You Don’t Have Thoughts (yet)

Happy Sunday Friends!

I’m changing up the format a bit, new year, new me, right?

(Editor’s Note: For those tracking the Curated Intelligence build, I’ve included a major shipping update on the new AI agents at the bottom of this edition. But first, the keyboard.)

The Keyboard

I’m typing this on a random, cheap membrane keyboard I grabbed late at night. My kids nabbed my fancy mechanical one.

It feels like a metaphor. We obsess over the tools. We think we need the perfect app, the perfect desk setup, or the perfect “muse” to do good work. But the environment will always conspire to steal your attention. Originality starts when you build anyway.

I was recently asked “What keyboard are you writing with?” When people ask me that, they aren’t asking about the keyboard. They are asking a much harder question.

How do you learn to think for yourself when the world is loud and the tribe is watching?

The Quote

“For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are.” — Niccolò Machiavelli

1. Escape the Consensus Supply Chain

The Point If your inputs are mainstream, your outputs will be generic. Most “unoriginal” writing is simply a result of overexposure. If you read the same feed as everyone else, you will sound like everyone else.

The Why We write like we are on trial. The feed is the courtroom. The algorithm is the judge. The comments are the jury.

To avoid “objection,” our brains default to the safety of the herd. This is why human writing is starting to sound like AI. We are optimizing for approval rather than truth.

The How Stop consuming what is popular. Start collecting what is useful. You need to build an Uncommon Input Stack.

• Primary Sources: Read the report, not the tweet thread about the report. Read the transcript, not the news article. Go to the source code.

• Opposing Views: Find the smartest version of the argument you disagree with. If you can’t state their case better than they can, you don’t understand the topic.

• Adjacent Bridges: This is the cheat code. Originality often happens when you bridge two things that live in separate rooms.

  • Example: Treat a business problem like a warfare doctrine.

  • Example: Treat a leadership issue like a User Experience (UX) bug.

2. Turn Inputs into a Verdict

The Point Thinking is the act of compressing inputs into a stance. If you can’t articulate your position, you don’t have a thought yet. You just have a collection of links.

The Why The audience isn’t reading for novelty. They are reading for your conviction, your perspective. They don’t want more information. They have the internet for that. They want your interpretation. They want to know what the data means.

The How Stop summarizing. Start synthesizing. Use the Perspective Stack on everything you consume this week.

• The Standard: What will I accept or reject based on this info?

• The Scar: What have I learned the hard way that validates this?

• The System: What is the specific Monday morning action?

The 6-Sentence Drill If you feel stuck, use this prompt sequence to force a verdict.

1. “Most people think [X]...”

2. “I disagree because [Y]...”

3. “The strongest argument against me is [Z]...”

4. “But ultimately, I believe [Verdict]...”

5. “Therefore, this week I will [Action].”

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Three Favorite Things

• Watch: Adam Grant’s TED Talk on the habits of original thinkers. It validates the “messy” process of getting to a good idea. → Watch it

• Read: Dawn Teh’s guide on avoiding “AI sameness.” It offers practical tactics to sound human in a synthetic world. → Read it

• Deep Dive: Odysseas’ breakdown on original thinking. A solid look at the mechanics of insight. → Watch it

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One Question

Where are you borrowing words instead of building beliefs?

P.S. Update: The Curated Intelligence Platform

Feedback is oxygen. To everyone who sent notes on the Curated Intelligence Platform these last few weeks: thank you.

I’ve processed the feedback and pushed a major update to the live environment. The goal remains the same: higher signal, lower noise. Here is what just shipped:

• The AI Orchestrator: A new “Chief of Staff” engine that triages every article. It ruthlessly cuts ads, fluff, and filler so you only see the core intelligence.

• The Expert Council: We now have specialized AI agents (Logic, Forensics, Innovation) cross-examining reports. Think of it as an automated Red Team for your news feed.

• Precision Timelines: We fixed the metadata extraction to tag original publication dates. No more guessing if a “breaking” story is actually two years old.

• Deep Access: Overhauled scrapers to pull high-value intel from sources that were previously hard to reach.

The system is faster and smarter because of your input. Keep it coming.

Until Sunday, my friends.

Think Dangerously.
–e