Commonplace pages: January 5-11

Published as 2026-0112 Commonplace pages 01 _ January 5-11.html

Week of Monday, January 05 to Sunday, January 11

Notes for the week

A lot of what I captured last week circles around thoughts I’m already having. It’s funnily summarized by a TikTok video I watched after the week had already ended, about “the -ification of knowledge.” It’s so apt to the accidental theme of the week that I’m adding the find to this letter instead of rolling it over to next week.

I also can’t resist sharing with you that many of these will make it into a mega-essay I’ve been composing on the subject since the New Year. For now, have these links in their un-annotated source glory.

• processed into metabolic workspace

• migrated to loss of identity

• processed to knowledge as status symbol and the aestheticization of intelligence

• taste as a weapon of exclusion

• processed to sleep is one of the last facets of living that capitalism cannot colonize

• make resolutions you can’t keep

• intentionally increase the surface area for luck and serendipity to occur

• dimmers

• online habits change our personalities

• scroll journal

• processed to knowledge as status symbol and the aestheticization of intelligence