Weekly newsletter on stuff I've found interesting. Renamed this newsletter (IDTMC - I drank too much caffeine) - because that is what I do on weekends.
Chemical scum that dream of distant quasars :
Things we should learn from kids
I've been immersed in David Deutsch's Beginning of Infinity, a mind-bending intuition shattering book exploring epistemology, theory of science, quantum theory, to whether beauty is objective, why error correction is necessary in governance and politics, to the role of humans in the universe.
From his views, one idea that has emerged is about 'Taking Children Seriously . A philosophy about parenting (I don't have kids so I don't know why I'm thinking about this).
“People believe they hold that all groups are equal, but almost no one even thinks to include children. ‘All [people] are equal, but some [people—adults] are more equal than others’—children.”_
Sarah Fitz-Claridge
The core principle is this: children are full people with the same capacity for reason as adults. Their ideas and preferences deserve the same respect we'd give to another adult. The philosophy rejects the common view that children are defective adults who need to be molded or "socialised."
A few key insights include the idea of non-coercion. You should never force children to do anything against their will - This includes forcing them to eat, sleep, study or do chores. Instead, you solve problems through rational discussion and creativity to find solutions that everyone genuinely prefers.
I'm still making my views up on the whole philosophy (A podcast to listen to) and I'm still skeptical to the degree that Aaron Stupple for example argues for in his book. Adults are not entirely rational, so how can we expect kids to be?
But I do like that it treats children as intelligent, because they are! They have the same capacity for understanding that you do (beyond a certain age). No-one wants to be 'treated' like a child.
I also like that the philosophy preserves curiosity and problem solving. It deeply encourages it- and that is the basis for learning anything. Learning begins with questions.
I find that the smartest people I know just tend to stick with those questions. It's the scientist mindset of asking why, why, why. And actually it feels intellectually uncomfortable. It feels difficult. It's like lifting weights- you get a certain pleasure in the burn.
Finishing things
I've been reading more physical books. I think of Hirayama from Perfect Days, reading a single book at a time, cover to cover, putting it away when finished, and then going out to find another book. Why do I find that so compelling?
I realised its because in the digital age we never finish things. There's an infinite rabbit hole of links and information to consume.
With physical books on the other hand, there's a start and end and a tangible object that you can point to when you've finished it. There's also a memory that comes from the physical location of information on a page that I just can't grasp with Kindle or digital reading.
I find that I remember concepts and ideas much better when I'm actually reading them on paper.
Enclothed cognition
The idea that what you wear has an influence on psychological processes
For example :
People often feel more productive in business attire while working from home
Athletes wearing team uniforms experience increased team cohesion
Students wearing more formal clothing during exams sometimes report feeling more focused
You feel more confident when smartly dressed for a job interview
I don't know how this replicates in studies, I feel we know this intuitively. Clothing is such a massive part of human culture that of course it affects your psychology.
Clothing choices are much more than aesthetic decisions. They're psychological tools that can influence our behaviours.
Understanding the context behind things makes you appreciate them more
Going into an art gallery, you might look at a painting and find it beautiful. There is value in this.
But suppose you know the backstory of the painter. The countless years of perfecting her craft, putting brush to canvas, the potential hidden meanings behind the painting. I think you will appreciate it more.
Similarly, listening to the drums in a piece of music. I think by learning the drums for 6 months, I developed an understanding of how insanely good some drummers are, and the techniques they utilise. I appreciate it more.
When I visit a country, I can take in the sights and sounds. But if I understand the history, the trials and tribulations the people have endured, I'll gain a deeper understanding of the culture and appreciate it more.
Educating yourself on the context behind something makes you appreciate it more.
Japan as a high trust society
I loved this tweet thread
I’m a walking ‘Japan place’ meme - I can’t stop thinking about my two trips there. One aspect I can put my finger on is that it was the first time I experienced a high trust society. A place where there is a sense of the ‘common good’. You can literally leave your bicycle unlocked, your macbook on the coffee shop table.
This reminds me of the adage : how you do anything is how you do everything. You always know. If you lie to yourself or you act in a way that doesn't live up to your standards, you will always know. And it shapes the kind of person you become. This is my argument for never lying (influenced deeply by Sam Harris). Similarly Krishnamurti talking about how a society is in the individual. It all starts at the level of 'you'.
(I know Japan has many societal issues, but I haven’t seen another country where there is such a strong sense of the common good).
Quotes
If an unhappy childhood is indispensable for a writer, I am ill-equipped.
EB White
I like this quote because it challenges the notion that writers or creative people in general need to be unhappy. I think if you're happy, you create happy art. I don't consider myself an artist but I do like to create and I consider myself pretty happy. And I find the happier I am, the more creative I am. I also find that it goes the other direction too. The more unhappy I am, the more creative I am as well. A middle ground is where I feel slightly stagnant.
Trying to communicate through talking feels like trying to put the ocean through a straw
Bjork
A reminder that language is merely a pointer.
28 slightly rude notes on writing
“Some people think that writing is merely the process of picking the right words and putting them in the right order, like stringing beads onto a necklace. But the power of those words, if there is any, doesn’t live inside the words themselves. On its own, ‘Love the questions’ is nearly meaningless. Those words only come alive when they’re embedded in this rambling letter from a famous poet to a scared kid, a kid who is choosing between a life where he writes poems and a life where he shoots a machine gun at Bosnian rebels. The beauty ain’t in the necklace. It’s in the neck. Maybe that’s my problem with AI-generated prose: it’s all necklace, no neck.”
# Videos
I'm still a novice to poetry, but David White and Mary Oliver have radically changed the way I see. They're my two favourite poets.
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver is one of my favourite poems - one of the handful I've committed to memory. So I was in luck when I found an old video of David White reciting Wild Geese. It starts around 5:20 minutes.
Tweets / Snippets
Henrik Carlsen talks similarly about having a blog is finding your people or tribe. I think in real life you can get people that you connect with 70-80% of the time. And that can be good.
But on the internet, you can find those people that you connect with 95%+ and that makes all the difference.
Links
One question I’m asking myself is: do I care more or less about what I’ve made when I’m done using AI to help make it
I've been obsessed with Craig Mod - partly because I'm doing my own 'mod style' pilgrimage in a couple of weeks. I'm hiking the Camino de Santiago (Frances way) just before my 30th birthday. I hope to write about it and take many pictures.
