How a Meme Helps Me to Make Decisions
Over the last couple of years, I've repeatedly stumbled upon the IQ bell curve meme. First, I found it interesting and funny, but at the core, it seems even philosophical. Here are some examples:
Note Taking App
Over the years, I've tried many different tools for taking notes. I stick with the simple solution that is always available: Apple Notes. Many tools are much more capable, but the simplicity and forward compatibility of Apple Notes are unparalleled. Switching tools also comes with an opportunity cost: Oftentimes, switching is only possible with some degree of data loss. Having all notes from many previous years available is super valuable sometimes. With Apple's very predictable software product strategy, I am sure my notes will still be available for many years.
Investing
You can spend your whole life researching the "best" asset allocation, funds or stocks to invest in. I firmly believe in the following:
- Time in the market beats timing the market.
- I am not smarter than the market and don't have more information than anyone else.
- Our civilization's technological progress will continue, and the global economy will continue to grow on average.
- When managing money, it is impossible to make the best decision (i.e., pick the "winner") because nobody can predict the future. It's much more important not to make really bad decisions (Via Negativa Principle)
Blog Software
New shiny tools and frameworks pop up every couple of months and sometimes, it is fun to try new tech. On the other hand, themes break when CMSs get updates, operating systems want to be upgraded, and the half-life of many web frameworks is surprisingly short. Therefore, after using WordPress and Ghost for my blog, I decided to keep it simple and switch to pure HTML + CSS hosted on GitHub Pages. This unbreakable setup gives me peace of mind and reduces distractions.
For me, finding solutions to my problems by thinking about the IQ bell curve meme has led me to decisions that cause the least headache and let me focus on what I actually want to achieve.