KWICK 6: Voting, Second Brain, and Scandals

Thought of the Week:

Last week were the midterm elections and it was the easiest election I have ever participated in. North Dakota doesn't require people to register to vote but you do need proper identification. There were 4 polling locations and voters could vote at any of the 4 locations. The most hectic part of the day was actually standing in line to submit my ballot. North Dakota is a red state and compared to Alabama and Georgia, was the easiest experience I've ever had. It got me thinking. Why does voting need to be complicated? If you are confident in your message for voters, why make people jump through hoops just to ensure they can vote? I'm all for voting reforms in this country.

What I've Consumed:

Building a Second Brain Could Have Stayed a Blog Post or Youtube Video

I finally finished this book and I can say that if it wasn't due at the library I wouldn't have finished it. Overall, I enjoyed aspects of the book. I liked how many stories the author used as examples. It was nice seeing how a second brain has been used to create great pieces of art like Octavia Butler's novels and the movie The Godfather. The abundance of stories reminded me that it would be beneficial to collect stories since as humans we easily learn from them.

If you are thinking about building a second brain or a personal knowledge management system then this book is a good starting point. It would pair well with How to Take Smart Notes . However, I feel like the book was drawn out in some areas. The strongest portion of the book was the middle section. The first 3 chapters were a long introduction and the last 3 chapters was a long conclusion. Honestly, if you want to learn more about the author's system, his Youtube channel and blog are better options. I would not recommend this book.

What's Done In the Dark

Of course I have watched another documentary in the past week. This one details the Falwell scandal that rocked Liberty University and evangelicals as a whole. It did a good job of telling the story of not only the Falwell's but also the 'pool boy' who got mixed up in their web. It also highlighted how even with the Falwell's disgrace, he did help bring about his father's vision of a stacked conservative Supreme Court willing to overturn established precedents. It was interesting to see how christian nationalism manifests in different ways depending on the status of the person.

I think what was so compelling about this documentary was the disregard that the Falwell's had for other people. They believed they were untouchable. It was illuminating to watch this in the same period we see Elon Musk flounder in his takeover of Twitter and Kanye West's fall from grace. People with extreme wealth tend to surround themselves with people who are willing to overlook their flaws to stay close to them. They don't have people to tell them no. We repeatedly see the consequences of wealthy people having yes men and not people who are willing to challenge them.

I am sure this happens with everyone. We find comfort in surrounding ourselves with people and ideas that don't challenge our way of thinking i.e. confirmation bias. That's why I think reading is so important. If you read different views enough, you will want different opinions around you. You continue to grow and evolve. You become a better critical thinker. You become analytical and a better communicator. The only con is that having different opinions and thoughts around you means that you will be uncomfortable a lot. I think we all need that in an age where algorithms constantly put what we like and agree with in front of us.

📚 Currently Reading:

The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jamar Tisby

• 61% completed. I am in the last third of this book. I needed to take a break from it though. It was getting hard. I'm trying to finish this book by Thanksgiving.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

• 54% completed. Since it's been a busy week, I haven't had much of an opportunity to dive back into this book, but I am still enjoying it. the characters are well developed and it is still an easy book to get lost in.

If you need some recommendations, check out my Goodreads or StoryGraph. And then follow me on Instagram and Twitter. One of my favorite newsletters to read for current events is Morning Brew. Check it out.