labor force worked in agriculture. Today it’s less than 2%.

8) According to author Olga Khazan, people who have experienced some negative life events—e.g., serious injuries or divorce—tend to have better mental health than those who have experienced a lot of adversity or very little.

9) Per this report, half of U.S. millennials have at least one tattoo.

Overheard

1) Leaders should be evaluated over decades, not years. (Napoleon seemed all-knowing before he invaded Russia in the winter.)

2) When a young man named asked Charlie Munger what he could do to become a better investor, Munger replied, “Read history. Read history. Read history.”

The Bees are OK

I’ve been hearing the bees were dying for years. What’s more, these reports often claimed their demise threatened life as we know it. It turns out that while pesticides and a lack of biodiversity in some regions have led to the decline of some wild bee colonies, overall bee numbers are healthy.

Church Norris Jokes Facts

Chuck Norris—i.e., he who: counted to infinity… twice; makes onions cry; can kill two stones with one bird; can play the violin with a piano; doesn’t do pushups, he pushes the world down; can slam a revolving door, can divide by zero, can do a wheelie on a unicycle, etc., etc.—passed away last week. RIP. Please note, in spite of his abilities, the number who rose on the third day remains at one.

WOTW

Honorable mention goes to mortality management (something I see a lot of), sequential complicity (the idea that once we accept part of an ugly premise—e.g., “the Jews are evil”—we will likely accept more) and Doomers (which has silently and quickly become a much-used term). Full honors goes to addictive design, the claim successfully made against Meta and Google in a social media addiction trial last week, which some claim mirrored the 1990s tobacco trials.

Quotes Worth Requoting

1) “Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.” — Mark Twain

2) “Every one needs a half hour to pray every day, except for those who are very busy. They need at least an hour.” — St. Francis de Sales

3) “Prayerlessness is our declaration of independence from God.” — Daniel Henderson.

4) “All valuable things are uphill.” — John Maxwell

5) “You don't rise to the level of your goals, but fall to the level of your systems.” — James Clear

AI Update

1) After seeing evidence that AI literacy spikes after 11 wks of using it 11 min/day, I’m on day 7 – i.e., 77 minutes in; 2) I’m finding it amazingly amazing and horrifyingly amazing; 3) it hallucinates less than six months ago, but it still resembles the high-IQ-low-EQ intern you keep away from clients; and 4) it’s changing HR—e.g., prospective employees now interview as a team—the candidate plus the apps and agents he/she has designed to do their work.

Resources

1) Click here to listen to my interview with John Ortberg on spiritual habits.

2) Click here to learn more about Lakelight’s Reformation tour. (Four spots remain. Registration closes on Tuesday).

3) Click here to sign up for my C.S. Lewis lecture in Nashville (Franklin) on 4/9.

4) Click here to sign up for this Spring’s Lakelight class.

Closing Prayer

“Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.” (The Book of Common Prayer)