Merlin's Wisdom Project
@merlinwisdom.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Posts a bit of wisdom from Merlin Mann's Wisdom Project (http://wisdom.limo) every six hours.
This bot is maintained by @josh and is not officially […]
[bridged from https://mastodon.social/@merlinwisdom on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
This bot is maintained by @josh and is not officially […]
[bridged from https://mastodon.social/@merlinwisdom on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
First, make a hole. Because before you can properly clean, organize, or even *purge* a given area, you'll need to know where the stuff that's not currently where you want it to be will go. Yes, especially the trash.
January 24, 2026 at 11:02 AM
First, make a hole. Because before you can properly clean, organize, or even *purge* a given area, you'll need to know where the stuff that's not currently where you want it to be will go. Yes, especially the trash.
If the person with whom you are negotiating finds it difficult to provide a decisive budget estimate for their project, ask them to try and situate it between two orders of magnitude. As in, "How many zeroes are we talking about here?" Quickly discovering that your ballpark figures are 2 to 6 […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 24, 2026 at 5:02 AM
If the person with whom you are negotiating finds it difficult to provide a decisive budget estimate for their project, ask them to try and situate it between two orders of magnitude. As in, "How many zeroes are we talking about here?" Quickly discovering that your ballpark figures are 2 to 6 […]
Related: almost no one has ever *actually* been afraid of you.
January 23, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Related: almost no one has ever *actually* been afraid of you.
There are Finish-the-Can people and Not-Finish-the-Can people. You know in your heart which kind you are. As do the people with whom you live.
January 23, 2026 at 5:03 PM
There are Finish-the-Can people and Not-Finish-the-Can people. You know in your heart which kind you are. As do the people with whom you live.
Related: okay, that was mostly an analogy. What I'm saying is that you will eventually *become* whatever you frequently do. So, be picky about frequently doing only the things that help aid whatever it is you *want* to become.
January 23, 2026 at 11:04 AM
Related: okay, that was mostly an analogy. What I'm saying is that you will eventually *become* whatever you frequently do. So, be picky about frequently doing only the things that help aid whatever it is you *want* to become.
If your guitar sounds out of tune, it's almost definitely the B string, the G string, or both.
January 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM
If your guitar sounds out of tune, it's almost definitely the B string, the G string, or both.
Bring along an extra pen that you like.
January 22, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Bring along an extra pen that you like.
If you don't remember what an app does, you can probably delete it.
January 22, 2026 at 5:08 PM
If you don't remember what an app does, you can probably delete it.
When you get multiple hotel key cards for the multiple people in your party, use stickers or a Sharpie to identify whose card is whose. Seems dumb until you realize too late that one person has left the room with three cards and two people have left the room with zero cards.
January 22, 2026 at 11:09 AM
When you get multiple hotel key cards for the multiple people in your party, use stickers or a Sharpie to identify whose card is whose. Seems dumb until you realize too late that one person has left the room with three cards and two people have left the room with zero cards.
After you’ve had two alcoholic beverages, begin alternating with equal amounts of water. If you have more than five drinks, change that ratio to two-to one in favor of water. (Thanks, Dennis. G.)
January 22, 2026 at 5:00 AM
After you’ve had two alcoholic beverages, begin alternating with equal amounts of water. If you have more than five drinks, change that ratio to two-to one in favor of water. (Thanks, Dennis. G.)
If you think about someone when they're not around and you find yourself wondering whether there are ways you could make their life a little better, consider that you might love them.
January 21, 2026 at 11:06 PM
If you think about someone when they're not around and you find yourself wondering whether there are ways you could make their life a little better, consider that you might love them.
Related: Imodium works by sucking liquid out of your bowels, so compensate by drinking more water than you normally would. The Imodium will still work fine.
January 21, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Related: Imodium works by sucking liquid out of your bowels, so compensate by drinking more water than you normally would. The Imodium will still work fine.
Some people like to tell you what to pay attention to. Many want to determine how you should feel about it. Others specialize in advising exactly what you should do as a result. Just be aware that these are each different things, and it's probably wise to avoid people who are adamant about […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 21, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Some people like to tell you what to pay attention to. Many want to determine how you should feel about it. Others specialize in advising exactly what you should do as a result. Just be aware that these are each different things, and it's probably wise to avoid people who are adamant about […]
Related: Imodium works by sucking liquid out of your bowels, so compensate by drinking more water than you normally would. The Imodium will still work fine.
January 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM
Related: Imodium works by sucking liquid out of your bowels, so compensate by drinking more water than you normally would. The Imodium will still work fine.
Almost always order the specific food that is mentioned in the name of the restaurant. If you go to "Sally's Sirloin Shack" and order the sushi sampler, you're probably not hooked up right.
January 20, 2026 at 11:01 PM
Almost always order the specific food that is mentioned in the name of the restaurant. If you go to "Sally's Sirloin Shack" and order the sushi sampler, you're probably not hooked up right.
At least consider the option of not having an opinion.
January 20, 2026 at 5:07 PM
At least consider the option of not having an opinion.
Avoid any children’s movie whose theatrical trailer includes more than one fart or butt joke. That’s their idea of the best parts of the movie.
January 20, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Avoid any children’s movie whose theatrical trailer includes more than one fart or butt joke. That’s their idea of the best parts of the movie.
Write at least a paragraph a day. Of *something*.
January 20, 2026 at 5:01 AM
Write at least a paragraph a day. Of *something*.
To better understand anyone's childhood, learn which things were *way* harder for them than they were for you.
January 19, 2026 at 11:07 PM
To better understand anyone's childhood, learn which things were *way* harder for them than they were for you.
When you order delivery food on behalf of a child, and you have a special request whose contravention risks ruining their meal, don't be squeamish about it. Just say, "No mustard, please. It's for a kid."
January 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM
When you order delivery food on behalf of a child, and you have a special request whose contravention risks ruining their meal, don't be squeamish about it. Just say, "No mustard, please. It's for a kid."
Related: food is for eating, heirlooms are for using, champagne is for drinking, and fancy clothes are for wearing. You are not a fucking docent, and the Pope is not coming to your house.
January 19, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Related: food is for eating, heirlooms are for using, champagne is for drinking, and fancy clothes are for wearing. You are not a fucking docent, and the Pope is not coming to your house.
If you cannot understand why someone was traumatized by an event, maybe ask yourself who that says more about.
January 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM
If you cannot understand why someone was traumatized by an event, maybe ask yourself who that says more about.
When you get coins as change, throw them in a jar and forget about it. That's now your baby steps toward savings, a vacation, or what have you.
January 18, 2026 at 11:08 PM
When you get coins as change, throw them in a jar and forget about it. That's now your baby steps toward savings, a vacation, or what have you.
"Creative work" and "independent work" are rarely the same thing. In practice, a great deal of creative work is contracted or controlled by other people, and a striking amount of independent work is just shockingly non-creative. This is not a bad thing, but knowing about it in advance can save […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM
"Creative work" and "independent work" are rarely the same thing. In practice, a great deal of creative work is contracted or controlled by other people, and a striking amount of independent work is just shockingly non-creative. This is not a bad thing, but knowing about it in advance can save […]
Related: knowing whether a problem is something you might be able to figure out on your own is arguably as important as actually "solving" the problem. Just ask anyone who's ever assumed they knew how to fix their own brakes or diagnose a weird lump.
January 18, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Related: knowing whether a problem is something you might be able to figure out on your own is arguably as important as actually "solving" the problem. Just ask anyone who's ever assumed they knew how to fix their own brakes or diagnose a weird lump.