My top 10 values.1
Existential
Love of the higher power
Love of my woman, family, and friends
Awe of the universe: curiosity and intellectual humility
Creativity
Discipline
Practical
Human nature realism
Nuclear family maximalism
Free speech and free markets
Private property rights
American exceptionalism
Why do words sometimes fail?
I’m a language lover. Learning Spanish has been one of the great joys of my life, I’m a lifelong reader, and I enjoy working in tech sales in part because it’s fundamentally about being skilled with words. All that said, I think it’s funny how all of the greatest moments in life are ones you truly cannot put words to. It goes back to the fact that the human species is significantly older than language itself. Language is a technology that people eventually developed—a tool that makes combinations of sounds and symbols signify physical objects, feelings, and abstract ideas. But for countless generations before its widespread development, our ancestors were experiencing life and emotions without sophisticated language. It’s fascinating to consider and also makes sense because when I think about all of the most profound moments of ecstatic, soul-expanding happiness in my own life, they are moments when speech is not involved. Moments that tap into an ancient, primal part of the brain. Getting chills from music, being in awe of a sunset, and so much more. It’s incredible to think about, isn’t it?
David Deutsch, The Beginning of Infinity.
“The principle of optimism: all evils are caused by insufficient knowledge.”
This is very broad; I’m going to expand on it in an essay at some point.