Unknown Unknowns - Issue #4
I just realized that I never explained the title of this newsletter.
Known knowns are what you know. How to add. How to make lasagna.
Known unknowns are things you know exist, but don't know how they work. Black holes for example. These are things you could learn if you had the time and inclination.
Unknown unknowns are things that you don't even realize you don't know. They're blind spots. You need other people to help you see them. You need to have an open mind.
This Week:
Something Interesting: The Secret to Success: Mimic EvolutionThis week's something interesting might help you deal with unknown unknowns. Jonathan Bales writes about how copying evolution leads to success. You don't actually need to understand something to be good at it. Evolution is essentially a series of trial-and-error cycles. If you can iterate fast enough, you can improve without actually knowing why you're improving.
Idea of the Week:Lobbyists are paid millions to influence politicians to slip loopholes into laws. When people say there is a ruling class in America, this is what they actually mean. There is a group of people who can pay enough money to have laws changed for their own benefit. What if more people knew about loopholes that applied to them? Why can't we crowd source legal readers to scour laws and open source loopholes that the masses can take advantage of?
Experiment: Alexander TechniqueThis is an experiment for the coming week. I've gotten a little distracted from learning the Alexander Technique (mentioned in UU#2). For the next week, I will be attempting to apply the Alexander Technique in real life. When I go on walks or exercise, in conversations or while cooking, I will try to apply the concepts.
Questions, suggestions, complaints? DM me at @chr_iswong. Feedback welcome.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend or two. And feel free to send anything you find interesting to me!
Have a great week,
Chris
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