MEMO

Issue #300

Charles Chaplin

Systems thinking is what makes designers great

I used to believe that what made great designers so great was their craft; their ability to add polish and style to whatever they touched. Now I see that what makes exceptional designers so incredible is not only their attention to detail, but their ability to think holistically about their work.

The Need for Kindness

When we are little, one of the first, and most boring, lessons we ever receive is in the primordial importance of being – as adults put it – ‘kind’. It’s because of this peculiar-seeming imperative that our mother will remind us up to fifteen times in a single week to send granny a thank you letter for the horrible hat she knitted us. Or that we have to add a ‘please’ every time we ask for almost anything, even a paper napkin, from anyone. Or that we have to invite the weirdo in class to our birthday party and even give him his own balloon. We’re left in little doubt: kindness is at once very important – and entirely stupid.

How Wordle brought us back together

Spelling Bee, too, and Words With Friends. Who knew online word games would get us talking to each other again?

How to tell when it’s time to quit your job to protect your mental health

Not sure whether or not you should quit your job in order to protect your mental health? Here’s how to tell when it’s time to let go, according to an expert.

The Laws of Simplicity

Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

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Go deeper on Better Human.

Two iPhone tweaks that simplify my life

A new way to streamline your workflow on iOS, which you have not tried yet.

Good reasons to worry less about things you can't control

A fundamental lesson of Stoicism to reflect on.

Two mindfulness habits worth adapting

Small changes that help you to be more intentional.

All the books I have been listening to in 2021

A short personal review.

Embracing the cold shower

I hated cold showers, and now they are my daily treat. I am sharing some tactics that worked for me to embrace the cold.