Keep ‘em coming Jacob. Your writing is thought provoking.
Again, thank you.

I’ve always done things my own (analytical/creative) way and have sometimes inspired people to change their ways; mostly though, people just reckon I’m weird. My PR musn’t be good enough OK, it’s also occasionally because my way is not as good as the conventional ways; I often start from scratch, re-inventing the wheel, rather than taking existing ways of doing stuff into account. Some of it is probably rather annoying too: I never answer the phone unless it rings twice or for a very long time, to filter out all not-very-important calls
But, on the whole, I have a reasonable, low-scale success and satisfaction in figuring out good ways of doing things, whether it is about specifics in my work or at home, or about our careers, raising our kids, minding our economy, doing good, enjoying life, and so on. I used to call it “life hacking” but it’s really “culture hacking”.

However, the last five years have changed my viewpoint around 180 degrees since I have begun to properly realise the value of being a sheep in a flock. For me, it streamlines things, both socially and practically, with greater efficiency and less friction; I try to be more compatible and less confusing to people. For society, a common identity can lead to social cohesion which is the main factor in getting a society to work, for loads of reasons. For instance, almost everything in Denmark that works well works well because of social cohesion, and most things that fail in the US fail because of this lack in cohesion. It’s also often about cooperation: a bad cooperative solution is often better than no solution, as we will hopefully see in Copenhagen next week.

Hence, to change the world, simply “be the change”

However, in my case, it’s not to change the world, it’s to mold and teach my son. I guess the 2 are related in a macro/micro sort of way?

Any plan to get a table of contents on the website?

I started out to simply send a thank you for all the posts that you have written. I read your posts through e-mail so I don’t see the comments that others have sent. However, in order to leave a comment, I had to go to your site and so have seen what others have said about this last post.

I live right next to Sun City. Most of the homes there were built in the 1960s. There are many, many casitas (the local term for row house). Most of these are less than 1,000 sq. feet. Most of the homes are less than 1,400 sq. feet. Most of the apartments are less than 800 sq. feet. So, unless you live in less than 1,000/1,400/800 sq. feet, don’t use electricity, don’t use heat or air conditioning, don’t use water from a city supply or a well that accesses an aquifer (rain water is OK) (I could go on and on here), please don’t cast stones.

There are some who will find a way to be excessive anywhere just as others will choose a more sustainable lifestyle.

I read that Phoenix has drastically drawn down the water table–and that was decades ago.

Can we spell “unsustainable”?

I love the philosophy that is interwoven throughout your blog! I am not a died in the wool anti-consumerist but you always make me think why waste when you don’t have to!

I love your no nonsense way of communicating. Again I will have to admit sometimes your knowledge is over my head but gives me something to reach for!

Thanks for being there and always providinng some bedrock to base my decisions on, especially financially. Randall

13:
See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.

28:
be a pattern for the world.
If you are a pattern for the world,
the Tao will be strong inside you
and there will be nothing you can’t do.

29:
Do you want to improve the world?
I don’t think it can be done.

57:
Let go of fixed plans and concepts,
and the world will govern itself.