Author Archives: davidrichelson

How to think outside the box (by thinking unconventionally)

At work, I’m making a presentation on how to think of new ideas. While doing research, I came across this junk article: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-ways-to-find-out-if-your-idea-is-actually-brilliant-2011-3 It’s very conventional wisdom. If you want to be your idea to be conventional, then I guess this is ok. But who wants to settle for ok? Be phenomenal! There’s a sayingContinue reading “How to think outside the box (by thinking unconventionally)”

What does Serial imply about the existence of Jesus?

There is a podcast called Serial, which is about the 1999 conviction of this 17 year old boy, Adnan, to murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae. It was an incredible podcast that kept me riveted to the end. The original investigation was botched, both the prosecution and the defense lawyers were shoddy, there was never any DNAContinue reading “What does Serial imply about the existence of Jesus?”

Satisfaction vs Happiness, Stoicism vs Hedonism, Journey vs Destination

I’ve noticed a connection between these six items: Satisfaction vs Happiness, Stoicism vs Hedonism, Journey vs Destination. Many people are against “Happiness” they say that it is for suckers who want cheap thrills. These “Happiness seekers” have lavish parties, wear expensive jewelry, and drive expensive cars. It occurred to me that the people who sayContinue reading “Satisfaction vs Happiness, Stoicism vs Hedonism, Journey vs Destination”

How to actually change the world in three steps

The three steps, in the following order: Be exceptionally awesome. Being exceptionally awesome will make others uncomfortable. This in turn, will make you uncomfortable. The truth is, is that it’s lonely at the top. If you want to be “accepted” by the herd, you have to accept their standards. But if you’re like me, thoseContinue reading “How to actually change the world in three steps”

Why is external motivation so powerful?

I’ve often wondered, why is external motivation so powerful? Certainly it would be nice if we were purely powered by our own desire for success. I know from personal experience that I would only be half as successful if not for my community. The two examples that come to mind are writing and working out. IContinue reading “Why is external motivation so powerful?”

The Grasshopper and the Ant – retold (alternative ending)

I previously wrote a fable about a grasshopper who cared only about self improvement, and cared not at all for politics. It had a happy ending. I’ve decided to change that… read on at your own risk.               One week into winter, the grasshopper was relaxing next to it’sContinue reading “The Grasshopper and the Ant – retold (alternative ending)”

You Are The Barbarian, Not Them

If you can’t discuss something civilly, you are the barbarian, not them. I understand that you’re passionate. I understand, than you don’t think they understand, and they probably don’t. All the more reason to be civil about it. From an outside perspective, all I can see is you screaming, shouting, and crying. If I didContinue reading “You Are The Barbarian, Not Them”

The Grasshopper and the Ant – retold

In a field one Spring day, a grasshopper was planting seeds for Summer. It was a happy grasshopper. It kept a song humming all day long. The work wasn’t very engaging, but it didn’t need to be. Along came an ant. The ant said to the grasshopper, “Why don’t you join me? We are about toContinue reading “The Grasshopper and the Ant – retold”

Don’t give up, we’re just getting started.

Everyone has a part to play in the revolution. No one is exempt. This is a full contact spectator sport. There are no “civilians” or “Non-combatants”. Telling yourself that you have chosen to not participate, is a form of participation. This is highlighted in the book trilogy the Hunger Games. Katniss leads the revolution, butContinue reading “Don’t give up, we’re just getting started.”

Have Mercy on Trump Supporters

Everyone is wrong about something. I have never met someone who was right about everything. It’s just too easy to be wrong. I know there is a lot of outrage right now at people who voted for trump. It’s unfortunate that anybody voted. Racist bigots suck. But not all trump supporters are racist bigots. SomeContinue reading “Have Mercy on Trump Supporters”

Selfishness works great for me (and I bet it works great for you)

Being selfish is the best thing you can do for yourself and for others. What does selfishness mean? I’ve heard it means that you steal from others. that you pursue your own ends at the expense of others. I don’t want any of that, but I still consider myself selfish. I don’t see selfishness asContinue reading “Selfishness works great for me (and I bet it works great for you)”

Cringing, crying, and laughing for my past self

When I was in high school, I took 2 years of video production. I loved every minute of it. I finally had an outlet for all of my crazy ideas. The empowerment that comes from expression has a huge positive impact on my self esteem. I probably published about 15 short films in the courseContinue reading “Cringing, crying, and laughing for my past self”

The killer App that my life revolves around

There’s one app that my life depends on. No, it’s not Pokemon Go. It’s my alarm clock. I’ve noticed that everybody wants to look successful, but no one wants to be successful. It’s lonely at the top. Everyone downloads the app that works for everyone else. The only technique that they know is mimicry. IfContinue reading “The killer App that my life revolves around”

I’m on obamacare (Thanks Obama)

I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I’m on Obamacare. Full disclosure, I still don’t understand Obamacare or healthcare in general. Even though I’ve heard the explanation several times, I’m still surprised when I have to pay out of pocket. I was recently asked what I thought of Obamacare. The extent of my knowledge is thatContinue reading “I’m on obamacare (Thanks Obama)”

How to level up your thinking (a quick primer on levels of thinking)

This is a quick primer on “Levels of thinking”. I’ll just spell it out once, and then link back to this post later. Here’s a simple game called “Matching Pennies“: Two people each have a penny. They each (secretly) decide to leave the penny either face up or face down on the table. On theContinue reading “How to level up your thinking (a quick primer on levels of thinking)”

Cooperating with Others, Police, and the Mafia

This is my first attempt at writing fiction based around Game Theory.   Mcguinnes sat down at the bar and ordered a bourbon. The bartender slid it over to him. At 2pm, there was no one else there. The somber bartender swatted flies, then made half an effort to clean the mugs. Behind him wasContinue reading “Cooperating with Others, Police, and the Mafia”

The Doom Survival Guide, Steps to Living Happy and Healthy With Doom

It’s a fact, you’re going to fail. Now what? You can give up You can do it anyway You can give up Failure isn’t just an option, it’s inevitable. It’s completely unavoidable. Why bother? You’d be wasting your resources trying. You can do it anyway There is a philosophical thought experiment called the Buridans Ass:Continue reading “The Doom Survival Guide, Steps to Living Happy and Healthy With Doom”

How to save time and money by going disposable

I’ve been asked, “When something breaks, why do we buy a new one instead of repairing it?” It’s a universal problem. People who tend to care about the poor and the environment, mention Walmart as the biggest perpetrator of this culture. People who tend to care about American manufacturing and imports, mention Harbor Freight asContinue reading “How to save time and money by going disposable”

How the fear of failure ensured that I failed

I recently started my second month of Praxis. I’ve been watching the other participants through the first month. Their life stories blew me away. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see many of them drop 1000 word essays as their first blog post on day 1 of month 2. I doubly shouldn’t have been surprisedContinue reading “How the fear of failure ensured that I failed”

What if we worked as hard as med students?

I’ve noticed how knowledgeable doctors are. How did they get that way? They study their butts off in med school. They work insanely hard for 8 years. Once they’re done, they have a high paying job waiting for them. Why don’t most people see results like that? 3 reasons: Most people aren’t willing to putContinue reading “What if we worked as hard as med students?”

How Procrastination Can Be Beaten with Game Theory

Procrastination can be broken down into a game such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma (see diagram below). Imagine Procrastination as your fellow potential prisoner. If the work you have to do, isn’t bad, but it just needs to get done, that’s the equivalent of Prisoner B remaining silent. If you see your work as small andContinue reading “How Procrastination Can Be Beaten with Game Theory”

A non-choice is a choice too (how many stripes do you see?)

I want to start this blog post with an illustration (above). How many stripes are there? If you said 2, you’d be wrong. The correct answer is 3. Two are black, one is white. Even thought it looks like the background, it is part of the image too. Sometimes we think we can avoid makingContinue reading “A non-choice is a choice too (how many stripes do you see?)”

Sign on the dotted line forever

What does commitment mean? There’s 2 kinds of commitment. The first kind is just words. The second kind is “stake” or wager. The first kind is where you sign on the dotted line. This is the easy kind. Talk is cheap as they say. Humans are pretty bad about understanding consequences and accurately foreseeing theContinue reading “Sign on the dotted line forever”

What’s the point of capitalism if all you get is money?

Someone asked me what the point of “Society” was. To which I promptly replied that I don’t know. What I do know, is the point of my philosophy: Capitalism. Free Market Capitalism, in particular. By Free Market Capitalism, I mean that government has no say or function in the goings on of business. If aContinue reading “What’s the point of capitalism if all you get is money?”

What can hipsters teach us about game theory?

The Problem How does one stand out, in a crowd that is constantly trying to stand out? If “standing out” is the norm, then “blending in” is the new standing out, because nobody is doing it. This is applied contrariness. It’s being different for the sake of being different. To illustrate There’s a simple coinContinue reading “What can hipsters teach us about game theory?”

Who are you trying to seduce with your philosophy?

In the book Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, Harry Potter is a boy genius akin to Ender Wiggen. Draco Malfo is similarly genius, but also an open racist against wizards who didn’t have wizard parents. This is a big distinguishing factor for many wizards in the same way that white supremacists are racistsContinue reading “Who are you trying to seduce with your philosophy?”

What does libertarianism got to do with entrepreneurship?

When I tell people I want to change the world, they say “That’s great, but how?” Here’s the answer: Product Design. I’ll admit, it’s a bit of a stretch. Here’s how I think about it. My goal is to change the world by filling it with libertarians. One approach is to spend hours upon hoursContinue reading “What does libertarianism got to do with entrepreneurship?”

Are you a Work Horse or a Show Horse? (or a talking horse?)

I worked at Chrysler for a year and a half and met all sorts of people. There were a couple who actually loved their job, loved cars, and loved Chrysler. Those people were the best to work with. Their attitude was an impenetrable shield against management’s constant blows. If management said to scrap the designContinue reading “Are you a Work Horse or a Show Horse? (or a talking horse?)”

Stand Up – What the Flobots Teach Us About Company Culture

We shall not be moved Except by a child with no socks and shoes We shall not be moved Except by a woman dying from a loss of food It is not enough to ask for more. More is not enough. For a sufficient vision to exist, you have to envision the end. Then, andContinue reading “Stand Up – What the Flobots Teach Us About Company Culture”