noun : an accumulation of loose stones or rocky debris lying on a slope or at the base of a hill or cliff.
Books are key to understanding the world and participating in a democratic society.
~ Carl Sagan
Elsewhere, this is 4a781. — slipbox
I don’t think it has to be physical books — recall Mr. Sagan is from the pre-Internet epoch — but definitely *reading*, and definitely you have to be doing the hard work of deciding for yourself what you are reading.
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Put these together, and you have cause for concern. If you learn about something, and it seems trivial and boring, but lots of other people think it’s interesting and important – well, it could be so far beneath you that you’d internalized all its lessons already. Or it could be so far beyond you that you’re not even thinking on the same level as the people who talk about it.
~ Scott Alexander from, Concept-Shaped Holes Can Be Impossible To Notice
Elsewhere, this is 4usaco3. — slipbox
If there’s one thing that makes my brain lock-up every time, it’s this conundrum.
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Elsewhere, this is 4c2le2a. — slipbox
:(
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What motivates individuals to transform their lives and turn challenges into opportunities for growth and creativity?
Matthew Poprocki does what he loves. Formally a visual artist, he is now a movement artist who likes to play and overcome obstacles. He discusses the challenges he’s faced and how he rediscovered his artistic expression through Parkour.
I realized after a few years, I didn’t lose it, I’m still an artist, I’m a Life artist.
~ Matthew Poprocki (7:16)
The conversation explores the profound journey of an individual who transitioned from a career in graphic design to becoming a movement artist and coach. Struggling with dissatisfaction in a desk job, addiction, and health challenges, Matthew found solace and purpose in Parkour. This shift allowed him to embrace creativity and play, not only as an outlet but as a way to teach and inspire others.
Key topics include the philosophy of overcoming obstacles, the transition from visual to movement arts, and the role of Parkour in cultivating resilience and mindfulness. Through personal anecdotes, Matthew shares insights on viewing challenges as opportunities and finding joy in being present, creative, and connected to life.
The need for silence and solitude obviously seems incredibly relevant to the over-convenienced citizens of the modern world who feel saturated with the ceaseless noise that issues from every corner of their lives. But as mentioned at the start, men have in fact craved these states for thousands of years, long before anything digital, or electronic, or urban ever existed.
What accounts for the timeless, seemingly universal appeal of quiet seclusion?
~ Brett McKay from The Spiritual Disciplines: Solitude and Silence | The Art of Manliness The Art of Manliness
Elsewhere, this is 4uaosi2. — slipbox
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PS Please excuse my not mailing this — but I don’t know your new address.
~ Richard Feynman from, Love After Life: Nobel-Winning Physicist Richard Feynman’s Extraordinary Letter to His Departed Wife – The Marginalian
Elsewhere, this is 4ubari1. — slipbox
If you click thru, DON’T skim… read thru to the end.
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“When cynicism becomes the default language, playfulness and invention become impossible. Cynicism scours through a culture like bleach, wiping out millions of small, seedling ideas. Cynicism means your automatic answer becomes ‘No.’ Cynicism means you presume everything will end in disappointment.”
Caitlin Moran on Fighting the Cowardice of Cynicism – The Marginalian
Elsewhere, this is 4ubaca2. — slipbox
I am not a Cynic. (…but 10 years ago, I think I was well on my way to becoming one.)
I strive to be a Stoic.
Everyone, (that I’ve ever asked for a definition,) uses the adjective “stoic” to mean: unfeeling, uncaring, showing no emotion. While it’s true that words mean whatever we all agree they mean, in the case of “stoic” that definition is a drastic change of focus from what the Stoics (a group of Philosophers both ancient and modern) are doing and thinking.
Can we back up a layer to find some common ground?
You’d probably be ok with this definition:
“stoic: adj. Of, or relating to, the school of philosophy, Stoicism, founded by Zeno, …”
…but then everyone seems to rush off to this definition of Stoicism:
“[… Zeno,] who taught that people should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submit without complaint to unavoidable necessity.”
…and that’s where I disagree.
That’s a poor definition, because Stoics (the Philosophers) do feel, do care and do show emotion. In fact, one of the key points of Stoicism is to feel, care and show emotion in appropriate ways and to appropriate degrees. Stoics grieve, express joy, etc. They also understand the difference between things within and without their control. Described that way, doesn’t Stoicism sound pretty sane?
Now, I am a Philosopher, by definition, because I try to apply Philosophy to my daily life. But, I am not a teacher of Philosophy.
My hope?
That I’ve piqued your interest enough that you’ll go read this “Stoicism 101” about how to use the Stoic Philosophy today, to improve your life:
Stoicism 101 | How to Be a Stoic
Elsewhere, this is 4uwoso4. — slipbox
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The Old Guard does not tell the story of when no one talked to each other for a week because of a disagreement over architecture. They don’t talk about those long 72 hours where if funding didn’t show up, they were done. They don’t tell these stories because they hurt to tell, they are shitty awful stories, but they are as important as the myths because they resulted in the construction of trust within the team. If we can get through that; we can get through anything.
~ Rands from, The Guard – Rands in Repose
Elsewhere, this is 4uraai10. — slipbox
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Freedom is the capacity to pause in the face of stimuli from many directions at once and, in this pause, to throw one’s weight toward this response rather than that one.
The pause is especially important for the freedom of being, what I have called essential freedom. For it is in the pause that we experience the context out of which freedom comes. In the pause we wonder, reflect, sense awe, and conceive of eternity. The pause is when we open ourselves for the moment to the concepts of both freedom and destiny.
~ Rollo May from, “Freedom and Destiny”
Check out Maria Popova’s, “Existential Psychologist Rollo May on Freedom and the Significance of the Pause”
Existential Psychologist Rollo May on Freedom and the Significance of the Pause – The Marginalian
Elsewhere, this is 4ubaro1. — slipbox
…and my favorite season is here! I love the cool evenings, and how the knowledge that Daylight Savings is about to kick in makes me pay extra attention to my time outdoors in the evening. One thing I love doing is walking while listening to podcasts where I often find inspiring gems.
Here’s an example from The Tim Ferris Show Episode #86
General Stan McChrystal on Eating One Meal Per Day, Special Ops, and Mental Toughness (#86) – The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss
Elsewhere, this is 4utisa1. — slipbox
Around 1 hour 20 miutes in, Chris Fussell says:
I had a great mentor of mine, early on in my carrer, say, you should have a running list of three people — you can but you don’t need to share it with them or the world — that you’re always watching: Someone senior to you that you want to emulate; A peer who you think is better at the job than you, and you respect; And someone subordinate who is doing the job that you did a year or two or three years ago better than you did it. If you just have those three individuals that you’re constantly measuring yourself off of, and who you’re constantly learning from, you’re going to be exponentially better.
Elsewhere, this is 4c2le2b. — slipbox
Aside: DST should be abolished. It no longer saves us energy (it’s original purpose), but it does cause a statistically significant rise in traffic accidents:
Daylight Savings Time and Traffic Accidents | New England Journal of Medicine
(that’s the actual New England Journal of Medicine mind you.)
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Here are a couple more things which I’ve read about, but haven’t tried as part of my sleep hacking.
Some people have suggested keeping a sleep journal. In it you record everything related to sleep: notes about your last meal (what and when), what time you go to bed, when you wake up, perceived quality of sleep, dreams… everything. You would then be able to review this sleep journal periodically and use it to inspire changes in your sleep rituals.
The best way to improve you sleep is to conduct experiments. Change some detail and then sleep with that for a month. Then review your sleep journal notes to compare with the previous month.
In my general life hacking, I was often changing many things at the same time. Some of the details of sleeping which you would hack on with a sleep journal, I was already hacking and tracking.
My Grand-parents’ generation seems to have slept more frequently in separate beds than is popular these days. (A quick search of the Internet leads me to believe as many as 1/3 of couples currently sleep in separate beds on a regular basis.)
I haven’t graduated to this level, yet. But I can tell you that having another person immediately next to you whose movements, or snoring, may wake you, is just another thing to mess up your sleep. When I first started hacking my sleep, I realized that we were waking each other up frequently in the night. It turns out that if I’m only sleeping lightly, the other person’s movements will wake me. But it seems that as my sleep quality has improved, movements and sounds are now much less likely to make me.
That said, if you wanted to try separate sleeping, you could try sleeping on the floor (with futon cushions, or air mattresses.) You could then move your bedding closer or farther apart as the mood strikes, and still be on a solid surface which would not convey any sense of movement from the other person. You’re still close enough, of course, that sounds could be an issue.
Aside: This is one reason why I prefer to sleep on my air mattress on the floor when I travel. Sharing a pull-out sofa or large bed with someone I don’t know, is the worst-case scenario for being disturbed all night.
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