Easier to Remove the Option

I twirl my hair. I've done it since childhood, I've tried repeatedly to stop, and eventually I found a remarkably effective solution: don't have enough hair to twirl.

This week on 30 Degree Shift, a small compulsive habit becomes an exploration of control, accommodation, headaches, buzz cuts, and why sometimes it's easier to remove an option than continually choose against it.

Read the Essay

Read “Twirling Hair” and find more from 30 Degree Shift at WilliamTorgerson.com.

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If you want to know how I was evolved as I twirled my hair, come get ready with me for lunch with the neighbor.

About 30 Degree Shift

30 Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the subtle mechanics of being human.

New essays every Wednesday at 11:11 a.m.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson.

In This Episode

What makes receiving a package feel so satisfying? This week's essay wanders from country mailboxes and junk mail to online impulse purchases, forgotten orders, fulfillment warehouses, and the beautiful invention of summerween.

Read the Full Essay

Prefer reading? You can find the complete essay here: https://30degreeshift.substack.com/on-receiving-a-pacakge

Related Reading

I've discovered more obvious truths about the past you can read A Convenient Theory of History

About 30 Degree Shift

30 Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the subtle mechanics of being human.

New essays every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson

Intro and outro music by William T. Torgerson

In This Episode

Why do we assume ancient monuments were built for grand and mysterious purposes?

In this essay, we explore the most obvious theory of history throught the lens of civilization's greatest achievement - convenience.

Read the Full Essay

https://30degreeshift.substack.com/a-convenient-theory-of-history

Related Reading

When Did Compromise Become Dangerous? - How a word for resolution became a signal of exposure

About 30 Degree Shift

30 Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the subtle mechanics of being human. New essays every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Subscribe for thoughtful essays, occasional fiction, and conversations that challenge the obvious.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson

The Crossroads Is Open.

Every once in a while, we leave The Rift behind and gather at The Crossroads.

Tonight's tale is Tip the Bartender, a fully produced cyberpunk short story about third spaces and the weight of choice.

Al’s bar is the only place in the city where droids and humans socialize. Zac has arrives on anniversary night carrying something that could change all of their lives forever.

Thank you for visiting The Crossroads.

If you'd prefer to read the story, explore weekly essays essays, or read more stories, you can find everything here.

Episode 22 — Pretty, Handsome, Hot

In this episode

Words have both definitions and cultural meanings

Why compliments aren’t equal.

How important is precision in language?

If you've ever argued over the meaning of a word—or secretly reorganized the dictionary in your head—this one's for you.

Related Reading

Life Isn’t Short — While I’m being pedantic, let me try and convince you that this common phrase is just wrong.

30-Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the quiet mechanics of being human released every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson.

In This Episode

Why I things the hard way

Four months of research, drafting, illustration, and revision

The invisible work that gives art its weight

Read the Full Essay

https://30degreeshift.substack.com/the-weight-of-invisible-work

Related Reading

Looking for the Deli Cup — The smallest details make fictional worlds feel real. I'm exploring why authentic observation matters more than encyclopedic knowledge, and why every story has its own version of a deli cup.

About 30-Degree Shift

30-Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the quiet mechanics of being human released every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson.

In This Episode

What The Bear gets right about world building

Why tiny details make fictional worlds feel real

A lesson from tomato plants, racing cars, and restaurant kitchens

The difference between adding detail and implying depth

Read the Full Essay

https:///30-degree-shift.substack.com/looking-for-the-deli-cup

Related Reading

Missing the Garden for the Peas — A walk through the garden becomes a lesson in perspective, revealing how easily we miss both the smallest details and the larger picture they're helping create.

About 30-Degree Shift

30-Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the quiet mechanics of being human released every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson.

In This Episode

Why being a generalist can feel both exhilarating and tragic.

The hidden cost of every path we choose

How fiction became a way to experience lives that time can’t.

Read the Full Essay

https://30degreeshift.substack.com/robert-frosts-bill

Related Reading

While we can't learn everything, at least it's a comfort to know that Life Isn't Short

About 30-Degree Shift

30-Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the quiet mechanics of being human released every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson.

In This Episode

How I make my coffee

Black-eyed pea pods look vaguely alien

Inspecting vs. seeing

Read the Full Essay

https://30degreeshift.substack.com/missing-the-garden-for-the-peas

Related Reading

The 30 Degree Shift — The outdoors is full of interesting moments, like how when we made mowing harder, it also became more fulfilling.

About 30-Degree Shift

30-Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the quiet mechanics of being human released every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson.

In This Episode

The three versions of myself hiding in my suitcase

Fashion, insecurity, and self-expression

Whether our outfits are masks, uniforms, or something else entirely

Getting dressed to have lunch with the neighbor

Read the Full Essay

https://www.30degreeshift.substack.com/get-ready-with-me-for-lunch-with-the-neighbor

Related Reading

The Cell Phone— A wedding invitation, an old cell phone, and an unexpected conversation become an exploration of forgiveness, identity, and the versions of ourselves we leave behind.

About 30-Degree Shift

30-Degree Shift is a weekly exploration of absurdity, perception, and the quiet mechanics of being human released every Wednesday at 11:11am.

Credits

Written and narrated by William T. Torgerson.