“Pretty much everywhere you look, you’ll find bullshit. We are constantly bombarded with politicians and “experts” on TV, at conferences and on social media, spouting bullshit. An economist would tell you that it is simply impossible for so much bullshit to exist, because the market values truth, but of course that’s bullshit.”
Here’s how to estimate your monthly Social Security income in retirement.
In 2024, the average Social Security benefit is $1,862 per month, while the maximum for those retiring at full retirement age is $3,822. Achieving the maximum requires earning the taxable maximum for 35 years.
We lie to ourselves to protect our self-images, which allows us to act immorally while maintaining a clear conscience. According to the very latest research, self-deception may have even evolved to help us to persuade others; if we start believing our own lies, it’s much easier to get other people to believe them, too.
“In stating that Abstract Art died of acute boredom, I meant boredom on the part of both public and artist. The public got bored because these things meant nothing to them, and they only went to see them in the first instance because they made them laugh. After a bit they became a stale joke. The artists’ boredom was of a more complicated order. I will endeavor to explain it.”
