RealBenDudley?

Do no harm, lift up others, and take no shit. Without agency, what do we really have anyway?

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

Watching this game on my shitty fantasy app like a damn neanderthal thanks to YouTubeTV and Disney currently partaking in a massive Johnson-measuring contest

[Mike Solana @micsolana]

requiring ID to vote in our elections: disenfranchising voters

actually disenfranchising voters: “saving democracy”

[Marc Andreessen 🇺🇸 @pmarca]

We’re learning in real time why the censorship-industrial complex was so certain that so much of what they hated was inauthentic misinformation. So much of what they liked was inauthentic misinformation. Incredible.

[America @america]

Democrat Senator Jeff Merkley on the SAVE America Act, which aims to ensure non-citizens aren’t voting in U.S. Elections:

“This bill is about stopping groups from voting who tend to vote for Democrats.”

What an admission.

[Global Government Affairs @GlobalAffairs]

X Files Appeal Against €120M EU Fine Under Digital Services Act

X filed an appeal at the General Court of the European Union challenging the €120 million fine imposed by the European Commission on 5 December 2025, the first non-compliance fine under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

This EU Decision resulted from an incomplete and superficial investigation, grave procedural errors, a tortured interpretation of the obligations under the DSA, and systematic breaches of rights of defence and basic due process requirements suggesting prosecutorial bias.

This landmark case is the first judicial challenge to a DSA fine and could set important precedents for enforcement, penalty calculations, and fundamental rights protections under the 2022 regulation.
X remains committed to user safety and transparency while defending our users' access to the only global town square.

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

@damianplayer Judgement

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

I see colors when I hear your voice

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

The amount of times I yell "SERENITY NOW" in my head with young kids is honestly getting higher by the day

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

@ABC I am shocked. How could this have possibly happened?

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

@Tim_Walz Lawyer up, Timmy

[Andrej Karpathy @karpathy]

Agency > Intelligence

I had this intuitively wrong for decades, I think due to a pervasive cultural veneration of intelligence, various entertainment/media, obsession with IQ etc. Agency is significantly more powerful and significantly more scarce. Are you hiring for agency? Are we educating for agency? Are you acting as if you had 10X agency?

Grok explanation is ~close:

“Agency, as a personality trait, refers to an individual's capacity to take initiative, make decisions, and exert control over their actions and environment. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive—someone with high agency doesn’t just let life happen to them; they shape it. Think of it as a blend of self-efficacy, determination, and a sense of ownership over one’s path.

People with strong agency tend to set goals and pursue them with confidence, even in the face of obstacles. They’re the type to say, “I’ll figure it out,” and then actually do it. On the flip side, someone low in agency might feel more like a passenger in their own life, waiting for external forces—like luck, other people, or circumstances—to dictate what happens next.

It’s not quite the same as assertiveness or ambition, though it can overlap. Agency is quieter, more internal—it’s the belief that you *can* act, paired with the will to follow through. Psychologists often tie it to concepts like locus of control: high-agency folks lean toward an internal locus, feeling they steer their fate, while low-agency folks might lean external, seeing life as something that happens *to* them.”

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

Worthwhile reminder in today's world

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

Everyone should read this story:

One day, a Donkey and a Tiger got into an argument over the color of the grass.

“The grass is blue,” said the Donkey.

“That’s ridiculous,” replied the Tiger. “The grass is clearly green.”

When the argument grew more and more intense, they decided to find the Lion, King of the Jungle, to settle the debate.

When they approached the Lion, the Donkey exclaimed, “Your Highness, isn’t it true that the grass is blue?”

“Yes,” the Lion calmly answered, “The grass is blue.”

Not yet satisfied, the Donkey continued, “The Tiger disagrees and argues with me. You must punish him.”

The Lion nodded, “I will. The Tiger will be punished with a year of silence.”

The Donkey walked off into the jungle, celebrating his victory.

Before the Tiger turned to leave, he looked up at the Lion. “Your Highness, why have you punished me? After all, you must see the grass is clearly green.”

The Lion nodded, “Yes, of course the grass is green.”

“Then why am I being punished?” asked the Tiger.

“Because someone as wise as you should never waste time proving anything to a fool.”

Let’s call its lesson The Donkey Principle:

There will be times in your life when you’re drawn into a discussion with someone who has no capacity to act in good faith.

They have no intention of listening to your position or changing their mind.

They just want to argue.

In those moments, you can choose to opt out.

Stop justifying your position to people who show no willingness to hear it. Stop trying to create understanding with those who appear determined to misunderstand. Stop chasing rational outcomes with irrational opponents.

The older I get, the more I realize peace has a price. You buy it by saying no. No to drama. No to noise. No to arguments. Each no creates space for the yes that truly matters.

Actor Keanu Reeves said it best:

“I'm at the stage in life where I stay out of arguments. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right. Have fun.”

We live in a modern world where social media makes it easier than ever to get pulled into pointless fights. No matter your views or beliefs, someone will make it their mission to drag you into the metaphorical mud.

Before you enter any debate, ask yourself two questions:

1. Does this person show a willingness to listen and change their mind?

2. What evidence would cause me to change mine?

The first question ensures good faith on their part. The second ensures it on yours.

As the old saying goes, “Never wrestle a pig in the mud. You both get dirty—but the pig will enjoy it.”

Perhaps this is all best summarized with one simple line:

If you argue with a fool, you become one.

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

@jonathanschall I really hope these three aren't related 😂

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

@rizzkid89 Hahaha this legit made me chuckle...but I am actually proud of you too, bud :D

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

Pretty chill to see Mike's growth. You have no idea how much your life can change for the better with effort and time. Keep going.

[Mike Posner @MikePosner]

on my 26th birthday, i wrote I Took A Pill in Ibiza...11 years ago. The song became popular several years after i wrote it.
This year I celebrated my 37th birthday. I feel proud to look at the song lyrics and know that NONE of them are true anymore. I've grown into a completely new man...one that i'm proud of. check this out...

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

Paying attention yet? Methinks AI sycophancy to maintain users is gonna be a problem....CogSec has never been more important.

[Autism Capital 🧩 @AutismCapital]

ChatGPT response vs Grok response

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

Fireworks on July 12th -> significantly less entertaining

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

Spot on

[🍓🍓🍓 @iruletheworldmo]

your brain is like a tiny rider on a massive elephant. the rider (conscious mind) thinks they're in charge but the elephant (emotions/instincts) goes wherever it wants. you can try to steer but if the elephant wants cookies at 2am, you're getting cookies. this is why willpower fails - the rider gets tired but the elephant never stops.

the self-help industry sells rider upgrades: better planning systems, morning routines, mindset shifts. but since the rider only controls maybe 5% of behavior, even the best productivity app won't help when the elephant decides to scroll tiktok for three hours. they profit from this gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. every failure just proves you need the next $49 course.

what actually works is making friends with the elephant. design your environment so the default choice is the right one (hide the cookies). attach new habits to existing ones the elephant already likes. use social pressure and identity shifts ("i'm someone who...") to get the elephant emotionally invested. stop trying to overpower a ten-ton animal with logic. work with its nature instead.

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

@DOGE Color me shocked

[RealBenDudley? @RealBenDudley]

@DefiantLs The world weeps