analects noun, pl

/ˈan.ə.lɛkts/

a collection of ideas, extracts, or teachings.

Gratification

stuff On self-celebration

show:

analects under the categories btrmt. believes in, as set out in the manifesto

analects organised according to the fundamental questions of philosophy

sequences of articles gathered around a more focused idea

  • purple doesn't exist 8 Aug 2026 [audio + edited transcript] Purple isn’t on the light spectrum. Your brain invents it to stand for a green that should be there and isn’t—and it does the same with your...
  • the neuroscience con 11 Jul 2026 [audio + edited transcript] Brain-words are cosmetic filler. Strip the neuroscience out and the advice means exactly what it did before—so learn to strip it out.
  • meditation isn't for everyone 30 May 2026 [audio + edited transcript] Meditation can harm you, and it isn’t for everyone. Strip the branding and it’s just trained attention—half of what you already do—so the on...
  • it's not social media, life is just worse 18 Apr 2026 [audio + edited transcript] Social media isn’t the disease. It’s the symptom you can see. The sad kids on TikTok are there because they’re sad, not sad because they’re...
  • the amygdala is not the fear centre 7 Mar 2026 [audio + edited transcript] Your amygdala doesn’t decide your fear. You do. It’s not a fear centre, it’s an intensity detector, and calming it down is solving the wrong...
  • gesticism 26 Jan 2026 [article] Lots of things are happening, but anything can matter, and whatever gives meaning will eventually demand sacrifice. The agony of attention....
  • stress is good 1 Nov 2025 [audio + edited transcript] Stress isn’t broken by modern life. It’s a performance tool, and the line between fuel and harm isn’t the stressor. It’s whether you control...
  • beyond system 1 and system 2 13 Jun 2025 [article] System 1 vs System 2 is a useful shorthand, but our minds aren’t two-speed engines—they’re multi-process coalitions of specialised agents wo...
  • the neuroscience con 6 Jun 2025 [article] The neuroscience confidence game trades content for cosmetic filler, making vacuous advice look smart.
  • positive intelligence pt.iii 30 May 2025 [article] This might be the most comprehensive example of the neuroscience confidence game I’ve ever written about. That and a heavy dose of self-indu...
  • positive intelligence pt.ii 23 May 2025 [article] Chamine’s ‘Positivity Quotient’ is based on nothing beyond ‘being happier is better than being sad’, and unless they appeal to you, there’s...
  • positive intelligence pt.i 16 May 2025 [article] It says it’s based on the latest research, but actually it’s based on a 40 year old version of the concept of an ‘inner critic’, and a pack...
  • preferring coherence 2 May 2025 [article] Cogntive dissonance often describes a bias towards seeing ourselves as coherent. Sure, it’s sneaky and prevalent, but entirely necessary. An...
  • cognitive dissonance isn't discomfort 25 Apr 2025 [article] Cognitive dissonance is often thought of as the discomfort we have with conflicting cognitions. But it’s really about how the brain will smo...
  • there is no authentic self 11 Apr 2025 [article] There’s no hidden version of you. If anything, we are a collection of bits and pieces that we weave together from the stories we learn from...
  • on cynosure 7 Mar 2025 [article] Cynosure is the idea betterment is empty without gratification and connection. No true betterment can occur without celebrating the fruits o...
  • language is a barrier to communication 28 Feb 2025 [article] Our brain clusters things that are similar to each other together. This includes ideas and the words we attach to them. If your words are at...
  • aesthetics are facts too 21 Feb 2025 [article] Cultural and aesthetic ‘facts’ are as real as any ‘objective’ truths. They’re just centred on different kinds of meaning. Trivialising them...
  • anticipation beats reward 31 Jan 2025 [article] Basically, reward and ancipation both use the same system, but differently. Anticipation seems to come in through the senses and get sent th...
  • addictive work 24 Jan 2025 [article] The neural reward circuit implies that small, rewarding tasks that share environmental context are going to be the most addictive, so break...
One email a month: the new essays, lectures, and marginalia.

No spam, once a month, unsubscribe any time.

One email a month. No fuss. Get the newsletter.