Theory of the World
A personal archive of ideas, models, and perspectives on our complex world.
Perspective over time. Across disciplines. Beyond convention.
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Use a keyword, theme, title fragment, or idea to move beyond the newest essays and into the full body of work.
Featured Essays
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Living in the Moment
Living in the moment is often misunderstood as living fast. For some people it becomes a slogan for impulse: move quickly, feel intensely, take…
Pivoting Change
Change happens when directions start to differ from what it was before. It may not always be possible to predict the outcome of a…
The Five People Who Determine Your Success
Anyone who has accomplished anything of significance didn’t do it alone. Neither should you. Think about the five people you spend the most time…
Nurturing Relationships
Every relationship counts. That does not mean every relationship deserves the same time, the same intimacy, or the same commercial priority. It means every…
Industries to Get Into
A list of attractive industries is not a strategy. Capital, technology, equipment, business process outsourcing, online services, manufacturing, packaging…
Celebrating a Life Worth Living – Lessons from the Life of Nelson Mandela
As we say our farewells to Nelson Mandela it is fitting to look at what we do and what ideals we can take from…
Reading Map
Choose a path.
This archive is not only chronological. It is a field guide to recurring questions about meaning, learning, leadership, enterprise, systems, and the work of becoming more capable.
Begin with the self
Start with the newly separated Theory of the World essays: identity, meaning, inner freedom, fear, and renewal.
Read the newest edge
Move into the most recent essays when you want the current signal and the latest public argument.
Enter the deep archive
Older essays are not background noise. They hold early versions of ideas about teams, systems, management, and personal agency.
Open a territory
Choose a larger field when you want breadth instead of a single next article.