Everyone has some actions that come naturally to them, and some actions that are more unnatural, and some actions that wouldn’t even occur to them. For me, blogging comes naturally. Which is not to say that it’s easy, but the challenge of it is one I readily set out on and feel confident in my ability to overcome. And for me it is a natural response to all kinds of situations. Unsatisfied with the going views on AI policy? Blog. Want some impact? Blog. Want to make an artistic statement? Blog. Want a boy to like you? Blog. Want a job? Blog. Want to change the norms of American society? Blog. Want to start a revolution? Blog.
Another thing in this category for me is throwing parties. I organize social events at the drop of a hat, and feel pretty comfortable in some sense, even though the dance of it does involve various known discomforts.
This is important to notice because you can turn other things into blogging and parties.
Once I had agreed to give a keynote speech, and was seriously floundering constructing one. My friend suggested I instead write a blog post on the topic then say it, which made it radically easier. For questions such as how society should be run, I am liable to transfer them into the context of a party and think a bit about what should happen there. When I wanted to help find a name recently, we threw a naming party (which I think was where ‘Evitable’ came from).
These thoughts are due to talking to John Salvatier, but I can’t remember if that’s because he said them all or caused me to think them. I have thought about this occasionally since.
Cover image: Dance in Gopsmor Cottage, Anders Zorn (1914)
How quickly does this turn into "to a hammer, everything looks like a nail" though?