Thoughts about the markets, automated trading algorithms, artificial intelligence, and lots of other stuff

  • What Peter Thiel’s “Antichrist” Lectures Reveal About Power, Spectacle, and the Architecture of Influence

    When Peter Thiel gives a talk, people listen — even when the topic sounds absurd. His recent four-part lecture series on “The Antichrist,” delivered quietly at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, wasn’t a theological confession. It was a strategy session hidden in plain sight.

    Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, has always been more interested in shaping systems than following them. Despite the theological-sounding implications of “The Antichrist lectures, they were less about religion than about recruitment — turning controversy into capital, ideas into networks, and attention into influence. It was a masterclass in the the secret architecture of modern power.

    This article is an opinion piece, but hopefully it provides some perspective and makes you think differently about his talks and the world we live in today.

    The Power of the Spectacle

    Thiel understands that spectacle builds infrastructure. What looks like provocation is often a mechanism for attracting talent, capital, and alignment.

    When he labels critics like Greta Thunberg or AI safety advocates as part of a modern “Antichrist,” he isn’t preaching apocalypse. He’s reframing the narrative — turning complex policy debates into moral showdowns between “progress” and “stagnation”, “good” and “evil”, and “us” and “them”.

    That framing does three things:

    1. Rallies allies who see themselves as defenders of innovation.
    2. Shuts down compromise by making opposition feel immoral.
    3. Creates pipelines of sympathetic people into his orbit — whether as investors, engineers, or policymakers.

    Thiel has used this playbook for decades. His contrarian campus newspaper at Stanford laid the groundwork for the early network that later became the PayPal Mafia. Each “provocation” seeds something lasting: an organization, a company, or a political foothold.

    From Theater to Infrastructure

    The cycle is predictable but powerful (and he isn’t the only one using this playbook)!

    1. Make a bold statement that challenges an elite consensus.
    2. Generate media attention — some mocking, some intrigued.
    3. Convert that attention into loyalty, funding, or influence.

    The “Antichrist” lectures follow that path. They signal to libertarian thinkers, anti-establishment technologists, and ambitious policy entrepreneurs that there’s an alternative network willing to reward dissent and action.

    Over time, those recruits show up inside Thiel-backed ventures, think tanks, and government roles. The result is a quiet ecosystem of influence — people who share Thiel’s outlook but operate independently enough to give him plausible deniability.

    Power by Proxy

    Thiel rarely holds a formal title in politics, but his fingerprints are everywhere. His protégés hold key positions in the current administration, including Vice President JD Vance and tech policy advisor David Sacks.

    The model is simple: invest early, cultivate loyalty, and let others hold the office. It’s a light form of proxy governance — influence routed through protégés, funds, and companies like Palantir.

    That distance matters. Thiel can shape outcomes without being directly accountable for them. If things go wrong, the damage is absorbed by the proxy; if they go right, the structure persists and Theil’s systems endure and expand.

    It’s the same logic that drives venture capital: spread bets, build leverage, exit before exposure.

    Portfolio Politics

    Thiel treats politics like a hedge fund manager treats a portfolio — invest when upside potential is high, step back when volatility rises, and re-enter when conditions are favorable.

    He was one of the few Silicon Valley figures to back Donald Trump early in 2016. When that bet paid off, he quietly helped fill key tech roles in the administration. As scandals mounted, he withdrew from public view — protecting his brand while his network continued to grow.

    That approach now defines a broader class of politically active billionaires. Rather than permanent loyalty, they practice situational alignment — entering and exiting political cycles the way investors trade around risk.

    The result is a marketplace of influence that operates on financial logic, rather than ideological consistency.

    Palantir: Power as Product

    Nowhere is Thiel’s strategy clearer than in Palantir, his data analytics company that supplies intelligence systems to governments around the world.

    Palantir’s tools merge disparate data sources into powerful surveillance and decision-making platforms. The irony is striking: Thiel often warns about government overreach, yet his company provides the very tools that enable it.

    Palantir’s expansion shows how spectacle transforms into structure. While Thiel distracts critics with rhetorical fireworks, his firm embeds itself deeper into the machinery of government — turning influence into infrastructure.

    By the time watchdogs notice, it’s not just a contract; it’s a dependency.

    The Visibility Game

    Thiel is a master of managing visibility — knowing when to provoke and when to disappear.

    High-visibility moments (like the “Antichrist” lectures or his RNC speech) draw attention, attract recruits, and keep his ideas circulating. But he balances that with strategic opacity: dark-money nonprofits, off-the-record talks, and layers of intermediaries that make it difficult to trace influence directly back to him.

    Visibility, for Thiel, is not about fame — it’s a control variable. When exposure threatens, he retreats into the shadows. When opportunity rises, he re-emerges to shape the conversation again.

    Why It Works

    The playbook works because it exploits how attention and trust now operate. In an era of fragmented media, a polarizing figure doesn’t need majority approval — only a committed minority who see opposition as proof of authenticity.

    Mockery from one camp signals credibility to another. Every backlash becomes free marketing.

    Thiel’s critics see demagoguery; his supporters see courage. Both drive the same outcome: a stronger network growing around him.

    Hate it or love it, you’re playing into his hand.

    The Broader Silicon Valley Pattern

    Thiel isn’t alone in this model. Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and President Trump each use variations of the same pattern: build wealth, use contrarian rhetoric to shape public narratives, align with political movements that favor deregulation, and embed their companies into national infrastructure.

    This isn’t traditional lobbying. It’s structural capture — designing systems so your interests and the public’s become indistinguishable. When a government depends on your software, influence no longer requires persuasion; it’s built in.

    Implications for Business and Governance

    For business leaders, there are three big takeaways from Thiel’s evolving strategy.

    1. Spectacle Can Be Strategy

    In the information age, attention is leverage. But attention only matters if it feeds a system — a company, a fund, a policy agenda. Thiel’s provocations aren’t distractions; they’re signals to attract like-minded talent and capital.

    If your organization isn’t thinking about how to turn visibility into structure, you’re leaving value — and resilience — on the table.

    2. Influence Flows Through Networks, Not Titles

    Formal authority is less important than the networks that surround it. Whether in politics or business, power increasingly operates through proxies — advisors, think tanks, and companies that outlast any single election or CEO.

    Understanding those relationships is now part of strategic due diligence. Who funds whom? Who sits on which board? Whose ideas are quietly shaping policy? Mapping those links can reveal more than any headline.

    3. Transparency Is the Next Competitive Advantage

    In a landscape built on strategic opacity, honesty becomes a differentiator. Companies that disclose their political relationships and governance structures early will earn trust faster than those forced into transparency later.

    Building internal awareness — of funding sources, advisory roles, and ideological alignments — isn’t just ethics. It’s risk management.

    What Comes Next

    We’re watching a new architecture of power take shape. It’s decentralized, data-driven, and designed for anti-fragility. The traditional boundaries between business, politics, and media are dissolving.

    Ten years from now, billionaire-funded policy ecosystems will be standard infrastructure. “Proxy governance” will be the norm. And moralized, apocalyptic rhetoric will be a mainstream political tool. Not that it‘s not already present.

    That doesn’t mean the system is unstoppable. But it does mean leaders must adapt. Power today isn’t just about what you directly control; it’s about the systems you can influence, and the attention you can direct.

    The Bottom Line

    Peter Thiel’s “Antichrist” lectures weren’t really about religion. They were a masterclass in how modern influence works — how ideas, money, and media can align to shape the institutions that shape us.

    It’s easy to dismiss such performances as fringe. It’s harder to recognize them as part of the operating system of 21st-century power.

    For anyone running a business or managing capital, the lesson is simple:

    • Pay attention to the networks behind the noise.
    • Follow how spectacle feeds structure.
    • And when possible, build moats where they are least expected.

    History is written by the winners … and the real contest isn’t over who gets the microphone, it’s about who designs the stage.

    Onwards!

    P.S. Here’s a “response” from the actual antichrist. It’s pretty funny.

  • Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading – October 26th, 2025

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  • I Want To Be In The Room Where It Happens ♫

    Behind the success of many thriving companies is a boardroom where decisions shape their future. But what really makes a corporate board effective — and who earns a seat at the table?

    Company boards come in many shapes and sizes … boards can be powerful, they can be councilors, and they can be a sign of stability to potential investors (by having the right people on the board). 

    Interestingly, about 80% of the 50 largest public companies are linked by at least one shared board member, illustrating the influence and network effect of seasoned executives in corporate governance. To see the full list of board members for a company (or to see which board members are on the most boards) I suggest corporationwiki.  However, even with significant overlap, 1,000 of the 1,100 board positions were held by unique individuals —indicating that direct duplication is relatively rare.. 

    Notably, as you look beyond the top 50 companies, the web of interconnected board members expands significantly.

    Fl4ixlc4bbc11via InterviewQs

     

    This raises a crucial question: How frequently does overlap among board members create conflicts of interest between competing companies?

    Ultimately, it seems likely that they share board members due to the expertise of those members. There’s a small pool of people with the know-how and acumen to advise a company that big. While companies strive to recruit top-tier board talent to enhance efficiencies, real-world outcomes can be mixed — underscoring the importance of thorough vetting and diversified expertise. 

    During my own experience serving on various boards, I often collaborated with individuals who also sat on multiple boards—sometimes even within competing firms. Building a board that is both diverse in perspective and rich in expertise significantly elevates your organization’s strategic insight and adaptability.

    From a small business standpoint, I think it’s important to surround yourself with a variety of viewpoints. Leaders often risk tunnel vision; actively seeking varied viewpoints helps break through these barriers and fosters innovative thinking. 

    While each leader is likely strong at their unique abilities, a hallmark of success is to create a unique abilities team that goes far beyond your strength.

    Internally, I’ve surrounded myself with detail-oriented and technical support to let me focus on the big picture. From an advisory standpoint, I’ve done my best to surround myself with people whose business successes I can learn from. 

    As AI evolves, its influence will increasingly extend beyond daily operations to the boardroom, reshaping the way high-level decisions are made and governance is exercised

    Ultimately, building the right board is not just about governance — it’s a strategic lever for long-term success. Whether launching a startup or steering a Fortune 500, prioritize assembling a team (both internal and external) that balances vision, expertise, and forward-thinking decision-making to drive sustainable success in an ever-evolving marketplace.

    Onwards!

     

  • Does A Larger Workforce Mean More Millionaires?

    Does the size of a country’s workforce determine its wealthiest citizens?

    Beyond Headcount—The Real Drivers of Wealth

    In a world shaped by rapid technological change and evolving labor dynamics, this post explores which nations lead in workforce size, where millionaires reside, and why capital concentration often defies population trends.

    Recent research by Visual Capitalist sheds light on both the world’s largest workforces and the distribution of wealth among its richest citizens.

    via visualcapitalist

    Unsurprisingly, Asia dominates the global workforce, with China and India accounting for over 1.3 billion workers.

    Although the U.S. trails far behind China and India in absolute workforce size, it maintains a strong position as the world’s third-largest labor force with 174 million workers.

    Africa’s workforce is rapidly expanding – with potential to double by 2050.

    Following the Wealth Flows

    As we know, workforce isn’t the only factor that influences where wealth flows. For example:

    • Global trade & resource distribution,
    • Financial & governmental policies,
    • Urbanization & tech Infrastructure,
    • And, access to opportunities

    Where Wealth Accumulates

    In 2025, we’ve surpassed 60 million millionaires worldwide.

    Together, this group holds over $226 trillion in wealth.

    via visualcapitalist

    America, China, and France top the list – holding over half the global total. If you were to imagine the list as 10 people, four would live in America, one would live in China, and the rest would be scattered across the globe.

    France, Germany, and the UK, are relatively small populations boasting outsized ratios of millionaires.

    Notably, almost 1/10 American adults are millionaires (Luxembourg and Switzerland top this ratio with 1/7). That surprises me.

    Also, while major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco remain millionaire hubs, Scottsdale, Arizona, actually boasts the fastest millionaire growth over the last decade.

    Ultimately, I think it’s clear that a large labor force doesn’t necessarily translate into a large population of millionaires. Countries like India and Indonesia rank among the biggest contributors to the global workforce, yet their per capita wealth remains modest. Meanwhile, nations such as the United States, Japan, and Germany — home to far smaller workforces — consistently dominate global millionaire rankings.

    Why Efficiency Beats Size

    Countries like the United States demonstrate how access to markets and capital, combined with robust innovation ecosystems, drive wealth far beyond population scale.

    The difference lies less in the number of workers and more in the structure of opportunity: productivity, access to capital, innovation, and financial markets create wealth far faster than population alone. In short, a big workforce builds economies — but efficient systems and upward mobility build millionaires.

    Economic opportunity grows when connections (between people, ideas, and markets) multiply — think of a telephone network: one phone is useless, but as more connect, the system’s value rises exponentially.

    Disruptive innovation often happens in small, focused markets before scaling. Early adoption, not just raw numbers, signals where outsized returns will come.

    As AI continues to shift productivity from in-person humans to digital agents, the very nature of value, employment, and opportunity will likely undergo a profound transformation. It will also change what we believe is possible.

    For example, I expect to see a one-person Unicorn as artificial agent technologies become more capable, scalable, and adaptive.

    Conclusion: Building Pathways to Prosperity

    In summary, a large labor force may grow economies, but upward mobility and innovation are the true engines of millionaire creation. For leaders aiming to foster national prosperity, the goal should be cultivating efficient, inclusive systems — not merely expanding the workforce.

    We live in interesting times!

  • A Brighter Tomorrow Through Medicine

    In writing these articles and newsletters, I often try to alternate between optimism, pragmatism, and an acknowledgement of where progress might still fall short.

    An Area of Boundless Optimism, Grounded In Progress

    Health and longevity and things almost every human strives for. As a result, medicine isn’t just a field — it’s a quest. With every breakthrough, we rewrite the boundaries of what’s possible. Today, optimism is more than wishful thinking … it’s anchored in real, measurable progress.

    The Steady Rise of Lifespan Worldwide

    Life expectancy has been on a steady global rise for a long time. Global life expectancy has risen by nearly 20 years since 1950. As of 2023, average life expectancy is estimated at 76.3 years for women and 71.5 for men, returning to pre-pandemic levels after COVID-related dips.

    Screenshot 2024-08-24 at 9.40.59 PM

    via worldometers

    Life expectancy depends on many factors. While genetics lay the foundation, access to healthcare, quality nutrition, reliable infrastructure, and income levels shape how long — and how well — people live. Here is an infographic showing expected lifespans across the globe.

    Life Expectency Around the World

    via VisualCapitalist.

    Meanwhile, global health continues to make progress. For example, age-standardized mortality rates have dropped by 66.6% worldwide from 1950–2023, even as the overall number of deaths rose due to population growth and aging.

    Breakthroughs in Medicine

    I am astounded by the pace of progress in diagnostics, imaging, treatments, cures, and now even regenerative medicine.

    Examples abound. When I was growing up, if an athlete had an ACL injury, it almost certainly meant their career was over. Today, even after three ACL repairs, my son continues to play rugby competively.

    In addition, my son’s ACL surgery scars are smaller than his knee, I remember when they had to slice you open, and peel your skin back just to perform that surgery. Even my mom’s knee replacement was easier, with less scarring, and less immuno-rejection that before.

    But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

    You don‘t have to be an athlete to desire the ability to continue to do what you want to do for longer. Extending not just lifespan but healthspan — the years spent active and well — is medicine’s true measure of success.

    Emerging Technologies Are Changing What’s Possible

    Growing up, I remember when medicine first began using lasers, or when the world witnessed the first successful human heart transplant. I remember when antiretroviral therapy transformed HIV/AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.

    Now, advancements like these are happening in years or months, not decades.

    For example, Gene therapy adoption is growing, and so is its impact. The number of patients treated with gene therapies in the U.S. is expected to grow from 16,000 in 2020 to about 95,000 in 2025. By the end of 2034, over 1 million patients may have been treated, with an average quality-adjusted life expectancy gain of 5.12 years per recipient.

    Even the rise of Semaglutide and Tirzepatide represents an amazing transformation in medicine science. They change appetite signaling and satiety, showing that pharmacology can now reliably alter the biology of hunger in ways researchers once thought impossible. And, while it’s great for weight loss, it’s also incredible for diabetes care.

    From gene therapy to early detection of Alzheimer’s, AI-enhanced cancer diagnostics, and even preliminary treatments (not just symptom management) for Huntington’s disease and AIDS — the world is changing for the better. And the effects are global. Thanks to rapid innovation, affordable treatments for conditions like malaria are reaching communities that were once out of reach.

    Forecasting The Road Ahead

    • Personalized medicine will be mainstream —treatments tailored to genetic profiles, lifestyles, and early diagnostics, reducing trial-and-error therapies.
    • AI-driven preventive care will spot risks and recommend actions before symptoms arise, changing “medicine” from reactive to proactive.
    • Expect radical decentralization — healthcare delivered everywhere, not just in clinics, with patient data guiding choices in real time.
    • It’s a ‘Journey’ not a ‘Destination’: Medicine is like a city’s traffic system—treating one bottleneck may shift or reveal another. Life expectancy gains require coordination (genetics, public health, tech, economy) to avoid congestion in vulnerable areas.
    • Longevity Risks: Like a pebble dropped into a pond, each breakthrough creates ripples of unexpected effects — longer lives mean new societal needs, workforce changes, and shifting cultural attitudes toward aging. Longer lives will bring promises and perils we’re only beginning to see.
    • Hype vs. Evidence: Not all breakthroughs deliver widespread impact; many promising treatments prove costly, ineffective, or even harmful at scale.

    Conclusion

    In a world obsessed with headlines about division and setbacks, medicine offers something different: hope grounded in evidence.

    We’re not only adding years to life but adding life to years—making more moments meaningful for more people, everywhere.

    The promise of a healthier future doesn’t come from wishful thinking. It comes from pragmatic optimism — acknowledging the challenges, investing in innovation, and daring to imagine what’s next.

    That’s a future worth working toward.

    Onwards!

  • Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading – October 19th, 2025

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  • Here Are Some Links For Your Weekly Reading – October 12th, 2025

    Here are some of the posts that caught my eye recently. Hope you find something interesting.

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    • The Rise of Stablecoins

      A few months ago, I wrote about how cryptocurrency was entering the mainstream.

      To recap that piece: I’ve historically been skeptical and resistant about crypto on several fronts. Still, I’ve recognized that blockchain and decentralized finance are here to stay.

      One of my biggest arguments against crypto is that governments have fiercely protected their right to print money and tax it. Now, even governments are warming up to crypto. Additionally, regulators are getting on board. Big banks and established industries are creating infrastructure. As the momentum builds, the push toward crypto seems unavoidable.

      New giants were — and are —forming. Coinbase recently joined the S&P 500. Circle just had a wildly successful IPO. The performance of stocks like these also hints at a growing market appetite for crypto-focused businesses.

      Some of this momentum has been fueled by policy shifts during the Trump presidency and his administration’s openness to the space. Yet even with that tailwind, I believe there are still significant barriers to the adoption of most cryptocurrencies—barriers that stablecoins, in particular, are designed to address.

      The Stablecoin Surge

      Since that article, tremendous growth continues. And if you haven’t paid attention to stablecoins yet, it’s time to start paying attention.

      What is a Stablecoin?

      Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value, typically pegged to a traditional currency like the US dollar (e.g., 1 stablecoin = $1 USD). Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, which can swing wildly in price, stablecoins aim for predictability.

      Think of stablecoins as the digital equivalent of cash — useful for transactions, storing value, and moving money across borders without the volatility of traditional cryptocurrencies.

      via visualcapitalist

      The stablecoin market has seen a 10X increase in just five years. In fact, their transfer volume is now more than both Visa and Mastercard.

      They’ve quickly grown from a niche asset to one of the fastest-growing market segments.

      Citi projects that the market will grow 6.7X to 14.2X in the next 5 years. Their justification is based on three main pillars.

      • the reallocation of US cash and deposits into digital tokens,
      • the substitution of international short-term liquidity tools with stablecoins,
      • and the growing role of stablecoins as the backbone of cryptocurrency adoption (in a growing ecosystem)

      It’s also worth noting that stablecoins have become a kind of “parking spot” for capital moving in and out of crypto trades. As smart contracts have enabled holders to earn yield by lending, providing liquidity, or farming rewards, stablecoins’ appeal has only grown.

      A Glimpse of Crypto’s Future

      It’s easy to imagine a future of money built on digital tokens. Stablecoins appear to be the first step toward that future.

      Just like everything else … it’s happening faster than you think.

      A few weeks ago, we took a look at the state of the US dollar.

      This week, visualcapitalist released a graphic looking the value of stablecoins in relation to US cash in circulation.

      via visualcapitalist

      Comparing the market value of stablecoins to the amount of U.S. currency in circulation (bills and coins) shows that stablecoins now make up about 11% of that total. That’s a remarkable jump in just five years.

      The industry keeps innovating, and stablecoins are increasingly becoming part of traditional finance. I expect this trend to grow faster soon.

      What’s your opinion on how quickly stablecoins might transform the monetary landscape?

    • Revisiting One of my Favorite Parables: “The Nail in the Fence”

      Have you ever said something in anger that you later regretted — only to find that your apology couldn’t erase the damage? In today’s high-pressure world, emotional wounds are more common than we realize.

      We are living in a period of heightened sensitivity to hurt feelings. Whether it’s politics, kids in school, or even in business … it’s clear that emotions and detection sensors are high.

      What do you think it means? Has something fundamental changed, or is it just the natural result of stress, and high expectations?

      Happy people tend to find reasons or ways to be happy. Frustrated people are good at finding the things that frustrate them. Meanwhile, people are naturally inclined to notice and avoid things that hurt them.

      Of course, a little conflict is normal (or even beneficial).  But, perhaps, the pendulum has swung too far?

      Let’s be clear, some people intend to hurt others. However, it doesn’t take “intent” to hurt someone’s feelings (or to have your feelings hurt).  Hurt feelings can arise from a simple disagreement, a fixed perspective, a careless remark, or even a look.

      Effective strategies can sometimes trigger conflict, too. Why? Because people generally prefer winning to losing. It reminds me of angry kids on a playground. As a result, minor outbursts are often dismissed or explained with excuses like, ‘I was angry,’ ‘I’m only human,’ or, ‘There’s no room for emotion in business.’ Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that we should strive to be better.

      Lessons From the Nail In The Fence Parable

      To drive the point home further, here is the story of “The Nail in a Fence.”  I share it every few years, but as we look to finish the year strong, and begin the new year even stronger, I think it’s worth revisiting.

      Nail In The Fence

      There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

      The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.

      He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

      Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it; and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

      The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

      The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

      A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

      This story is a reminder to be mindful of cause and intent.  Hope it helps.

      How Technology Can Amplify (Not Replace) Our Humanity

      As a technology entrepreneur focused on amplified intelligence (which means making better decisions, taking smarter actions, and continually improving performance), I recognize that we’re not using technology to replace humans.  Instead, we’re automating activities that humans used to do – so that humans can focus on things more important and more in line with their unique abilities and tendencies.

      On the other hand, one of the main reasons for automation is to avoid certain tendencies that are baked into human nature – like these little outbursts.  I say that because, as much as the world has changed in the last several thousand years, human nature has remained stubbornly the same. 

      Making Best Practice Common Practice

      It’s hard enough to change yourself … so, it’s unrealistic to expect to radically change others.  Instead, if you want to increase the likelihood of certain actions, it makes sense to rely on technologies that are simple, reputable, consistent, and scalable to make your best intentions and best practices more common.  This is why I say that amplified intelligence has an automatic advantage … because it eliminates the fear, greed, and discretionary mistakes that humans naturally bring to a process.

      The Power (And Limits) of Forgiveness

      Inflicting pain on others is harmful — but holding on to anger can be just as damaging to ourselves.

      Feeling and stoking anger is like taking poison and hoping the other person suffers.  It isn’t efficient or practical.

      So, what about “Forgiving”? It doesn’t have to be synonymous with forgetting.

      Forgiving removes the valence (or charge) from a situation or memory. It serves you even more than it serves the person you’re forgiving.

      It only takes a moment to create an emotional trigger (think about how you felt when you saw a high school bully in the hallway).  It is simple, evolution and natural selection favored species that remembered and avoided danger.  It is in our DNA.  But avoidance isn’t always a great strategy … especially when it is blocking the attainment of something beneficial.

      Forgiveness is a way to disable or mute the emotional trigger (this is called “collapsing an anchor” in NLP). It’s also a choice to move forward.

      Forgiveness is also a release of “claim”.  When we are wronged, we expect an apology, retribution, restitution, or recognition.  And until we get it, we are stuck, waiting for it.  In a sense, forgiveness releases the stuck energy and makes it available for something else (hopefully, something better).

      Forgiveness changes the route and allows you to move forward.

      And I’ve found that good things happen more often when you are in motion.

      As you look ahead, ask yourself:Who or what do you need to forgive?

      Onwards!

    • The History of Government Shutdowns

      Introduction: The October 2025 Shutdown

      When Congress failed to agree on a last-minute deal on October 1, 2025, the United States faced its eleventh federal government shutdown — forcing hundreds of thousands of workers into furlough, halting essential services, and sending shockwaves through the nation.

      Though often discussed in the abstract, government shutdowns have tangible consequences — missed paychecks, shuttered programs, and an atmosphere of uncertainty for millions of Americans.

      What led to this impasse, and how does it compare to shutdowns of the past?

      This standoff is marked by familiar accusations of brinkmanship from both parties — Republicans advocating a ‘clean’ funding extension, while Democrats insist on safeguarding healthcare subsidies and advancing key priorities before any agreement is reached.

      The fallout and costs reach far beyond furloughed government workers. It also affects broader economic stability. and millions of Americans who rely on federal services.

      A Brief History of Federal Shutdowns

      This is the 11th shutdown in our history. However, before the 1980s, funding gaps typically did not affect government operations, as agencies assumed funding would eventually be approved.

      The most recent prior shutdown, in 2019, centered on funding for President Trump’s border wall with Mexico and dragged on for 34 days — setting the record for the longest shutdown in American history.

      While the duration of this shutdown remains uncertain, historical shutdowns offer important perspective.

      via voronoi

      Obviously, the duration of this one is unclear. It is likely it will end via a “continuing resolution” which has ended every shutdown since the 90s.

      As a whole, funding gaps have grown longer in recent shutdowns, so many are assuming this one will continue that trend.

      Although we hope that cooler heads will prevail, today’s sharply divided political climate makes a swift end to the shutdown unlikely.

      Is It Different This Time?

      According to The Hill, GOP senators thought they were close on Thursday to a bipartisan agreement that would have led to the end of the shutdown. On Friday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer urged his colleagues to resist the House-passed funding measure until Republicans made significant concessions on extending the health premium tax credits.

      It’s entirely possible that Trump will use this shutdown as further justification to cut agencies and fire federal employees. It’s also a potential tool to put pressure on Democrats to vote for the funding bill to pass.

      Regardless, as of today, Democrats are holding firm in their opposition, with Schumer arguing that 70% of Americans support the ACA premium tax credit.

      What’s at Stake?

      It’s an interesting time to be an American. Last week, we talked about the potential need to reimagine the American Dream: Although buying a home and raising a family has become more challenging, we simultaneously live in an era of unprecedented prosperity and opportunity.

      Despite these advantages, rates of unhappiness, loneliness, and distrust in institutions have been rising. This tension between abundance and discontent now defines the American experience. It’s a sobering reminder that material progress does not guarantee unity, shared purpose, or collective well-being.

      As Americans await a resolution, this stalemate serves as a reflection of deeper divisions within our society. Beyond deadlines and dollars, the shutdown raises a pressing question:

      What will it take for our leaders (and our nation) to move beyond gridlock and toward lasting unity?

      Onwards!