Something that Texas Hold'em illustrated for me is the difference between good decisions and good outcomes. People often conflate the two, tending to judge choices by their results. If something works out, they pat themselves on the back. If it crashes and burns, they beat themselves up. But poker shows why this thinking is fundamentally flawed. In Texas Hold'em, you're dealt two private cards and share five community cards with other players. These community cards come in stages - the flop (...

Avoid people who are easily offended or want to police speech in a setting with friends. These people enjoy indulging themselves in recreational outrage, blaming others for the mismanagement of their own internal sanctity. When you talk with these people, your brain creates its own compliance department. Every thought must pass inspection before becoming speech: Will this upset them? Should I rephrase? Better not say it at all? This mental filtering is exhausting. That quarter-second pause be...

"Dry January" is upon us, where people attempt to go a month without drinking. I think it's a good thing for people to try as it's a reminder of how prevalent booze is. Alcohol holds a contradictory place in society. We celebrate it at our happiest moments while acknowledging its role in ruining lives. It stars in ads showing glamorous lifestyles, yet presents many examples to the contrary. Society presents a 'booze goldilocks zone' where moderate drinking is expected, while abstinence and ex...

In college, I felt self-conscious about not having a car. I'd walk a mile to-and-from campus each day and resent the fact that everyone else seemingly had one. On these walks, I'd regularly cross paths with another resident of my apartment building—a guy a few years my senior who was also always on foot. One day, seeking validation for our perceived hardship, I approached him: "I see you walking all the time too, really sucks to not have a car, right?" Looking at me with a mix of understandin...

This week, a strained back confined me to bed for a few days where even the simple act of standing became a monumental task. As I laid there watching Netflix, I found myself envying the characters' casual movements - their ability to spring up, twist, and turn without wincing. It is silly, but I silently resented them for not appreciating what they had, the ability to move. Confucius said: "A healthy man wants a thousand things, a sick man only wants one." When pain becomes your constant comp...

It's easy to tell someone they've lost weight, it's much harder to tell them they've gained it. Both are true, but the latter is often more valuable to hear. The truths we most need to hear are usually the hardest to say. Easy truths flow freely - complimenting a haircut, celebrating a promotion, praising weight loss. But the important ones get stuck in our throat - pointing out concerning drinking habits, mentioning failure to meet expectations, or telling your friend they have a booger in t...

It's easy for the person who has done nothing to do no wrong. The person who never started a business hasn't made unethical decisions for profit. The person who never entered a relationship hasn't betrayed trust. The person who never held power hasn't abused it. This pristine record is meaningless – like my 0-0 boxing record. I'm technically undefeated with fewer losses than Mike Tyson. But virtue isn't measured by avoiding difficult situations, it's proven by how you act when facing them. Th...

Following rules is harder when you're poor because poverty forces people into "survival mode" - the sort of last resort decision making when unmet needs overwhelm all other concerns. Anatole France captured this perfectly in The Red Lily: "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." The millionaire doesn't consider stealing groceries, but the single mother on food stamps does - not because of chara...

I often catch myself thinking I'm incapable of relaxation. This belief surfaces when I reach what should be peaceful moments—a vacation, a day off—yet find my mind still racing at full speed. Interpreting this worry as proof that I can't relax isn't accurate; I have experienced relaxation before. What I'm really experiencing is the natural deceleration of an overactive mind. When you're driving 100 mph, the car doesn't instantly stop when you hit the brakes—it needs time and distance to safel...

I went from having a cluttered mind to clearly articulating opinions after I started writing weekly WIBTALs. Over time, I've developed a 3-step writing method that I wish I'd known when I began. This is my process:1. CaptureIdeas are like butterflies: they appear unexpectedly and can vanish just as quickly. You need a practice for capturing them when they appear. I carry a small pocket journal for ideas everywhere I go. This minimizes the time between conception and recording and avoids the d...