Pipeline for Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Reference: The upside to your dark side, Todd Kashdan

When it comes to creativity, we tend to celebrate the victor. When a creative work earns the approval of cultural gatekeepers and is integrated into the mainstream, THEN we applaud the ingenuity of its creator.

In a 2006 paper, Roderick identified as a critical component of college success "Noncognitive academic skills" including "study skills, work habits, time management, help-seeking behavior, and social/academic problem-solving skills."

And so the traditional American high school was never intended to be a place where students would learn how to think deeply or develop internal motivation or persevere when faced with difficulty--all the skills needed to persist in college. Instead, it was a place where for the most part, students were rewarded for just showing up and staying awake.

The truth knocks on the door and you say "Go away. I'm looking for the truth." and so it goes away. Puzzling.

Struggle is not optimal--it's neurologically required: In order to get your skill circuitry to fire optimally, you must by definition fire the circuit suboptimally; you must make mistakes and pay attention to those mistakes; you must slowly teach your circuit. You must also keep firing that circuit--i.e., practicing--in order to keep myelin functioning properly.

Recommendation: Antonio Damasio: Descartes Error

Presentation greatly matters: if for example, a potential outcome is focused as a loss, it may have more input than if it is presented as a gain.