Odds & Ends: April 18, 2025

Neil Postman’s Advice on How to Live the Rest of Your Life. Neil Postman is one of my favorite thinkers about media and its effect on individuals and our culture. I recently came across a lecture of his life advice that was posthumously compiled and delivered by one of his colleagues. It consists of a list of his 22 maxims for surviving a culture in decline. Some you may disagree with (Californians may object to #1). But the list is cranky in the best way. It’s funny, thought-provoking, and full of enduring wisdom. Some of my favorites: 

• Do not watch TV news shows or read any tabloid newspapers.
• Do not become a jogger. If you are one, stop immediately.
• If you are married, stay married.
• Establish as many regular routines as possible.
• Remember: It is more likely than not that as you get older you will get dumber.
• Keep your opinions to a minimum.
• Carefully limit the information input you will allow.
• Weingartner’s Law: 95% of everything is nonsense.
• Take religion more seriously than you have. 

Julieta Venegas. Julieta Venegas has been dominating the McKay car listening rotation lately. The Mexican singer-songwriter’s accordion-driven pop has catchy melodies that stick with you for days. “Lento,” “Me Voy,” and “Andar Conmigo” have become family favorites during commutes to school. Venegas has a distinctive voice that’s easy to listen to. The kids have enjoyed trying to use the Spanish they’ve learned in school to translate the lyrics. 

The Lonely Crowd by David Riesman. This 1950 sociology classic identified a crucial shift in American character — from “inner-directed” individuals guided by internal values to “other-directed” people constantly seeking peer approval. Though written over 70 years ago, its observations about conformity feel eerily prescient in our social media world. Even though I first read the book over a decade ago, I still find myself thinking about Riesman’s framework. Check out the article that we wrote highlighting the book’s main ideas: The Autonomous Man in an Other-Directed World.

Jack Link’s Beef Steak. I’m always on the lookout for healthy, high-protein road trip snacks that I can grab at a standard convenience store. On a recent roadtrip to New Mexico, I discovered these peppered beef “steaks” from Jack Link’s. With 23 grams of protein and only 140 calories, they’re very macro friendly. And the stick form makes it easier to eat while driving than a bag of loose jerky pieces. 

On our Dying Breed newsletter, we published Sunday Firesides: Information Won’t Save You and How to Be a Swell Podcast Guest.

Quote of the Week

What we attend to controls our behavior. What we can get others to attend to controls their behavior. . . . ‘Tell me what you habitually attend to and I will tell you what you are.’

—H.A. Overstreet

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.