Odds & Ends: February 7, 2025

The Anti-Social Century. Derek Thompson’s latest Atlantic piece highlights a fascinating paradox about American culture: while Americans are spending more time alone than ever before, they’re not reporting increased loneliness. In fact, many of us seem to prefer keeping to ourselves. The comfort of Netflix, food delivery, and remote work is winning out over the messiness of real-world interactions. Thompson suggests that while we may feel fine with this arrangement from day to day, over the long term, we’re missing out on a part of life that makes us fully human and leads to a happy and flourishing life. Our ability to handle disagreement, build community, and even sustain democracy itself might depend on all those small, sometimes uncomfortable social interactions we’re increasingly avoiding. There’s been a lot of coverage of loneliness and disconnection for the last several years, but this piece offers plenty of fresh insights into a topic you think you know well. 

Cinderella Man. History books can explain the Great Depression, but watching Russell Crowe’s James J. Braddock give his last slice of bologna to his hungry kids makes it real in a way statistics can’t. We watched Ron Howard’s 2005 boxing drama as a family recently, and 11-year-old Scout’s reaction — “The Great Depression was so sad, Dad” — shows how film can transform distant history into something real. Braddock’s true story of fighting his way from the welfare line to heavyweight champion captures both the desperation and dignity of 1930s America. The boxing scenes are thrilling, but it’s the quiet moments like Braddock telling his wife that he’s “all prayed out” or returning welfare money after his comeback that make this more than just another sports movie. 

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. After reading countless picture books to my kids (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom still haunts my dreams), this deadpan story about a bear searching for his missing hat stands alone. Klassen’s humor works on two levels: kids love the simple mystery and expressive illustrations, while parents appreciate the perfectly-timed comic beats and the hilariously dark ending. It’s the rare picture book that doesn’t make you want to “accidentally” lose it behind the bookshelf after the hundredth reading. A masterclass in doing more with less.

Vuori Sunday Performance Jogger. I’ve had these for years now, and they’ve become my Swiss Army knife of pants. Perfect for chilly morning workouts, coaching flag football games, or just lounging around the house reading. The material hits that sweet spot between structure and comfort. They’re substantial, yet so soft you look forward to putting them on. I also like the special pocket on the leg for your smartphone. Yes, they’re on the pricey side for joggers, but considering how often I reach for them (and how well they’ve held up), they’ve well earned out the cost.

On our Dying Breed newsletter, we published Sunday Firesides: Be Someone’s Atmospheric Getaway and Increase Your Agency By Increasing Your Affordances.

Quote of the Week

Truth as old as the hills is bound up in the Latin proverb, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’ It is surprising what a man can do when he has to, and how little most men will do when they don’t have to.

—Walter Linn

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.