Canon
28 ideas tracked across 13 canon, 10 curious, 5 novel.
Canon
Close Relationships Are the Strongest Predictor of Life Satisfaction
Harvard Study of Adult Development (Grant Study)
Endocrine Disruptors Are Driving a Global Fertility Crisis
Multiple — synthesized by Shanna Swan (Count Down, 2021), rooted in Colborn, Skakkebaek, Trasande
Environment Shapes Behavior More Than Willpower
Multiple — synthesized by James Clear, rooted in Kahneman, Lewin, Duhigg
False Information Spreads Faster and Further Than Truth
Vosoughi, Roy & Aral — MIT (2018)
Focus Only on What You Can Control
Epictetus / Marcus Aurelius / Seneca
Four Horsemen Predict Relationship Failure
John Gottman
Meaning Comes from Responsibility, Not Happiness
Viktor Frankl
Meditation Is Mental Training, Not Relaxation
Multiple — Buddhist traditions, clinical psychology, neuroscience
Physical Exercise Is the Single Most Effective Lifestyle Intervention
Multiple — decades of research across medicine, neuroscience, and psychology
Sobriety as a Life Force Multiplier
Multiple — emerging cultural pattern, validated by 2025 Surgeon General Advisory
The Gut Is a Second Brain — And It Talks to Your First One
Multiple — Michael Gershon (The Second Brain, 1998), modern synthesis by Mayer, Pasricha, Sonnenburg
The Hedonic Treadmill — Happiness Returns to Baseline
Brickman & Campbell (1971)
The True Self vs. False Self — Childhood Adaptations That Persist Into Adulthood
Donald Winnicott (1960), extended by Bowlby, Masterson, Maté
Curious
"What Is the Most Generous Interpretation of This?"
Tim Ferriss
1,000 True Fans
Kevin Kelly
Alzheimer's as Metabolic Disease ("Type 3 Diabetes")
Multiple — neuroscience and metabolic research
Biographies as Substitute Mentors
David Senra / Jeremy Giffon, rooted in Bandura's vicarious learning theory
Courage Is a Learnable Skill
Tim Ferriss, with roots in exposure therapy research
Ketogenic Diets Reduce Depression and May Quiet the Mind
Multiple — metabolic psychiatry research
Mental Rehearsal Improves Performance
Sports psychology research
Musical Training Protects Against Cognitive Decline
Multiple — neuroscience and aging research
Nasal Breathing Is the Human Default — Mouth Breathing Degrades Health
Multiple — respiratory physiology, sleep medicine, dental research
Temptation Bundling
Katy Milkman (Wharton)
Novel
Cliff Events Reveal Who You Really Are
Jim Collins
Encodings vs. Strengths
Jim Collins
Return on Luck
Jim Collins
The Fire Shift — From Red to Green
Jim Collins
The Fog-Clarity Inversion
Jim Collins