Laugh anyway. AI is new, and it's not. Introspection without action. Improving yourself and the world. Everything is not shit. Enjoy more everyday things. The future of music. The history of parents.
“When an elder dies, a library burns to the ground.”
– African proverb
1. “The point is to laugh, even when it feels like you shouldn’t”
Are We Having Fun Yet? – Steve Makofsky – (Blog)
These are difficult times in which to even think about having fun. And yet, doing so is a way to cope, a way to survive it all without losing our minds.
Here’s a call out to bring some fun back into your life. Play, make jokes, dance, sing out loud, roll down a hill, jump in a puddle, do something that’s creative nonsense. Be ridiculous.
In the right situation, and with the right people, of course, I’m a big fan of dark humor and inappropriate jokes. It can be quite the stress-reducer.
Do this: Have some fun.
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2. ” I’ve got plenty of nostalgia, but that doesn’t pay my mortgage”
Grief and the AI Split – Les Orchard – (Blog)
(OK, this one’s techie, but so am I.) Ostensibly, the piece is about how people are reacting to the rise of AI in the computer software and coding arenas. Some are apparently feeling grief at the loss of what they see as the craft of human, handwritten code.
I started programming in the 80s. Every language I’ve learned since then has been a means to an end. That is, a new way to make computers do things I wanted them to do. AI-assisted coding feels like the latest in that progression. Not a discontinuity per se, just another rung on the ladder.
Exactly. AI is something new, and it’s not. We wrote binary machine code, then we wrote assembly code, then we wrote in simple computer languages, then we used higher-level, more complex languages, and now we’re moving on to English as our programming language. Each removes us a little further from the details of the device we’re writing for, but each enabled a level of breadth and complexity that the prior approach made difficult. And, yes, each transition involved some sense of loss for those making the switch. (I still miss assembly language coding.)
Here’s the thing: each required that we understand the problem we were trying to solve, and could express it clearly in the language du jour. That hasn’t changed. AI coding, however it’s done, simply changes how we express the problem and solution we’re looking for. The “winners” will be those who understand and express it the best.
Do this: Focus on your understanding and expression.
3. “Introspection without structure produces avoidance”
What Marc Andreessen gets wrong about introspection – Stepfanie Tyler – (Bad Girl Media)
Apparently, Mr. Andreessen made some statements indicating that introspection was a bad thing, only recently introduced by the likes of Freud, and that successful leaders simply don’t do it. As you can imagine, that generated some reactions.
While Tyler disagrees with the statements as absolutes (as do I), and that introspection has a long history dating back at least to Socrates and Stoic philosophy, she does point out that there’s a grain of truth.
Sitting with your feelings indefinitely, with no output requirement and no feedback mechanism, is just rumination. It can feel like work, but it isn’t work. The hour you spend journaling in circles about the same insecurity you’ve had for ten years, without ever asking what you’re going to do differently, is not self-examination. It’s procrastination.
In other words, introspection without action is kinda pointless.
Bonus: another of the writers I follow chimed in with a similar take: Marc Andreessen is wrong about introspection – Joan Westenberg.
Do this: Act.
4. “There’s a point where awareness becomes surveillance.”
Self-optimising into oblivion – Kai Brach – (Dense Discovery Issue 380)
Apparently, this week’s pseudo-theme is introspection about introspection.
We’ve become so fluent in the language of our own interior lives that we’ve started living there permanently, renovating the same rooms over and over while the outside of the house – other people, the world, the actual stakes of being alive – slowly falls into disrepair.
I don’t know that it’s as widespread as Brach implies, but I can certainly see it as an issue for some. And yet we’re also seeing advice that to take care of ourselves, we need to maybe take a break from the horrors of the outside world. Again, introspection is great as long as it has a goal: personal improvement, and then doing our part to make the rest of the world a little better.
Do this: Improve yourself, improve the world.
#introspection #self-improvement
5, “Just stop mainlining catastrophe for a bit.”
Wankery Verdict: “Everything is Shit” – Annie Scott – (Annie Scott’s Wankery Watch)
Everything is not shit, but our brains just aren’t designed for objectivity in the face of the amazing amounts of information available.
The issue is our brains are not built for this. We’ve never had access to this volume of information before. Time was you just worried about Nigel from down the road’s boils, and whether the turnip crop was going to be good this year. We’ve never been able to mainline doom before – and, it turns out, it’s not great for our mental health!
One specific topic spoke to me strongly:
AI is coming for our jobs!!
Maybe. Maybe not. Like the printing press. And machines. And computers. And the internet. And cars. We do love a technological panic. It’s one of our little traditions. We generally find a way through.
We do love a technological panic, and as alluded, we’ve been before, and before, and before, and we absolutely found a way through every time.
It’s an entertaining read, and hopefully it might broaden your perspective just a little.
Do this: Maintain perspective.
6. “Become this more skillful kind of pleasure seeker”
In Favor of Enjoying Things on Purpose – David Cain – (Raptitude)
This is subtle and perhaps difficult for many. It might even come across as a little too “woo” for some: actively and consciously enjoy the many enjoyable things around you right now.
This might sound like another dull gratitude exercise, but it’s not. You’re not just identifying a “positive” thing and telling yourself you’re lucky to have that. You’re locating the good feeling on offer in the present, and enjoying it on purpose.
It feels like a combination of noticing, gratitude, and focusing on the present; all things we can benefit from. We have much to enjoy if we just pay attention.
Do this: Pay attention.
#attention #enjoyment #gratitude #mindfulness
7. “Music is now indistinguishable from tap water or electricity.”
The Death of Spotify: Why Streaming is Minutes Away From Being Obsolete – Joel Gouveia – (The Artist Economy)
It’s not minutes away, regardless of the headline, but it’d definitely at risk. This article does a nice job of explaining how streaming services lke Spotify work, and how their model is on the verge of failure. That makes it worth the read.
Where the essay is weak, though, is answering the question: what next?
… if you’re an artist or a manager trying to sustain yourself in this evolving music economy, the answer is direct ownership.
My quibble is that artists have been trying this for years, with only limited results. I agree it’s the direction they should head, but it’s more difficult than it might seem. It’s the difference between “minutes away”, and “sometime in the future”.
Do this: To the extent that you can, engage with your favorite artists directly.
8. “Don’t think for a second that your parents’ stories aren’t part of your story”
History Lost – Leo Notenboom – (Blog)
My parents lived in the Netherlands during the German occupation of World War II. For years, they experienced it all: the buildup, the atrocities, and finally liberation.
Sadly, I know precious little about their experiences during this time.
It’s a common sentiment: in hindsight, I wish I’d asked more questions.
Do this: Take the time to ask the questions before the answers are gone forever.
Random Links
- Hearing loss is often called a dementia risk factor – here’s what the research really shows – It’s … complicated.
- The Dissent Hidden in an Iconic Scientific Image – Drama everywhere.
What I’m reading now
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life – Anne Lamott
- The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better – Will Storr
- The Way of Kings: Book One of the Stormlight Archive – Brandon Sanderson
- The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke – (Audio)
- The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark – Carl Sagan
My Reading List – everything I’ve read since 2021.
My Sources Page – the common sources I scan/read regularly.
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