The problem with holistic, all-consuming burnout is that there’s no solution to it. You can’t optimize it to make it end faster. You can’t see it coming like a cold and start taking the burnout-prevention version of Airborne. The best way to treat it is to first acknowledge it for what it is — not a passing ailment, but a chronic disease — and to understand its roots and its parameters. That’s why people I talked to felt such relief reading the “mental load” cartoon, and why reading Harris’s book felt so cathartic for me: They don’t excuse why we behave and feel the way we do. They just describe those feelings and behaviors — and the larger systems of capitalism and patriarchy that contribute to them — accurately.
I was startled (or perhaps proud?) to notice this seems to be the first thing I’ve ever linked to on Buzzfeed. I was also startled to realize this article makes a lot of great points about burnout.
It doesn’t have any suggestions about how to recover. But it does point out the key observation that you cannot optimize your way out of burnout. Been there. Done that. Am there. Doing that.
At worst, we apply a supernatural explanation to the whole show, because otherwise we’d have to recognize intelligence as a natural extension of the things that happen on a barren, unattended planet. For some reason we often insist nature couldn’t be that interesting or potent on its own. There has to be a super nature, to keep nature in its rightful, humble place. It makes us feel special I guess, maybe that’s why we don’t give nature the credit. We’re special either way, but we don’t need special rules to explain how we’re here. For that matter, we don’t necessarily need to explain ourselves to ourselves at all. Whatever happened, we got intelligent at some point, and that’s great. It’s okay to wonder aloud exactly how it happened, but clearly it did.
Monism has never made sense to me. It’s interesting and I’ve spent a significant amount of time turning over its various flavors trying to understand others’ points of view. But, “that’s interesting,” is as far as I get.
When I face reality—thinking through mental models, comparing them to my personal experiences, talking to other people and listening to their experiences—I simply don’t see any deep mystery in life. Certainly, I see mind-bogglingly-huge expanses of things which are unknown (by me or anyone,) but that simply makes me more excited and more curious!
What confuses me is that the majority of people think differently, and I spend a lot of time talking to people as I try to understand how they think. I have only one point of view. I’m deeply fascinated by the universe around me and, in particular, by the conversations that come from me saying, “What does that bit of reality over there look like from your point of view?”
What role should competition and commercialization play in shaping the future of Parkour?
Mark Toorock shares his thoughts on the commercialization of parkour, FIG and competitions, as well as the direction parkour is headed. He also opens up about his personal goals for parkour, raising the socially acceptable age of play, and how he sees himself within the community. Mark wraps up by discussing the power of parkour to benefit all people.
The thing for me about Parkour is, if I can make one person that used to walk with their head down, walk with their head up, that’s the change in the world. We don’t change the world, we change a person.
~ Mark Toorock (32:32)
The conversation explores the evolving landscape of Parkour, focusing on commercialization, competition, and the community’s shifting mindset. Mark Toorock reflects on the initial resistance within the Parkour community to monetization and contrasts it with the growing acceptance as practitioners age and recognize the need to sustain their passion financially. The discussion highlights the complexity of maintaining Parkour’s spirit while enabling financial opportunities, drawing parallels to artists who monetize their craft without compromising authenticity.
Competition is another critical focus, with Mark advocating for a non-competitive foundation in Parkour while embracing competitions based on Parkour movements. He stresses that competition need not undermine the spirit of Parkour and can coexist with a community-driven, collaborative ethos. The conversation touches on the potential risks of external organizations, like the International Gymnastics Federation, attempting to control Parkour competitions and the broader implications for public perception. Additionally, Mark emphasizes the importance of maintaining play as a socially acceptable activity for adults, advocating for a culture that values lifelong movement and exploration.
Takeaways
Commercialization of Parkour — The community’s initial aversion to making money from Parkour has shifted as practitioners recognize the need to sustain their involvement.
Parkour as a Profession — Many who once resisted monetization now seek ways to make Parkour their career, reflecting personal growth and practical needs.
Competition and Parkour — Parkour can remain non-competitive at its core while allowing competitions to highlight athleticism and skill.
Dual Nature of Competitions — Competitions can coexist with the collaborative, non-competitive practice of Parkour without diminishing the community spirit.
External Influence — There is concern over outside organizations, like FIG, attempting to co-opt Parkour for profit or recognition, which could misrepresent the practice.
Cultural Impact — Parkour’s visibility and public perception could change significantly through organized competitions at national and international levels.
Parkour for All Ages — The practice spans generations, with both young children and seniors benefiting from participation.
Social Norms and Play — Mark’s mission is to normalize play for adults, challenging societal norms that discourage play as people age.
Inclusivity in Parkour — Parkour creates a space where background, age, and social differences dissolve, fostering unity and shared experience.
Resources
American Parkour — The organization founded by Mark Toorock, dedicated to promoting Parkour through training, events, and education.
Urban Freeflow — One of the foundational Parkour organizations co-founded by Mark Toorock, contributing to Parkour’s spread globally.
I think working with anyone who’s a brilliant creative can at times be a rollercoaster. Working with any other human other than yourself can be a rollercoaster, because they’re not you, so, you know… their reactions to things are going to be different than yours. But I think that’s part of the adventure. You talked to me about One Love, you talked to me about the telethon, and now you’re talking to me about clients. My response is the same: Life is not ever going to be content. Life is never going to be normal. For the rest of your life you’re on a journey that has ups and downs and ups and downs, it is a roller coaster that never ends. Until one day you close your eyes and you’re off the roller coaster. And I think for me, I just want to be on as many different journey’s as possible, so at least if I’m on a roller coaster, there’s a new zigzag and a turn that I didn’t know about before.
In this interview titled, Bringing Light to Darkness, Cal and Scooter have a wide ranging discussion of the challenges Scooter faced in 2017 and the lessons he learned. I’m a big fan of Cal’s work generally. Although this is one of his earlier podcasts, it’s a gold mine.
It’s time to stop blaming our surroundings and start taking responsibility. While no workplace is perfect, it turns out that our gravest challenges are a lot more primal and personal. Our individual practices ultimately determine what we do and how well we do it. Specifically, it’s our routine (or lack thereof), our capacity to work proactively rather than reactively, and our ability to systematically optimize our work habits over time that determine our ability to make ideas happen.
Routine is great. Routine guides me to channel my pensive morning moods into reflecting on what I want to accomplish that day. Routine suggests that I create spaces which enable certain types of work. Routine saves me time by streamlining the vast majority of my chores. Routine ensures I make progress on the long-term projects that seem insurmountable at the beginning. Routine forces me to make time to encounter new ideas.
But rigidity won’t do. Sometimes I want to break free.
For the first time in all of time, men have seen the Earth. Seen it not as continents or oceans from the little distance of a hundred miles or two or three, but seen it from the depths of space; seen it whole and round and beautiful and small… To see the Earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the Earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold—brothers who know that they are truly brothers.
The linked article is about Carl Sagan’s, Pale Blue Dot, but the quote is from a less well-known poet, Archibald MacLeish. He wrote an essay titled, Riders on the Earth, which appeared in The New York Times on Christmas Day, 1968.
I am well aware that this blog is a long sequence of my ideas which are inspired by others’. There’s a reason I lead with the link to the seed from which each idea germinated.
I recall exactly when, and where, I was when I had the idea to restart blogging. (Aside: Another reason I love my long-standing habit of journaling is the ability to look up things like this to audit my memory.) I cannot imagine where I would be today—frankly, there’s no chance I would have gotten to where I am today—if I hadn’t started this place to unpack my thoughts.
What motivates someone to push beyond personal limits in dance, Parkour, and other movement disciplines to achieve mastery?
Emily Tung shares her journey and goals in both breaking and parkour, as well as the differences between those two practices and communities. She also discusses her diverse movement practices, from stunt work, contortion, to pole dancing, as well as her lesser known skills in puppetry. Emily finishes by unpacking her thoughts on coaching, unsolicited advice, and speaking up for yourself.
For me then, it’s not about what is the correct or right way. It’s, what is your goal? And what’s your body like? And what can I do, and what applies best, and I have to decide that I have to be strong about that. I think that was another plateau. I had it back in my old life where I always listened to exactly what I was told.
~ Emily Tung (56:13)
The conversation explores how committing to ambitious goals reshapes personal habits, training, and overall lifestyle. Emily recounts how a decision to pursue world-level breakdancing battles triggered a broader transformation, leading to better nutrition, rest, and learning from mentors. This commitment highlighted the importance of focus and intentionality in practice, contrasting with periods of stagnant growth when goals were less defined.
The discussion also touches on the cross-disciplinary nature of movement arts, showing how Parkour, dance, and martial arts influence each other. Emily reflects on how Parkour provided a sense of community and freedom not always found in the dance world, fostering creativity and resilience. The journey through stunt work, puppetry, and contortion further illustrates the diverse ways movement disciplines intersect, shaping not just physical skills but also mental perspectives and personal identity.
Takeaways
The value of clear goals — Committing to ambitious targets reshapes training, habits, and lifestyle.
The importance of mentorship — Seeking knowledge from those already on the path accelerates growth and insight.
Cross-disciplinary learning — Parkour, dance, and martial arts inform and enhance each other, enriching overall movement capacity.
Community impact — Parkour provides acceptance and connection, contrasting with more judgmental environments in dance.
Injury prevention — Understanding progressions and conditioning transforms how to train sustainably and avoid long-term damage.
Stunt work insights — Success in stunts relies on spatial awareness, timing, and the ability to “sell” movements realistically.
Adaptability in movement — Flexibility and contortion expand creative possibilities in Parkour and dance.
The challenge of unsolicited advice — Navigating unwanted input from less experienced peers requires tact and boundary-setting.
Resources
Brooklyn Zoo Gym — Training facility where the guest developed contortion and Parkour skills.
This is an interesting way to look at societal changes. Since there is no “we”—there is no aggregate, thing which is “the society as a whole” which can feel embarrassed—the only “we” which can be embarrassed is me, the individual.
…and since this blog is about me, I should talk about what embarrasses me. But instead, I’m interested in unpacking the source of my embarrassment:
When my actions and thoughts disagree with what I know is right.
Despite the laudatory efforts of scientists to ferret out patterns in human behavior, I continue to be struck by the impact of single individuals, or of small groups, working against the odds. As scholars, we cannot and should not sweep these instances under the investigative rug. We should bear in mind anthropologist Margaret Mead’s famous injunction: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. It is the only thing that ever has.’
There so many ways that you can see this in human societies: The crowd of non-helpers all assuming someone else will help, the herds on social media who are only listening to refute, and the oceans of sarcasm to gain temporary attention.
But there are always a few—surely you’ve spotted them in your life?—who are inspiring. Perk up your ears. Who’s efforts call to you? Are you helping them?
Better yet, what calls to you? Are you thoughtful? Are you committed?
But there’s a reason we recognize Hamlet as a masterpiece: it’s that Shakespeare told us the truth, and people so rarely tell us the truth in this rise and fall here [indicates blackboard]. The truth is, we know so little about life, we don’t really know what the good news is and what the bad news is. And if I die — God forbid — I would like to go to heaven to ask somebody in charge up there, ‘Hey, what was the good news and what was the bad news?’
First, note that by “shapes” he literally means figures, graphs—drawings of the shape of the story.
Second, although I’m unsure wether or not I’m “old,” I am sure that I’m starting to get some perspective. A few posts back I was talking about there being a horizon-of-self: Once my experiences are far enough in the past, I lose any true sense of who that self was. Vonnegut’s point—to me anyway—drives home the fact that I don’t even truly know who I am right now.
I’m not sure how to describe this—other than to say it’s a pretty short read.
I’m definitely sure I’ve no idea how to pull-quote it.
I was just having a discussion about the AI Singularity, and then this fell into my lap. Is it going to be paper-clip optimizers, or benevolent beings?
Selling, I’ve grown to understand, is more urgent, more important, and, in its own sweet way, more beautiful than we realize. The ability to move others to exchange what they have for what we have is crucial to our survival and our happiness. It has helped our species evolve, lifted our living standards, and enhanced our daily lives. The capacity to sell isn’t some unnatural adaptation to the merciless world of commerce. It is part of who we are.
I believe in a very clear definition of “trade:” An exchange of value in which all parties are left better off; That is to say, trade is notzero-sum.
I believe it’s unnecessary to talk about “good” trade. That “good” is superfluous since any trade that isn’t “good” wouldn’t be trade. (It would be deception, cohersion, etc.)
What is the balance between explicit instruction and fostering natural play in effective teaching methods?
Examining the contrasts between structured education and natural play in learning.
The takeaway I want to give to people and the question I want them to ask themselves is, which parts of my class are actually effective? And which parts of my class am I doing out of habit?
~ John ‘Hedge’ Hall (6:50)
The conversation centers on teaching methods, particularly in the context of Parkour coaching. Two critiques of education are explored: a Neo-Marxist view, which critiques traditional teaching as overly authoritative and facts-based, and a libertarian perspective emphasizing the importance of natural play and minimizing intervention. These frameworks guide a discussion about creating self-aware, critical thinkers while respecting the natural role of play in learning.
The surprising discovery is that explicit instruction, often seen as unappealing or overly rigid, is highly effective for establishing foundational understanding. This enables learners to engage in problem-solving and develop complex skills more effectively. The dialogue also addresses how nervousness in new students impacts learning and the importance of clear, actionable cues during instruction.
Takeaways
Explicit instruction — Foundational teaching through clear and structured guidance significantly enhances student learning outcomes.
Natural play — Recognizing play as a natural and critical form of education, especially for children, and balancing it with structured instruction.
First-class experiences — Highlighting the importance of designing initial learning experiences to build confidence and engagement.
Critical awareness — Fostering self-critical thinking and the ability to question systems as key educational goals.
Rote learning — Revisiting rote learning as a misunderstood but powerful tool for building essential skills.
Habitual teaching — Questioning and assessing habitual teaching practices to ensure their effectiveness.
Intervention limits — Exploring when and how much intervention is beneficial in the learning process.
Resources
Access Parkour — A Parkour coaching organization focused on accessible training programs.
Theoretically, if you know what you love, then every time you make a decision you’ll have a pretty damn clear idea if it’s taking you closer or further away from what you love. You’ll know the right thing to do. So self-love is a moral issue. It consists of doing the right thing, and nothing else.
If you put it that way, that would mean that all of my problems are my responsibility. There is, after all, nothing in my power beyond my reasoned choices.
In a chapter on reconciling the inevitable pain we invite into our lives when we commit to love a being biologically destined to die before we do and the boundless joy of choosing to love anyway, Homans cites John Updike’s heartbreaking poem “Another Dog’s Death”
My little town used to have a Barkery. That’s not a typo. Someone came up with a bunch of super-healthy and super-tasty recipes. She couldn’t sell them for human consumption, but I’ll just say that the dogs didn’t get every treat I bought there. Suuper tasty and no sugar. Her peanut butter ones—made with peanuts from scratch I think—were da’ bomb.
Anytime I was going somewhere where the dog had an owner I wanted to visit, I’d put those peanut butter dog treats from the Barkery . . . randomly in a few pockets. Dogs ‘d be like, “oh *sniff* hello there *sniff* *sniff* new huma—*sniff* *sniff* *sniff* excuse me sir, but are you aware THAT YOU SMELL LIKE PEANUTBUTTERHOLYSHITBESTDAYEVAAAAAR!”
I am actually going to make a point here.
You know what’s more awesome than dogs? Getting to be immersed in the sheer joy that dog’s experience. No complications. No todo lists. No stress nor worry. Just, best. day. EVAR!
Life is a solo trip, but you’ll have lots of visitors. I say this a lot and always will. Your life is one long unbroken experience, and you’re the only one who’s there the whole time. Visitors will come in and out of your experience. Most of them are short-term and you won’t notice when they’ve made their last appearance.
I’ve had this idea myself. That I won’t notice when this instance—this experience right here, right now, with this person—is going to be the last experience with this “visitor.”
You might think, as I once did, that this state of uncertainty must always be the situation. Because, how would you know for sure if this moment right here was the last moment with this visitor?
This entry is part 70 of 72 in the series My Journey
This entry is part 70 of 72 in the series My Journey
I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company or not. Otherwise they turn up unannounced and surprise us, come hammering on the mind’s door at 4 a.m. of a bad night and demand to know who deserted them, who betrayed them, who is going to make amends. We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget. We forget the loves and the betrayals alike, forget what we whispered and what we screamed, forget who we were.
I have no idea who my 16-or-so-year-old self was. I recently found myself telling a long sequence of stories from that era. Who was that person? What were they thinking? …I have no idea.
And I don’t mean that looking at the facts, things don’t make sense. As in, “why would someone do that, in that situation.”
I mean: I have no recollection of what it felt like to be that person. That person—those experiences—don’t even feel real. It’s like there’s not even the least certainty that those memories aren’t just something loaded into my brain before it was booted up a few years ago.
Going back ten years—maaaybe 15 at most—I feel like that is still me. It’s like there’s a horizon and once an experience disappears over the horizon, all that’s left is a story.
What skills and experiences are gained when parkour practitioners apply principles of stealth, teamwork, and adaptation in unconventional environments?
Adapting to dynamic challenges creates opportunities for growth in unconventional environments.
I wanted to present a framework for civilians, who don’t normally have access to training that you would see with military personnel, to get a little bit of that hands-on, but in a fun way.
~ Don Beeson (0:54)
The conversation revolves around a unique training experience blending parkour with stealth and survival techniques, conducted during a leadership and education retreat in the Cascade Mountains. Participants engaged in skill sessions that introduced military-inspired strategies for stealth and evasion, culminating in night missions designed to apply these lessons in practice. These activities challenged attendees to slow down, communicate non-verbally, and adapt to unfamiliar environments.
The discussion also highlights specific moments from the night missions, such as encounters with a “monster” in a ghillie suit and the use of distraction tactics. Participants demonstrated creativity and teamwork, employing methods taught earlier in the day to achieve objectives. The experience underscored the value of applying parkour principles in new contexts, encouraging practitioners to explore stealth and adaptability beyond their usual environments.
Takeaways
The value of slowing down — Participants learned how deliberate, slow movement can be more effective in certain contexts than speed.
Stealth as a skill — Techniques for evasion and camouflage were introduced, demonstrating their practical and creative applications.
Non-verbal communication — The exercises emphasized teamwork through silent coordination, fostering new ways of interaction.
Adapting parkour to unconventional settings — Participants explored how parkour skills can extend beyond urban environments into stealth and evasion scenarios.
Confidence through mastery — Success in the missions built participants’ confidence in applying new techniques effectively.
Integration of fantasy and strategy — Incorporating creative elements like riddles and challenges enhanced engagement and problem-solving.