Editorial policy

Last updated Sep 26, 2026

This page sets out the standards every essay on Idle & Awake Essays must meet. If an essay falls short of them, we treat it as an error and fix it.

1. Sources

  • Every essay cites at least two sources, listed at the end under Sources.
  • We prefer primary sources: peer-reviewed studies, official statistics, company filings, books and first-hand accounts. Secondary summaries are used only to point to those.
  • Every number in an essay must come from a listed source. We round honestly and say “about” when we do.
  • When research is disputed or has failed to replicate, we say so.

2. Quotes

  • We only use a quote when we can trace it to the speaker’s own writing, a recorded talk or a reliable contemporary source.
  • Famous misattributions are left out entirely — we do not use “often attributed to” as a loophole.
  • Short quotes from books and films are used for commentary and always credited.

3. Real people and cases

  • Stories are about real, documented people, companies, teams or studies, with a source for each.
  • We do not include details we could not confirm, even if they are widely repeated.
  • We do not write about the private lives, health or controversies of real people, and we do not mock or attack individuals.

4. What we won’t claim

  • No guarantees. Nothing here “guarantees” success, income or returns.
  • No health or therapy claims. We don’t say a practice cures, heals or treats anything. If you are struggling, please talk to a qualified professional.
  • No investment tips. Money and wealth essays explain general principles — compounding, risk, behavior — never what to buy or sell.
  • No politics or religion, and no content built around identity groups.

5. How AI is used

We use AI tools to help gather research and draft essays. Every draft then goes through automated checks against this policy (sources, quotes against our verified list, banned phrases, length and duplication) and a separate review pass; drafts that fail are rewritten or dropped, never published as-is. The editor reviews published essays regularly and corrects anything that falls short. AI is a tool in the process, not the author of our standards. Each essay carries a short note saying it was drafted with AI assistance.

6. Structure

Each essay follows the same shape so you know what you are getting: a concrete opening scene, one clear idea, a real case, the principle explained, The other side (limits and counterpoints), and Try this today — one small, specific action.

7. Corrections

If we get something wrong, we fix it and update the essay’s “Updated” date. Significant corrections are noted at the end of the essay. Report an error at pp.idleawake@gmail.com.

8. Advertising and affiliates

Ads are placed automatically by Google AdSense and are clearly labeled. Book recommendations may use Amazon affiliate links; we only recommend books that are relevant to the essay, and we’d recommend them without the link. See the affiliate disclosure.