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# Autodidacts Newsletter #18
- URL: https://www.autodidacts.io/autodidacts-newsletter-18/
- Published: 2023-01-08T07:01:44.000Z
- Updated: 2023-01-08T07:01:44.000Z
- Author: The Autodidacts
- Tags: Newsletter

To get the year off on the right foot, we have a newsletter exclusively featuring **brief philosophical essays** on living well. In-depth, nerdy essays & technical articles will resume in the next issue. *(If you’d like to opt-out of our self-help department, but stay for the technical stuff, reply with `rm -rf blithering`, and we’ll only send you newsletters that have some relevance to your interests* *:)*

In 2021, we published a sprawling post on **gratitude**, written by and for people who tend toward melancholy. Now, we have a post on gratitude from someone who’s kind of an expert on the topic, featuring some *slightly* unorthodox exercises for generating this much-sought-after state:

[GratitudeFirst presented to friends and family on New Year’s Eve, 2022 When I was young, people would often tell me how lucky I was. I agreed with them, but wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do about it. I was a pretty happy little guy, but I was![](https://www.autodidacts.io/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/10/autodidacts-logo-small.png)The AutodidactsImmanuel![](https://www.autodidacts.io/content/images/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-21-at-21-59-10-The-Autodidacts.png)](https://www.autodidacts.io/gratitude/)

... and a small article about **irritating people**, exploring what might be the underlying cause of friction, and how to adapt:

[How is it that people can be annoying without doing anything?How is it that people can be irritating, without doing anything? Much of the day I have spent being irritated at people for the most ridiculous reasons: the sounds people make — slurping, breathing — when they’re wearing headphones, the smugness of people eating slowly while I eat fast, the sound![](https://www.autodidacts.io/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/10/autodidacts-logo-small.png)The AutodidactsCuriositry![](https://www.autodidacts.io/content/images/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-21-at-21-59-10-The-Autodidacts.png)](https://www.autodidacts.io/incompatible-states/)

... and a friendly reminder that**doing things fast can be self-defeating**:

[Why It’s Worth Doing Things ProperlyI like to get things done fast. I’ve gradually learned, however, that trying to get things done fast can be self-defeating. There’s a balance. If I work too fast, I make mistakes. And mistakes slow things down. A lot. They mean things have to be redone, they are![](https://www.autodidacts.io/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/10/autodidacts-logo-small.png)The AutodidactsImmanuel![](https://www.autodidacts.io/content/images/2022/10/Screenshot-2022-10-21-at-21-59-10-The-Autodidacts.png)](https://www.autodidacts.io/why-its-worth-doing-things-properly/)

Happy 2023!

The Autodidacts