Spinal Tap

Unrestrained moderation

May 13, 2020

I’m finding myself draw to this phrase. It’s clearly messing with me; At first brush it might seem to be an oxymoron. However it depends on which definition of “moderation” I choose. If moderation is something I have—say, I am moderate in my opinions—then that moderation simply is. That moderation is neither short nor tall, slow nor fast, and neither restrained nor unrestrained.

But if moderation is thought of as an action—something I am doing continuously, like running or living or talking—then it can clearly be done to different degrees. My running can be slow or fast. (Technically, my running is uniformly slow, but bear with me for this simile.) My living can be conservative or outlandish. And so my moderation can be restrained or unrestrained. Currently, my moderation dial is turned to about, 2; Picture me knocking on the control panel asking, “Hello? Is this on?” I need to twist that moderation up to 11.

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Update Oct 2020: See also, Festina Lente.

Have you even tried?

January 30, 2020

I call bullshit. You already found your passion, you’re just ignoring it. Seriously, you’re awake 16 hours a day, what the fuck do you do with your time? You’re doing something, obviously. You’re talking about something. There’s some topic or activity or idea that dominates a significant amount of your free time, your conversations, your web browsing, and it dominates them without you consciously pursuing it or looking for it.

It’s right there in front of you, you’re just avoiding it. For whatever reason, you’re avoiding it. You’re telling yourself, “Oh well, yeah, I love comic books but that doesn’t count. You can’t make money with comic books.”

Fuck you, have you even tried?

~ Mark Manson from, https://markmanson.net/screw-finding-your-passion

…and I thought I had my irreverence dial turned to 11!

There’s also a terrific Mexican proverb: The appearance of the bull changes when you enter the ring. The matador’s point of view is different from the spectator’s.

What I’d like to draw attention to today, is skin in the game.

Have you ever had to make the decision to lay someone off? Why do you think you understand that last round of layoffs at Giant Company? Have you ever created something? Why do you think you understand the creative process of this painter? Have you ever entirely owned and operated a cafe? Why do you think your suggesting for, ‘ya know what you should have on the menu…’ has any value?

I’m not implying I’ve done any of the hypotheticals above.

But I can tell you that I long ago stopped giving unsolicited advice when I don’t have, and have never had, skin in the game I was about to advise on.

So, where do you have skin in the game? …and what are you going to do now that I’ve drawn your attention to it?

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