The Elbow

The Elbow is an eclectic Substack that combines personal reflection, cultural commentary, and a nuanced exploration of philosophical, ethical, and psychological concepts. It delves into the intersection of individual experiences with broader societal trends, examining both with sincerity and a focus on deeper understanding and connectivity.

Personal Reflections Cultural Commentary Philosophy and Ethics Psychology Technology and Society Writing and Literature Teaching and Learning AI and Tech Ethics Social Media and Digital Life Government and Policy

The hottest Substack posts of The Elbow

And their main takeaways

Some Problems Go Away

39 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Productivity Self-Improvement Time management
  1. Delaying action on some problems can be beneficial, as they may resolve themselves or become easier to solve later.
  2. Identify which problems can be self-resolving or more efficient with a delay to save time and effort.
  3. Use a 'parking lot' list to track tasks for future review, adding and removing items as needed.

AirPods

39 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Poetry Visual art Creative Writing
  1. The post discusses the disappointment in technological promises versus the reality of AirPods.
  2. There is a contemplative moment on a film about orcas and a personal love-hate relationship with AirPods.
  3. The author expresses a desire for deeper connections and experiences beyond technology.

I Am Garlic, Hear Me Screech

98 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🎾 Sports Team Dynamics Competition
  1. Swapping jerseys in Ultimate Frisbee is a tradition but not always common.
  2. The author embraced a unique and quirky persona named Garlic while playing Frisbee.
  3. Playing the role of 'mark' in zone defense was the primary function of the author, and they excelled at it.

My Moments

58 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Mindfulness Digital Spaces Creativity Self-Exploration
  1. The experiment to replace compulsive social media use with creating 'Moments' was successful in curbing the urge to check Twitter on mobile devices.
  2. Creating 'Moments' helped in focusing and mindfulness, capturing observations and thoughts throughout the day, leading to increased awareness of internal and external experiences.
  3. Decoupling the genre of tweets from the Twitter platform through private 'Moments' allowed for more experimentation in content creation and a different form of creative expression.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

In the Morning / Full of Sighs and Wonder

58 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
📚 Literature Poetry
  1. The poem 'In the Morning' describes a moment on a precipice with emotional depth.
  2. The author explains that the poem is a fictionalized pastiche of real and imagined experiences.
  3. The piece conveys a sense of surrealism and longing through vivid imagery.

Hit List

58 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
⚔ Fiction Time travel Ethics Fantasy Morality
  1. In time travel, altering history is complex and often leads back to the original timeline, as seen in alternate events but ultimately returning to familiar history.
  2. Actions to prevent a dark past can reflect redemption attempts, showcasing the potential for change even in the most evil of individuals.
  3. Even with the ability to change moments in the past, certain events are unchangeable, leading to reflections on accepting the reality of the past and its outcomes.

Prosaic Enjambment

39 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
📚 Literature Poetry Prose Narrative structure Semantics
  1. Enjambment is a technique in writing where a thought is split between lines or structural units for reading flow.
  2. Enjambment is not only found in poetry, but also in other mediums like film and music, enhancing the flow of storytelling.
  3. Enjambment can be applied in non-poetic writing, such as prose, by strategically breaking up paragraphs or sentences to create suspense and flow.

America Needs a Sludge Czar

39 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Regulation Government Policy Public Opinion Political Commentary
  1. Sludge refers to annoying and cumbersome processes that can have significant psychological and economic impacts.
  2. A Sludge Czar is proposed as a solution to tackle sludge issues and increase public awareness.
  3. The Sludge Czar would aim to address various everyday inconveniences like waiting on hold for customer service and dealing with unnecessary paperwork.

Confabulous Mister Memory

19 implied HN points • 19 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Psychology Philosophy Science Literature Memory
  1. Our personal narratives are often based on false or distorted explanations known as confabulations.
  2. Our experiences and history shape us, but we may not always fully understand the true impact.
  3. While we narrate our past to make sense of it, projecting false coherence into the future can lead to misguided beliefs about control.

Bring Back Frivolous Long-form Thinkpieces

19 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Journalism Podcasts
  1. Frivolous long-form journalism from the Web 2.0 era is missed for its clever yet inconsequential content.
  2. The niche may still exist, possibly shifting to podcasts for similar content.
  3. There is a consideration that attention spans might have gotten shorter, impacting the reception of long-form thinkpieces.

In Praise of Zeynep’s Law

19 implied HN points • 14 May 23
📖 Philosophy Theory Complexity Prediction Understanding
  1. Zeynep's Law advises to question counterintuitive findings until proven otherwise
  2. Experts can struggle to predict complex outcomes due to the unpredictable nature of the world
  3. Trusting conventional wisdom and averages is often more reliable than embracing sensationalized hot takes

Some Quotes for January 2024 (#21)

0 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
📚 Literature Quotes
  1. Quotes can offer profound insights and wisdom.
  2. Humans need to prioritize social connections for a fulfilling life.
  3. Measuring only what is easy to measure can lead to overlooking essential aspects of reality.

Some Thoughts on Operations

0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Operations Management Productivity Creativity
  1. All work involves some degree of operations; it's about the 'how' in achieving tasks rather than the 'what'.
  2. A good operations mindset combines persistence like a golden retriever and boldness like Larry David.
  3. Operations work requires creativity, detail-oriented thinking, and an iterative approach to problem-solving.