Brain Rot: Word of the Year or Scrolling Yourself Stupid?

How long have you been scrolling before landing here? Have you been ignoring family members and avoiding the dishes in the sink while slumping in comfy sweats, praying your phone battery survives just one more TikTok? If your right thumb has a cramp from relentless scrolling, or you clicked “What happens when you eat kimchi […]

All In: What Playing Professional Poker Taught Me About Life

Winter, Moscow, 2001. The room is smoky and cold. I push my chips all in. After knocking out nearly 100 professional poker players, I’ve made it to the final table. I’ve been patiently waiting for the right hand to make my move, watching my chip stack dwindle to almost nothing. It’s now or never. I […]

What Do Wordle and Winnie the Pooh Have in Common?

The Simple, the Universal, and the Human Need for Meaning Why do we gravitate toward the simple when life feels overwhelmingly complex? Perhaps it’s because the simple reminds us of what’s essential. Take Winnie the Pooh and Wordle—two cultural phenomena that, at first glance, couldn’t be more different. One is a storybook bear navigating honey […]

Is Retirement the End or the Beginning? The Ecstasy and Angst

Preface: There’s a lot to unpack about redefining retirement and I know you’ve got important experiences and insights to share. This is the first piece in a series on this topic. Consider this post an introduction to the psychological groundwork—we’ll dig deeper into the practical and tactical over the coming months. ********** Consider this: 10,000 […]

What’s the Deal with Men and the Roman Empire?

Who doesn’t feel inspired when thinking about the splendors of Rome? In September, I returned from my second trip to Rome in recent months, and you know what? It never disappoints. Rome surprises, astonishes, and leaves me wanting more. As I buckled in for my flight home, I couldn’t stop thinking about the recent “all […]

What’s With All the Book Club Gatekeeping?

Have you ever tried to join a book club? No? Lucky you. I spent years being rejected—yes, rejected—by book clubs across the country. I had no idea book clubs were so exclusive. You’d think I was trying to join some secret society. No matter where I tried, a sometimes snarky gatekeeper would say, “We’re full,” […]

Hello? Calling All Gossip Girls

Gossip Girls: The Ultimate Frenemy We all do it. Gossip girl behavior slides into conversations as effortlessly as a Sunday brunch mimosa; it’s the uninvited guest at every gathering. Sure, we know it can hurt, embarrass, even ruin. Yet here we are. Unable to quit the thrill of whispering secrets, sharing “insider” knowledge, and dishing […]