Things I like

March 21, 2018, last updated November 5, 2018

A list of things that I like, in no particular order. This is a living document.

Table of contents:

• Life, meaning, character, and work
• Strength training
• Manhood
• Theology and evolution
• Money and frugality
• Mental resilience
• Relationships
• Personality
• Tools
• Science fiction, fantasy, and fun
• Fables and fairy tales
• Nature
• Political
• Art and photography
• Movies and shows
• Video games

Life, meaning, character, and work

• Dr. Jordan Peterson: Psychological significance of the biblical stories series:
  • Introduction to the idea of God
  • Genesis: chaos and order
  • God and the hierarchy of authority
  • Adam and Eve: self-consciousness, evil, and death
  • Cain and Abel: the hostile brothers
  • The psychology of the flood
  • Walking with God: Noah and the flood
  • The phenomenology of the divine
  • The call to Abraham
  • Abraham: father of nations
  • Sodom and Gomorrah
  • The great sacrifice: Abraham and Isaac
  • Jacob’s ladder
  • Jacob: wrestling with God
  • Jacob and the coat of many colors
  • The death and resurrection of Christ: a commentary in five parts
• AoM: Soul training series:
  • Training the soul
  • An introduction to the spiritual disciplines
  • The spiritual disciplines: study and self-examination
  • The spiritual disciplines: solitude and silence
  • The spiritual disciplines: simplicity
  • The spiritual disciplines: fasting
• Joe Rogan:
  • JRE #975: Sebastian Junger
  • JRE #1034: Sebastian Junger 2
  • JRE #877: Jordan B Peterson
  • JRE #958: Jordan B Peterson 2
  • JRE #1070: Jordan B Peterson 3
  • JRE #1139: Jordan B Peterson 4
  • JRE #1081: Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying
  • JRE #1041: Dan Carlin 3
  • JRE #1124: Robert Schoch
  • JRE #1169: Elon Musk
• AoM:
  • Say yes to life: an accessible primer on Nietzsche’s big ideas
  • Are you missing the forbidden city?
  • Podcast #78: The myth of following your passion
  • Podcast #168: The value of deep work in the age of distraction
  • How to really avoid living a life of Quiet desperation
  • More load on the arch
  • You can’t return to Eden
  • Against the cult of travel, or what everyone gets wrong about The Hobbit
  • The power of conversation: a lesson from CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien
  • Got Sisu? Essential guerrilla tactics from the Finnish Winter War
  • Want people to hear your message? Let them overhear it
  • 30 prompts for reflection on your integrity
  • Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues
  • Get 1% better every day: the kaizen way to self-improvement
  • Podcast #358: The stranger in the woods
  • Turn your excuses into action: the “do what you can” guide from the blind, teenage leader of the French Resistance
  • Podcast #342: Why boredom is good for you
  • What do you want to want?
  • Be less disciplined in the new year
  • Don’t just lead well, follow well
  • Your new, New Year’s resolution: harness the life-altering power of Eternal Return
  • A Primer on Friedrich Nietzsche: his life and philosophical style
  • What can men learn from wolves?
  • The power of secrets in a transparent world
  • Applying the ethos of the craftsman to our everyday lives
  • There is no indespensable man
  • Sources of existential angst
  • The myth of scarcity: 12 stupidly easy things that’ll set you apart from the pack
  • The libraries of famous men: Bruce Lee
• Foundations Magazine:
  • Elbert Hubbard: Initiative and a message to Garcia
  • Elbert Hubbard: Get out or get in line
  • Wisdom: The interval between the notes
  • Bob Welch: If you could see us now, Pop Youngberg
• The School of Life:
  • In praise of the quiet life
  • Why small pleasures are a big deal
• Cal Newport:
  • Have we lost our tolerance for a little boredom?
  • Is allowing your child to study while on facebook morally irresponsible?
  • Quit social media
  • The danger of the dream job delusion
  • How to reduce stress and get more done by building an autopilot schedule
  • If you’re nervous about quitting your boring job, don’t do it
  • Are passions serendipitously discovered or painstakingly constructed?
  • Beyond passion: the science of loving what you do
  • The myth of the big break
  • Would Lincoln have become president if he had email?
  • The Steve Martin method: a master comedian’s advice for becoming famous
  • The grandmaster in the corner office: what the study of chess experts teaches us about building a remarkable life
  • Open offices make you less open
  • Jerry Seinfeld’s closed door
• Barbell Logic:
  • Episode #23: Voluntary hardship
  • Episode #26: Training to survive cancer with John Wilson
• Nassim Taleb: Commencement speech at American University of Beirut
• David Foster Wallace: Commencement speech at Kenyon University
• Isaac Asimov: The relativity of wrong
• Bronnie Ware: Top 5 regrets of the dying
• Paul Graham:
  • The age of the essay
  • Life is short
  • The acceleration of addictiveness
  • The top of my todo List
• The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe:
  • Podcast #2: He had it all
  • Podcast #18: The toymaker
  • Podcast #30: The demoted deserter
• The Moment with Brian Koppelman:
  • Andrew Zimmern
  • John Grisham
• How I Built This: 5-Hour Energy: Manoj Bhargava
• Coding Horror: Quantity always trumps quality
• Brainpickings:
  • How we spend our days is how we spend our lives: Annie Dillard on choosing presence over productivity
  • Friedrich Nietzsche on why a fulfilling life requires embracing rather than running from difficulty
  • Seneca on the shortness of life
  • Thoreau on hard work, the myth of productivity, and the true measure of meaningful labor
  • Leisure, the basis of culture: an obscure German philosopher’s timely 1948 manifesto for reclaiming our human dignity in a culture of workaholism
  • 20-year-old Hunter S. Thompson’s surprisingly sage advice on how to find your purpose and live a meaningful life
  • Young Tolstoy’s diaries: time, moral development, and the search for self
  • 10 learnings from 10 years of brain pickings
• Barry Schwartz: The paradox of choice
• Frugalwoods: How I let go of caring what people think
• PragerU: Fix yourself
• Dr. Jordan Peterson:
  • The master and his emissary: Dr. Iain McGilchrist
  • Susan Blackmore – Do we need God to make sense of life?
• Michael Shermer:
  • Giving the Devil his due: why freedom of inquiry in science and politics is inviolable
  • The Evolution-Creationism controversy as a test case in equal time and free speech

Strength training

• Mark Rippetoe:
  • Why barbells are better than machines
  • Who wants to be a novice? You do
  • Maybe you should gain weight
  • The first three questions
  • Deep squats
  • Strength training for people my age
• Matt Reynolds: Barbell Safety
• Barbell Logic: Episode #27: Embracing the grind
• Andy Baker: Basically any article or video by him
• Alan Thrall:
  • How to squat: low-bar
  • How to press (overhead…)
  • How to deadlift: Starting Strength 5 step deadlift
• Greg Nuckols:
  • Hi-bar vs. low-bar squatting
  • The hypertrophy range - fact or fiction?
  • How to squat
  • How to deadlift
• Dan John: Minimalist training
• AoM:
  • Getting ripped vs getting strong
  • How to gain weight
  • Workout recovery tips that actually work
  • Embracing the grind in barbell training (and beyond)
  • When can kids start lifting weights?
• Beast Skills: Tutorials
• Joe Rogan: JRE #989: Dorian Yates
• Barbell medicine: 3 doctors respond to CrossFit’s Instagram Post: Coke, health, and orthorexia
• The JuggLife:
  • Dr. Mike Israetel: Training & nutrition for beginners
  • Fitness myths with Dr. Mike Isratel
• Jonathon Sullivan: Barbell training is big medicine

Manhood

• Roy Baumeister: Is there anything good about men?
• AoM: Manhood series:
  • Protect
  • Procreate
  • Provide
  • What is the core of masculinity?
  • Where does manhood come from?
  • Why are we so conflicted about manhood?
  • The dead end roads to manhood
  • Semper Virilis: a roadmap to manhood
• AoM:
  • A call for a new strenuous age
  • Podcast #335: Exploring archetypes with Jordan B Peterson

Theology and evolution

• C.S. Lewis:
  • Mere Christianity
  • The Screwtape Letters
• Sarah Coakley:
  • Why believe in God?
  • Why study theology?
  • Evolution and God?
  • Evolution and theology
  • The mathematics of evolutionary biology
• BioLogos: common questions
  • How is BioLogos different from Evolutionism, Intelligent Design, and Creationism?
  • Why should Christians consider evolutionary creation?
  • Are science and Christianity at war?
  • Can science and Scripture be reconciled?
  • How have Christians responded to Darwin’s “Origin of Species”?
  • What is evolution?
  • What is the evidence for evolution?
  • Is evolution a “theory in crisis”?
  • How are the ages of the Earth and universe calculated?
  • Can evolution generate new information?
  • What does the fossil record show?
  • How can evolution account for the complexity of life on Earth today?
  • Does thermodynamics disprove evolution?
  • How did life begin?
  • Does the Cambrian Explosion pose a challenge to evolution?
  • Is historical science reliable?
  • How should we interpret the Bible?
  • How long are the days of Genesis 1?
  • How was the Genesis account of creation interpreted before Darwin?
  • How should we interpret the Genesis flood account?
  • Is Genesis real history?
  • Does modern science make miracles impossible?
  • Are gaps in scientific knowledge evidence for God?
  • What do “fine-tuning” and the “multiverse” say about God?
  • On what grounds can one claim that the Christian God is the creator?
  • What created God?
  • Were Adam and Eve historical figures?
  • What is the genetic evidence for human evolution?
  • How could humans have evolved and still be in the “Image of God”?
  • Did death occur before the Fall?

Money and frugality

• Frugalwoods:
  • Our low cost, no fuss, DIY money management system
  • The sweet synergy between simple living and saving money
  • Smoothing out the happiness curve
  • Perfection is the enemy of frugality
  • 19 reasons why frugality is the best thing that’s ever happened to me
• Dave Ramsey:
  • The 7 baby steps
  • The Total Money Makeover
• Foundations Magazine: Elbert Hubbard: Let thrift be your ruling habit
• Mr. Money Mustache:
  • It’s all about the safety margins
  • How to make money in the stock market
  • The 4% rule: the easy answer to “how much do I need for retirement?”
• Betterment:
  • Safety net funds: why traditional advice is wrong
  • Long-term returns have a cost, and it’s well worth the price
• Bogleheads: Investment philosophy
• William Bernstein: If You Can
• Gates Notes: Warren Buffett’s best investment
• How I Built This:
  • Mark Cuban
  • Drybar: Alli Webb
• Stuart Diamond: Getting More: How you can negotiate to succeed in work and life
• DHH: The day I became a millionaire
• Reddit personal finance:
  • Aren’t you embarrassed?
  • Your parents took decades to furnish their house

Mental resilience

• AoM: Depression series:
  • Leashing the black dog: my struggle with depression
  • Leashing the black dog: the history of depression
  • Leashing the black dog: what causes depression?
  • Are you depressed? The symptoms of male melancholy
  • A realistic, encouraging, compassionate, no-nonsense, research-backed, action-oriented guidebook to managing your depression
• Jordan B Peterson: Quora answers:
  • What are the most valuable things everyone should know?
  • Existentialism: how to overcome a compulsive sense of despair?
• Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability
• Mr. Money Mustache: How big is your circle of control?
• Invisibilia:
  • The secret history of thoughts
  • The new norm
  • The problem with the solution
• Jennifer Sowle: The Everything Guide to Codependency
• David Puder and Amul Shah: The prescription of strength training for treating depression and optimizing cognitive performance
• AoM: Podcast #440: The 3 great untruths that are setting up a generation for failure

Relationships

• AoM: Relationship Bank Account series
  • Why the secret of a happy, successful marriage is treating it like a bank account
  • The best ways to fund your relationship bank account
• AoM: Love is all you need: insights from the longest longitudinal study on men ever conducted
• Patricia McGerr: Johnny Lingo’s eight-cow wife
• Smart marriages: Marriage quotes

Personality

• 16 personalities
• Understand myself
• The SAPA project
• Personality Hacker: Episode #34: INFJ personality type advice
• Typology: Episode #17: Take five! A panel of 5s with Lori Chaffer, Kenny Benge, and Joel Miller

Tools

• Strength standards
• TDEE calculator
• Self authoring
• Personal capital
• Dave Ramsey investment calculator

Science fiction, fantasy, and fun

• Isaac Asimov: The last question
• Arthur Clarke: The star
• Unexplained:
  • S1 E10: The spaces that linger
  • S1 E10: Extra: Who Aiwass
  • S3 E1-3: We are the witchcraft
  • S3 E1: Extra: Crowley recap
  • S3 E4: From eternity to here
  • S3 E5: When apples fall
• 2AM: The smiling man
• S Town
• Harry Potter
• Perry Bible Fellowship Comics
• xkcd
• Ether podcast by Tricia and Chris Tollins

Fables and fairy tales

• Aesop’s Fables
• Grimms’ Fairy Tales

Nature

• Planet Earth:
  • Planet Earth
  • Planet Earth II
• Alone in the Wilderness
• Microcosmos

Political

• The political compass test
• Kurt Vonnegut Jr: Harrison Bergeron
• Jordan B Peterson:
  • Camille Paglia: Modern times
  • An incendiary discussion at Ryerson U
  • Jordan Peterson’s Rules for Life with Richard Fidler
  • Lafayette College – The Mill Series
  • Warren Farrell – The absolute necessity of fathers
  • Australia’s John Anderson & Dr. Jordan B Peterson: In Conversation
• Joe Rogan: JRE #970: Bret Weinstein
• More Perfect: Citizens United
• AoM: Podcast #334: When violence is the answer
• Jack Donovan: Violence is golden
• The Rubin Report: Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro
• PragerU: Was the civil war about slavery?

Art and photography

• Wikimedia commons:
  • Picture of the year 2015 results
  • Picture of the year 2017 results
• Simon Stålenhag
• John James Audubon
• Alessandro Sanna
• Dawid Planeta
• Zdzisław Beksiński

Movies and shows

• The Siege of Jadotville
• The Big Short
• The Accountant
• Unbroken
• Daredevil
• Gladiator
• Batman Begins
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
• Wonder Woman
• The Avengers
• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Captain America: Civil War
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Junkyard Wars
• Survivorman
• How It’s Made
• Never Back Down
• The Prestige
• Shot Caller
• Cloud Atlas
• Parenthood
• This Is Us
• Moana
• The Incredibles
• The Land Before Time
• Courage the Cowardly Dog
• Samurai Jack
• Wallace and Gromit
• Chicken Run
• Looney Tunes
• Justice League (TV series)
• A Goofy Movie
• Gumby
• The Book of Eli
• Fury
• Old Yeller
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
• Braveheart
• Law Abiding Citizen
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• District 9
• Interstellar
• The Martian
• World War Z
• Good Will Hunting
• The Age of Adaline
• True Detective (season 1)
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• 9
• Elysium
• The Bourne Identity
• The Bourne Supremacy
• The Bourne Ultimatum
• The Last Samurai
• Nightcrawler
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
• Spectral
• Ozark
• The Cloverfield Paradox
• August Rush
• A Quiet Place
• The Hundred-Foot Journey
• Avatar: The Last Airbender
• Hitch
• The Lost City of Z
• Spotlight
• The Fundamentals of Caring
• Father of the Year
• The Ritual
• Extinction
• The Sinner
• Whiplash
• Dracula Untold
• Upgrade
• Room
• Holes

Video games

• Arcade:
  • Hydro Thunder
  • Primal Rage
  • Street Fighter
  • Tekken
  • VORTEK V3
• Atari:
  • Pong
  • Tanks
  • Pitfall!
  • Donkey Kong
  • Galaga
  • Pac-Man
  • Tetris
• PC:
  • Command & Conquer: Red Alert
  • Tribal Wars
  • Age of Empires
  • RollerCoaster Tycoon
• NES: Duck Hunt
• SNES:
  • Top Gear
  • Super Mario World
  • Donkey Kong Country
  • Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
• Nintendo 64:
  • Mario Kart 64
  • Super Smash Bros.
  • GoldenEye 007
  • Rampage World Tour
• Gameboy Advance:
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  • Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
  • Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
  • Pokémon Emerald
  • Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3
• PlayStation:
  • Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
  • Spyro the Dragon
  • Crash Bandicoot
• PlayStation 2:
  • Champions of Norrath
  • Champions: Return to Arms
• Xbox:
  • Halo: Combat Evolved
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars
  • Star Wars: Republic Commando
  • Star Wars: Battlefront
  • Star Wars: Battlefront II
  • Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
  • SSX 3
  • Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
  • ATV Quad Power Racing 2
  • Burnout 3: Takedown
  • Crash Nitro Kart
  • MechAssault
  • Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
  • SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom
  • NCAA Football 07
  • NASCAR 07
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
  • NBA Street Vol. 2
  • Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
  • Spider-Man
  • The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
  • Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2
• Xbox 360:
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  • Halo 3
  • Aegis Wing
  • Castle Crashers
  • Mortal Kombat
  • Lost Planet
  • Forza Motorsport 3
  • FIFA 12
• iOS: Clash Royale