BEAST GAME EPISODE 3 IS OUT NOW!
To celebrate, I'm giving away $100,000 total to 10 random people who like and retweet this post!
Go watch it here: https://t.co/Yntf9E7FTN
One experience that taught me a lot about how to think:
It was a mandatory first-year expository writing class at Harvard. We had to write a position paper taking a clear point of view on a topic. I submitted what I thought was a well-written, 10-page paper articulating my position in-depth.
It came back to me with red ink all over it. The instructions for my next draft had a specific goal: no wasted paragraphs. So, I revised the paper to make sure every paragraph had a purpose, followed seamlessly from the last paragraph and flowed seamlessly to the next. I labored over it, and re-submitted it after a couple more weeks of work.
It came back to me with red-ink all over it. The instructions for my next draft had a specific goal: no wasted sentences. So, I revised the paper to make sure not just every paragraph had a purpose, but every sentence within every paragraph had a purpose, followed seamlessly from the prior sentence and flowed seamlessly to the next. I labored over it, and re-submitted it after a couple more weeks of work.
It came back to me with red-ink all over it. The instructions for my next draft had a specific goal: no wasted words. So, I revised the paper to make sure not just every paragraph had a purpose, and not just every sentence had a purpose, but every word within every sentence had a purpose and flowed seamlessly from the prior word and flowed seamlessly to the next. I labored it, and re-submitted the very best piece of written work in the history of my life. I thought my task was done.
When I received the paper back, it came back with great feedback, but a surprising yet important instruction: now write another paper supporting the exact opposite view.
So, the process I went through over multiple months to write the first paper, had to be repeated, to replicate some of my best writing for a view that I didn't believe. I similarly labored for months over that paper defending a view that I didn't hold. At the conclusion of that second paper, I had an important realization: when I wrote the first paper, my understanding of the problem was shallow because I wasn't yet capable of coherently and thoroughly defending the opposing view.
To this day, I remember this exercise. It wasn't so much about writing, but about thinking. I learned that until I have listened to, understood, and can defend opposing views to my own, I should hold my own views loosely. I should welcome opposing views, not because I have to believe them, but because they will help address my own ignorance which inevitably exists if the only views I hear align with my own.
Letter from a tank commander in Gaza to the Israeli people. I cannot confirm its authenticity, but it appears to be real:
Hamas is stronger than the left. It is also stronger than the right, and also Bibi & Ben Gvir. Our enemy is stronger than Israeli high-tech and the settlement enterprise. Tel Aviv's beautiful soul has no chance against them, nor does the periphery.
But Hamas has no chance against Israel. When we are united and mobilized, they retreat into their tunnels and pray for a ceasefire.
This war has stuck me in a tank, sharing it with two comrades, between two "Shiny Sheens" one who served a year and one who served four, a Smotrich voter, and a Ben Gvir voter, and I seemingly have nothing in common with them. But the army's melting pot poured us back into one unit, a tank crew. At some point, we adopted and started talking about everything. About the Haredim, about the Supreme Court, public transportation, core studies, even sexuality, everything.
And what did we discover? That we agree on about 90% of the issues. Let's assume they are really nice and were being agreeable, so about 80%.
Until about a month and a half ago, they were the enemy. We met on both sides of the fence, but Hamas reminded us that we are essentially on the same side.
Our politicians draw their strength from the division between us. They take the 10% - 20% disagreement between us and turn it into the main thing, because that's what gives them a mandate to "represent" us, to fight in our name. They do it at the expense of our security, our welfare, our taxes, and our freedom (also our freedom to pray, by the way).
I see many people looking for ways to contribute to the war effort, Sending underwear, socks, cigarettes, and combat gear. Moroccan mothers who sent us fish and couscous for Shabbat, and kibbutz retirees who drove these pots to across the country. Techies who came to install 360-degree cameras on the tank, something the army is not quick and flexible enough to do on its own. And hilltop youth that the army refused to draft at all, came on Saturday, cut, sowed, and stitched so that we wouldn't enter Gaza without protective covers shielding us from drones.
As far as I'm concerned, the most important contribution is for you to unite as a people, work to come closer. Focus on the similarities and set aside a bit of difference. Invent frameworks that will connect us even outside the army. I know it's complicated with issues of kosher and modesty and separation and no-separation, but I trust you.
This is the most important thing, that we be together. Because we, the soldiers, from all our tribes, enter enemy territory and endanger our lives not for any government or politician, but for the people of Israel.
Please, make sure we have a country to return to.
@DavidSacks@all_in_tok@theallinpod Absolutely, if by drink 4, I had all 4 of your brilliance in my brain for at least the next 24 hours. Plus, the agave needs to be sourced from a very distinguished area, like an AVA in wine. Do not just source from all of Mexico. We will pay for it if it is of superior quality!
@ishizuka_koichi What happened to your plans for distribution in USA for Next Meats? A deal with @PFChangs or @PandaExpress would be ideal. Plus, my daughter and I would like to purchase ourselves. Please update. Thank you.
Today we announced another key milestone on our journey in the Heartland – Thank you to all our supporters, especially the ones that came to join us at our sign-raising ceremony.
Now onto unpacking and installing our state-of-the-art battery assembly line. #Canoo#Pryor