Ask dangerous questions

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According to the court of public opinion, being poor is bad for you.
It’s easy to be poor. Requires little risk and little effort.
And yet, to be poor in the US is to be one diagnosis or disaster away from financial ruin.

To get rich, risk and effort are essential.

At some point, the rich must traverse a rickety suspension bridge.
Every step threatened by a slippery plank, a weathered rope, a gust of wind.
The chasm below waiting to celebrate your fall.

But cross and you create a cushion that can absorb fate’s unexpected and costly gorings — by the way, the majority of LA Fire survivors are most stressed out because insurance doesn’t help with a six- to seven-figure mortgage AND new rent.

Transitioning into relational wealth now

“How are you?” is a dangerous question because it offers too little development and keeps you relationally poor.

“How are you, really?” is a dangerous question because its depth opens up the scary chasm. If you can handle heartier answers, it will make you relationally rich.

Here are some dangerous questions to play with:

Instead of “What did you do today?”
“What’s a story you told yourself today that you know isn’t completely true?”

Instead of “Do anything fun last weekend?”
“What would you have done this weekend if you knew no one would judge you for it?”

Instead of “What’s up?”
“When did you last change your mind about something important?”

Whatever scares you the most, ask.

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Every week, 1440 zooms in on a single society-and-culture phenomenon—be it the rise of Saturday Night Live, Dystopian Literature, or the history of the Olympics—and unpacks it with curiosity-driven rigor. You’ll get a concise read grounded in verified facts, peppered with thought-provoking context and links for deeper exploration. No partisan angles, no fear-mongering—just the stories, trends, and ideas shaping how we live, work, and create.

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