I love my brother-in-law. He’s a family man with a dry sense of humor. A practical guy who knows how to have a good time. A successful businessman and a savvy investor whose observations about the market economy often get me thinking. 

Last night we practiced Open-Source Learning’s Civic Fitness. Meaning, in this case, that I stood in his kitchen and howled at him.

“What do you mean your MAGA broker didn’t see the market drop coming? You paid a financial professional to algorithmically brainwash himself into ignoring history and current events to lose your money, and he still wants to tell you everything’s ok and there’s nothing to see here?” 

I didn’t let up. “What kind of moron COULDN’T see this coming? Everyone at the Braille Institute saw this coming!” 

One of my favorite books growing up was Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations. I love it when someone sums up a philosophical insight with a pithy phrase, and over the years I’ve been inspired to write some of my own. Here’s a sign I posted in the first classroom where I taught:

IF YOU THINK OF IT BEFORE YOU ACT, IT’S A REASON

IF YOU THINK OF IT AFTER YOU ACT, IT’S AN EXCUSE

If you voted for this presidential administration, there is no acceptable way to revise history and explain your way out of the mess you helped create. It’s a terrible thing that you did. Own it. Apologize. Better yet, make it right. Stop throwing away good money and relationships, and vote differently next time. 

Lots of people saw this mess coming. Lots of people knew that it would compromise our trade and diplomatic relationships. I’m no economist or stockbroker, and I knew it, which proves you didn’t have to be an expert. Everyone knows that the market (not to mention global peace and security) responds poorly to insecurity and volatility. That’s why I told everyone I knew that it was a bad idea to vote for insecurity and volatility. I even wrote about it here. A few of my friends called me preachy. One even unsubscribed (we’re still friends).

Now I’m saying “I told you so” again, fully aware that (a) it may make some readers uncomfortable, and (b) I might have to explain this post to the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol on my way home after I travel to Canada next month.

My brother-in-law looked surprised when I raised my voice. Usually I’m the first person to reason and empathize with people on the other side of whatever issue we’re exploring. 

That didn’t work out. Time’s up. 

As my mentor John Wooden liked to say, “Repetition is a key to learning.” Occasionally I preach to the choir, because as my grandfather liked to say, “That’s the best way to get them to sing.” I’d love to use this space for something else – I promise that next week I will return to the cool Yoda Open-Source Learning mentor voice – but it feels irresponsible to stay quiet about this stuff when people as smart as my brother-in-law are losing their retirement funds because they trusted a con.

Say something. Get involved. Call your representative. Attend a town hall meeting. Call out intimidation tactics and think ahead. It’s time to raise our expectations; from this day forward, stop accepting excuses and demand logical, evidence-supported reasons for actions that affect us all. 

Have you ever taken a position that you feared would make you unpopular? Drop me a line – I’m curious!

Curiosity is worth practicing. That’s how we get better at it. When it’s done particularly well, curiosity can be elevated to an art form. Curiosity makes life worth living. I am literally Curious AF. And now you can be too! Click HERE to unlock your free membership subscription. 

Here is a taste of what I’m reading, watching, and thinking about.

What I’m Watching – 

I love magic. It’s hard to overstate the delight of being surprised. But the immediate gratification of misdirection is the tip of the iceberg. Every magician I’ve ever met belongs to an intergenerational cult of learning that seems to drive them beyond what the rest of us think of as limits. The only thing better than a magic show is joining a master magician on a learning journey. One of my favorite conversations during the pandemic was learning about magic and critical thinking from Jamy Ian Swiss.

The latest installment of this tradition is David Blaine: Do Not Attempt. From Screen Rant: “This is not a magic show. While David Blaine is famous for his magic, stunts, and illusions, this series takes an authentic approach, featuring real people whose lives are exceptional. Whether it's a man dancing with snakes in Malaysia, or a woman who submerges herself in the Arctic Circle for extended periods, they chase a life on the edge. Throughout the series, people lead inspiring lives, with incredible stories, but they all come at extreme personal cost.

“Blaine is specifically in search of people who frequently do things that could — and most likely would — kill most people who casually engage in them. A large part of this is for Blaine to find new ways to push his limits and feel that he can engage in authentic acts that inspire wonder, but what stands out even more than Blaine's presenting is the incredible stories and settings where these things take place.”

Speaking of Limits – 

This week was the 129th running of the Boston Marathon, one of the most famous and challenging races in the world. In reading about the history of the race, I was amazed to learn that Clarence DeMar won the race seven times between 1911 and 1930. I was still shaking my head at that accomplishment when I saw that Marcel Hug just won it for a record eighth time. In a wheelchair.

Quote I’m pondering —

Nearly 100 years ago, “The Windsor Daily Star” of Ontario, Canada published a column containing the following:

In a world which turns so quickly to the lure of pleasing generalities, it is well to pause and think deeply of whether each one, as an individual, is a part of the problem or a part of the answer, says Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick, D.D., pastor of Riverside Church, New York City.

In 1968, Eldridge Cleaver gave new life to the idea in a different context: You’re part of the solution or you’re part of the problem.

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Best,

Know someone who is also Curious AF? Please share this edition with them!

David Preston

Educator & Author

​https://davidpreston.net​

Latest book: ACADEMY OF ONE

Header image: Via Public Domain Review