Introduction, or What I'm Supposed to Tell People To Convince Them To Stay

The thing where I tell you what you already know and you decide whether it's worth continuing on

Aug 01, 2021

“Great, another thing to follow.” - Everyone reading this, probably

I turned 44 earlier this year.

It’s a number that’s about as middle-aged as one can get, right?

I think about 44 and it seems like a nice round number, in the sense that if you double it to 88 - if I’m blessed enough to live another 44 years, a second round on the time I’ve already had - I will be undoubtedly nearing the end of my life.

But it occurs to me when I think about the number 44 also - what a great number to die at.

I know that’s a dark thought.

I know so many lose their lives after significantly shorter lives, sometimes only moments long. I know others who believe they’ve lived past their expiration date and are eagerly awaiting their release.

But here’s the thing: for most of us, we want the benefits of death without any of its obligations. No bills. No worries. No more pain. No more suffering. No more nothing.

That is a high cost that most are not willing to fully consider. That’s why they call it the ultimate price.

I know what you’re thinking: “That’s great Ian, but you set up a Substack and invited us here just to tell us we’re all going to die one day?”

No.

I invited you to ask: what are you going to do before that day comes?
Maybe we can figure it out together.

I hope to crystallize that theme - in all its applications, from religion and politics to Big Media and Big Church - and contextualize those gleanings with the world we have swirling around us today.

So if you’re looking for market analytics or fantasy sports talk - thanks for reading this far. I hope you win/get rich.

But if you’re looking to put the world as you know it into a framework that won’t discard elements simply because they’re traditionally controversial or unspoken - then welcome to Infinite Burn.