“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become aware of how difficult it is to consistently see myself and reality clearly, without distortion. The mind seems to have an almost limitless ability to delude itself, and I’m sure there are a variety of psychological and evolutionary reasons for this, such as the need to preserve mental resources, to make decisions quickly, or simply to feel good.
One of the biggest consequences of these mental blinds spots has been a simple failure to consistently take the actions which will lead me to better long term fulfillment and happiness. My mind seems confident in its knowledge, yet many times when I actually reach for it to put it into practice, or to write it out and explain to someone, I find myself grasping like trying to remember a forgotten name – I was sure I knew it until I actually needed it.
So this is a blog to help collect and hash out my thoughts, and to compile mental models, case studies and other interesting things I come across in the world.