Don’t Judge People By Their Vote

It is a truth universally acknowledged that anyone voting in an election for the “wrong side” is in want of intelligence or of morality or of both.

Nov 7 • David Roberts

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October 2026

Thinking Fast And Slow In Paris

On my recent trip to Paris, my remembering self had a better time than my jet-lagged, experiencing self.

Oct 31 • David Roberts

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Money Was Never Just Money

I’m on vacation in Paris and taking the opportunity to feature a terrific essay about wealth by my Substack friend Jessica @ Post-Wealth Project…

Oct 24 • David Roberts

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Mrs.Dalloway And The Many Versions Of Me

Last week my wife Debbie and I had dinner with friends almost every night.

Oct 17 • David Roberts

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A Ridiculous Billionaire In The Hamptons

Before we had our own house in East Hampton, my wife Debbie and I would often stay as houseguests at the Hamptons home of our good friends.

Oct 10 • David Roberts

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Jeff Bezos, Meet Ivan Ilyich

When my work in finance was going well, I’d come home feeling great about myself.

Oct 3 • David Roberts

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September 2026

The Cruelty Of Disbelieving Amy Griffin

In May 2011 when I was Chair of the Riverdale Country School I received an alarming call from the headmaster.

Sep 26 • David Roberts

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My Personal Myth Revisited

I define a personal myth as a coherent story you tell yourself about the purpose of your life.

Sep 19 • David Roberts

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Dangerous Novels For Old Men

When reading a novel that grips me deeply and refuses to let me go until the last page, I latch on to the main character and adopt their point of view.

Sep 12 • David Roberts

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AI Is Not A Living Thing

Among all the various “takes” I’ve consumed on AI, neuroscientist Anil Seth’s fifteen-minute TED talk on “Why AI Isn’t Going To Become Conscious” stands…

Sep 5 • David Roberts

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August 2026

The Manhattan Nursery School Gods

Our family of three––our history, our destiny–– would be judged by the Manhattan nursery school gods. We were twenty-seven years old and felt like a…

Aug 29 • David Roberts

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Sex, Status, and Self-Esteem In Our Forties

Debbie and I watched The Invite this week. Seth Rogan and Olivia Wilde star in the movie as a forty-something couple, miserable with themselves and each…

Aug 22

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