7 Hang-ups To Hang Up On

23 February, 20222 February, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 4 Comments

I discuss the seven facets of perfectionism I need to get under control if I want to become a more productive writer. Read more (12 min, 3000 words).

Toxic Emissions

27 January, 202227 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 2 Comments

We often say things we don't really mean, which is fine as long as what we say doesn't make its way to where it looks like we do mean it. Avoiding that is getting more and more difficult and the consequences are quite serious. Read more (8 min, 2000 words).

Looking Back on ’21 and Forward to the Rest

6 January, 20224 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 6 Comments

I sum up last year, look back on six years of blogging, and decide that it's probably time for some crisis and change. But how, and what? Read more (11 min, 2800 words.)

Thank The Machine

20 December, 202117 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 4 Comments

There are many secular versions of mealtime prayers for when you want to express gratitude but don't believe in any gods. I'm not satisfied with what they choose to thank. Read more (12 min, 3100 words).

The Importance of Being a Slog

19 November, 202117 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 8 Comments

Why are supposedly serious and profound fiction often difficult and boring to read? Is there a necessary connection between the two? I argue yes, a bit, but it's hard to tell when the connection is illusory and fake. Read more (23 min, 5700 words).

The Woke-up Call: A Review of Cynical Theories

26 October, 202117 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 5 Comments

A long review, with further musings, of "Cynical Theories". Read more (30 min, 7600 words).

A Hundred for the 100th

21 September, 202117 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 5 Comments

To celebrate my 100th post, I wrote 100 haikus as summaries of each post so far. Read more (8 min, 2000 words).

Political Capital Flow Management and the Importance of Yutting

24 August, 202117 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 17 Comments

I discuss how you can dismiss, acknowledge, or generalize from the particular to the general, and how this matters for the way political capital is created and accumulated. Read more (11 min, 2800 words).

Cat Couplings Revisited

18 July, 202117 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 9 Comments

I folliow up on "Cat Couplings" from 2019 with a bunch of new examples and further thinking on how and why cat couplings work. Read more (13 min, 3300 words).

Rereading Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate

23 June, 202117 January, 2022 ~ Jnerst ~ 5 Comments

I reread a book that influenced me a lot when I was younger and review it. Defenders of the Truth: The Sociobiology Debate by Ullica Segerstråle chronicles the intense discussion in the wake of E.O Wilson's book "Sociobiology" from 1975. Read more (20 min, 5100 words).