Taste, Time, and Attention - Jackson Dahl

A new take on my Thoughts + Things format for you. Rather than breaking out little blurbs for each recommendation, I thought it would be fun to write a short essay and list a handful of recommendations that inspired it. I hope you enjoy it and can find time to read the list of inspirations in full—they are great. It's never been easier to consume anything and everything. Infinite supply of everything the world has to offer—and soon, anything we can imagine—available instantly. The same goes for creating: anything has never been more possible. So: where to spend our time? There's been much discussion lately about taste. Taste is at its simplest, choosing. It's scarcity amidst an abundance of choice. It's judgment that is socially valuable and also personal. When we share it, taste can be a compass that points in the direction of our gaze. But what are these choices made of and how do we begin to choose? I like the idea that taste is mostly a product of appetite. Most often, people with

A new take on my Thoughts + Things format for you. Rather than breaking out little blurbs for each recommendation, I thought it would be fun to write a short essay and list a handful of recommendations that inspired it. I hope you enjoy it and can find time to read the list of inspirations in full—they are great. It's never been easier to consume anything and everything. Infinite supply of everything the world has to offer—and soon, anything we can imagine—available instantly. The same goes for creating: anything has never been more possible. So: where to spend our time? There's been much disc