I write to see what I can write. I code to see what I can code.

17 conversations in Jakarta, Indonesia: https://sive.rs/met/at-14

16 conversations in super-multicultural Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur: https://sive.rs/met/at-13

India tech friends: I just bought my ticket to IndiaFOSS in BLR Sept 26-27: https://fossunited.org/indiafoss/2026 Want to meet? Email me: https://sive.rs/contact

Fight Club: I liked it the first time years ago, but watching a second time when you already know the end reveal? Elevates it from good to great. So many brilliant details in the screenplay. What else in life is better the second time?

Prepare your “no” and keep it handy: https://sive.rs/n0

My life was changed by four sentences in four books : https://sive.rs/4s4b

Geography is four-dimensional: https://sive.rs/4d

1993 communal internet shaped me: https://sive.rs/netizen

I’m not autistic, but my heroes are.

What next? — (ch 60/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u60

What next?

Video of chapter 60/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Reframing death — (ch 59/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u59

Reframing death

Video of chapter 59/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Since we moved from city to rural land, to a house where the bathroom and kitchen are outside, my boy observed: “This year there are way more full moons.”

You are what you pretend to be — (ch 58/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u58

You are what you pretend to be

Video of chapter 58/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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My favorite LLM prompt: “List the top cities in {COUNTRY}, and anthropomorphize each one, listing the good-natured stereotypes and jokes that other people in {COUNTRY} say about people in this city.”

Keep tuning and adjusting — (ch 57/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u57

Keep tuning and adjusting

Video of chapter 57/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Good book on cultural psychology: Tribal. Great insights and examples of how change happens on the personal, cultural, and institutional level. My notes at https://sive.rs/book/Tribal

Take the first step immediately — (ch 56/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u56

Take the first step immediately

Video of chapter 56/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Why your choice is wrong — (ch 55/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u55

Why your choice is wrong

Video of chapter 55/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Fascinating book: Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness - https://sive.rs/book/Conscious19 - uses one true story, 19 times, of the laughing brain patient - https://sive.rs/u12 - in the format of Nineteen Ways of Looking at Wang Wei - https://sive.rs/book/WangWei - to explore the subject.

Talk with friends to solidify it — (ch 54/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u54

Talk with friends to solidify it

Video of chapter 54/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Great book: Elephant in the Brain: sive.rs/book/BrainMo... You have hidden motives and subconscious incentives. Two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason. Instititutions do this too: wasteful because they’re serving hidden purposes no one acknowledges.

Elephant in the Brain - by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson | Derek Sivers

Derek Sivers official site. Thoughts on philosophy, culture, self-improvement. Author of Useful Not True, How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Anything You Want.

sive.rs

Private journal to internalize it — (ch 53/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u53

Private journal to internalize it

Video of chapter 53/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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No new instructions for the computer — (ch 52/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u52

No new instructions for the computer

Video of chapter 52/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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From explorer to self-leader — (ch 51/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u51

From explorer to self-leader

Video of chapter 51/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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How to decide and make the best choice — (ch 50/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u50

How to decide and make the best choice

Video of chapter 50/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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An awesome collection of great questions — (ch 49/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u49

An awesome collection of great questions

Video of chapter 49/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Five tiny tales of reframing — (ch 48/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u48

Five tiny tales of reframing

Video of chapter 48/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Traits of useful perspectives — (ch 47/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u47

Traits of useful perspectives

Video of chapter 47/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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Expand your repertoire — (ch 46/60 of Useful Not True) — https://sive.rs/u46

Expand your repertoire

Video of chapter 46/60 of USEFUL NOT TRUE

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