Explaining the world one sketch at a time

Simplifying complex ideas through fun and insightful sketches. Explore topics from science, creativity, psychology, and more explained in pictures.

This is such
a cool book.
— Bill Gates

Big Ideas Little Pictures: Explaining the world one sketch at a time

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Absorb big ideas with crystal-clear understanding through this collection of 135 visual explanations. Including 24 exclusive new sketches and enhanced versions of classic favourites, each page shares life-improving ideas through beautifully simple illustrations.

Perfect for curious minds and visual learners alike.

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Hi, I'm Jono 👋

I'm an author and illustrator creating one of the world's largest libraries of hand-drawn sketches explaining the world—sketch-by-sketch.

Sketchplanations have been shared millions of times and used in books, articles, classrooms, and more. Learn more about the project, search for a sketch you like, or see recent sketches below.

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Recent sketches

Don't Think of an Elephant

When teaching framing at UC Berkeley, Professor George Lakoff would often begin with a simple test: "Don't think of an elephant." Except everyone does. When he said elephant, like it or not, all things elephant—large, slow, floppy ears, tusks, trunk, jungle, savannah—were likely to come to mind. Lakoff gives another example: When Richard Nixon came on TV and said, "I am not a crook," everyone thought about him as a crook, even though he explicitly said he wasn't. Another case he shares is when someone says tax relief, it evokes a frame whereby taxes are a burden, someone imposing those taxes is hurting people, someone relieving you of that hurt is helping you, and anyone who wants to stop that relief is a villain. Suppose you think taxes are good, not bad; if you use the term tax relief when arguing against it, you're setting yourself up as the villain. Using someone else's language draws you into their worldview. Some Framing Examples Here are some more everyday examples of framing at work: Taking sides in an argument suggests there has to be a winner and loser. When someone helps you, saying "I owe you one" frames the favour as a transaction to be repaid rather than a gift. Stay-at-home parent and working parent evokes a frame where staying at home isn't work. Quality time frames certain family moments as more valuable and implies that some time is less meaningful. Screen time evokes a frame of off-screen vs on-screen time, as opposed to considering the value of what you're doing, whether on-screen or off. Reframing Signage I love spotting signs that shift the frame in positive, thoughtful ways. Rather than presupposing bad behaviour, they invite good. For example, this sign from Kew Gardens: "Respecting Significant Trees Please help us manage our trees to ensure we can enjoy them for as long as possible. This tree needs a break from adults and children climbing on it. Please don't climb." Rather than setting Kew up as the rule-enforcer spoiling your fun, it frames them as caretakers—inviting you to help give a tired tree a break. Not climbing becomes an act of kindness, not a restriction. Not climbing becomes an act of respect rather than restriction. Our local wetlands has a "Ducks only" sign instead of an admonishing "Keep off the grass". Or at an ATM, even saying "Wait" rather than "Don't remove your card" helps keep removing your card further from your mind. A reader shared with me that as a lifeguard, he learned to yell "Walk!" rather than "Don't run!" A positive action to take is direct, rather than a negative that needs to be processed—see Point Positive. Language shapes and reflects how we think. Using language that negates a frame evokes the frame. What frames are you evoking? Related Ideas to Don't Think of an Elephant Everything I've learned about framing, metaphor, and how they shape our thinking continues to fascinate me. Here are some related sketches and powerful metaphors: Primary metaphor The Frog Boil Metaphor Rivers and Buckets Compliments are Gifts The Learning Pit The Swiss Cheese Model Trust Battery The Accountability Ladder Sharpen the Saw Ideas Are Locations, Objects, Food Framing Get More Participation: Instead of "Anything Else?" ask "What Else?"…When teaching framing at UC Berkeley, Professor George Lakoff would often begin with a simple test: "Don't think of an elephant." Except everyone does. When he said elephant, like it or not, all things elephant—large, slow, floppy ears, tusks, trunk, jungle, savannah—were likely to come to mind. Lakoff gives another example: When Richard Nixon came on TV and said, "I am not a crook," everyone thought about him as a crook, even though he explicitly said he wasn't. Another case he shares is when someone says tax relief, it evokes a frame whereby taxes are a burden, someone imposing those taxes is hurting people, someone relieving you of that hurt is helping you, and anyone who wants to stop that relief is a villain. Suppose you think taxes are good, not bad; if you use the term tax relief when arguing against it, you're setting yourself up as the villain. Using someone else's language draws you into their worldview. Some Framing Examples Here are some more everyday examples of framing at work: Taking sides in an argument suggests there has to be a winner and loser. When someone helps you, saying "I owe you one" frames the favour as a transaction to be repaid rather than a gift. Stay-at-home parent and working parent evokes a frame where staying at home isn't work. Quality time frames certain family moments as more valuable and implies that some time is less meaningful. Screen time evokes a frame of off-screen vs on-screen time, as opposed to considering the value of what you're doing, whether on-screen or off. Reframing Signage I love spotting signs that shift the frame in positive, thoughtful ways. Rather than presupposing bad behaviour, they invite good. For example, this sign from Kew Gardens: "Respecting Significant Trees Please help us manage our trees to ensure we can enjoy them for as long as possible. This tree needs a break from adults and children climbing on it. Please don't climb." Rather than setting Kew up as the rule-enforcer spoiling your fun, it frames them as caretakers—inviting you to help give a tired tree a break. Not climbing becomes an act of kindness, not a restriction. Not climbing becomes an act of respect rather than restriction. Our local wetlands has a "Ducks only" sign instead of an admonishing "Keep off the grass". Or at an ATM, even saying "Wait" rather than "Don't remove your card" helps keep removing your card further from your mind. A reader shared with me that as a lifeguard, he learned to yell "Walk!" rather than "Don't run!" A positive action to take is direct, rather than a negative that needs to be processed—see Point Positive. Language shapes and reflects how we think. Using language that negates a frame evokes the frame. What frames are you evoking? Related Ideas to Don't Think of an Elephant Everything I've learned about framing, metaphor, and how they shape our thinking continues to fascinate me. Here are some related sketches and powerful metaphors: Primary metaphor The Frog Boil Metaphor Rivers and Buckets Compliments are Gifts The Learning Pit The Swiss Cheese Model Trust Battery The Accountability Ladder Sharpen the Saw Ideas Are Locations, Objects, Food Framing Get More Participation: Instead of "Anything Else?" ask "What Else?"

18 May

How to Instantly Feel Better

When I first saw a version of How to instantly feel better I could immediately relate. I thought it could do with a Sketchplanations version. Maybe try some of the suggestions and let me know how it goes. If you're: Angry -> Sing Burned out -> Walk Overthinking -> Write Anxious -> Breathe Stressed -> Exercise Sad -> Gratitude Impatient -> Reflect on progress Lazy -> Cold shower Your mileage may vary. I can't help but think that Walk in nature, which is about as close to a miracle cure as we have, is also a good strategy for all of them. Angry -> Walk in nature Burned out -> Walk in nature Overthinking -> Walk in nature Anxious -> Walk in nature Stressed -> Walk in nature Sad -> Walk in nature Impatient -> Walk in nature Lazy -> Walk in nature Here's a visual of this instead: How to instantly feel better - walk in nature I didn't create the original. I saw this one, shared by the brilliant Info is Beautiful. Many people have created versions of this. If you know—or are—the original creator, thank you! And please get in touch. Related Ideas to How to Instantly Feel Better Also see: Forest bathing The 3-Day effect Box breathing 5 Ways to Wellbeing Snerdle Maze, Labyrinth Compliments Are Gifts Vorfreude — the pleasure of anticipation Languishing Notice when you're happy Don't compare your back of house with others' front of house When drinking tea, just drink tea Prints/cards etc of How to Instantly Feel Better, and of How to Instantly Feel Better — Walk in nature…When I first saw a version of How to instantly feel better I could immediately relate. I thought it could do with a Sketchplanations version. Maybe try some of the suggestions and let me know how it goes. If you're: Angry -> Sing Burned out -> Walk Overthinking -> Write Anxious -> Breathe Stressed -> Exercise Sad -> Gratitude Impatient -> Reflect on progress Lazy -> Cold shower Your mileage may vary. I can't help but think that Walk in nature, which is about as close to a miracle cure as we have, is also a good strategy for all of them. Angry -> Walk in nature Burned out -> Walk in nature Overthinking -> Walk in nature Anxious -> Walk in nature Stressed -> Walk in nature Sad -> Walk in nature Impatient -> Walk in nature Lazy -> Walk in nature Here's a visual of this instead: How to instantly feel better - walk in nature I didn't create the original. I saw this one, shared by the brilliant Info is Beautiful. Many people have created versions of this. If you know—or are—the original creator, thank you! And please get in touch. Related Ideas to How to Instantly Feel Better Also see: Forest bathing The 3-Day effect Box breathing 5 Ways to Wellbeing Snerdle Maze, Labyrinth Compliments Are Gifts Vorfreude — the pleasure of anticipation Languishing Notice when you're happy Don't compare your back of house with others' front of house When drinking tea, just drink tea Prints/cards etc of How to Instantly Feel Better, and of How to Instantly Feel Better — Walk in nature

11 May

Variable Rewards

Variable Rewards are remarkably powerful. Sometimes, you get something good. Sometimes, you get nothing. But every so often, it's something amazing. That unpredictability keeps us coming back. What Are Variable Rewards? A variable reward is a type of reward given unpredictably. You don't know exactly what you'll get or when—and that's what makes it so compelling. The randomness taps into our brain's reward system, creating a powerful loop of anticipation and surprise. Examples of Variable Rewards This kind of reward schedule—and variations in psychology, such as variable ratio reinforcement or intermittent variable rewards—is known for being highly addictive. It shows up everywhere in daily life and product design. Here are a few examples I've witnessed or experienced firsthand: The Reward Chest The reward chest, or comparable source of goodies, has proliferated in games. Here's how it can work: Each day, or few hours, there's another chance to open a reward chest. It's scarce—don't miss it. Most of the time, it gives you something standard. But once in a while, you open it to find something amazing — a rare weapon or skill. Better open just one more… The Email Inbox Mostly, it's standard stuff. Sometimes, it's great — an exciting job intro, a message from an old friend, a special offer. That occasional thrill keeps us checking in. I've noticed this with print sales of the sketches or new members on Patreon. From time to time someone places a big order—it could be tomorrow, it could be never again, or it could be this one time I check my inbox. Reviewing animal camera trap photos We were recently checking through the photos from a set of animal camera traps in a nearby park. Often, the camera trap was triggered by another crow or raven. But sometimes you get a badger or an animal looking right at you. And the next photo might have a hedgehog or a rare bird. Better just look at one more. Beachcombing Beaches are wonderful environments for serendipity (and play). It's always a joy walking along the strand line to see what you might find. There are usually a few lovely shells. Other times, there's nothing. But sometimes there's a crab. Or a starfish. Or once, a war relic. Maybe it'll be this time. The variable reward examples go on: Slot machines — just enough wins to keep you playing, with the occasional sound across the casino of a bumper win. Pret A Manger — employees could occasionally give a free coffee. If you got one once, there's always the chance it'll happen again. Pokémon cards — most cards are standard and just build up your deck, but there's always a shot at a rare card worth hundreds in the next pack you open. A generous compliment from your boss — might have you hoping the next project brings another. A surprise gesture of affection — from a friend or partner might keep you on the edge for more. Social posts — the one that blew up with thousands of likes. Maybe that'll be yours this time. Your football team — they don't win every week, but they win just enough to keep you dreaming that today might be a great day. Maybe even Sketchplanations — in most weeks, maybe you're ambivalent about the new one. But occasionally, it hits just right. Maybe next week's will. Variable Rewards in Nir Eyal's Hooked Nir Eyal discusses Variable Rewards as part of his Hook Model: Trigger > Action > (Variable) Reward > Investment Because the rewards are sporadic and unpredictable, we build anticipation before we act—and when a reward comes, it satisfies an emotional itch and fuels habit formation. Variable rewards can be much more engaging than predictable rewards. Nir Eyal breaks them into three types: Social rewards—feeling connected or admired (Rewards of the Tribe) Material or informational rewards—such as money or finding something (Rewards of the Hunt) Intrinsic rewards—mastering a challenge, beating a level (Rewards of the Self) Summary Variable rewards have the power to get us hooked. Life has intermittent variable rewards. However, some products and games are built around them deliberately. And I have come to realise that they are powerfully addictive. Please don't use them for evil. Related Ideas to Variable Rewards Also see: Narrative bias — stories feel better than randomness The Power of Streaks Addiction Yes Sayers, No Sayers Complaining at the Weather Rivers and Buckets Extrinsic Motivation Autonomy Mastery Purpose The Fun Scale…Variable Rewards are remarkably powerful. Sometimes, you get something good. Sometimes, you get nothing. But every so often, it's something amazing. That unpredictability keeps us coming back. What Are Variable Rewards? A variable reward is a type of reward given unpredictably. You don't know exactly what you'll get or when—and that's what makes it so compelling. The randomness taps into our brain's reward system, creating a powerful loop of anticipation and surprise. Examples of Variable Rewards This kind of reward schedule—and variations in psychology, such as variable ratio reinforcement or intermittent variable rewards—is known for being highly addictive. It shows up everywhere in daily life and product design. Here are a few examples I've witnessed or experienced firsthand: The Reward Chest The reward chest, or comparable source of goodies, has proliferated in games. Here's how it can work: Each day, or few hours, there's another chance to open a reward chest. It's scarce—don't miss it. Most of the time, it gives you something standard. But once in a while, you open it to find something amazing — a rare weapon or skill. Better open just one more… The Email Inbox Mostly, it's standard stuff. Sometimes, it's great — an exciting job intro, a message from an old friend, a special offer. That occasional thrill keeps us checking in. I've noticed this with print sales of the sketches or new members on Patreon. From time to time someone places a big order—it could be tomorrow, it could be never again, or it could be this one time I check my inbox. Reviewing animal camera trap photos We were recently checking through the photos from a set of animal camera traps in a nearby park. Often, the camera trap was triggered by another crow or raven. But sometimes you get a badger or an animal looking right at you. And the next photo might have a hedgehog or a rare bird. Better just look at one more. Beachcombing Beaches are wonderful environments for serendipity (and play). It's always a joy walking along the strand line to see what you might find. There are usually a few lovely shells. Other times, there's nothing. But sometimes there's a crab. Or a starfish. Or once, a war relic. Maybe it'll be this time. The variable reward examples go on: Slot machines — just enough wins to keep you playing, with the occasional sound across the casino of a bumper win. Pret A Manger — employees could occasionally give a free coffee. If you got one once, there's always the chance it'll happen again. Pokémon cards — most cards are standard and just build up your deck, but there's always a shot at a rare card worth hundreds in the next pack you open. A generous compliment from your boss — might have you hoping the next project brings another. A surprise gesture of affection — from a friend or partner might keep you on the edge for more. Social posts — the one that blew up with thousands of likes. Maybe that'll be yours this time. Your football team — they don't win every week, but they win just enough to keep you dreaming that today might be a great day. Maybe even Sketchplanations — in most weeks, maybe you're ambivalent about the new one. But occasionally, it hits just right. Maybe next week's will. Variable Rewards in Nir Eyal's Hooked Nir Eyal discusses Variable Rewards as part of his Hook Model: Trigger > Action > (Variable) Reward > Investment Because the rewards are sporadic and unpredictable, we build anticipation before we act—and when a reward comes, it satisfies an emotional itch and fuels habit formation. Variable rewards can be much more engaging than predictable rewards. Nir Eyal breaks them into three types: Social rewards—feeling connected or admired (Rewards of the Tribe) Material or informational rewards—such as money or finding something (Rewards of the Hunt) Intrinsic rewards—mastering a challenge, beating a level (Rewards of the Self) Summary Variable rewards have the power to get us hooked. Life has intermittent variable rewards. However, some products and games are built around them deliberately. And I have come to realise that they are powerfully addictive. Please don't use them for evil. Related Ideas to Variable Rewards Also see: Narrative bias — stories feel better than randomness The Power of Streaks Addiction Yes Sayers, No Sayers Complaining at the Weather Rivers and Buckets Extrinsic Motivation Autonomy Mastery Purpose The Fun Scale

4 May

The Subscription Trap

Subscription traps are contracts that are easy to sign up for and hard to cancel. Subscription traps are sneaky. Just like Hotel California, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." What a Subscription Trap Looks Like Sometimes, you may go from a free trial to a paid subscription without realising it. Sometimes, you may go months without noticing you're still paying for a subscription. Your contract may renew for a full year before you spot it. And when you try to cancel, you may find yourself jumping through hoops—compared to the few clicks it took you to sign up. My experiences include: Searching for a cancel link online Turning to a customer support chat, which turns out to be a chatbot Finding the chatbot can't cancel for me or, more often, links me to the help article where I started and found I couldn't cancel online Eventually, being transferred to an agent and having to repeat everything Being given a phone number to call Finding they're closed because it's the weekend Scheduling a reminder to call back on Monday between meetings Calling, waiting in a queue (as opposed to the rapid response for prospective customers) Running out of time and forgetting to try again until the office is closed. <sigh> Perhaps you'll recognise some of this. Sludge and Why it Matters The kind of bureaucracy and red tape you encounter when trying to cancel or do other things like claim on health insurance is sometimes called sludge. It's the friction stops us from getting things done. In 2014, the UK government thought that unwanted subscriptions were costing people £1.6 billion a year—nearly 10 million of 155 million active subscriptions. They've held a consultation for measures to help avoid subscription traps and scams. California, for example, already has legislation requiring companies to offer online cancellation if they allow online sign-up. Best practice includes Providing clear information about contracts before entering Reminders before moving from trials or discount periods to full-price Reminders before subscriptions renew Making it simple to cancel Some Subscriptions are More Slippery than Others We're less likely to get trapped in some types of subscription. If we subscribe to a box of groceries that appears at our door, we'll trip over the box rather than forget about it. But online-only services or access-based platforms easily slip into the background. You may not notice they're still ticking along if you don't actively visit them. The only trace might be buried in your bank statement—monthly or even annual. Economist Neal Mahoney and colleagues found a neat way to spot the subscription trap in action (pdf). They looked at cancellation rates over time and noticed something curious: when people's payment cards expired, they often didn't bother to restart the subscription with new card details. That simple disruption—a forced pause—was enough for many people to realise they didn't need the service after all. Incentives and Legislation I've been on both sides of the subscription trap. It might be deliberate on behalf of a company. However, it can also be a product of incentives and environment. Without new customer growth, a business doesn't last long. So, there's a lot of incentive to work on streamlined sign-up and onboarding. Hopefully, effort also goes into building a great product that makes people want to stay. However, once someone has decided to leave, there's often less incentive to make it a great experience, short of avoiding bad reviews. I think it's generally not malicious—see Hanlon's razor. People know that cancelling isn't as easy as it should be, but they're measured on other targets that increase revenue or decrease costs. New projects are launched to do the same rather than "sink" money into making it easier for people to leave. There will also often be a new customer onboarding team and no offboarding team at all (see Conway's Law). This makes it a natural place for legislation to help out us punters just looking to cancel without spending all morning on the phone. The Roach Motel The subscription trap is similar to the unsubscribe roach motel anti-pattern for email subscriptions. A roach motel is a trap for cockroaches which is easy to get in and hard to get out. Harry Brignull, author of Deceptive Patterns, gives a great example of contrasting subscribe and unsubscribe steps in his article on the unsubscribe roach motel. Don't get Caught! If you want to save money, reviewing your subscriptions and knowing what you're spending is a smart first step. We have a spreadsheet with all active monthly payments. A quick scan makes it easy to see what we still use or don't. And yes, battle through the sludge and bureaucracy—it's worth it! Related Ideas to the Subscription Trap Also see: Dark patterns - using design to deceive The Shirky Principle - institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution Goodhart's Law - when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure Campbell's Law - the more any quantitative social indicator is used for decision-making, the more likely it is to be distorted Conway's Law - software reflects the structure of the teams that built it You Get What You Measure Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut Amazon and Uber's Virtuous Cycle for Mega Growth The Business Flywheel For interviews with Mahoney and Thaler (of sludge and nudge), see (once again) Freakonomics, Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?…Subscription traps are contracts that are easy to sign up for and hard to cancel. Subscription traps are sneaky. Just like Hotel California, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." What a Subscription Trap Looks Like Sometimes, you may go from a free trial to a paid subscription without realising it. Sometimes, you may go months without noticing you're still paying for a subscription. Your contract may renew for a full year before you spot it. And when you try to cancel, you may find yourself jumping through hoops—compared to the few clicks it took you to sign up. My experiences include: Searching for a cancel link online Turning to a customer support chat, which turns out to be a chatbot Finding the chatbot can't cancel for me or, more often, links me to the help article where I started and found I couldn't cancel online Eventually, being transferred to an agent and having to repeat everything Being given a phone number to call Finding they're closed because it's the weekend Scheduling a reminder to call back on Monday between meetings Calling, waiting in a queue (as opposed to the rapid response for prospective customers) Running out of time and forgetting to try again until the office is closed. <sigh> Perhaps you'll recognise some of this. Sludge and Why it Matters The kind of bureaucracy and red tape you encounter when trying to cancel or do other things like claim on health insurance is sometimes called sludge. It's the friction stops us from getting things done. In 2014, the UK government thought that unwanted subscriptions were costing people £1.6 billion a year—nearly 10 million of 155 million active subscriptions. They've held a consultation for measures to help avoid subscription traps and scams. California, for example, already has legislation requiring companies to offer online cancellation if they allow online sign-up. Best practice includes Providing clear information about contracts before entering Reminders before moving from trials or discount periods to full-price Reminders before subscriptions renew Making it simple to cancel Some Subscriptions are More Slippery than Others We're less likely to get trapped in some types of subscription. If we subscribe to a box of groceries that appears at our door, we'll trip over the box rather than forget about it. But online-only services or access-based platforms easily slip into the background. You may not notice they're still ticking along if you don't actively visit them. The only trace might be buried in your bank statement—monthly or even annual. Economist Neal Mahoney and colleagues found a neat way to spot the subscription trap in action (pdf). They looked at cancellation rates over time and noticed something curious: when people's payment cards expired, they often didn't bother to restart the subscription with new card details. That simple disruption—a forced pause—was enough for many people to realise they didn't need the service after all. Incentives and Legislation I've been on both sides of the subscription trap. It might be deliberate on behalf of a company. However, it can also be a product of incentives and environment. Without new customer growth, a business doesn't last long. So, there's a lot of incentive to work on streamlined sign-up and onboarding. Hopefully, effort also goes into building a great product that makes people want to stay. However, once someone has decided to leave, there's often less incentive to make it a great experience, short of avoiding bad reviews. I think it's generally not malicious—see Hanlon's razor. People know that cancelling isn't as easy as it should be, but they're measured on other targets that increase revenue or decrease costs. New projects are launched to do the same rather than "sink" money into making it easier for people to leave. There will also often be a new customer onboarding team and no offboarding team at all (see Conway's Law). This makes it a natural place for legislation to help out us punters just looking to cancel without spending all morning on the phone. The Roach Motel The subscription trap is similar to the unsubscribe roach motel anti-pattern for email subscriptions. A roach motel is a trap for cockroaches which is easy to get in and hard to get out. Harry Brignull, author of Deceptive Patterns, gives a great example of contrasting subscribe and unsubscribe steps in his article on the unsubscribe roach motel. Don't get Caught! If you want to save money, reviewing your subscriptions and knowing what you're spending is a smart first step. We have a spreadsheet with all active monthly payments. A quick scan makes it easy to see what we still use or don't. And yes, battle through the sludge and bureaucracy—it's worth it! Related Ideas to the Subscription Trap Also see: Dark patterns - using design to deceive The Shirky Principle - institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution Goodhart's Law - when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure Campbell's Law - the more any quantitative social indicator is used for decision-making, the more likely it is to be distorted Conway's Law - software reflects the structure of the teams that built it You Get What You Measure Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut Amazon and Uber's Virtuous Cycle for Mega Growth The Business Flywheel For interviews with Mahoney and Thaler (of sludge and nudge), see (once again) Freakonomics, Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?

27 Apr

Illustration of Adam Smith’s quote about trade: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker…” showing how self-interest leads to mutual benefit in trade and a tipsy baker.

The Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker — Adam Smith quote

One of the most famous lines from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations is: "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages." —Adam Smith One interpretation is that this quote underpins capitalism: people trade because it benefits them, which is true. But what I like about this passage is that it hints at something else, too. There is a two-way benefit in effective trade. To help ourselves, we have to help others. And to help others, we have to understand what they want. Good trade depends not just on self-interest but on the ability to take another person's perspective. The magic of trade is that both sides are better off when it works well—a genuine win-win. You can find more interpretation on this short passage at the OLL. I first read the passage in The Invisible Hand, part of Penguin's Great Ideas Series. It makes a good introduction to Adam Smith. Freakonomics also did a great two-part podcast series on Adam Smith: In Search of the Real Adam Smith. Related Ideas to the Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker Also see: Rival and Non-Rival Goods Fungible and Non-Fungible Goods Veblen Goods The Bullwhip Effect Recession vs Depression The Business Flywheel…One of the most famous lines from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations is: "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages." —Adam Smith One interpretation is that this quote underpins capitalism: people trade because it benefits them, which is true. But what I like about this passage is that it hints at something else, too. There is a two-way benefit in effective trade. To help ourselves, we have to help others. And to help others, we have to understand what they want. Good trade depends not just on self-interest but on the ability to take another person's perspective. The magic of trade is that both sides are better off when it works well—a genuine win-win. You can find more interpretation on this short passage at the OLL. I first read the passage in The Invisible Hand, part of Penguin's Great Ideas Series. It makes a good introduction to Adam Smith. Freakonomics also did a great two-part podcast series on Adam Smith: In Search of the Real Adam Smith. Related Ideas to the Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker Also see: Rival and Non-Rival Goods Fungible and Non-Fungible Goods Veblen Goods The Bullwhip Effect Recession vs Depression The Business Flywheel

20 Apr

BASE jumping is an acronym for Building, Antenna (like a radio or communication tower), Span (such as a bridge), and Earth (a cliff or natural formation)—the four types of fixed objects people jump from

BASE Jumping — Building, Antenna, Span, Earth

BASE jumping is the hair-raising pastime of leaping off tall, fixed objects instead of out of planes, for example. It's a great name because it works as-is and is also an acronym—which I didn't realise for years. BASE stands for the types of fixed objects BASE jumpers might throw themselves off: Buildings, Antennas (like radio or communication towers), Spans (i.e. bridges), and Earth (like a cliff or natural formation). The term BASE jumping was coined by filmmaker Carl Boenish, who famously jumped off El Capitan, among other dramatic locations. It remains one of the most dangerous sporting activities, and tragically, Carl died on a jump in Norway. People even BASE jump into caves. Perhaps you remember the spectacular opening sequence from the BBC Planet Earth Caves episode. Bungee jumping isn't technically BASE jumping. BASE jumping involves a parachute, whereas bungee jumping uses the trademark stretchy cord and involves bouncing around before being pulled back up. BASE jumping is an acronym like laser or radar, where the letters form a word you say as a whole. If we said B–A–S–E jumping (saying the letters individually), it would instead be an initialism. BASE jumping is often carried out illegally, such as by trespassing on private buildings to jump off from them. Just to be clear—I'm not recommending you try it out =) Related Ideas to BASE Jumping BASE Jumping is a good opportunity to share some of my favourite sketches to think about: The Fun Scale Flow Optimism Bias Acronyms and Initialisms Know your flying fabrics Nine-Enders What drives us? Core components of risk Microlives and micromorts…BASE jumping is the hair-raising pastime of leaping off tall, fixed objects instead of out of planes, for example. It's a great name because it works as-is and is also an acronym—which I didn't realise for years. BASE stands for the types of fixed objects BASE jumpers might throw themselves off: Buildings, Antennas (like radio or communication towers), Spans (i.e. bridges), and Earth (like a cliff or natural formation). The term BASE jumping was coined by filmmaker Carl Boenish, who famously jumped off El Capitan, among other dramatic locations. It remains one of the most dangerous sporting activities, and tragically, Carl died on a jump in Norway. People even BASE jump into caves. Perhaps you remember the spectacular opening sequence from the BBC Planet Earth Caves episode. Bungee jumping isn't technically BASE jumping. BASE jumping involves a parachute, whereas bungee jumping uses the trademark stretchy cord and involves bouncing around before being pulled back up. BASE jumping is an acronym like laser or radar, where the letters form a word you say as a whole. If we said B–A–S–E jumping (saying the letters individually), it would instead be an initialism. BASE jumping is often carried out illegally, such as by trespassing on private buildings to jump off from them. Just to be clear—I'm not recommending you try it out =) Related Ideas to BASE Jumping BASE Jumping is a good opportunity to share some of my favourite sketches to think about: The Fun Scale Flow Optimism Bias Acronyms and Initialisms Know your flying fabrics Nine-Enders What drives us? Core components of risk Microlives and micromorts

13 Apr

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