Matthew

“although the vast majority of adult humans have these Big Special cognitive mechanisms, we do not genetically inherit programs for their development. Rather, we genetically inherit “Small Ordinary” psychological attributes: the propensity to develop relatively simple mechanisms that closely resemble those found in other animals, including chimpanzees. Genetic evolution has tweaked the human mind. The genetically inherited differences between our minds and those of our ancestors are small but very important. They enable the development of Big Special cognitive mechanisms in three ways.”
― Cecilia Heyes, Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking

“To vanquish the ‘five giants’ of squalor, ignorance, want, idleness and disease, Beveridge’s plan was for everyone to contribute to a social insurance fund and in return receive the same entitlement to benefits such as healthcare or unemployment insurance.”
― Minouche Shafik, What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract for a Better Society

“Friends can explicitly ask for recognition, as Joan did from her community during the museum party, but there’s no guarantee people will grant it. Apart from declaring Amelie her “non-romantic life partner,” Joan specifically requested that any invitation to her also be extended to Amelie, a gesture that touched Amelie. Nevertheless, Joan had to keep reminding people to include Amelie as her plus-one when they sent invitations for backyard barbecues and birthdays. Since same-sex marriage became legal and same-sex spouses have become assumed plus-ones, Joan says “it’s a little worse” that her friendship with Amelie is overlooked. “Now that the state approves of [same-sex marriage]—and I hope it will continue to do so—then it becomes harder for the people who don’t have the government stamp of approval to assert what their relationship is,” Joan says. She had tried to convey the weight of their friendship in her speech, but “that doesn’t mean it lands forever in a way that [it does] if you have a huge party and wedding celebration.” Joan says, after a wedding, “people don’t tend to forget to invite your spouse.”
― Rhaina Cohen, The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center

“If you write something that your intended reader thinks is going to be an unpleasant slog, you can bet that they are going to put off reading it until . . . later.”
― Todd Rogers, Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World