Sign in with Facebook
Broadly speaking, the human brain is a collection of software hacks compiled into a single, somehow-functional unit. Each “feature” was added as a random mutation that solved some specific problem to increase our odds of survival. In short,
...more
“Zealous nationalists who cry ‘Our country first!’ should ask themselves whether their country by itself, without a robust system of international cooperation, can protect the world – or even itself – from nuclear destruction.”
― 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
― 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
“Voices raised in exuberant interchanges, not in anger, but rather enthusiasm for being alive and engaged in the great conversation of life.”
― Changing Trains: One boy's journey of discovery across 1980s Europe
― Changing Trains: One boy's journey of discovery across 1980s Europe
“The intricate brain networks described above evolved over millions of years in environments where interactions were always rich, face-to-face encounters, and social groups were small and tribal. The past two decades, by contrast, are characterized by the rapid spread of digital communication tools—my name for apps, services, or sites that enable people to interact through digital networks—which have pushed people’s social networks to be much larger and much less local, while encouraging interactions through short, text-based messages and approval clicks that are orders of magnitude less information laden than what we have evolved to expect. Perhaps predictably, this clash of old neural systems with modern innovations has caused problems. Much in the same way that the “innovation” of highly processed foods in the mid-twentieth century led to a global health crisis, the unintended side effects of digital communication tools—a sort of social fast food—are proving to be similarly worrisome.”
― Digital Minimalism: On Living Better with Less Technology
― Digital Minimalism: On Living Better with Less Technology
“was now further south, the farthest from home I’d ever been in my life. Scotland seemed so very far away right then. The hum of life on the Ramblas enveloped me like a new stage set does an actor treading the boards for the first time. It was absorbing. Back then, I was full of curiosity, thirsty to see and feel new places. I knew I wasn't the first – or last – person to visit them. And in reality, they weren't even really so far away. But for a young working-class boy from small-town Scotland, who had never really been abroad, this was the biggest adventure.”
― Changing Trains: One boy's journey of discovery across 1980s Europe
― Changing Trains: One boy's journey of discovery across 1980s Europe
“Imagine what would happen if people cheered you on for a little stumble rather than humiliated you. Imagine how you’d approach things if you treated them as experiments, where failure would be just as valuable as success. Might you now see the game of life slightly differently? Suddenly, the stakes are lower. And suddenly, you can afford to play around a little. If your goal is to find a fulfilling career and your hypothesis is that a corporate role might be fulfilling, then your data collection process might be to sample careers through internships and job placements. With an experimental mindset, an internship that you end up hating wouldn’t be a ‘failure’ or a ‘waste of time’; it’d just be another data point to help you realise that that’s not what you want. If your goal is to build a successful business, then your data collection process might involve testing different business ideas, products or services. With an experimental mindset, a product launch that doesn’t meet expectations wouldn’t be a failure or a disaster; it’d just be another data point to help you refine your strategy and better understand your target market.”
― Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
― Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
Nicolò’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Nicolò’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
359 books
|
24 friends
1,163 books
|
120 friends
63 books
|
5 friends
158 books
|
51 friends
63 books
|
4 friends
4 books
|
10 friends
194 books
|
34 friends
32 books
|
2 friends
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Nicolò
Lists liked by Nicolò
