Passions
4 things I keep coming back to outside of work. They are less separate than they look: 5 favorite series share 6 themes, and every theme lands on something else on this page. The chart maps it.
Philosophy and theory of mind
The main one. I care about how people reason, and about the gap between what someone says and what they believe. Theory of mind, the skill of modeling what another person knows and wants, is the part I find most useful: it is the core of a good argument, a good product, and a good read on an opponent. It is why I built Amphi around steelmanning, where you have to state the other side well enough that they would sign it.
Competition
I am extremely competitive. I like anything with a scoreboard, and I would rather lose to someone better than win something easy.
Shows
My 5 favorites, and what each one is arguing about:
- Attack on Titan. What freedom costs, and who pays for it.
- Monster. Whether evil is born or made, told through a doctor trying to understand one mind.
- Blue Lock. Ego as a skill. 300 strikers, 1 spot.
- One Piece. Freedom as the whole point, and dreams handed from one generation to the next.
- Code Geass. Whether a good end can pay for the means, played as a chess match.
Sports
I play varsity tennis. It is the purest version of the other three: 1 opponent, no teammates to hide behind, and a lot of points come down to guessing what the other person is about to do.