Author: Craig Constantine

Slow, surreal →

Published May 21, 2023  ·  All posts on May 21  ·  

I’ve embraced this slow philosophy for most of my professional career. As with Stearns, I too have become a believer in how much can be accomplished in normal 40-hour weeks; if you’re willing to really work when you’re working, and then be done when you’re done. It’s nice, however, to see someone so much more eminent than me also find success with this fixed-schedule approach.

~ Cal Newport from, Professio sano in vitam sanam (on balancing work and life)

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The other day I had a most surreal experience. I was at home. The weather was gorgeous and I spent most of the day on the patio. For about half of the day I did nothing in particular. And I felt—in the moments when I was doing nothing—that that was fine.

I have often experienced this surreality, but always when I have been away. Always, critically, when I had intentionally spent time planning and working to create space to be away. Think of it like getting a running start to coast through the away time; the experience of that surreality had always been while coasting.

“…and then be done when you’re done.” But the other day? I dunno. I did stuff, and then I was done, and that was okay.

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Failure also →

Published May 20, 2023  ·  All posts on May 20  ·  ,

Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery… but weakness… folly… failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher failure is. Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters.

~ Yoda, in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, (2017 film)

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Too tired →

Published May 19, 2023  ·  All posts on May 19  ·  ,

You tell me flatly that you are too tired to do anything outside your programme at night. In reply to which I tell you flatly that if your ordinary day’s work is thus exhausting, then the balance of your life is wrong and must be adjusted. A man’s powers ought not to be monopolized by his ordinary day’s work.

~ Arnold Bennett

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Consciousness →

Published May 19, 2023  ·  All posts on May 19  ·  

When we consider consciousness, a number of questions naturally arise. Why did consciousness develop? What is consciousness good for? If consciousness developed to help us plan and act for the future, why is consciousness so difficult to control? Why is mindfulness so hard? And for that matter, if our actions are under our conscious control, why is dieting (and resisting other urges) so difficult for most of us?

Why does it appear that we are observers, peering out through our eyes at the world while sitting in the proverbial Cartesian theater? Why do we speak, in William James’s words, of a “stream of consciousness”? Can we perform complicated activities (such as driving) without being consciously aware of it?

Are animals conscious (and if so, which ones)? Are there developmental, neurologic, or psychiatric disorders that are actually disorders of consciousness?

There have, of course, been many answers to these questions over the last 2500 years. We hope to provide new answers to these and a number of related questions in this paper.

~ Andrew Budson, et al from, Consciousness as a Memory System

A longer pull-quote than usual for me. But it’s from a 30,000 word article. o_O

That list of questions reads like the Table of Contents from the Owners Manual that my body didn’t come with. It’s a big deal that there might be an answer to just one of them, let alone the claim in the last sentence, “We hope to provide new answers to these and a number of related questions.”

Having now read some of those plausible answers to those questions—including rebuttals and improvements to some others’ answers to those questions—my take away is: Oddly, I am now less interested in those questions.

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Seen in the light →

Published May 18, 2023  ·  All posts on May 18  ·  ,

To him that waits all things reveal themselves, provided that he has the courage not to deny, in the darkness, what he has seen in the light.

~ Coventry Patmore

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Discovery →

Published May 17, 2023  ·  All posts on May 17  ·  

What people think of as the moment of discovery is really the discovery of the question.

~ Jonas Salk

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Opinions everywhere →

Published May 17, 2023  ·  All posts on May 17  ·  

Secondly, I say something like this: “I’m sure you’ve heard the expression ‘everyone is entitled to their opinion.’ Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself, maybe to head off an argument or bring one to a close. Well, as soon as you walk into this room, it’s no longer true. You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to what you can argue for.”

~ Patrick Stokes from, No, you’re not entitled to your opinion

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Stokes is a professor, and I rarely find myself in a teaching context. When I hear someone express an opinion, I make an assessment of their argument. Did they actually give a coherent argument? Did they give a sketch of one? Do they seem the sort of person who could give an argument in support of their opinion? To be clear, I’m not judging the person, but rather I’m trying to judge the ideas espoused.

Surprising to me, it’s become clear it’s often not obvious when something is a fact versus an opinion.

On the flip side, I try to signal my level confidence in my opinions. I’m trying to banish the phrase, “I think…” because it carries no meaning. Instead I try to say, “It seems obvious to me that…”, “I read somewhere that…”, “So-and-so told me that…”, or “It happened to me that…”

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Garrett Moore | Parkour & Politics →

Published May 16, 2023  ·  All posts on May 16

On Castbox.fm — Garrett Moore | Parkour & Politics

How does Parkour intersect with politics, and how can its principles be used to navigate divisive conversations and societal challenges?

Self-interrogation emerges as a tool for understanding societal conflicts through Parkour.

Very rarely are you ever going to convince someone to take your exact view. Oftentimes, the best outcome…is for folks just to consider your viewpoint.

~ Garrett Moore (17:24)

This conversation explores the intersection of Parkour and politics, particularly how movement philosophy can provide a lens for addressing societal and political challenges. Garrett discusses how divisive politics impact communities globally and the need for spaces to reflect on individual values. The conversation emphasizes that Parkour practitioners are a diverse group, challenging stereotypes that they are uniformly liberal. Exercises such as resource distribution scenarios are highlighted as methods used to engage participants in introspection and values clarification.

The discussion also focuses on tools for navigating contentious topics, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and emotional readiness. Garrett highlights the futility of trying to convert others to one’s viewpoint, instead advocating for fostering understanding and finding common ground. The concept of self-interrogation is central, with participants encouraged to reflect on their motivations and beliefs while engaging with the broader societal context.

Takeaways

Parkour as a political lens — Parkour offers a framework for understanding individual and societal challenges.

Community diversity — Parkour practitioners hold a wide range of political beliefs.

Navigating divisive issues — Tools like self-awareness and emotional readiness are essential for difficult conversations.

Role of self-interrogation — Reflection on personal motivations and values is key to engaging with society.

Exercise in resource distribution — Practical activities reveal underlying values and foster dialogue.

Value of dialogue — Genuine curiosity and understanding are more productive than debate.

Resources

@garrett_moves — Garrett Moore on Instagram.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Never reaching the sea →

Published May 16, 2023  ·  All posts on May 16  ·  , ,

What I do now is think up a problem and a resolution to that problem. I then begin the story, making it up as I go along, having all the excitement of finding out what will happen to the characters and how they will get out of their scrapes, but working steadily toward the known resolution so that I don’t get lost en route.

When asked for advice by beginners, I always stress that. Know your ending, I say, or the river of your story may finally sink into the desert sands and never reach the sea.

~ Isaac Asimov

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Idleness →

Published May 15, 2023  ·  All posts on May 15  ·  

Constant idleness should be included in the tortures of hell, but it is, on the contrary, considered to be one of the joys of paradise.

~ Charles de Montesquieu

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