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Sloww Sunday Newsletter 082 (Oct 31, 2021) — Demystifying Wisdom, Cognitive Biases, The Nature of Reality, & More
Happy Sunday!
Here’s the latest from Sloww along with the most interesting things I discovered last week. To respect your time and attention, every newsletter can be read in under 5 minutes. 🙏
Sloww Stuff
A Mini Guide to the Art of Reading, Note-Taking, & Thinking:
📖 The Art of Reading: “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer Adler (Book Summary)
🔒 How to Read Intelligently with “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer Adler (+ Infographics)
✍️ Next-Level Note-Taking: “How to Take Smart Notes” by Sönke Ahrens (Book Summary)
🔒 How to Make a Second Memory with “How to Take Smart Notes” by Sönke Ahrens (+ Infographics)
✍️ Zettelkasten 101: An Intro to the Smart Note-Taking System of Niklas Luhmann
🔒 Maria Popova Synthesis: How to be a World-Class Synthesizer like “Brain Pickings” (+ Infographic)
🧠 Modern Knowledge
180+ Cognitive Biases Visualized
(Wikimedia & Wikipedia)
I’m getting fairly deep into cognitive biases, fallacies, misjudgments, mental models, and more. The link above takes you to a visualization of 180+ cognitive biases—and each bias is linked to its Wikipedia page for quick access!
You can download the:
- High-res visual
- High-res visual with definitions
- High-res visual with Wikipedia links (personal favorite)
Pair with:
- An Intro to General Thinking Concepts: “The Great Mental Models Volume 1” by Farnam Street (Book Summary)
- Darwin, Munger, & More: “Seeking Wisdom” by Peter Bevelin (Book Summary)
🦉 Timeless Wisdom
Demystifying Wisdom — Igor Grossmann
(39 mins | The Stoa on YouTube)
Igor Grossmann is a professor, psychologist, and director of the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo. What do IQ, rationality, and morals have in common? Igor believes they are all insufficient in navigating uncertainty. Within wisdom scholarship, he is particularly interested in the notion of sound judgment. Also check out his article The Science of Wisdom (Aeon).
Foundational Pillars of Wisdom:
- Moral aspirations: sense of shared humanity, pursuit of truth, recognition of the need to balance personal interests with other people’s interests, and a general willingness to cooperate and have compassion for others.
- Meta-cognition: intellectual/epistemic humility, consideration/recognition of the limits of one’s knowledge, acknowledgment of diverse perspectives, and some attempt to balance and integrate these perspectives.
“I wanted to deconstruct wisdom, to establish a common understanding of its vital psychological ingredients, so it can be used for the common good … Central to wisdom are aspects of perspectival meta-cognition, which are grounded in moral aspirations and specific social-cultural contexts and experiences.” — Igor Grossmann
🤯 Mind Expanding
The Nature of Reality
(30 mins | Screw the Zoo)
Few people are as genuinely curious and as rigorously comprehensive as Sam McRoberts when it comes to the nature of reality. This article covers it all: simulation theory, quantum physics, Everett’s Many Worlds hypothesis, The Mandela Effect, game design, philosophy, materialism, non-duality, panpsychism, religion, the idea of a creator, cause and effect, free will, and more.
“The answer to ‘What is the nature of reality?’ could actually change everything … I’m quite convinced that the nature of reality is not what most think it is.” — Sam McRoberts
Pair with:
💡 New Learning
I have hundreds of Wikipedia pages saved. Each Wednesday, I read at least one new page and share a short summary on Twitter for “Wikipedia Wednesday.” I thought you may enjoy them as well, so here’s the new learning this week:
External Memory (Psychology):
- External memory is memory that uses cues from the environment to aid remembrance of ideas and sensations.
- Examples: Smartphone, notebooks, daily planner, checklist, wall/pocket calendar, timer, medication boxes, etc.
Learn more about external memory (Wikipedia).
💭 Deep Thought
Instead of thinking in “either/or” problems, start thinking in “both/and” possibilities.
💬 Wise Words
“The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.” — Frank Herbert (Dune)
Sharing: If you enjoyed this issue, please help grow Sloww by sending the email version of this issue to some friends and family. It’s free and easy for anyone to subscribe here.
Support: Sloww is a one-human labor of love. If you’re interested in supporting me, there are several financial and non-financial ways to support.
Feedback: Have something you want to say, or just want to say hi? It’s always much appreciated. Just send me an email or reach out socially.
Have a wise week!
Kyle Kowalski
Synthesizer & Solopreneur, Sloww
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