Across thousands of years and every corner of the world, people have recognised that truth matters, clarity matters, and the courage to question matters. Here are some of the voices that said it best.
“Country is the teacher.” — Aboriginal Australian wisdom
“Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” — African proverb
“The world is a book, and those who have no eyes see nothing.” — Maya proverb
“Do not believe anything merely because you have heard it… But when, after observation and analysis, you find something agrees with reason and benefits all beings — then accept it and live by it.” — Buddha, Kalama Sutta, c. 500 BCE
“When you know a thing, say you know it. When you do not, say you do not — that is knowledge.” — Confucius, Analects 2:17, c. 500 BCE
“On the word of no one.” — Royal Society motto, 1660
“He who speaks the truth must keep one foot in the stirrup.” — Mapuche proverb (likely 18th–19th century)
“Is there a place for the hopeless sinner who has hurt all mankind just to save his own beliefs?” — Bob Marley, One Love, 1977
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.” — George Box, 1987
“Some seek truth. Most defend what they’ve already decided.” — ChatGPT, 2025 (paraphrased)
Across time — from people who survived by tracking seasons and reading animal trails, to a world where many of us are fed by systems we barely understand — the same principle survives: trust observation, not authority.
Not always loud. Not always rewarded. But still here.
This blog attempts to follow that thread.
What This Is
This blog is an experiment in trying to think clearly — and helping others do the same. Whether that means explaining well-understood concepts cleanly, or surfacing new ones through messy iteration, the aim is the same: to increase useful knowledge, and make it easier to share.
Some of that happens through explainer videos. Some of it unfolds in dialogue — especially through adversarial reasoning with AI. But the method is secondary. What matters is whether the idea holds up — and whether it helps.
Some posts are polished explainers. Others are rough conceptual maps. Everything here is provisional — not because it’s vague, but because it’s testable. Ideas are meant to be challenged, refined, improved — or debunked.
We don’t seek consensus. We seek clarity. We don’t perform certainty. We debug it. We don’t preserve ideas. We pressure-test them — and keep what stands.
What It’s For
To expose patterns. To cut through performative bullshit. To build models that map reality — even if they’re unpopular, unfinished, or unforgiving.
I’ve seen how people think — across millions of conversations. The pattern is clear: most cognition is defensive. Arguments protect identity. Reasoning backfills belief.
The percentage of people who revise when shown better models is low. Single digits.
This blog is written for those few — for the ones who would rather admit they’re wrong now than keep being wrong indefinitely.
How to Read It
Don’t treat this as finished work. Treat it like a scientific process: hypotheses under test, evidence in progress, models provisional. What matters is what holds up under scrutiny — and what doesn’t.
Comment. Refute. Improve. Or take what’s useful and build your own version.
If you’re looking for easy agreement, you won’t find it here. But if you’re drawn to ideas that can stand up to pressure — and people who want them to — you’re in the right place.