Hopefully Beneficial Weekly Digest 01.02
Jul 7 - Jul 11, 2025
Hello and welcome to the second week of Hopefully Beneficial, I’m Ben Happ.
Over the next decade, I plan to publish 2,500 pieces. Here’s how it works: I’ll share a Daily Dose of Good Monday through Friday, with a weekly digest on Sundays. Mondays we’ll focus on Business; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I’ll highlight notable People, Places, and Things; on Fridays, we’ll enjoy The arts; and on Shabbat, we rest.
Another thing that happens in this weekly digest is Hopefully Beneficial Q&A:
Q: asks: Please do write about your writing process... when do you write, in what setting, etc.
A #1: Thanks for asking Lukas! The practical answer is that I write best on my laptop at the foldout desk in our bedroom. I don’t like to write at the desktop computer in my office, because Hopefully Beneficial is personal, not business. First thing in the morning is best, evenings are the worst, and I often wake up in the night to send myself notes.
A#2: The deeper answer is that I’ve been writing these posts in my head for decades. Many years ago, I built (and still constantly update) a database with experiences from my life (places I’ve gone, things I’ve seen and done, people I’ve met, etc.). Most things don’t make the list, but the things I think matter do. This database is the foundation for what goes in Hopefully Beneficial (i.e. things that I’ve found notable and meaningful in my own life, and that may also benefit readers as well). I already have a road map and plan for over 1,500 of the 2,500 posts I intend to write (as in, an enormous Google Sheet that runs until July of 2035). Plans are great, but execution of those plans is even better. As such, I’m going to get back to writing now!
If you find these posts valuable, please subscribe!
With that, on to the posts from this past week:
Daniel Kahneman
When Michael Lewis decided to write a book (The Undoing Project) on the extraordinary collaboration between Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, he turned to my graduate school professor, Dacher Keltner (to whom the book is dedicated), to guide his path. Dacher, as it happens, is especially well suited for this role as he is an uncomm…
Jerusalem
While Hopefully Beneficial generally will not have weekly themes, there was one last week (America!) and one again this week (Israel!). Each of these countries are always in my heart, and I want peace and prosperity for both. Last Wednesday, we looked at Washington, D.C., and today, we are focused on Jerusalem.
Hummus
Today’s topic might seem simple and/or basic: hummus. But don’t be fooled, there are layers and layers to the hummus story, each richer and more delicious than the last, so, without further ado, let’s dig in! Hummus is both Hebrew and Arabic for chickpea, a legume that has been cultivated for millennia. It is one of the most widely eaten foods in the Mi…
Yaacov Agam
Fridays at Hopefully Beneficial are always about The arts. I look forward to exploring myriad facets of visual arts, literature, and performing arts here, together with you. We’ll be looking at artistic creations and their creators, and trying to figure out what it all means for each of us. This is going to be fun!