The Climb #14 – You Can’t Build a Palace with Circus Habits
New job. New relationship. New routine. Still the same problems. Here's what midlife men miss about fresh starts and why your next move won't work until you fix this.
Writing
Notes from the climb, plus newsletter archives.
Why I Stopped Watching the News and Got My Life Back
A few years ago, I made a decision that’s now changed my life more than almost anything else I’ve done as an adult. I stopped watching the news. I deleted every news app from my phone and very intentionally stopped opening social media with the idea that I was “staying informed.” I quit checking headlines ... <a title="Why I Stopped Watching the News and Got My Life Back" class="read-more" href="https://paullinehan.co/why-i-stopped-watching-news/" aria-label="Read more about Why I Stopped Watching the News and Got My Life Back">Read more</a>
The Climb #13 – You Don’t Tell a Man With a Limp to Walk Better
For men who shame themselves for reacting badly: your body wired that response before your brain knew what was happening. Real strength is training the next one.
The Climb #12 – The Battle That Doesn’t Quit
For men still fighting the quick fuse, the heat behind the words, the old wiring that lights up before you can think. This is the climb toward calm.
If AI Sounds Exactly Like Me, What Am I Here For?
When LLMs first hit the scene a couple years ago, I went ape shit with excitement and spent months trying to get AI to sound exactly like me. And then, at some point, I realized something – if it sounds exactly like me, what am I even here for? The reality is, when AI hit, ... <a title="If AI Sounds Exactly Like Me, What Am I Here For?" class="read-more" href="https://paullinehan.co/ai-thought-partner-identity/" aria-label="Read more about If AI Sounds Exactly Like Me, What Am I Here For?">Read more</a>
Why Men Are Lonely: The Quiet Cost of Losing Third Spaces
If you haven’t been paying attention, it looks like men are getting softer, lazier, and more antisocial. It’s a convenient story, right? It lets society blame our character instead of its own structure. But the older I get, the more obvious it gets that something else broke first. Did guys just all of a sudden ... <a title="Why Men Are Lonely: The Quiet Cost of Losing Third Spaces" class="read-more" href="https://paullinehan.co/quiet-cost-losing-third-spaces/" aria-label="Read more about Why Men Are Lonely: The Quiet Cost of Losing Third Spaces">Read more</a>
The Climb #11 – The 6/10 Trap: Why Comfort Keeps Middle-Aged Men Stuck
Severe pain forces action. Mild discomfort lets you drift. Learn why the 6/10 trap keeps middle-aged men stuck and the 3-step system to escape it.
How to End the Year Like a Man Who’s Still Growing
A better way to reflect, reset, and move forward with momentum
The Climb #10 – Linguistic Anesthesia: Words That Numb Your Life
The words you tell yourself aren't wisdom. They're sedation. Learn why "I should be content" kills more dreams than failure ever could.
The Climb #9 – Your goals weren’t the problem (this was)
For men who keep shrinking dreams instead of building systems. Why your goals weren't the problem - and what finally changed everything at 51.