Life is a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs. It sometimes is a struggle to keep a balance, to not get carried away by the extremes. I have found the following mantra useful: “This too shall pass.” It’s a reminder that, given time, most things revert to the mean. Feeling bad? Having an…
Category: Happiness
Breaking habits
I love having strong habits. At the same time, I find myself breaking those habits all the time. I used to feel bad about it. Not anymore. When falling off the bandwagon, I usually try to “fake it until I make it”. Just going through the motions without really being present, just to keep the…
Universal Paperclips: An Educational AI Game
Recently, I got addicted to Universal Paperclips, a clicker game with unexpected philosophical implications. The user plays the role of an AI programmed to only want one thing: paperclips. It’s based on a famous thought experiment by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom. It begs the question: where does our technological progress and constant optimization lead? In the game…
Read Books Twice
I love reading books. However, if I go too fast and read through too many books, I have trouble remembering what I learned. Also, I want to avoid chasing the “number of books” I have read. It doesn’t mean anything. That’s why I really liked the idea by Rolf Dobelli of reading each book a…
“Margin of Safety” as a Principle of Life
In my last post I talked about the key principles of value investing. The one principle I keep using almost daily is the “Margin of Safety” principle. It’s such a powerful concept that I try to apply it almost everywhere in my life, especially to time management. When I have an appointment, I give myself…
Practical Wisdom for Relationships: Read to Each Other
A friend recently brought up this topic: He is regularly reading to his partner in the evening, and they are both enjoying it very much. I told him that my partner and I have discovered the same thing. Pick something that interests you both. It’s wonderful quality time. You are near each other. You learn…
My Notes from TEDxBasel 2019
I enjoyed the recent TEDxBasel 2019. Here are my notes: Choose your prioritiesMake health and happiness your main priority. Who would enjoy success or wealth without being healthy or happy? Tips from a Michelin-starred chefUse a cooking apron. It will transform your mindset and you’ll feel like a chef. Try cooking with tea. Use lots…
Why I created a Facebook page
Inspired by Rolf Dobelli’s book, I stopped using Facebook six months ago. Mainly because I was addicted, and also because the constant social comparisons and the instant gratification treadmill became toxic for me. (I’m still using Messenger/WhatsApp for one-one-one contact.) The downside of leaving Facebook was that I lost a distribution channel for my content,…
15 Years of (Failed) Side Projects
When writing about the hyper-niche strategy, I thought back to all my own side projects. In this post, I offer a brief post-mortem for each one, so you can learn from my mistakes and don’t repeat them. (There were even more projects, but these were the main ones.) Webmaster forum (2003-2015)While this started as a…
Will I Buy the New Apple AirPods?
Will I buy the new AirPods? The short answer is: No. Should you buy the new AirPods? The short answer is: Yes. (If you don’t own any yet.) I bought my AirPods exactly two years ago. To be honest, I was reluctant to buy them. I have been pretty happy with my regular headphones, and…