Ringing in ‘The Bel’
Starting a year-long journey of writing
I can’t help but feel a bit hypocritical as I prepare to publish this first letter. It will kickoff what I hope to be 52 consecutive weeks of posting my thoughts, experiments and observations on ‘The Bel.’
This feeling stems from the fact that I have never been an avid consumer of online articles. In truth, newsletters, blogs and digital ‘essays’ are my least favorite form of written media to ingest. That’s not to say I don’t participate in the great online conversation that all of us with three wifi bars of connection get to tune into everyday. Some of my favorite subscriptions include Robinhood Snacks, Lenny’s Newsletter, Tim Ferris’ 5 Bullet Friday and sifting through any movie reviews lower than 5 stars on IMDb.
It’s just, for the most part, I’d rather read a book on any topic. For better or worse, if I find something interesting enough to spend 15 minutes reading an article on, I’m fully prepared to sit down with that subject for the next 4 - 10 hours, diving deep into an expertly researched piece of work. This is likely a result of my upbringing, as I was a huge bookworm growing up and never transitioned to news articles or magazines. I’ve probably read more books written by journalists than actual articles written by those same journalists.
I’ve been lucky enough to have the time (thanks to remote work and a wife who works 80 hour weeks as a medical resident) to take stock and realize that I am missing out on a vast range of knowledge and entertainment with my lackluster participation in this world.
As with most things, I’m all or nothing (citation: Will only read a tweet, or a book, on a subject. No in-between) and have had a desire to find a path back to creative writing, which I think I used to enjoy back when I actually did it. I mean, I graduated with a degree in public relations and very much do not do that work professionally - so you’ll have to forgive me if these posts do not follow AP style.
So here I am, aiming to consistently deliver one letter every Thursday for the next year, aiming to join the digital community, bring rigorous analysis into everyday life, and share my unqualified ramblings with you.
I want to pause here to note that I was directly inspired by a college friend of mine who ran this exact same challenge a little over a year ago. You can find his newsletter, Ware and Why, here. It’s both thoughtful and engaging, and even though he isn’t actively publishing today, the archive is 100% worth exploring. Thanks for taking the leap first, Trevor.
In speaking to what you can expect from this newsletter, I’ll draw a comparison to David Epstein’s book “Range.” If you have not read the book, the underlying argument Epstein makes is that specialization is not the only path to success, and that generalists with a diverse set of experiences and skills are often better able to make broad, complex connections and problem solve. “Generalists” are the “Swiss Army Knife” of people.
Whether or not you agree with the root thesis of that message, the idea of “dabbling” across multiple disciplines to gain a diverse set of insights struck me as a useful framework to approaching thinking, learning and in this case, writing.
I most definitely consider myself a generalist, and these posts will reflect that. I’ll share some of my favorite products, reviews on books, reflections on personal experiments and investigate social, travel, play, economic and entertainment questions I am exploring. Maybe I’ll even start making connections across this spectrum of topics, or you, my readers, will begin to do that yourself.
As a “Generalist,” being curious about everything around me comes naturally. As an inherently curious person, I devour media that explores any extreme obscure niche of new technologies… to deeply understanding the most mundane everyday operations that are otherwise taken for granted.
I take inspiration from podcasts such as “How Stuff Works” and “Unexplainable” to books like “What If” by Randall Munroe and “Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World” by Matt Parker. There are few better feelings than picking up a completely new subject, flipping it over and discovering what is underneath. My hope is that I can create the same rush for you by sharing insights from “small data” in my life and research that may spark your curiosity.
Leaning into my echo chamber of reassurance, aka perpetuating the values of “Generalism,” I’ll share a chilling point that Epstein makes in “Range,”
In a wicked world, relying upon experience from a single domain is not only limiting, it can be disastrous.
‘The Bel’ isn’t meant to be a required addition to your daily dose of eye-strain (kudos to you if you are reading this in dark mode), but can possibly serve as one of many sources for your domain diversity.
Perhaps when you are looking for a respite from the “themes” you already subscribe to - “Stock Advice,” “Master Gardening,” “Cooking for Pros,” “Health and Wealth,” and etc cetera * ♾️ - you’ll hear a tinkle in your ear and answer the ringing Bel.
So welcome readers, scrollers, gloss over-ers, skeptics, haters, fans and Dax Shepard (it would just be really cool if he read my newsletter).
This is The Bel.