Too old? Find joy. Artisanal writing. Increased expectations. Your responsibility. Judging others. Making good new things.
When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
– Wayne Dyer
1. “Oh, I can’t do that, I’m too old”
The Gift of Aging – Lisa Lee Curtis – (Vagina Devil Magic)
Anyone who’s followed me over at the day job know my aversion to the statement above. I see it in tech too often: people give up, or don’t even try, because they think they’re “too old”. Often they’re younger than I am.
Curtis’ essay is a “damn the torpedos, full steam ahead” call to embrace aging, and all that comes with it. Not everyone gets the opportunity.
One of my favorite lines relates to how often we choose not to do things because of appearances.
The world is burning, and you’re afraid of looking silly? DON’T BE. This world needs silly.
Do this: embrace being your silly self, and do it as long as possible.
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2. “Being joyful doesn’t mean you’re ignorant of the world’s troubles.”
Are Some People Just Afraid of Being Happy? – Tom Greene – (Wit & Wisdom of Tom Greene)
Greene delves into happiness, unhappiness, how some people thrive on the latter, and how many others feel guilt about feeling the former. Especially of late that guilt ends up making us feel … you guessed it … unhappy.
We humans can do two things at once. We can feel compassion for people’s suffering and still embrace the joy in life.
It’s a balance, and I’m not even saying it’s an easy one, but I am saying it’s an important one. Wallowing in our angst and unhappiness does no one any good.
Do this: Look for joy. Look for hope.
3. “Writing that’s thoughtfully crafted and unmistakably human.”
The Artisan’s Way – Rob Hardy – (The Ungated Life)
This is one of the perspectives that gives me hope for a post-AI world.
It may not feel like it yet, but the Age of Average is nearing its climax. Generative AI will be the nail in the coffin. These new tools will produce average writing better, faster, cheaper. They will do it at a scale none of us can fathom. Soon our social feeds and search engines will be engulfed beneath a tidal wave of mechanistic mediocrity. It’ll be impossible to sift through it all. People will begin tuning out and retreating into quieter, safer corners of the internet, populated by the small handful of humans they trust.
In a sense, AI-based writing will cause its own downfall. Or it’ll be relegated to corners where “mechanistic mediocrity” doesn’t matter. Cream will rise, and there will still be a call and appreciation for it.
Do this: Appreciate the artisans.
4. “Productivity breeds new demand”
Jevons Paradox: A personal perspective – Tina He – (Fakepixels)
Jevons paradox — grossly oversimplified and focused on current tech — is that the easier you make it to do something, the more of that something, or other somethings, you’re expected to do. This contrasts with the expectation that by making something easier, say by using AI, we’ll have more leisure time. That’s not how it works in practice. With every technical improvement in efficiency, we’re expected to do more, create more, and be more productive. Cutting back on the time we “work” isn’t in the cards, it seems.
What if the most game-optimal play in the new system is actually to become relentlessly, unapologetically you?
This closing comment caught my attention. It’s fine, and a great thinking point, but to me it raises the question: who is this “you” we’re talking about? How many of us really know who we are, and what it would mean to be “relentlessly, unapologetically you”? It assumes a level of introspection (and mental freedom) that just doesn’t seem common.
A fascinating essay.
Do this: Be yourself, but remember to take the time to figure out just who that is.
#productivity #introspection #progress
5. “We’re pretty damn resilient.”
How to Stop Being a Victim of Your Past – Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D. – (Psychology Today)
I think we all know people who have let past negative experiences become a defining part of how that person sees themselves today. They didn’t just experience it, they became it. It’s integrated into how they live and breathe every day.
True trauma is no small thing, but dealing with it and moving on from it takes intention. And it’s scary.
Moving on also doesn’t mean that you’re accepting blame. It means that you’re accepting responsibility.
Responsibility isn’t popular these days. We conflate it with blame, which is only occasionally accurate. The responsibility here is simply this: only you are responsible for your own growth, health, and recovery.
I’m not doing the essay justice. If this sounds interesting at all, I highly recommend just reading it.
Do this: Take responsibility.
6. “Judging others takes a great deal of energy”
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff – Richard Carlson – (ebook)
The full quote:
One of the cardinal rules of joyful living is that judging others takes a great deal of energy and, without exception, pulls you away from where you want to be.
I suppose it’s always been so, but these seem like exceptionally judgmental days. Even if you remove politics from the equation, we’re so quick to pass judgment and have an opinion (typically negative). And of course, we seem extra motivated these days to share that opinion with others. Perhaps that’s what’s changed.
The point is that it’s such a waste of energy and focus.
Do this: Withhold judgment.
7. “Take care of people and the world, and make good new things”
What to Do – Paul Graham – (Blog)
“What should I do?” is a big question. Perhaps the biggest. Graham’s essay is primarily about “making good new things”, and how it can be an important part of The Answer.
One of his comments also caught my attention.
The most impressive thing humans can do is to think.
I agree. I wish people would do more of it, and I don’t mean in the “stupid people don’t think” way, but rather in the serious, contemplative way that leads to deeper thought, better ideas, and making good new things.
Do this: Think.
Random links
- It is possible to sneeze more quietly. – But why?
- “A growing number of Gen Zers are dumbphone-curious”
- The Threshold of Intelligence – If it’s a really, really, REALLY good simulation, does it matter if it’s AI?
What I’m reading now
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert (re-read)
- Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff – Richard Carlson
- Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (Audio)
My Reading List – everything I’ve read since 2021.
My Sources Page – the common sources I scan/read regularly.
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