Professionally, I focus on creating social benefit startups. In my Saturday morning emails I share what I’m learning and thinking. Topics range from better living and parenting to business and philosophy.
The Hope Guide. A ACLED report says political violence involving extremist actors in the US is down every year since 2020. Regardless, I’m going to leave this guide to responding to political violence right here and hope that nobody needs it. The key section lists the stages of political violence:
Reveal – Expose the injustice.
Redeem – Validate the target.
Reframe – Interpret the event as an injustice.
Redirect – Mobilize support and avoid official channels.
Resist – Resist intimidation and bribes.
About Men. Two things can both be true: We want more for girls and women (like more economic opportunity). And we want more for boys and men (like longer lives). I’m glad to see an organization like the American Institute for Boys and Men talking seriously about men’s issues. Read their recent opinion piece to learn more about the policies they suggest. A conversation worth having.
How Smart Are Fish? I’m a pescatarian although I do wonder about environmental impacts and fish experiences and moral weight. What if fish are smarter and more conscious than you think? I’ve already made the choice to not eat octopus and now wondering if I want to stop eating other kinds of fish. I recently learned some fish can recognize faces, beat primates on cognitive tests and seem to learn behavior from others. Does that change anything? On the other hand, while I do eat processed vegan protein, I wonder if it is healthy given it is not a whole food. For environmentally friendly and less conscious seafood, is it just muscles and clams? How do you think about all this?
Until next time,
Miles
Some things are not meant to be thought about, like food for health and survival. Yes, think about sugar, salt, and humane farming/ranching, but not plants, fish and animals intended as nourishment. There is wisdom in the concept of not partaking from the tree of knowledge. For instance, if you are a vegan and read The Light Eaters by Schlanger, you might never eat again and you would die. That is not a natural or helpful circle of life. Literal necessities of life are not subject to guilt.