Three quick thoughts today:
1. Did Donald Trump’s presidential campaign finally jump the
shark with his rude comments about Megyn Kelly?
I really hope so. It attracts your attention in the same way that a
roadside crash does. But it is much more
important for potential voters to learn more about what serious candidates
think about the issues.
2. On All Things
Considered Weekend, there was a story about some homeowners in California who
fought a plan last year to use a slow, controlled burn to remove the dry brush
and branches. They didn’t want the smell of smoke ruining their evening breeze. The result is serious wildfires that are
costing the state millions and threatening to burn down their homes.
At first, I thought this was what they deserved. At second, I realized this was a great
example of the time discounting bias. We evolved to ignore any benefits or
costs too far in the future, because in our evolution on the savannah those
benefits and costs were likely never to happen.
Short term thinking was adaptive for survival. And in our modern lives,
we can’t shake this instinct to grab the one bird now and forget about the two
birds in the bush.
3. My Stoic philosophy lesson of the day had an interesting
recommendation. This is just part of a broader theme, so don’t think it is a shallow
message. But it has some resonance to it.
He suggests starting the day imagining the worst things that could
happen that day. Then, when some less bad things really happen, they will seems trivial in
comparison. It will prepare you to cope.
