Notes
We often downplay our capacity for evil. We do it every time we explain people doing terrible things by insisting they must be ignorant, mentally ill or subhuman. And it's understandable: the darker parts of ourselves are—well, dark. Easier to turn away than face that head-on. But
Notes
When I teach medical students on psychiatry posting I emphasise how important it is to avoid words that convey a dim view of patients. It goes back to a consultant’s advice during my own training. Consider the difference between: She claimed she hadn’t been using substances recently. She
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We’re obsessed with hierarchies. We see thing A and thing B and instinctively wonder which comes first. It’s why kids argue about whose dad is stronger and fans about whether Batman or Iron Man is smarter. (For the record, the answer is always Batman.) Our minds are meaning-making
Notes
When you're on the inside, it's easy to think of diversity as mainly for the benefit of the "other people"—you know, so "they" get a chance to be in the room where it happens. That's a mistake. Diversity is
Notes
I recently read a well-intended but naive suggestion: that people should explain their cultures to others new to it. If I’ve learned anything moving to the UK, it’s that none of us really knows our cultures. Not from inside. It takes someone breaking our cultural rules for us
Notes
Or, the danger of trying to be Harper Lee Harper Lee did what many creatives dream of—she threw all her energy into one work of genius: To Kill a Mockingbird. As strategies go, it's a recipe for disaster. Not just because chances are very slim that you
Human nature
Technology makes a lot possible, but at what cost? At the cost of introducing abstraction, which in turn impacts on serendipity and accessibility.
Human nature
One of the biggest compliments anyone has ever paid me was to say my writing reminded them of CS Lewis. I've written before about he's influenced me more than any other single writer, and I'd like to explore why through one of his most insightful essays: The Inner Ring
Communication
I speak 3 different kinds of English. That’s in addition to Yoruba, which is the language of my ancestors. Let’s talk about it.
Communication
The more important the idea, the more we should prioritise power over precision: aim to be as minimally precise as necessary to convey your point, but as maximally powerful as possible. There are two reasons why.
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I’m feel more like a productivity slacker than a ninja most of the time. Looking for how to be productive without killing yourself? I got you.
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Information offers power, belonging and satisfaction. Conspiracy theories are information on steroids—and no less addictive. That allure is worth exploring.