David Wittenberg

[CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 @CBSSunday]

Resolving boredom through our incessant attention to our devices has, according to New York Times bestselling author @arthurbrooks, also brought an end to our willingness to let our minds wander – inhibiting abstract thinking and making us vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

He talks about his new book, "The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness," and why constant distraction gets in the way of our ability to be fully alive.

[David Wittenberg @witty_david]

@DarrenBlue_ISG Please help Bluey, I and our community support this amazing cause to help 3 area families that need some hope and love as they have fallen on tough times through no fault of their own… please consider a donation to help make a difference this Holiday season!

[Vivek Ramaswamy @VivekGRamaswamy]

The Old World was one that aspired to a certain form of normalcy—one where people stayed in their lanes. But our Founders were different. Benjamin Franklin founded hospitals and universities; dabbled in medicine; designed the lightning rod, bifocal spectacles, and the Franklin stove.

Robert Livingston designed the steam ship as a side project while serving as an ambassador to France. Thomas Jefferson was fluent in five languages and invented the swivel chair, a polygraph test, and designed the Virginia State Capitol building.

People like them made our nation a magnet for minds that were as courageous & bizarre as their own, a nation that offered the freedom to think differently.

Against that backdrop, the recent Democrat strategy of labeling their political opponents as “weird” is anti-American.

It denies the possibility of exceptionalism. Most people who go on to accomplish extraordinary things in America—or anywhere in the world—said and believed some “weird” things when judged by the standards of their day. Think of Abraham. Or Galileo. 

It also denies the possibility of national unity. Calling the other side “weird” is the 2024 version of "basket of deplorables.” Like it or not, each party in the upcoming election is almost certain to win over 70 million votes. If the central argument of each side becomes “the other side is weird,” that’s a good way to make sure that whichever side loses no longer sees themselves as part of the same culture or country as the one that wins. And it's not hard for Republicans to level the charge of “weirdness” in return. Indeed we already are.

Not long ago, America was a backwater cluster of small towns scattered along an eastern seaboard. It seemed that we were destined to be nothing more than a footnote in global history. Yet the people who wrote those footnotes were deeply curious about the world they inhabited; confident in their ability to change it; and unafraid of standing out, defying their times.

They were weird. They made America different. That’s a legacy we should be proud of. That’s what made America great the first time. And it just might be the way we’ll make America great again. I share my reflections in today’s @TheFP, ahead of what I expect could be an ugly 3 months ahead:

https://t.co/GzOoNISylK

[Write of Passage @1WriteofPassage]

13 remarkable tweets from Shane Parrish (@shaneparrish), the creator of Farnam Street:

1. One mark of a smart person is the ability to learn from people they don’t like.

2. The most powerful productivity tool ever invented is simply the word "no."

3. Rich people have money. Wealthy people have time.

4. Writing is often the process by which you realize that you do not understand what you are talking about.

5. 90 percent of success is not getting distracted.

6. Short-term results come from intensity. Long-term results come from consistency.

7. Clear writing gives poor thinking nowhere to hide.

8. The quicker you want something, the easier you are to manipulate.

9. If you want new ideas, read old books.

10. First-principles thinking is a competitive advantage because almost no one does it.

11. Talent and potential mean nothing if you can't consistently do the boring things when you don't feel like doing them.

12. The greatest trap is telling yourself that you’ll do something important tomorrow. Procrastination creates negative momentum.

13. Make your next project something people will ask you about for the rest of your life.

[Bill Ackman @BillAckman]

An extremely powerful and insightful speech about the present and the future. Worth 12 minutes of your time.

[Farnam Street @farnamstreet]

Last year, Jamie Dimon offered three ideas worth thinking about:

[Bill Ackman @BillAckman]

I have learned from experience that the experts, the government, and conventional wisdom are often wrong. ‘Inflation is transitory.” “C19 did not escape from the Wuhan lab.” “@Ukraine will fall in less than a week.” “Its not possible because it hasn’t been done before or because it hasn’t happened before.”

It is often the outlier with no experience in a field that challenges the status quo, that makes the important discovery, that has the unique insight, or creates the transformational innovation.

@elonmusk was not an expert in payments, electric cars or rockets. The ‘experts’ were at Visa, GM and NASA.

When you are part of the establishment, it is hard to challenge the conventional wisdom. You are incentivized not to. And when your economic livelihood can be threatened by an alternative point of view or a new innovation, you are less likely to believe it or its viability.

The greatest opportunities for discovery, innovation, understanding, and profits often exist in the unexplored paths, the unasked and unanswered questions, and in the improbable possibilities.

Our best investments have been: (1) in the stock of a real estate company going bankrupt, (2) from betting that a triple-A rated company was insolvent, and (3) betting that a virus in China would cause a global economic shutdown.

Each of these investments were met with extreme skepticism at the time they were made. In each case, we were the naive ones when we made these investments. We were not bankruptcy investors, experts in bond insurers or credit default swaps, nor did we know anything about viruses or pandemics.

From my experience, knowledge is advanced and insights are gleaned by studying alternative points of view from conventional and unconventional sources of information, and by not discrediting a point of view simply because it comes from someone who is not an accredited member of the relevant establishment, who does not have an advanced degree in the subject at hand, and/or someone whom has been criticized in the media.

In an effort to get to the truth, I try to keep my mind open to alternative possibilities and weigh them against each other. I often find that truth can emerge when two or more articulate and intelligent individuals in an open forum discuss and debate a controversial subject and are required to address unscripted questions from a knowledgeable audience or moderator.

The above is why I added to the pot in attempting to convince @PeterHotez to discuss vaccines with @RobertKennedyJr on @joerogan. I think knowledge will emerge from the discussion that will catalyze further explorations or investigations that will bring us closer to the truth and help us answer questions about vaccine efficacy and safety that remain unsettled for many. And if @PeterHotez is not the best or most knowledgeable advocate for vaccines, then we should find another one.

In getting to the truth, I want to hear from the greatest skeptics and advocates. Both deserve a platform on the path to truth.

And no, I am not an anti-vaxxer.

[Farnam Street @farnamstreet]

On October 21, 1980, Isaac Asimov was a guest on David Letterman.

After being introduced as someone who has just written his "221st book," Letterman asked what kind of schedule Asimov follows to write that many books.

It's simple, Asimov explained. "I get up in the morning, sit down and write, and when I finish writing, go back to bed."

That's the magical effect of compounding and consistency.

But consistency is one of many factors working for Asimov. Behind the scenes, something very powerful helped him out: time.

He began writing science fiction in 1939. 40 years later, he was still writing.

Tiny, nearly imperceptible changes can make a huge difference when you factor in time.

When someone talks about working out every day, a few hundred calories burned a week isn't anything to barg about

But as weeks turn into months and months turn into years, those tiny repeatable choices compound.

Negative things compound as well.

Choosing to have a couple drinks every night after work is no big deal, but doing so for thirty years can have a detrimental impact on your health.

The habits and mental disciplines you commit to help you diverge from the herd, and advantageous divergence is the name of the game.

[Margaret Thatcher @MrsMThatcher]

Socialists say “publicly owned”. What they mean is “State controlled”.

Socialists say “Government aid”. What they mean is “taxpayers' aid”.

Socialists say “social justice”. What they mean is “selective justice”.

Socialists say “equality”. What they mean is “levelling down”.

Why do they twist the truth like this? Because they dare not spell out the Socialist reality.

[Kevin W. @Brink_Thinker]

This is Stancy Cardwell. He stormed the beaches of Normandy carrying a 60mm Mortar. He’s 101 years old and deserves endless retweets 🇺🇸

[Brian Wesbury @wesbury]

Request of @NickTimiraos and @steveliesman … you have been selected by your respective organizations, the @WSJ and @cnbc, to be the public’s representatives at @federalreserve pressers. I know you ask about rate hikes, but that’s all anyone seems to do. I am also well aware that banks are running into trouble. But all of this has, at its core, the Fed’s experimental “abundant reserve” policy. Two questions about this come to mind. 1) The M2 measure of money is contracting faster than it has since the Great Depression (when we had bank failures)…does the Fed think there is a correlation? 2) Now that the Fed is running at a loss (paying more in interest than it earns on its assets), how is it paying day-to-day operating expenses, like salaries? Seriously…the Fed has negative cash flow, it has burned through its capital…where is the money coming from?

Will you ask about this?

[Michele Tafoya @Michele_Tafoya]

Is anyone else PISSED that in trying to narrow the achievement gap in public education, the effort is toward LOWERING the CEILING rather than RAISING THE FLOOR?? Why are government schools taking the easy way out? #SchoolChoice

[Clarity @covid_clarity]

MN just announced a record budget surplus of $17.6 billion.
The government had a banner year.

The people??
Lost 4% in real wages this yr.
Lost 19% in their 401K.
Paid the 5th highest income tax in the US.
And just opened their mail to see a 6% increase in property tax next yr.

[David Wittenberg @witty_david]

Such a critical and important message to hear right now…

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

This could not be a better video for any young kid to hear.

[Ryan Carter @Ryan_Carter22]

FREE PLAYOFF TICKETS!

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#mnwild #stanleycup #nhlplayoffs #becauesitsthecup

[David Wittenberg @witty_david]

Never been prouder to be associated with a volunteer effort and I’m so grateful for my fellow passionate @hockeydayKATO LOC members. Can’t wait to see the impact for our community and youth hockey in the months and years to come. #ThisIsHowWeHockey @mnwild @BallySportsNOR

[Kevin Buisman @MAV_dADdy01]

Can’t say enough good things about the @hockeydayKATO LOC. They absolutely knocked the @HockeyDayMN event out of the park while putting our University and community in the spotlight and their ongoing generosity is just icing on the cake. #ThisIsHowWeHockey

[Jon Gordon @JonGordon11]

5 Ways to Think Like a Champion 🥇

1. Champions Expect to Win - They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes. They win in their mind first and then they win in the hearts and minds of their customers, students or fans.

[Jon Gordon @JonGordon11]

Confidence is important but there will be a time when your confidence is shaken. That's why you need courage and an unshakable faith.

[Brian Wesbury @wesbury]

If a horse at the southern border of the US scares an illegal immigrant, it’s 24/7 news story on MSM about intimidation and excess force. If Canadian mounted police run over peaceful protestors, MSM doesn’t care. The hypocrisy is insane.