Weekly Sparks: 2024-51
Bits of Inspiration to Wind Down Your Week (#2)
This Week’s Sparks
A curated selection of the week’s most striking quotes.
“Unfortunately, reality is messy and does not always comport with our preference for simple explanations.”
— Derek Thompson, Link
“What separates dreamers from doers isn't talent or luck—it's the willingness to start before feeling ready. The perfect moment is a myth. The right time is now. But here's the key: Start small and learn fast. Your first move doesn't need to be perfect; it just needs to teach you something. Focus more on the next small step that moves you closer to the goal. Motion creates momentum, and momentum reveals opportunities that standing still never could.”
— Shane Parrish, Link
“What turns a chance into a big break is what we do with it once the chance arrives.”
— Seth Godin, Link
“The spark of creativity belongs not to the machine that churns out a never-ending variety of images with feedback from the crowd, but to the artists who came up with the idea in the first place.”
— Will Knight, Link
“This epidemic of sameness is everywhere: marketing campaigns, business pitches, or movie trailers, each trying to outdo one another while somehow sounding exactly the same.”
— Ozan Varol, Link
“We need the humility to acknowledge that we haven’t come near to solving these issues (human trafficking and violence against women, ndr.) in the United States. But at least we discuss them openly, shattering taboos — and throwing stones from a glass house is still preferable to silence as women and girls are murdered and assaulted in large numbers around the world.”
— Nicholas Kristof, Link
“We’re going to split one hell of a lot of atoms to power our ever-growing digital brains.”
— Alex Wilhelm, on the enormous power consumption of AI, Link
“Get whatever you want, whenever you want it. Rather, well-being requires that you discipline your will and defer your gratifications.”
— Arthur C. Brooks, Link
Timeless Sparks
Profound ideas and reflections from history’s greatest minds to bring depth and perspective to your week.
“The pursuit of excellence is less profitable than the pursuit of bigness, but it can be more satisfying.”
— David Ogilvy
“The smarter you get, the slower you read.”
— Naval Ravikant
“No matter how many instances of white swans we may have observed, this does not justify the conclusion that all swans are white.”
— Karl Popper
Big Questions
Thought-provoking questions to explore life, the universe, and everything.
When was the last time you did something fully intentionally? How did that make you feel compared to when you are partially committed?
What are the things you cannot know but have come to terms with? How does their latent, uncertain, and potential presence impact your life and your need for security and stability?
If you acted solely out of curiosity, where would it naturally lead you? Can you incorporate even a small part of this answer into your life?
