Chris McCormick

On December 27th, 2010 something awesome exploded into our lives. Welcome to the world Scout Matilda June McCormick!

I now posses an immense awe for anybody who has given birth. Mums are just the most incredible people for what they go through for each of us. Wow.

Scout, sorry to be a dorky dad already, but I have made a list of things that I have learned in my 32 years of life so far. You probably won't need these for a couple of years, but here they are anyway. Hopefully they will be useful when you do need them most.

Life tips for Scout

• When you don't know what to do, think of the person you most respect and imagine what they would do in the same situation.

• Life without risk is not living.

• If you feel down, fix these things first: eat good food, excercise, get some sleep, catch up with a friend. In 99% of cases your problems will evaporate.

• People trust people who are honest. Be honest.

• Be skeptical but not cynical.

• Inside every respected person is a confidence trickster. Be a confidence trickster. Act like the person you want to be.

• The only argument you ever really need is to ask "why?" again and again. This is a minimal form of Socratic questioning.

• "I am wrong," are the finest words in any language. Realize them often and update your mental model based on new evidence.

• Probably 99% of people on the planet want the same thing - peace, prosperity, and a continuation of their line. Most people are basically alright (but some very few people will screw you over for a penny).

• Have plans and goals, but be flexible. Things won't go the way you wanted, but they could go better.

• The more love, sincerity and positivity you give unconditionally, the more people will like you, and reciprocate generously.

• Iterate. That's how nature does it.

• Rules are made to be broken. It's when rules are broken that the really interesting stuff happens (but it only works if they aren't being broken all of the time).

• Practice makes perfect. You can get good at any damn thing if you just practice it long enough. Seriously, anything.

• When you get stuck, talk to people. Seek the advice of those who love you - your family and friends.

• Manufacture your own luck by chasing opportunities.

• What goes on in the world is filtered by your mind. If you feel positive, the whole world will seem positive, and visa versa.

• People will try to convince you of a universal right and wrong. They don't understand the world. Right and wrong vary according to context.

• Follow the advice of Atticus Finch. To get and give the best of people you need to understand them, so use your imagination and put yourself in their shoes to understand their motivations.

• In love, it helps to be a fatalist.

• Earning a living from your hobby is a blessing and a curse, but it sure beats working in a coal mine.

• Guilt is the stupidest emotion of all. Don't bother with it. Just do better.

• Be interested, be involved, use the gift of life and hack the world.

• You are an animal.

• Those possibly mythical people buddha, jesus, mohammed, etc. had a couple of good ideas. Find those gems and discard the large quantity of hogwash that makes up the rest of it.

• Looking at your fellow humans it can be easy to feel elitist, but just remember that the only real difference is education and wealth. Most people are just a couple of beers away from being best friends.

• An authority is a concentration of power to benefit its members. Sometimes the people who think they are beneficiaries actually aren't. If you are not a beneficiary, don't bother respecting an authority.

• Probably the most worthwhile and satisfying way to spend your time is engaged in acts of creativity.

• Probably the most worthwhile and satisfying way to spend your time is helping other humans.

• Probably the most worthwhile and satisfying way to spend your time is in pursuit of a better understanding of everything.

• Everybody has imposter syndrome. Remember that their confidence is less real to them than it is to you, and visa-versa.

• Persistence is fertile.

• Make mistakes.

• Give way so as to conquer.

• Romantic love is the most exciting and fun mental illness there is. It destabilises your brain chemistry and makes you do the strangest things. Enjoy this gift from the universe whenever it occurs.

• At some point you realise that even your biggest hero is fallible, and makes mistakes. Don't put anyone on too high a pedestal, and don't be surprised when they do stupid things.

• We tend to blame people for their ignorance, but it's not always their fault. Sometimes they are just the victims of a lacking education.

• Witness the stars, suck the night air deep into your lungs and feel the thrill. It's great to be alive.

• Most conspiracies can be easily explained by greed, stupidity, ego, or a combination.

• Buddah's Middle Way was probably put best by Mark Twain when he said "everything in moderation, including moderation itself."

• We are basically monkeys with cognition slapped on top.

• The scientific method is the finest tool available to a sentient being in our world. Know it and you will more successfully navigate your way.

• Anyone who has been in a war will tell you to avoid them. The people who start them are never the ones who fight in them, and the reasons are never worthwhile. Steer clear of them and survive.

• Learn to let go. Being good at letting go will prevent a lot of hurt and hardship.

• See the world. The more cultures and places you encounter, the better your brain will understand the deep truths of human existence.

• Your gut feeling and instincts are excellent in some situations, and terrible in others. Learn when to use your rational mind and when to trust your gut.

• You can't avoid your cognitive biases, but you can at least learn to recognise them. You can also use evidence, maths, and data to balance against them.

• Follow the fun.

• That "do unto others" thing Jesus said is a pretty good formula for functional, friendly communities. Find the communities that practice it.

• Don't define things as successes or failures, just actions and consequences. Then choose the actions that will most likely lead to the consequences you want. Correct your model when they don't.

• Your brain chemistry will trick you into doing stupid things. Sometimes they will be fun. Sometimes they won't.

• Goverments, corporations, mafias - there are more similarities than differences.

• The paradox of creativity is that a blank canvas is a hindrance. Impose tasteful rules upon yourself and your work will flourish.

• Let trust be earned, don't give it away.

• You will be best at the things you enjoy. Do those things most and you will probably end up profiting from them.

• Mature, but don't ever grow up. Adults are assholes who hate themselves and their lives.

• There is almost always a reason why somebody is being a jerk, and often it's not their fault. Knowing that will help you realize why there is no point in being a jerk back.

• The universe is full of complex wonders that defy explanation. There is no need for flying spaghetti monsters (but sometimes spaghetti monsters can be fun to think about).

• Your own imagination is one of the best ways to have fun. Let it run free.

• The complexity paradox is that you should use Occam's razor and choose the simplest explanation that fits, but be aware that there is almost always a slightly more complex explanation that is more correct.

• Follow the advice of Bart Simpson; do what you feel like.

• Hedge your bets but don't reveal your hand.

• Economists think humans are a resource, but human intelligence and knowledge are actually a meta-resource.

• It is completely rational to be a good person.

• Evaluate ideas on their own merits, not on who is for or against them.

• Play is an excellent heuristic for understanding different systems. Play as often as possible.

• Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground.

• Take advice from many people at once. The number of jellybeans in the jar is probably close to the average of everyone's guesses.

• Ask people about themselves first, how they are, what they are doing, what they like. If you are interested in someone a) you will learn something useful b) they will like you.

• Generous use of long silences will cause your adversaries to argue against themselves.

• The only real test of love is time.

• Darwin's theory of evolution is incredibly robust. Many more systems are subject to it than just the biosphere. You can rely on it (Just don't get it backwards or anthropomorphise it).

• Embrace paradox.

• Laziness is just efficiency in disguise. Make sure you slack off sometimes.

• Forget everything above and just practice critical thinking and unconditional love.

• Have fun!