Derek Thompson

The Monks in the Casino - https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-monks-in-the-casino - A brief theory of young men, "the loneliness crisis," and life in the 21st century

• Via: One of the biggest problems of modern life is severe alienation: from ourselves, from pursuits that make us feel alive, and from each other. So we seek cheap thrills—from incessant porn to around-the-clock gambling—to fill the emptiness and void. The only way out of this problem is facing the friction and discomfort and messiness of the real world. On the other side of that friction and discomfort and messiness is mastery, mattering, and genuine intimacy. @DKThomp sharply defines the problem and the confluence of factors giving rise to it. It’s must-read material. https://x.com/BStulberg/status/1988242602836083158 - Monk - Casino

How the U.K. Became One of the Poorest Countries in Western Europe - https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/10/uk-economy-disaster-degrowth-brexit/671847/ - Britain chose finance over industry, austerity over investment, and a closed economy over openness to the world.

Hard Work Isn’t the Point of the Office - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/offices-microsoft-study-out-group-connections/620137/ - The pandemic disrupted soft work—the gossip, eavesdropping, and casual relationship-building that aren’t a formal part of your job.