Weekly Filet #247: Try to lose. And more.
I'd love to say otherwise, but I plead guilty. I invest too little time (and empathy) in really trying to understand people who hold opinions that differ from mine. And of course, I'm not alone. It's easier to argue against and even easier to write off somebody else's views than to try to understand what they are based on. That's what this piece is about. Key passage: «A dare for the next time you’re in discussion with someone you disagree with: Don’t try to ‹win›. Don’t try to convince anyone of your viewpoint. Don’t score points by mocking them to your peers. Instead try to ‹lose›. Hear them out. Ask them to convince you and mean it.»
➡ The «Other Side» Is Not Dumb (Medium)
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I didn't think I needed another piece on that US election and how it all came about. But here's the great David Remnick with what's probably the quintessential piece on the president that never was. Both relentless and emphatic, both precise and elegantly written. Highly recommended.
➡ Hillary Clinton looks back in anger (The New Yorker)
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If you loved them for their punchy hymns, you'll need some time to get to like The National's latest album. The soundscapes have become a bit more complex, but the longer you listen to them, the better they go with the no-nonsense guitar tunes and dreamy vocals. Favourite song in the world right now: «Empire Line».
➡ First Listen Live: The National, «Sleep Well Beast» (NPR)
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Reading about this breakthrough discovery in mathematics will make your head spin, but in a pleasant way.
➡ Mathematicians Measure Infinities and Find They’re Equal (Quanta Magazine)
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Mesmerising, relaxing, beautiful – a timelapse video (made of 80'000 images) from aboard a cargo ship, from the Red Sea to Hong Kong.
➡ 30 Days Timelapse at Sea | through thunderstorms, torrential rain & busy traffic (YouTube)