Demons

“People who are driven by demons get shit done.” | Walter Isaacson, describing Elon Musk

This quote illustrates a fascinating paradox. Much of our path to happiness and peace is exorcising our demons and insecurities.

However, on the flip side, those very demons often provide the fuel for the drive toward our accomplishments.

Two sides of the same coin.

Widening roads

The highway closest to our place has been under construction over the past year. Large stretches of the highway are getting wider. This has meant periods of significant disruption and slower traffic in the past months.

And, while I hope this is all for the greater good, widening roads tend to have a fascinating side-effect.

While widened roads see lower traffic at first, they often go back to seeing just as much congestion as they did before. This is because people change behavior to take the “faster routes” and congestion is back on the table.

It is an illustration of supply and demand in real life. When you reduce the cost of driving (time is a big component), drivers will consume more of it.

It is also an example of how actions can sometimes have counter intuitive consequences. So, it helps to be clear about what our goals are. Widening roads are helpful if we want to increase the volume of road-usage.

But if we’re seeking to reduce traffic congestion, we’re better off pursuing a different strategy.

The true cost of something isn’t just on the price tag

When you buy a good camera, you don’t just buy the camera. You buy lenses, a slew of accessories, a camera bag, and a subscription to Adobe Lightroom.

When you buy a home, you don’t just pay for the home. You pay for property taxes, maintenance and upkeep. The more the square footage, the more the maintenance.

Similarly, you don’t just pay for a car. You pay for the occasional nail in the tire, the service, and the insurance.

This doesn’t mean any of the above are bad purchases. Each of these could be a great purchase – depending on your circumstances.

It is just worth remembering that the true cost of something isn’t just on the price tag.

6 photographers, 1 man

Canon conducted a fascinating experiment recently. They asked 6 photographers to shoot a portrait of one man. The twist was that each photographer was told something different about the man’s background – he was a fisherman, an alcoholic, a millionaire, a convict, a lifesaver, and a psychic.

Michael, of course, was none of these things. He was just an actor who played his part. These were the photos that the photographers took.

Fisherman

Alcoholic

Millionaire

Convict

Lifesaver

Psychic

“A photograph is shaped more by the person behind the camera than by what’s in front of it” was Canon’s note to creatives.

To me, it simply highlights the incredible power of perspective.

The Ikea toolbox

We bought the $10 Ikea toolbox 8 or so years ago. Its impact continues to amaze me. With the addition of an electric screwdriver, this toolbox has helped assemble and disassemble pieces of furniture and fix various issues around the home.

These tools don’t solve every issue around the home – the more challenging the problem, the more custom components are required.

But they are a good reminder of the fact that a set of simple tools can go a long to solve many of the problems we face.

It works the same way in other facets of our lives – understanding the core principles in any subject or art or problem area often helps us make the headway we need.