I didn't die of coronavirus, just been moving apartments.
P.S. Need to clear some headspace? Try philosophical conversation by email.
Hello and Monday evening greetings.
(especially to the dozens of you who I forgot to add here in the past few months. Let’s just say that the Life Coach for Smart People tech stack is a little janky)
I’ve missed not one but TWO Friday newsletters. Here’s what happened.
We got a bigger apartment!
In writing How Homes Work, I convinced myself that we definitely needed to move ASAP. I browsed apartments on a whim, found *exactly* the right one, and we moved - all in the span of about 2 weeks.
(Also, all my kids and I got a barfing disease in the middle there, but that’s a whole ‘nother story)
The new place is the complete opposite of our old place: we migrated from a brand-new “luxury” building to a 100-year-old walkup. This bought twice the square footage, including a third bedroom, 1.5 more bathrooms, and full-sized appliances (including addition of washer/dryer) … at the same price.
What now?
However, I’m finding it pretty jarring to attempt to enjoy such a positive life change in the shadow of… pandemic.
I spent these 2 weeks working very little, but now it seems odd to pick up with my previous projects when COVID-19 is top of mind.
Guess I’ll just warm up back into whatever seems right this week, whether that ends up being pandemic-related or not. I started reading a book, The Trauma of Everyday Life, that is timely and centering.
And at the risk of looking like an ambulance chaser…
Need to chat about mortality?
A few months ago I launched “Interlocutor as a Service,” which is essentially just philosophical coaching & conversation by email.
I have room for 2 new clients this month. If you want to think and write your way through what’s going on right now (in The World or just your world), it might be the ticket.
Sign up for Interlocutor as a Service here ($200/ 1 month), or reply with any questions you’ve got.
Recommended Reading: Growthers vs. base raters, decouplers vs. couplers, and what’s new in text.
If you don’t understand the difference between base rate & exponential thinking (and when each is appropriate), you’re gonna have a bad time. Let Tyler Cowen explain.
When it comes to issues like eugenics, are you a high or low “decoupler?” Here’s a piece about individual differences in how controversial issues get discussed.
All hail the Text Renaissance! If you’re reading this Substack, you’re probably a part of it.
Back on Friday with our regularly scheduled programming,
Pamela
2020: Issue 9 of 52