Scott Alexander eulogizes Scott Adams (Dilbert creator), analyzing his life as a tension between being a brilliant humorist and desperately wanting to be seen as more, leading through failed business ventures and self-help philosophies to eventual cancellation and death. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on the life and career of Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert), who died of prostate cancer at 68. The post traces Adams' journey from brilliant comic artist to failed businessman, religious philosopher, self-help guru, and ultimately Trump supporter, exploring how his lifelong tension between being genuinely clever and his inability to succeed outside of cartooning drove increasingly desperate attempts to prove himself. Alexander portrays Adams as someone who achieved world-class success in humor but couldn't accept that limitation, leading him through various failed ventures (restaurants, burritos, technology startups) and eventually into right-wing politics and cancellation. Despite the criticism, Alexander acknowledges Adams as a personal influence and teacher, ending with genuine tribute to someone who helped many people even while struggling with his own contradictions. Shorter summary

Scott reflects on how COVID-19's massive death toll of 1.2 million Americans has been overshadowed in public discourse by more controversial but less significant aspects of the pandemic. Longer summary

Five years after COVID-19, Scott Alexander reflects on how public discourse focuses on controversial aspects of the pandemic (lockdowns, masks, vaccines) while largely ignoring its staggering death toll of 1.2 million Americans. He points out this is the highest-fatality event in American history, surpassing the Civil War by 50%. Scott suggests this blind spot comes from two factors: dead people can't advocate for themselves, and controversy sells better than tragedy. He draws parallels with charity discourse, where controversial stories overshadow the actual lives saved. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander provides a stark, critical look at end-of-life care in hospitals, challenging idealized notions of death and the concept of 'cultivating a culture of life'. Longer summary

Scott Alexander describes the harsh realities of end-of-life care in modern hospitals, contrasting it with common idealized notions of death. He details the often undignified and painful process many patients go through, criticizes the concept of 'cultivating a culture of life' in hospitals, and expresses his personal wishes for a dignified death. The post is divided into three sections: a graphic description of typical hospital deaths, a critique of hospital poetry, and personal reflections on death and euthanasia. Shorter summary

The post contrasts public reactions to the deaths of Osama bin Laden and Margaret Thatcher, highlighting inconsistent moral standards in celebrating or condemning deaths of public figures. Longer summary

This post compares the public reactions to the deaths of Osama bin Laden and Margaret Thatcher, highlighting the contradictory nature of societal responses. The author notes that after bin Laden's death, many people preached against celebrating anyone's death, regardless of their actions. Conversely, when Thatcher died, many celebrated and defended the right to express negative feelings about public figures' deaths. The post suggests a significant overlap between these contradictory groups, implying a critique of inconsistent moral standards and selective outrage. Shorter summary