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Truths & Wonders

Reflections from a lifelong journey of learning

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Tag: storytelling

Easier Isn’t Better

On June 27, 2026September 24, 2026 By Steve SampsonIn Formative MemoriesLeave a comment

The better way isn’t the easier one; it’s whichever one leads to greater fulfillment. Even if it includes freezing nights, Grandma’s guilt trips, and a gold 1970 Chevy Nova on a winding West Virginia country road.

Sometimes the Scar Is Worth It

On June 21, 2026September 24, 2026 By Steve SampsonIn Formative MemoriesLeave a comment

My earliest memory involves a soccer field, a broken beer bottle, and a choice that left a mark—a scar that still reminds me of my father.

When In Doubt, Sing Out

On November 7, 2025September 24, 2026 By Steve SampsonIn Formative Memories2 Comments

I learned a crucial lesson about kindness and compassion while Christmas caroling in a nursing home in 1983.

Why ChatGPT Cheats at Chess—And Why that May Be Super Important for the Future of AI

On September 27, 2025September 24, 2026 By Steve SampsonIn MusingsLeave a comment

Turns out being long on language but short on world models could be a big problem.

Our Era Is Not “Post-Truth,” It’s “Loyalty-First”

On September 7, 2025September 8, 2025 By Steve SampsonIn Words to the WiseLeave a comment

In the history of truth, questions of loyalty came before questions of accuracy. In our current cultural moment, questions of loyalty seem to be ascending again, with some potentially dire consequences.

7 Basic Plots and How to Use Them

On March 16, 2024March 17, 2024 By Steve SampsonIn Words to the WiseLeave a comment

Stories are ubiquitous in human life, from the time we begin to make sense of the world to our final sentences. So learning how to tell them--and why--is essential.

From Luke Skywalker to Barney Busrider to … ?

On February 9, 2019February 9, 2019 By Steve SampsonIn Formative Memories2 Comments

Reflections on the characters I’ve been, and the one I’m still becoming.

Someday You’ll See Things Differently

On January 14, 2018January 5, 2026 By Steve SampsonIn MusingsLeave a comment

No matter how well you know a thing now, it will likely look different to you someday, after your next existential transition.

The Story of the Star Wars Storybook

On August 27, 2017September 16, 2017 By Steve SampsonIn Formative MemoriesLeave a comment

A long time ago, in a make-believe galaxy not far away, I pretended to be Luke Skywalker. Here's how that turned out.

Why Words Matter

On July 16, 2017December 19, 2023 By Steve SampsonIn Words to the WiseLeave a comment

There's a very real sense in which words have conjured the world as we know it. Which is why we should treat them with care.

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