Tyler Alterman
@tyleralterman.bsky.social
Venture culturalist (Connecting ideas & people in the name of truth beauty goodness & clowning). Substack: lalachimera.com. Campus: fractalnyc.com
When did you first discover the malleability of social reality?
For me, it was when I did my Eagle Scout project (building a boardwalk). I was advised to call up lumberyards and ask for wood for free. I did and the lumberyards were just like "OK"
For me, it was when I did my Eagle Scout project (building a boardwalk). I was advised to call up lumberyards and ask for wood for free. I did and the lumberyards were just like "OK"
September 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM
When did you first discover the malleability of social reality?
For me, it was when I did my Eagle Scout project (building a boardwalk). I was advised to call up lumberyards and ask for wood for free. I did and the lumberyards were just like "OK"
For me, it was when I did my Eagle Scout project (building a boardwalk). I was advised to call up lumberyards and ask for wood for free. I did and the lumberyards were just like "OK"
Here’s a really simple tip a teacher gave me which blew my mind at the time. According to him, outside of the West meditation is often seen as something that you do with your *body* rather than something that you do with your mind. His advice to me was “meditate with your body.”
September 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Here’s a really simple tip a teacher gave me which blew my mind at the time. According to him, outside of the West meditation is often seen as something that you do with your *body* rather than something that you do with your mind. His advice to me was “meditate with your body.”
The strategy of many of my friends is to hide from egregores. Reasonable, because a bad egreg interaction can wreck your life. But eventually the task is to create egregs that are less anti-life. For this, we need field researchers brave enough to learn through egreg interaction.
September 29, 2026 at 10:00 PM
The strategy of many of my friends is to hide from egregores. Reasonable, because a bad egreg interaction can wreck your life. But eventually the task is to create egregs that are less anti-life. For this, we need field researchers brave enough to learn through egreg interaction.
People are fundamentally good. But a lot of the mental software we run is contextually bad. Believing this will allow you to connect with anyone on earth, including assholes.
September 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM
People are fundamentally good. But a lot of the mental software we run is contextually bad. Believing this will allow you to connect with anyone on earth, including assholes.
There is complete sadness and incomplete sadness. Catharsis is the fruit of the sadness that you complete. Agony is the punishment for the sadness you did not allow to complete.
September 29, 2026 at 1:00 PM
There is complete sadness and incomplete sadness. Catharsis is the fruit of the sadness that you complete. Agony is the punishment for the sadness you did not allow to complete.
Note to self: Try solving the coordination problem of “get people in house to wash dishes” before attempting the coordination problem of...“international collaboration on existential risk.”
September 28, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Note to self: Try solving the coordination problem of “get people in house to wash dishes” before attempting the coordination problem of...“international collaboration on existential risk.”
Should you dare hold diverse political opinions, know that every side will find a way to pattern-match you to Enemy. To the right you're a libtard. To the left you're a f-word. To the center, you're an extremist.
Stamina to persevere is found in understanding their perspectives
Stamina to persevere is found in understanding their perspectives
September 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Should you dare hold diverse political opinions, know that every side will find a way to pattern-match you to Enemy. To the right you're a libtard. To the left you're a f-word. To the center, you're an extremist.
Stamina to persevere is found in understanding their perspectives
Stamina to persevere is found in understanding their perspectives
There is a person I judged be be bitter, annoying, and immature.
Then they fell in love, and revealed themselves to have been very profound and very sweet all along.
After a life of self-disgust, they simply needed their worth reflected back to them.
Then they fell in love, and revealed themselves to have been very profound and very sweet all along.
After a life of self-disgust, they simply needed their worth reflected back to them.
September 28, 2026 at 1:00 PM
There is a person I judged be be bitter, annoying, and immature.
Then they fell in love, and revealed themselves to have been very profound and very sweet all along.
After a life of self-disgust, they simply needed their worth reflected back to them.
Then they fell in love, and revealed themselves to have been very profound and very sweet all along.
After a life of self-disgust, they simply needed their worth reflected back to them.
The science of conscious rationality remains overhyped while the art of preconscious rationality remains underexplored
September 27, 2026 at 10:00 PM
The science of conscious rationality remains overhyped while the art of preconscious rationality remains underexplored
What are the most psychoactive pieces of writing you’ve encountered?
September 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM
What are the most psychoactive pieces of writing you’ve encountered?
Wholesome is the new edgy
September 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Wholesome is the new edgy
I’ve never resonated with the surface aesthetics of gay culture, but I deeply resonate with how it’s one of the few modern liberal cultures where you don’t have to hate yourself
September 26, 2026 at 10:00 PM
I’ve never resonated with the surface aesthetics of gay culture, but I deeply resonate with how it’s one of the few modern liberal cultures where you don’t have to hate yourself
TIL if you're already in the middle of taosurfing, dont be like "Oops, am I doing it right?"
September 26, 2026 at 4:00 PM
TIL if you're already in the middle of taosurfing, dont be like "Oops, am I doing it right?"
If I become a gazillionaire I’m just absolutely giving all my close allies $1m each because I know they’ll spend it in value-creating ways
I’m confused about why I don’t know of any stories of this sort of thing
I’m confused about why I don’t know of any stories of this sort of thing
September 26, 2026 at 1:00 PM
If I become a gazillionaire I’m just absolutely giving all my close allies $1m each because I know they’ll spend it in value-creating ways
I’m confused about why I don’t know of any stories of this sort of thing
I’m confused about why I don’t know of any stories of this sort of thing
Guys deadlines aren’t soft or hard, they’re blurry or sharp. They’re *lines.* Please share this with every MBA you know.
September 25, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Guys deadlines aren’t soft or hard, they’re blurry or sharp. They’re *lines.* Please share this with every MBA you know.
If you encounter a fascinating idea and find that its adherents are lame, you're probably interacting only with the degenerate outer circle. There are further concentric circles. Keep going inward.
September 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM
If you encounter a fascinating idea and find that its adherents are lame, you're probably interacting only with the degenerate outer circle. There are further concentric circles. Keep going inward.
How to tell your friend to stfu
SF: I have a story that I’m triggered by my perception that you are saying more words than makes me comfortable, that’s just what’s true for my body right now
NY: stfu
SF: I have a story that I’m triggered by my perception that you are saying more words than makes me comfortable, that’s just what’s true for my body right now
NY: stfu
September 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM
How to tell your friend to stfu
SF: I have a story that I’m triggered by my perception that you are saying more words than makes me comfortable, that’s just what’s true for my body right now
NY: stfu
SF: I have a story that I’m triggered by my perception that you are saying more words than makes me comfortable, that’s just what’s true for my body right now
NY: stfu
Am I allowed to say this?: Outside of maybe 5-10 classics, anime is bad
Terrible writing, cardboard characters, and generic aesthetics
That said, everyone needs to watch cowboy bebop
Terrible writing, cardboard characters, and generic aesthetics
That said, everyone needs to watch cowboy bebop
September 24, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Am I allowed to say this?: Outside of maybe 5-10 classics, anime is bad
Terrible writing, cardboard characters, and generic aesthetics
That said, everyone needs to watch cowboy bebop
Terrible writing, cardboard characters, and generic aesthetics
That said, everyone needs to watch cowboy bebop
Sex is a way of teaching and learning modes of being. I rarely see this talked about.
September 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Sex is a way of teaching and learning modes of being. I rarely see this talked about.
One big problem with "intentional communities" :
Their founders hate normies
Normies are the ones who buy into and maintain the social fabric. You need normies. You must come to love normies.
Their founders hate normies
Normies are the ones who buy into and maintain the social fabric. You need normies. You must come to love normies.
September 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM
One big problem with "intentional communities" :
Their founders hate normies
Normies are the ones who buy into and maintain the social fabric. You need normies. You must come to love normies.
Their founders hate normies
Normies are the ones who buy into and maintain the social fabric. You need normies. You must come to love normies.
"Down with hot people privilege!" said no one
September 23, 2026 at 10:00 PM
"Down with hot people privilege!" said no one
Hotness is mostly a consequence of believing that you’re hot. It transcends physical attractiveness, which plays a much smaller role than people think.
September 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Hotness is mostly a consequence of believing that you’re hot. It transcends physical attractiveness, which plays a much smaller role than people think.
The only way to love someone non-coercively is to accept that if you lost them, you would not lose yourself, that if they died, you would not
September 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The only way to love someone non-coercively is to accept that if you lost them, you would not lose yourself, that if they died, you would not
I get high off of people perceiving my potential. I get terrified from the demand to actually fulfill it.
September 22, 2026 at 10:00 PM
I get high off of people perceiving my potential. I get terrified from the demand to actually fulfill it.
You are not a noun. You are a set of correlated verbs.
September 22, 2026 at 4:00 PM
You are not a noun. You are a set of correlated verbs.