Craig Constantine

Most people are not yet born →

Published July 27, 2020 · All posts on Jul 27 · Society

[…] recognize that at least in terms of sheer numbers, the current population is easily outweighed by all those who will come after us. In a calculation made by writer Richard Fisher, around 100 billion people have lived and died in the past 50,000 years. But they, together with the 7.7 billion people currently alive, are far outweighed by the estimated 6.75 trillion people who will be born over the next 50,000 years, if this century’s birth rate is maintained (see graphic below). Even in just the next millennium, more than 135 billion people are likely to be born.
~ Roman Krznaric from, Six Ways to Think Long-term: A Cognitive Toolkit for Good Ancestors – Long Now

Elsewhere, this is 4ulosi1. — slipbox

50,000 years is, of course, somewhat arbitrary. But it’s a good estimate of the span so far of recognizably-like-current-us human history. It’s obvious that today, most people are already dead. It’s those trillion yet to come that warp the brain and create perspective.

This article from The Long Now Foundation has 6 good examples of explicit ways to think long-term, rather than short-term.

A clear and precise picture →

Published July 26, 2020 · All posts on Jul 26 · Quotes

Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.
~ Baruch Spinoza

Elsewhere, this is 4a514. — slipbox

Do you have an “ask”? →

Published July 24, 2020 · All posts on Jul 24

I don’t always have an “ask.” But when I do, I make it clear and I usually lead with it. This plays out in countless ways, and I’m hoping it’s so obvious that I don’t need to give any examples. Rather, I’ll just go meta:

When you have an ask, is it clear—really clear—in your communication?

Really red rocks →

Published July 23, 2020 · All posts on Jul 23

Cara-Michele Nether: Aikido, wellness, and honesty →

Published July 22, 2020 · All posts on Jul 22 · Movers Mindset

Cara-Michele Nether: Aikido, wellness, and honesty

How can personal experiences with Aikido and wellness practices be used to help others improve their lives through self-awareness, physical health, and personal growth?

Unexpectedly inheriting an Aikido school may sound overwhelming, but Cara-Michele Nether took it in stride. She sits down to share her journey in Aikido and acupuncture, and what she’s learned from both. Cara-Michele unpacks her views on overall health, and how she helps people improve their lives by focusing on their ‘why.’ She discusses her grandmother, the importance of self-awareness, and her thoughts on Aikido’s usefulness.

Nobody wants to do something that they feel awful about. So you have to make it easy and smooth for them and give them small reasons to celebrate and have a good time and feel like they want to come back.
~ Cara-Michele Nether (38:42)

The discussion focuses on personal growth and the impact of martial arts, particularly Aikido, on physical and emotional health. Aikido serves as a tool for self-awareness and developing resilience, as Cara-Michele shares her journey from discovering the practice to inheriting and leading a dojo. The themes of humility, connection, and navigating challenges in teaching and practice are explored in depth.

Health and wellness are central topics, as Cara-Michele integrates practices like acupuncture, nutrition, and functional movement into their work. She emphasize the importance of understanding personal motivations, or “why,” to make meaningful changes in health and lifestyle. Stories of overcoming challenges and helping others through tailored approaches highlight the transformative power of these practices.

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Mindful communication →

Published July 22, 2020 · All posts on Jul 22

With few exceptions, e-mail use arose organically within organizations, with little thought applied to how digital communication might best serve the relevant objectives.
~ Cal Newport from, The E-mail Productivity Curve – Cal Newport

Elsewhere, this is 4ucabo41. — slipbox

As usual, this is an interesting article from Newport. He proposes a productivity curve for email—how productive we are without, with-some, with-more, with-too-much—which explains perfectly why some people love email and some people hate it.

The key point about email is to use it intentionally. Not simply one’s own use; not simply, “I only check my email twice a day,” or, “I’m always at ‘inbox zero.'” The key is to deploy email wisely, in a way which increases productivity of a team, (family, community, whatever.) If adding email into the mix is going to increase productivity, then do so. Then zoom out and look at all your other communication tools, and perform the same calculus. Email is simply one example of a tool which initially [hopefully] increases productivity, but too-soon becomes a detriment.

Do it yourself →

Published July 21, 2020 · All posts on Jul 21 · Quotes, Motivation

Nobody cares. Do it yourself.
~ Hugh MacLeod

Elsewhere, this is 4a288. — slipbox

The faculty of choice →

Published July 21, 2020 · All posts on Jul 21 · Quotes

What else does the eye do, when it is opened, than see? But whether we ought to look upon somebody’s wife, and in what manner, what tells us that? The faculty of choice. Whether we ought to believe, or to disbelieve, what is said; or whether, if we do believe, we ought to be moved by it or not; what tells us that? Is it not the faculty of choice?
~ Epictetus

Elsewhere, this is 4a397. — slipbox

The impulse to blame →

Published July 20, 2020 · All posts on Jul 20 · Quotes

Small-minded people habitually reproach others for their own misfortunes. Average people reproach themselves. Those who are dedicated to a life of wisdom understand that the impulse to blame something or someone is foolishness, that there is nothing to be gained in blaming, whether it be others or oneself.
~ Epictetus

Elsewhere, this is 4a283. — slipbox