Archive - Shane O'Mara

the planning trap: when more means less

Using the psychological science of smart regulation to fix our broken housing systems

Jun 17 •

unitary presidentialism as a collective cognition design flaw

reversing the logic of distributed information processing

Jun 14 •

against civilisational nostalgia: western identity and global cognitive drift

All should have 'Remorse For Intemperate Speech'*

Jun 10 •

We are all (latent) cosmopolitan globalists

we all live on the same 'pale, blue, dot'

Jun 7 •

May 2025

psychological reactance theory: this is why you resist change

the most important theory in psychology you've never heard of

May 22 •

‘a low dishonest decade’

if an LLM can outrun your logic, there's a problem

May 17 •

the myth of a fixed personality

you can, in fact, and you do, in fact, change during life: and this is a good thing

May 13 •

walking is fundamentally good for human wellbeing

New York Times interview; London Walking Festival; London photos and food comments; crude, useful, comparisons of London, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam…

May 6 •

April 2025

looking into nostalgia’s mirror: bittersweet, fond-ish, social reflection

"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there"

Apr 28 •

Institutions as Robust and Resilient, Dynamic, Human, Time-Travelling, Cognitive Communities

Institutions are everywhere: look around. Institutions are human. They are not agentic. They are NOT coming to save you. But they might save you.

Apr 21 •

18:12

Decoding desire: brain science investigates the cosmetics industry

How brain imaging is redefining lipstick evaluation ('neurocosmetology') 💄

Apr 14 •

Catch up service

cognitive enhancement; miscellany; tariffs; strongman politics; decoding desire; thinking institutions

Apr 12 •

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