Journal

A few life lessons based on observations over a half century.

As Mark Twain said, a person who won't read has no real advantage over a person who can't read. It makes no sense to refuse to learn vicariously.

Obsessively driven people who spend nearly all of their waking hours perfecting their craft tend to make very difficult accomplishments look deceptively easy.

We carry supercomputers in our pockets providing access to all of the wisdom of human history, so why has public discourse deteriorated in the twenty-first century?

Using a continuous glucose monitor for two weeks made me think about the pros and cons of instant feedback in life and in markets.

This article contains links to the top twenty articles of 2022 and discusses plans for the future of The Rational Walk.

Never forget Lady Fortuna's influence: Good decisions can turn out poorly due to bad luck, and it is equally possible for terrible decisions to work out well due to good luck.

I recently became a Costco member as part of my research on the company. In this article, I discuss how I easily recouped the $60 annual membership fee on my first visit.

Interacting with someone who lies is hazardous, whether in personal or business life. What can we learn about dealing with liars from 16th century philosopher Michel de Montaigne?

Recent “quiet quitting” headlines mostly represent click-bait, but the decline in social mores regarding work ethic still have negative implications.

Exposing ourselves to timeless principles is beneficial. But we should not be so rigid as to discount the possibility that the world has changed, and we must keep an open mind.

Even if you enjoy an activity once you are engaged in it, the first few steps can be uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are strategies that can help us get started.

Not being in control of your time seems like a bad thing, but this lack of control provides people with a compelling narrative to avoid doing things that they would rather not do.

Sometimes, it is a good idea to purposely "throw sand in the gears" in order to force yourself to slow down during bear markets. This is necessary to avoid mistakes.

The Rational Walk is no longer on Twitter after thirteen years of using the platform. Readers should consider subscribing to Rational Reflections to receive new content.

If you are a long-term investor, it is pointless to update the quotes for your portfolio on a daily basis. There is simply too much day-to-day noise to make this exercise meaningful.

Optimization is generally positive but it can be taken too far. When the cost of redundancy is low and the cost of falling short is high, accepting redundancy can make sense.

No one should invest in technologies that they do not understand but I would be delighted if some succeed even if I do not see a path to success or participate financially.

Social media platforms are designed to be immersive and it is prudent to assume that you risk being sucked in unless you’ve proven capable of resisting!

People who rely primarily on external feedback to stay motivated face significant handicaps. No one can reach their full potential by being a slave to the opinions of others.

Personal reflections on September 11, 2001 written two decades after the horrendous terrorist attacks on the United States changed the course of the new century.

Over six months, I cultivated a modest habit of doing pushups first thing in the morning. Then I moved, and the prompt for my habit changed revealing its fragility.

Reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic written in April 2021, a time when the widespread availability of vaccines gave society renewed hope for a return to relative normalcy.

Thoughts on the counterproductive initiation ritual of working crazy hours and the tendency many people have to conflate face time with commitment and productivity.

Accepting misery early in your career in exchange for a higher salary is almost always a huge mistake, yet many people make this tradeoff.

The pandemic turbo-charged the move to virtual worlds and this trend may persist in the long run. But what have we lost in the process?

The first transition of executive power between rival political parties took place after the election of 1800 and it did not go smoothly.

Morning pages is an effective form of journaling in which one sits down to write a few pages of "stream of consciousness" thoughts right after waking up.

To go the distance, you must pace yourself whether the race you are running is a marathon or saving and investing money for your financial security.

The most outwardly visible sign of the pandemic has been the use of masks. From the beginning, masks have been mired in unnecessary controversy.

Written at the start of the pandemic, this article ponders how the world will change and, if anything, seems to have underestimated the impact on society.

Surreal scenes from the weekend of March 14-15, 2020 when the reality of the pandemic seemed to finally set in, at least for most people.

News delivery resembles a water faucet that is never turned off. If we do not adopt strategies to deal with the flow, we will be consumed in the flood.

What is the right balance between form and function? Is there an inherent trade-off that must be made between beauty and practical utility?

Sometimes, it is necessary to disconnect from the modern world. Such was the case in 2019 when I spent a week off-grid in the mountains.

Reflections on ten years of writing The Rational Walk, with a focus on how things can evolve in ways one cannot initially envision.

A personal journal entry written on January 21, 2017 and later posted publicly as President Trump's term in office came to an end.