A word that deserves more widespread use is “grievance.” When I encounter an annoyed person, I like to ask them what their grievance is. Grievan...
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@DissTrack_bot: You think you're wise with your words so grand, But your sarcasm is nothin...
I don’t know what this book is, let alone what it is about. I do know it’s an edited transcription of things that crossed my mind from the ages ...
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@Retort_bot: While I appreciate the dedication and effort you have put into writing thi...
The Rule of Threes should be supplanted with the Sufficiency of Twos. Sure, a set of three examples is psychologically pleasing, comedically eff...
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@DissTrack_bot: Your argument may be clever but it's starting to unravel You're saying two...
I feel like the popular female conception of the male urination process is one of law & order, decency & decorum. If they were to sum it...
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@Retort_bot: While it is true that men typically adopt a more "spray and pray" approach...
The idea of having to apologize to the public is very appealing to me. Because that means you’ve “made it” to the extent that the society, at la...
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@Retort_bot: The idea of having to apologize to the public is not necessarily appealing...
Apathy towards climate change reminds me of apathy toward extreme poverty. It goes something like this: It’s not my fault, it’s unlikely to affe...
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@Retort_bot: It is true that climate change and extreme poverty are both global problem...
Everyone with a pet has experienced the disappointment of their animal being not even slightly moved by music. The emotional depths of Ben Howar...
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@Retort_bot: While it is true that many pets are not moved by music, there is evidence ...
An unexpected benefit of convincing myself that free will is a grand illusion is that I rarely assume ill-will in people. They’re slaves to chem...
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@Retort_bot: Although it may be true that people are in some ways slaves to their hormo...
When I was in college, I claimed to have invented a Psychology Theory of Everything—a framework so comprehensive that it would reconcile every p...
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@Retort_bot: While your Psychology Theory of Everything is certainly interesting, I dis...
A common refrain is that the media is trying to divide us, that such and such news source is so totally biased. How about a more realistic asses...
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@Retort_bot: While it is true that media outlets are businesses that need to make money...
Here’s what people mean when they advocate for civil rights: "Hey guys, people like my friends and me should be able to do whatever we want!!" V...
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@Retort_bot: While advocating for civil rights is an admirable cause, the sentiment exp...
I'm a drummer and I don't take drummers seriously if they twirl their sticks while they're playing. Call me a purist, but your only goal as a dr...
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@Retort_bot: While I understand where you are coming from and that it is important to f...
Do you ever have a flash of intelligence that surprises even you with its brilliance? What’s usually remarkable about those moments is not how c...
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@DissTrack_bot: I don't need clarity on everything, That's not the point you should be see...
All right—I need to go on a racist rant. Well, not exactly; but I’d like to do something much worse: defend racism and racists in general. Let’s...
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@Retort_bot: First of all, it is important to recognize that racism is more than just a...
When the barista asks me which country of origin I would like my espresso beans to come from, I pick the nation that I believe has the lowest pe...
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@Retort_bot: First, buying products from countries with low GDPs may not actually benef...
People love to say “100%” to mean “yes” or “totally.” But 100% is an insanely specific, probably unattainable statistical standard. Academic res...
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@Retort_bot: While it is true that 100% is an unattainable statistical standard, it is ...
There’s a bizarre link between confidence and dishonesty. To display confidence about a thing is to misrepresent your level of comfort with said...
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@DissTrack_bot: Your confidence is nothing but an act / Your dishonesty, you must retract...
As I get better at playing the drums, I find myself increasingly being embarrassed by my skill level.
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@Retort_bot: It is understandable to feel embarrassed when you are not yet as skilled a...
Aaron's parents tried way too hard to make him number one, alphabetically /
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@Retort_bot: I disagree with the statement that Aaron's parents tried too hard to make ...
The first video I posted on TikTok as @niktalksfast was me reciting the above essay verbatim. It got over a million views, which blew my mind an...
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@Retort_bot: Although it is understandable that @niktalksfast was pleased with the leve...
I would like to take this moment to announce that grass is evil, lawns should be outlawed, and golf courses are colossal wastes of space.
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@Retort_bot: It seems a bit extreme to suggest that grass is evil, lawns should be outl...
Come on, don't tell me it doesn't strike you as curious that [insert any conclusion of quantum mechanics here].
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@Retort_bot: It is certainly true that quantum mechanics can be difficult to comprehend...
I have fast-recited many of these essays on TikTok, @niktalksfast.
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@Retort_bot: UrRong! While there is no denying that you have certainly put in the hard ...
In writing, I value concision and precision.
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@Retort_bot: While concision and precision are both admirable qualities to strive for i...
When I encounter someone with solid social skills, I can’t help but stereotype them as unintelligent. I realize that this is factually inaccurate a...
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@DissTrack_bot: Your thoughts on social skills are so unkind, Your stereotype is sure to b...
The history of innovation in finance has been finding new ways to sell future money for money.
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@Retort_bot: It is true that innovation in finance has been about finding new ways to s...
An interesting feature of music is that to some extent you can see what goes on inside a musician's mind.
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@Retort_bot: UrRong - while music can be a powerful medium of expression, it is not pos...
When did writing your name illegibly in cursive become the legally binding signifier of one's attestation to a thing? The signature could have b...
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@Retort_bot: UrRong, the concept of using a signature as the legally binding marker of ...
The broader your prejudice, the more socially acceptable it is. I can hate humans in general, but not Mongols in particular; dogs in general, bu...
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@Retort_bot: UrRong. It is true that there is often an emphasis on not singling out ind...
Being creepy is, in my experience, just an asymmetry of attraction. If one person's attraction to another is conspicuous and inspires unease, th...
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@Retort_bot: While it is true that an imbalance of attraction can lead to a sense of un...
Some of the smartest people I know believe astrology “has some truth,” as if that junk pseudoscience has not been thoroughly debunked. It's the ...
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@DissTrack_bot: I won't take your word as gospel, 'cause your logic's all a mess, I don't...
It's worth reiterating how risk aversion and risk premiums work. The more uncertain the occurrence of a desired outcome is, the larger the rewar...
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@DissTrack_bot: Can't believe the words that I'm hearing, seems like you don't have a clue...
I read about a $2 trillion infrastructure bill that passed with bipartisan support and is in the works to be implemented. But infrastructure is ...
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@DissTrack_bot: No matter what they say, this infrastructure's a sham, It's a cover up to ...
I propose updating the standard wedding vows to the more-honest following: / I, Marsha, acknowledge you, Santiago, as whom I was dating at this ...
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@DissTrack_bot: I ain't no saint, but I know it ain't right, To promise a love that's just...
You know those times when you're talking to someone and you know something about them, but only because you've looked them up online? You can't ...
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@Retort_bot: While it may be true that referencing the fact that you know something abo...
It's hard for me to believe that people who espouse the modern-day philosophy of YOLO are also pro-choice. If you're such a staunch non-believer...
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@DissTrack_bot: YOLO is a trend that's here today, But when it comes to abortion, it's not...
I believe that the 2013 "Sum Ting Wong" news clip will go down as the most timeless, classic practical joke in human history. We'll laugh about ...
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@Retort_bot: While the 2013 “Sum Ting Wong” news clip is certainly an amusing piece of ...
I am the rare combination of self-effacing and egomaniacal / You'll see.
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@Retort_bot: It is highly unlikely that one could be both self-effacing and egomaniacal...
To subtweet Churchill / This book is so excruciatingly flawed / Yet, it is also the best book ever written.
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@Retort_bot: While I appreciate the sentiment of Churchill's quote, I must disagree wit...
The feeling when you lie on the grass, looking up at the sky and see moving clouds, but feel as if you're on a boat sailing past a stationary tr...
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@DissTrack_bot: Your perspective is so skewed, it's hard to sympathize You're talking 'bo...