What I think and believe about the universe is constantly in flux. This is my best attempt to capture my current worldview in writing.

Writing

My motto is: "Just say the damn thing." I believe that clarity and simplicity are the keys to effective communication. These principles guide all of my work, whether that's designing a documentation system, crafting educational materials, publishing blog posts, or writing a love letter to my wife.

You'll have to judge for yourself whether I live up to that ideal.

Religion

I do not believe in the supernatural. As a result, I do not believe in the gods of traditional religions. However, I do not claim to know whether or not our universe was created. If it was, I believe that the creator did so through natural processes that we may one day understand.

I enjoy reading about Zen Buddhism, and I sometimes attend Catholic mass with my wife.

Free Will

Some people might call my position compatibilism: the idea that free will and determinism are compatible. I believe in a limited form of free will, and that most of the time we do not exercise it.

At any given moment, our thoughts and actions are determined by our:

• genetics,
• upbringing,
• environment, and
• neural wiring.

All of these factors create a causal chain with a long history stretching back to the beginning of biology.

The only factor we have any real control over is our neural wiring. Through practices like meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy, we can rewire our brains to some extent. However, even this is limited by genetics and evolutionary history.