Lessons from Paul Skallas

Paul Skallas, the mind behind the online persona "LindyMan," has cultivated a dedicated following by applying a simple yet profound heuristic to the complexities of modern life: the Lindy Effect. This principle, popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, suggests that the future life expectancy of a non-perishable thing—like an idea, technology, or tradition—is proportional to its current age. For Skallas, this is not just an intellectual curiosity but a practical guide to living a more robust and meaningful existence.

Through his prolific output on Twitter (@LindyMan) and his newsletter, "The Lindy Newsletter," Skallas dispenses a continuous stream of observations, advice, and aphorisms that challenge the modern obsession with novelty. His philosophy encourages a return to time-tested practices in diet, exercise, work, and social interactions, drawing inspiration from the ancient world to navigate the present.

On the Lindy Effect and Tradition

The core of Skallas's philosophy is the application of the Lindy Effect as a filter for navigating the modern world. He champions the idea that what has survived for a long time is likely to be more robust and less harmful than the novel and untested.

On the utility of Lindy: "I don't even use the word 'true.' I talk about what's useful to your life, what things are robust at the time and what things are not harmful." [1]
On the wisdom of the ancients: As a baseline for psychological insight, Skallas prefers the works of the ancients that have endured over modern peer-reviewed journals. [1] He argues that while they may not have known about modern science, they had a profound understanding of human nature. [1]
Lindy as a protective strategy: "Lindy exists chiefly for your protection, for risk/survival strategies in the modern world, with its constant onslaught of 'new products, new academic disciplines, new books, new technologies, new foods, new living arrangements, new 'theories' on life, new postures.'" [2]
The test of time: "Something is generally useful if it survived the disorder of time." [1]
Generational churn as a qualifier: For something to be truly Lindy, it must be passed down through generations, proving its resilience and value. [3]
The inverse relationship of popularity and longevity: "There's an inverse relationship between popularity at first and length of time it lasts." [4]

On Diet and Health

Skallas is a vocal critic of modern dietary fads and industrial food production. He advocates for a return to eating patterns that have a long history of human consumption.

On breakfast: "'No breakfast,' he said. 'Breakfast was unknown in early history, Rome, Byzantium, ancient Greece, breakfast wasn't really a thing.'" [2]
The Lindy Diet: He recommends a diet based on Greek Orthodox tradition, which involves intermittent fasting and alternating between veganism and pescetarianism. [5] A tweet from his @LindyDiet account specifies: "Fast 2 times a week (vegan or abstain from food) and a month straight 2 times a year." [5]
Avoiding new foods: Skallas suggests avoiding foods and beverages invented in the last 500 years, which would exclude items like Beyond Beef and energy drinks. [5]
On coffee and tea: While coffee is relatively new at around 400 years old, he considers it to have undergone "pretty good filtering" and is "probably not bad for you." Tea, with its thousands of years of history, is deemed a "deep Lindy" beverage. [5]
The body's response to stress: "Your body gets stronger through stressors, and it gets stronger through the lack of food." [5]
On modern health risks: "You have to watch out for things that are modern that may disrupt natural processes." [4] For example, he eschews mouthwash, a recent invention, in favor of floss, which has ancient origins. [4]
Food cults as the new religion: "Food cults are have replaced religion and a lot of ways like you can tell almost tell a lot about someone's political affiliation by their diet." [6]

On Lifestyle and Modernity

Skallas critiques many aspects of modern life, from urban design to social interactions, arguing that they often create fragility and alienation.

The Lindy Walk: Skallas champions the "Lindy Walk," a stroll without a set destination or time limit, as a way to stimulate thought and creativity. [5] He notes, "An interesting thing happened when I walked. I had thoughts popping into my head... Waves of ideas would come through." [5]
The Four-Hour Life: This concept describes the modern condition of employment where one's life is heavily structured and constrained, akin to a form of "ancient slavery." [3]
On modern employment: "Modern employment is a bit like a prison." [4]
The decline of cultural innovation: Skallas posits that culture has been "stuck" since the mid-2000s, with algorithms curating and regurgitating existing culture rather than fostering new creations. [7]
On social media: While an avid user, he is critical of its effects, noting the rise of online "tribes" and the way it can amplify negativity. [1]
On the saturation of creators: "Everybody can be a writer now... I don't know what's going to last from this era." [1]
On the changing nature of marriage: "For most of human history, it was the beginning of adulthood... Now? It's the opposite. Marriage is the final step, something you do once you're already stable." [8]
On the risks of modern life: "You don't want to be poor in America because it goes from very first world to very third world very fast." [4]
The domestication of modern man: Skallas argues that modern life, with its emphasis on safety and predictability, is leading to a "domestication" of individuals, reducing risk-taking and adventurousness. [9]
On the homogeneity of modern aesthetics: "Do you ever notice that like all the cars look the same now?" [10]

Drawing from ancient texts and observations of contemporary life, Skallas offers pointed commentary on human behavior and relationships.

On haters: "Your haters follow your work more closely than the people who actually like you." [4]
On relationships: "Skinny women have clothes and fashion that love them. Curvy women have men who lave them. It's a fair trade." [11]
On masculinity and emotion: "All men start speaking in poetry when it comes to things they love. It happens naturally. That's why women demand you speak poetically of them." [8]
The risks of breakups for men: "As a man, a real breakup can ruin you... I've watched grown men crumble." [12]
On owning a dog: "owning a dog as a pet is objectively Lindy." [2]
On OnlyFans: "A woman taking her clothes off for money? I'm not sure that's going away anytime soon." [2]
On reclining: "Every ancient depiction of a man reclining is always to the left. There is a reason for that." [2]

Further Learnings from Paul Skallas:

The Consistency Space vs. the Payoff Space: Skallas distinguishes between two domains of work. The "consistency space" is the world of the employee, who is paid for reliability and compliance. The "payoff space" is the world of the entrepreneur, who is rewarded for results, not behavior. [1]
Rejection of Psychological Labeling: He is skeptical of modern psychology's tendency to label phenomena, preferring the timeless insights into human nature found in ancient literature. [1]
The Importance of Localism: He notes that in the past, mistakes had local consequences, whereas today, the internet creates a global "wall" where anyone can point out an error. [1]
Skepticism of Consumerism: The Lindy framework serves as a "bulwark against consumerism" by providing a way to be skeptical of the constant barrage of new products. [5]
The Power of Aphorisms: Skallas values aphorisms as "distilled wisdom" that can be applied to daily life. [4]
The "Bugman" Trope: While not a direct quote, Skallas often alludes to the idea of the "bugman," a term used in online circles to describe a type of modern individual who is seen as conformist, consumerist, and lacking in individuality. This concept is a recurring theme in his critique of modernity.
The Masculine Urge to Walk Away: This is a recurring topic in his newsletter, exploring the male impulse to detach from situations or relationships that are perceived as constraining or harmful. [7]
Refinement Culture: Skallas has written about "Refinement Culture," the idea that we are no longer creating new things but are instead endlessly refining and optimizing what already exists. [13]
The Value of Being a "Reply Guy": Before becoming "LindyMan," Skallas was a prolific "reply guy" on Twitter, a practice he sees as a form of apprenticeship in the world of ideas. [6]
On Truth vs. Usefulness: He prioritizes what is useful and not harmful over abstract notions of "truth." [1]
The Dangers of Longevity Movements: He is critical of extreme life-extension efforts, viewing them as a risky departure from known, healthy practices. [4]
The "Stuck" Culture: He argues that cultural evolution has stagnated, with the internet and algorithms contributing to a recycling of old ideas rather than the creation of new ones. [13]
The Asymmetry of Breakups: He posits that men are more emotionally devastated by breakups than women, a risk he considers to be "Lindy." [12]
The Importance of Playfulness: Despite the serious undertones of his philosophy, there is a playful and provocative element to his writing, often using humor and irony to make his points. [2]
The Power of Observation: Much of his content is derived from keen observations of everyday life, from the design of cars to the behavior of people in cafes. [10]
On the Decline of the Monoculture: He frequently discusses the shift from a 20th-century media monoculture to a decentralized internet culture, and the consequences of this change. [1]
The Value of Constraints: He believes that constraints, such as the character limit on Twitter, can enhance creativity. [6]
On the Nature of Cities: He is influenced by the ideas of Jane Jacobs, viewing cities as complex ecosystems that operate according to natural laws. [10]
Skepticism of Experts: The Lindy effect provides a framework for questioning the authority of modern experts in favor of the accumulated wisdom of time. [1]
Living with Variance: He laments the decrease in "variance" in modern life, arguing that the predictability and stability of contemporary society come at the cost of adventure and resilience. [9]

Learn more:

Lessons from Paul Skallas

On the Lindy Effect and Tradition

On Diet and Health

On Lifestyle and Modernity

Further Learnings from Paul Skallas:

Written by Antoine Buteau

Lessons from Eric Wu

Lessons from Shyam Sankar

Lessons from Paul Skallas

On the Lindy Effect and Tradition

On Diet and Health

On Lifestyle and Modernity

On Social Dynamics and Human Nature

Further Learnings from Paul Skallas:

Written by Antoine Buteau

Lessons from Eric Wu

Lessons from Shyam Sankar