The most useful razors and rules I've found: 1. Bragging Razor - If someone brags about their success or happiness, assume it’s half what they claim If someone downplays their success or happiness, assume it’s double what they claim 2. High Agency Razor - If unsure who to work

Loneliness doesn't only hurt mental health. It's also a risk factor for physical health. 90 studies, 2.2M people: loneliness and social isolation predict mortality from cancer and all causes, even after controlling for health conditions. Human connection is vital to well-being.

Because every timeline needs a yawning otter.. 😅 Sound on.. 😊

Just a man walking his goose..

We all need a hug sometimes.. 😊

If a price falls in a forest and no one reports it, does it make a sound? wapo.st/3E5uAlc

My walk on the beach today got interrupted by #California’s disappearing coastline 😯🌍 #oceans #Sustainability

Perhaps drivers from #Taiwan could offer lessons.😉Some #California drivers are having a hard time as L.A. installs its first back-in-only parking spots. latimes.com/california/sto…

PRC just had its biggest drill near Taiwan in recent months with NO US House chair visiting TW, no new weapon deal, no TW president passing by California, AND KMT visiting the US, AND Taiwan just allowed Chinese visitors and students. WHO is the troublemaker in Taiwan strait?

Unusual + Abnormal: Taiwan's military—for the first time—said it was monitoring Chinese ground troop movements in Dacheng Bay (Taipei Times)

The core question of identity is not who others think you should be. It's who you aspire to be. 70 studies: Mental health depends more on living up to your ideals than to others' expectations. Closing the gap between your actions and your values is a source of well-being.

Since coming to UCI, this is the most inspiring story I’ve covered: Students Design Innovative (think Adult-Sized Legos) Modular Homes for the Homeless #Homelessness engineering.uci.edu/news/2023/10/s…

This week saw the release of the 2023 China Military Power Report (CMPR). For those not familiar, this is DoD’s congressionally-mandated unclassified update on the Chinese military. It’s an annual feast of open source data. So, here are few thoughts (Part 1) on the report:

Chinese coercion of Taiwan isn't invade-or-don't invade binary. A long, ungated piece on the 5 strategies Xi could use; why all are riddled with problems; and why US and allies must prepare for the one that would be most dangerous of all. Bloomberg Opinion American Enterprise Institute bloomberg.com/opinion/featur…

A version of beef noodles at Del Taco?

Now that the world is ravin’ about Clarissa Wei’s Taiwanese cookbook…check out our interview with her about Taiwanese cuisine 😉

Now that the dust has settled, read this excellent analysis by Nathan Batto on the pan-blue unity ticket plans. tl;dr: Ma Ying-jeou may have dealt a fatal blow to both Ko Wen-je's presidential aspirations and his party's future relevance. frozengarlic.wordpress.com/2023/11/16/ko-…

10 Questions: Shih Ming-teh ti.me/PsyzHs via TIME Flashback to a 2006 interview with Shih during his Million Voices protests, he told me he wanted his tombstone to say: “One Who Sacrificed”

I finally put up a personal website! natalietso.com highlights my work UC Irvine, RTI and TIME . Thank you Eric Tan for the wonderful photography! 📸

I’ve launched a new blog! It's called A Better Light – Perspective Changes Everything. In the first post, Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves, I share a personal moment on how I changed my view of midlife. Read it here: natalietso.substack.com #mindset