Monthly Roundup #46: September 2026

Substack · Watch/Read · (gathered 2026-09-23)

• The monthly roundup critically examines diverse societal trends, cultural shifts, and practical dilemmas, often highlighting misaligned incentives, the erosion of rational norms, and the importance of focusing on what truly matters.
• The “Woke 1 Was Crazy” phenomenon illustrates how the incentive to avoid being the “well, actually” person can silence reasonable voices and allow discourse to spiral “wildly off the rails.”
• While “Lighthaven” rationalist subcultures embrace liberating norms like walking away from conversations, successful interaction in non-rationalist contexts demands “code-switching” to avoid communicating disrespect.
• An “underrated charity strategy” is to “Give Effective People Money” retroactively and with no strings attached for work already loved, which builds funder reputation and empowers recipients.
• The “Mamdani NYC city-run grocery store fiasco” exemplifies the pitfalls of government initiatives that are poorly conceived and lack viable implementation plans, leading to constant policy reversals and economic absurdity.