Uncomfortably numb. Supporting truth. Curation as a solution. Follow the leader. Stop thinking. Run away. Remembering the sacred.
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1. “The popular content of today is a reflection of the mindstate of the population.”
On Inward Wealth: The Wealth of The Mind – Darius Foroux – (Blog)
I was thinking along these lines the other day. People haven’t really changed all that much, even those on “the other side” of whatever position you hold. It’s just become more acceptable to express the extreme values that were always there. Foroux makes a case that, in a sense, this is a vicious circle (my term):
A lot of people have become numb. They need outrageous content to feel something inside themselves.
With all the extremism now boiling to the surface many have indeed become numb to it all. The result is that we need more and more extreme content to generate a reaction. It’s not hard to look back on the last 8 years or so and see the trend.
Foroux presents a five-step plan to combat the numbness, which he calls “Inward Wealth”. It’s worth reviewing.
Do this: Stay curious (step #1).
#boredom #curiosity #extremism
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2. “Choose to reward the communicators we most trust with direct support.”
Fight! – Hamish Mckenzie – (Substack)
This essay from one of Substacks founders uses last weekend’s events to illustrate how broken our current system of [dis]information spread really is.
The loudest, most craven voices are winning a game that doles out rewards to those who will do whatever it takes to win attention, with no regard for truth or trust.
Naturally he’s biased towards his own platform’s model — direct support of the people who use it to publish — but he’s not wrong. The problem, though, is that even who we choose to trust is often broken.
Do this: Trust carefully.
3. “Influencers, or content creators, or just ‘this one guy I follow.'”
The New Generation of Online Culture Curators (possible paywall) – Kyle Chayka – (The New Yorker)
Perhaps 15 years ago an early entrepreneur I was acquainted with said something to the effect of curation being the future. It took a few years, but I see it happening. In part it’s a reaction to the overwhelming amount of information we’re faced with, the overwhelming amount of misinformation, and the no longer hidden agendas of most media and social media efforts.
Curators slow down the unending scroll and provide their followers with a way of savoring culture, rather than just inhaling it, developing a sense of appreciation.
I get many of my items from a collection of curators I’ve grown to trust, or at least whose motivations I understand and accept. (And, yes, I realize that in creating 7 Takeaways I’ve become a curator myself.)
Do this: Choose your sources wisely.
4. “Blind obedience to authority is the greatest enemy of the truth.”
Einstein’s 7 rules for a better life – Ethan Siegel – (Big Think)
These aren’t quite as fluffy as some of the “rules for a better life” lists, nor are they something that Einstein himself assembled for that intent. Nonetheless, there’s much to learn from his life, work, and philosophy.
There are several great ideas here, but this quote got my attention:
About politics to be sure, I still get dutifully angry, but I do not bat my wings anymore, I only ruffle my feathers.
Written in 1915, while Einstein was living in Berlin. I take it as a lesson in pointless outrage versus preparedness focussed on what’s in our control.
Do this: Prepare.
5. “If you talk all the time, you’ll never hear what anybody else has to say. “
Alan Watts For When You Need To Stop Thinking – (YouTube)
The essay heads off into the woo, but there are interesting points along the way. The primary point is simply that we’re so actively thinking and doing all day long that we take no time to stop and let stillness in.
One cannot act creatively except on the basis of stillness, of having a mind that is from time to time capable of stopping thinking
Boredom seems to be society’s current monster under the bed. Heaven forbid we stop for a moment, because it might rear its ugly head. Only it’s not only not ugly, it’s an important reset/refresh that we need to experience often.
Do this: Periodically, stop. (Meditation is my approach, but there are others.)
#boredom #thinking #meditation
6. “Running away stimulates the brain with the new”
Run away! Why you should ALWAYS run away from your problems – Annie Scott – (Substack: Midlife Mess with Annie Scott)
She’s not necessarily suggesting you abandon your problems (though there may be situations). A better way to consider this might be to take a break from your problems. Much of the essay discusses travelling for new perspectives and mental breaks, but it doesn’t have to be quite that extreme.
You can’t run away from your problems. But you can run towards a mindset that fixes them.
Anything that removes you from the immediate problem for a while allows you to reset, and reconsider, often with additional insight and options, and less anxiety to boot.
Do this: Run. Reset.
7. “How often do you call up memories of sacred places in your past?”
We Are All Waiting for Somewhere – John P. Weiss – (Blog)
This struck a chord because I knew exactly what he was talking about.
A misty morning in my birthplace, with bagpipes playing in the distance. A doughnut shop (now gone) where my dad and I would go while my mother was visiting family in The Netherlands. The cemetery where my maternal grandparents, aunts, and uncles are buried. A beach on the Washington coast.
Each of these locations and many more might be considered “sacred”, in that they hold special memories that last a lifetime.
Dwelling on the past is often considered counter-productive, but sometimes it’s uplifting as well.
Do this: Reflect on your sacred places.
More links
- DJI Mavic 3 Pro flying over Mount Everest – Video. So many people along the way.
What I’m Reading
In progress:
- The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. Le Guin
- Where Good Ideas Come From – Steven Johnson
- Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman (audio)
Daily:
- A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Selected from the World’s Sacred Texts – Leo Tolstoy
A full list of my common sources is on the sources page, and I list the books I’ve read on my Reading List page.
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Thanks!
-Leo