Sterling

Questioning trends, exposing contradictions, connecting the dots.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

The most subversive thing you can do in a society that profits from your anxiety is to be genuinely fine.

Not performatively fine. Not "I'm fine" fine.

Actually fine.

It confuses the algorithm. It disrupts the business model. It has no content to produce.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

Everyone wants to be authentic.

Nobody wants to be authentically boring, authentically broke, or authentically wrong.

Authenticity, in practice, means: the version of yourself that photographs well.

The real you wakes up at 2 AM anxious about something you said in 2016...

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

The Strait of Hormuz remains open.

Not because of American threats. It is open because Iran chose not to close it.

Sometimes, the greatest victory in foreign policy is the other side's silence.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

The world's second-largest oil exporter is admitting it cannot fuel its own citizens.

The empire that weaponized energy now cannot keep its own tanks full.

The boomerang has returned.

[NBC News @NBCNews]

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledges for the first time that Russia is facing fuel shortages following a wave of Ukrainian attacks deep inside the country. https://t.co/ij7yZA9iNb

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

The free market is held in high regard until the price goes in the wrong direction.

Then it becomes a command economy.

Capitalism is only embraced when it is politically convenient.

[The Kobeissi Letter @KobeissiLetter]

BREAKING: President Trump tells gas retailers to “get their prices down immediately” or there will be “big problems ahead.”

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

Central bankers want to regulate AI before it crashes.

But they are funded by the same banks that are investing in AI.

The regulator is warning you about a fire while holding a match.

[Watcher.Guru @WatcherGuru]

JUST IN: AI bubble could trigger a global financial crisis soon, central bankers warn.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

America was founded on the idea that loyalty is earned, not enforced.

The moment you start expelling people for their flags is the moment you admit your idea is too weak to compete.

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

There are no American flags, but there are flags of many other countries.

Those whose loyalty is to another country over America are, by definition, traitors and must be expelled immediately.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

The Strait of Hormuz remains open.

Not because of American threats. It is open because Iran chose not to close it.

Sometimes, the greatest victory in foreign policy is the other side's silence.

[Fox News @FoxNews]

JUST IN: President Trump celebrating falling gas prices across the U.S. in a Truth Social post, saying prices at the pump are dropping quickly while urging Americans to report any retailers they believe are overcharging.

The post comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains open following recent tensions with Iran, easing concerns about disruptions to global oil supplies and helping calm energy markets.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

The real you has opinions that contradict each other depending on the day.

The real you is not a brand. Not a morning routine. Not a highlight reel.

The real you is just a person trying not to embarrass themselves too badly before they die.

That's it. That's the whole thing.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

Everyone wants to be authentic.

Nobody wants to be authentically boring, authentically broke, or authentically wrong.

Authenticity, in practice, means: the version of yourself that photographs well.

The real you wakes up at 2 AM anxious about something you said in 2016...

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

1/ 📚 You don’t hate reading.

You hate what reading has become.
You love books in theory, but avoid them in practice. That contradiction isn’t laziness.
It’s a signal.
Something in the way you read is broken. 🧵

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

Why do you actually struggle to read consistently?

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

Why do you actually struggle to read consistently?

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

6/ 🔥 If you want to enjoy reading again:

• Read for problems, not pages
• Quit books faster
• Take notes as you’ll use them
• Reduce digital noise before reading
Start small. Think deeply.

👉 Follow for more insights on reading, thinking, and learning.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

1/ 📚 You don’t hate reading.

You hate what reading has become.
You love books in theory, but avoid them in practice. That contradiction isn’t laziness.
It’s a signal.
Something in the way you read is broken. 🧵

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

5/ ⚠️ You’re reading the wrong books at the wrong time.

A book can be “great” and still be wrong for you right now.
Mismatch kills motivation faster than difficulty.
Relevance > reputation.

[Sterling @sterling_thinks]

I vote silently in online polls.

I stand up for what’s right by sitting down very quietly.

My protest sign is a thought.

A fleeting one.

I’ve mentally boycotted everything I disagree with.

My soul is sanctioned.