btrmt.

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How reading (good) non-fiction books builds your empathy

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Reading literature builds empathy in a way your human interactions can’t.

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gratification betterment on-culture

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Why kids can't lie but you can (the key to emotional intelligence)

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Did you know, kids don’t lie until about the age of three? Well, that’s not entirely true. Babies <a rel=“nofollow noopener” target=“_blank“ class=“external-link” href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3298979/Babies-not-as-innocent-as-t…

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How to replicate Christmas cheer the rest of the year

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Christmas day. A celebration of the hard work you put in to keep everyone happy for another year. Practice in negotiating with drunken family members. Lessons in assuaging the homophobic fears of your eldest party guests. An education in decibels whils…

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Newsletter | About

btrmt.

A text-only version of this site is available at txt.btr.mt — same content, zero JavaScript, minimal presentation.

btrmt. (betterment) examines ideologies worth choosing. Created by Dorian Minors—Cambridge PhD in cognitive neuroscience, Associate Professor at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Core philosophy: humans are animals first, with automatic patterns shaped for us, not by us. Better to examine and choose.

Core concepts. Animals First: automatic patterns of thought and action, but our greatest capacity is nurture. Half Awake: deadened by systems that narrow rather than expand potential. Karstica: unexamined ideologies (hidden sinkholes beneath). Credenda: belief systems we should choose deliberately.

The manifesto. Cynosure (focus): betterment, gratification, connection. Architecture (support): inner (somatic, spiritual, thought) and outer (digital, collective, wealth).

Mission. Not answers but examination. Break academic gatekeeping. Make sciences of mind accessible. Question rather than prescribe.

Writing style. Scholarly without jargon barriers. Philosophical yet practical—grounded in neuroscience and lived experience. Reflective, discovery-oriented. Literary references and metaphor. Critical of systems that narrow human potential. Rejects "humans are flawed"—we're half awake, not broken.

Copyright. BTRMT LIMITED (England/Wales no. 13755561) 2026. Dorian Minors 2026.

Resources

The Manifesto: "Half Awake" - the complete philosophy
About: Dorian's background and the btrmt. story
Animals First: Guide to understanding btrmt.
Analects: Collection of writings/audio examining ideologies

Optional

About Dorian Minors. Started btrmt. in 2013 to share sciences of mind with people who weren't studying them. Background: six years Australian Defence Force (Platoon Commander, Infantry); Gates Cambridge Scholar; PhD cognitive neuroscience, University of Cambridge (2018-2024); currently Associate Professor, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Research interests: neural basis of intelligent behaviour, decision intelligence, ritual formation/breakdown, ethical leadership, wellbeing.

External projects (links also available via Analects):

Lectures: Podcasts exploring ideologies
Neurotypica: Brain science guide for non-scientists
Black Cortex: Leadership consulting