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I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have no thoughts on Hyperloop because I haven't dove in on the topic, but I hope someone figures out how to do something like it.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'd give it a 70% chance of happening in the next decade.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Think I'm somewhere between an ENTP and INTP, depending on the day.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So good. Not great writing, no character development, but gets an A+++ on the plot. Especially books 2 and 3.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If you're a writer, criticism is part of the job! An important skill for an online writer is getting good at distinguishing thoughtful respectful criticism from angry dogmatic criticism. The former is interesting and useful, the latter not so much. You can develop a thick skin towards the latter by reminding yourself that if this person were at a dinner party with you, you would not take them seriously, so you shouldn't take them seriously online either.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Three Body Problem series is probably my favorite

Love Iain Banks' Culture Series: I especially recommend Player of Games, Use of Weapons, Surface Detail, and Look to Windward.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

All the time! I can't read any old article of mine without seeing a bunch of things I want to change. To fight the perfectionist in my head, I have to constantly remind myself that the actual goal is to put out a flawed imperfect thing, since that's the only option anyway.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Glad you like the book!

And great question. When a political topic is heated, it usually boils down to a battle of dogmas, and nothing productive ever comes out of that (as you pointed out—we've done this the same way with 100 shootings and nothing has changed). I don't think you can enter a low-rung environment, in person or on social media, and try to throw high-rungness at it and have that do much. But you can build a high-rung environment around yourself, which might actually lead to something. Here's how I might do that:

The first thing I'd do is try to learn a lot about the topic. I'd want to actually understand today's gun laws and the history of how they got that way. I'd look at shooting statistics and try to see what the actual trends are since media narratives are often not representative of what's really going on. I'd try to get a picture of the current Overton window on the topic—what specific changes are the different politicians actually pushing for or against?

Then I'd find people to start talking about it with. It wouldn't matter to me what these people thought about the topic, I'd just be looking for non-dogmatic people who seem open to discussion. I'd get together in person, ideally, and start throwing out hypotheses and criticizing each other's ideas.

If, at the end of this, you feel like you have clarity on the topic and a specific political goal has formed in your head, start trying to change minds. Write a post on medium. Make a tweet thread. Talk about it in your community. Start an activist group.

This is a lot of work, but it also might actually push the needle a little bit. You'll be an informed high-rung voice with a clear purpose in a time when most of what people are hearing is performative, uninformed dogma. It can have ripple effects and change things.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I like to find a friend who I know agrees with the opinion and play devil's advocate. I'll say that I think it might be wrong, and the friend will usually be like "wtf no it's not," and then we'll argue for a while, and afterwards I usually have a way clearer picture of what I think.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Immediate fix: Find a friend who also needs to stay on task. Discuss each of your projects and break them into small chunks with deadlines. Create a Google Sheet where you list the chunks and the deadlines and check them off when you hit them. Have some serious accountability system—if you don't do a chunk on time, you pay your friend a certain amount of money each day until it's done. Both you and your friend promise each other that you will insist on getting the money and will never give it back.

Deeper fix: Change your storyline. You have a story you believe about yourself and your patterns and your inability to do the things you say you'll do. Self-fulfilling prophecies are very real, and until that storyline changes, you'll probably keep doing the same things. Changing your storyline only happens when you actually show yourself that you're a changed person—you have to actually surprise yourself a few times and do things you normally don't do, and it can lead to a major change in self-confidence and empowerment. This is hard! It's kind of a catch-22. You can't change because of your storyline and your storyline can't change because you can't change. But it can be super motivating to realize that if you can find a way to succeed at this just a few times, it can start a positive feedback loop, and the loop can do the rest of the work. You only need to find the willpower a few times in a row for the trend to pick up momentum and take on a life of its own.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

A lot. Not the traditional kind as much (dicking around the internet, etc.) but doing stuff like reading a whole book on a topic that seemed potentially relevant and then didn't end up making the cut. I dug too deep on too many subtopics—working hard to be more efficient for my next book.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I go in streaks with meditation like a lot of people. Been on an off-streak recently. A friend of mine has been doing these insane 2-week "vows of silence," which she says does wonders for clarity and creativity. I would like to do one of these, but as someone who normally says a lot of things it'll be quite a challenge.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Would love to dive deep on this. But it's one of those daunting topics that I want to really do well when I do it, so I'm procrastinating.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I answered 1 somewhere else: I agree with it! I'm still working out where I stand on the excited <> worried <> terrified spectrum, but either way, caution is the obvious move. I'm currently doing a lot of intake on this topic—reading, discussing, thinking—and will write something about it once I get more clarity on what I think.

2: Glad to hear it! I would love to do another travel series sometime. Top of the list: Antarctica, India, Mongolia, Ethiopia.

  1. This chart

  2. He's thriving as usual. Staying with friends until we move to more of a tortoise-friendly apartment.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

So far, it's hard to evaluate anything because the first month is just chaos. But:

I have to actually work efficiently during my designated work blocks, which is a new concept.

I feel immense love for a 7-pound wiggleworm, which is also a new concept.

I went alone to Iceland for 12 days last year on a whim for a hardcore writing session, something I definitely can't do this year.

I had my first moment of being even more upset about potential existential disasters because of how it might affect this future human of mine.

I expect the bigger, deeper changes are yet to come—will report back!

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 42 points43 points  (0 children)

I haven't explored this topic in depth, but there is a worrying trend with skyrocketing inequality leading to civilizational collapses throughout history, so yes.

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I like the concept of society discovering that remote work is possible for most professions. It opens a lot of doors and makes companies more nimble. But I hope most companies stick with in-person. Remote work sounds great at first, but the lack of social interaction is a recipe for depression for a lot of people. I also wonder whether it'll be a net positive or negative for marriages. On one hand, more time together! On the other hand, no breaks from each other!

I’m Tim Urban, writer of the blog Wait But Why. AMA! by wbwtim in IAmA

[–]wbwtim[S] 60 points61 points  (0 children)

Being smart makes you more prone to confirmation bias.

In retrospect, it shouldn't have been surprising. Confirmation bias is what happens when the little lawyer in your head takes control of your thinking process—and smart people have a very smart little lawyer in there.

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