‘Second thing second Don’t you tell me what you think that I could be I’m the one at the sail, I’m the master of my sea Believer (Imagine Dragons) Look for high agency people. What does this mean? Agency is the belief that one can shape themselves and the world around them. They can craft their own narrative despite what the external factors are. It’s internalising the fact that one does not control the external environment fully, but one can choose how they respond to the world. Read more...

A fool only learns from his own mistakes. Better to learn from the mistakes of others. Here is a compendium of mistakes that one should avoid, mostly inspired by reading this thread 1. Don’t continue a relationship without compatibility One of life biggest traps is continuing a relationship with someone you are not compatible with. Especially with the inertia of your 20’s, a relationship that should have lasted months, can last years. Read more...

The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled How to learn? Seek joy in the process as a starting point. It should excite you. Read textbooks for a broad overview and structure. Popular science books tend to be for entertainment. If you truly want to deep dive - start with textbooks. ‘Double click’ on a thread by reading journals / other textbooks for a complete overview When you take notes - salient points only. Read more...

Reading Lady and the Monk (Pico Iyer) Awakening from the Meaning Crisis (John Vervaeke) I’ve found a kindred spirit with Pico Iyer. Just finished reading Lady and the Monk, a retelling of his time in Japan and more importantly, his discovery of the person who would be his wife. I can already feel the influence of reading his book. Similar to Autumn Light, it’s full of descriptive prose capturing a piece of the internal landscape more than the external. Read more...

Honest, not necessarily correct We interpret the world through a lens that is molded by our own personal experience and conditioning. Through this, we ascribe meaning to actions and try to intuit intention of others - theory of mind. There are clearly situations where this faculty is completely off though. For example : Unrequited romantic interest. The more dangerous aspect of this, is that we are blind to it. Read more...

Urgency exists in the mind, not in the world I like empty days. Empty weeks. Empty calendars. Yet when I talk to other people, they often pride themselves on how busy they are. Having an empty schedule is anathema. The culture at the moment is that being busy is good. The hidden message seems to be that by being busy you are doing something important, and by doing something important you must be an important person. Read more...

Links and Reading Currently Reading: A Guide to Japan by Pico Iyer Rules of Radiology Listening : FKJ Tiny Desk - on repeat 24/7 Directives: Give Up Quotes Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment (Rumi) Links : Pinboard Commencement speech by Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes creator) “We’re not really taught how to recreate constructively. We need to do more than find diversions; we need to restore and expand ourselves. Read more...

Restructuring the site Getting back into writing on a blog, so I took the time to restructure the site. I’ve recreated the Blog page containing anything I want to write about that I find interesting. No definitive conclusion. No advice. Can just be pointless drivel, thoughts, interesting links, or just a view into life circumstances during a particular time. Archive show all the posts arranged by year. Then a Directives section containing short ‘do this and don’t do that advice’. Read more...

I’ve just started drum lessons. This is a reminder that one on one tutoring is the best way to learn something well (and quickly). Why? You don’t know what you don’t know. The tutor has a map of the landscape and can craft a pathway through it. This is arguably the most important point. Real-time correction : the feedback loop is shortened. Bad habits are not reinforced. External motivation : someone to impress What makes a good tutor/teacher? Read more...

Some people look for a beautiful place. Others make a place beautiful Hazmat Inayat Khan The Office on the surface is a boring uneventful show. It’s literally about a failing paper company. People with ordinary lives. Mundane lives filled with the triviality of everyday. Yet it’s probably the most compelling show I’ve watched (and rewatched). Why? It comes down to the people. It’s a show about ordinary people. Fallible ‘boring’ yet interesting, funny, angry, sad, loving, caring, destructive, chaotic and frustrating people. Read more...