My summary of Obama: He is the fellow who, when there is fire in the building, makes a great moving speech, then calls for advice. - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

This idea that in order to make a decision you need to focus on the consequences (which you can know) rather than the probability (which you can’t know) is the central idea of uncertainty. Much

Aging is losing enemies without replacement.

It is remarkable how fast and how effectively you can construct a nationality with a flag, a few speeches, and a national anthem; to this day I avoid the label "Lebanese," preferring the less restrictive "Levantine" designation.