The fact is one’s own voice is not heard anywhere else. It’s a challenge to be yourself. It makes a lot of courage.
~ Yusef Lateef
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On this day
February 9thSmall but mighty
There’re countless decisions one makes and simply put, the smallest decisions are just as important as the biggest ones. Few are biggest. Innumerable are the smallest. Plus, there’s huge variation in the amount of time I have to consider—or to over-think as the case may be—each choice. Some say choose sooner; Some say delay choosing. Even when we choose to not decide, that’s still a choice.
Every event has two handles, Epictetus said: “one by which it can be carried, and one by which it can’t. If your brother does you wrong, don’t grab it by his wronging, because this is the handle incapable of lifting it. Instead, use the other—that he is your brother, that you were raised together, and then you will have hold of the handle that carries.” Another way to say that is that there are multiple ways to look at every situation, multiple ways to determine how you’re going to react. Some of them are sturdy and some of them are not. Some are kind and resilient, some are not. Which will you choose? Which handle will you grab?
~ Ryan Holiday from, These 14 Small Mindset Shifts Will Change Your Life
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There are a handful of small but mighty ideas that have the ability to often get me off the floor, or out of bed, when all seems pointless. This particular one works quite often. Pick that article apart. Keep what you find useful. Discard the rest.
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Addiction with Howard Gluss
What are the dynamics and challenges of balancing direct patient care with creative podcasting, and how does this balance influence the impact and approach in both fields?
Craig and Dr. Howard Gluss discuss the psychological impact of audio, from addiction and therapy to the intimate power of sound in storytelling.
My podcasting work is about my psychology work. It’s just an extension of who I am. It’s just a different arena I’m playing in […] A lot of times I don’t really care what the subject is, because [my goals is] to try to find the psychodynamics that are present in that subject. I try to go on a journey with my guests and look for those ‘aha’ moments where we’re both going, ‘Wow, that’s really interesting.’
~ Howard Gluss (9:30)
Craig and Dr. Howard Gluss explore the intersection of podcasting and psychology, focusing on how Dr. Gluss balances his work as a clinical psychologist with his creative expression as a podcaster. Dr. Gluss explains that while his sessions with patients are about being fully present for them, podcasting offers him an opportunity for self-expression. He sees both practices as interconnected, as the creativity and fulfillment he gets from podcasting positively impact his work with clients. Dr. Gluss also reflects on his approach to treating addiction, emphasizing the need to separate the person from their addiction to help them rebuild a life they enjoy, which may reduce the desire to self-destruct.
I do feel from a psychological and spiritual point of view that sound is very powerful. If you look at some of the Eastern religions, sound of ‘Om’—both in Buddhism, Hinduism—is so prevalent as a meditation […] To me, sound is very ancient. It’s very powerful. It’s very visceral, spiritual. It gets me very connected.
~ Howard Gluss (12:12)
They also discuss the psychological and spiritual power of sound, with Dr. Gluss drawing connections between ancient practices like meditation and the unique experience of audio in podcasting. He suggests that the medium of sound can be particularly intimate and impactful, engaging different aspects of the mind. The conversation touches on the challenges podcasters face when they lack feedback from their audience, which can lead to assumptions that may not be grounded in reality. Dr. Gluss notes that these assumptions can be influenced by the podcaster’s own insecurities, a topic that resonates with his work in psychology.
Takeaways
Balancing creative and clinical work — exploring how creative expression through podcasting complements clinical work and enhances personal well-being.
The psychology of addiction — treating addiction involves separating the person from their disease, allowing individuals to rediscover passions and build a life worth preserving.
The power of sound — audio, as a medium, taps into ancient spiritual and psychological connections, providing a unique form of engagement.
The intimacy of podcasting — podcasting allows for a personal, one-on-one connection with listeners, fostering a sense of closeness and authenticity.
Assumptions in communication — a lack of audience feedback in podcasting can lead to self-doubt and assumptions, often reflecting the podcaster’s own insecurities.
Therapy through telehealth — telehealth offers a different dynamic than in-person sessions, with both pros and cons in terms of connection and observation.
Audio’s impact on imagination — the absence of visuals in audio content allows listeners to fill in details themselves, leading to a deeply personal experience.
The challenge of perfectionism — podcasting can trigger perfectionist tendencies, with creators obsessing over details that may not significantly affect the outcome.
Cultural significance of sound — sound plays an important role in different cultures and religions, particularly in meditative and spiritual practices.
Resources
Daraknot Health — A concierge-style in-home treatment service specializing in addiction, depression, and anxiety, providing customized care in the client’s home.
Engaging Minds podcast — A psychology-focused podcast that explores various topics, hosted by a clinical psychologist.
Intimate Fame podcast — A series of audio dramas focusing on the lives of famous individuals, including Wallace Simpson, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean.
Om meditation — A meditation practice rooted in Eastern religions, specifically Buddhism and Hinduism, that uses the sound “Om” as a spiritual tool.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
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Audience
I think people want things that are really passionate, and often, the best version they could be is not for everybody… The best art divides the audience. If you put out a record, and half the people who hear it absolutely love it, and half the people who hear it absolutely hate it, you’ve done well, because it’s pushing that boundary.
~ Rick Rubin
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The main thing
I think we often get distracted by, well, life, or social media, or whatever. At the end of the day, we can see that we haven’t really moved the needle on what we truly care about. Women out there in particular know this is true. How do you keep the main thing the main thing?
~ Sarah Elizabeth Lewis
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Reflection: Day 40
SINCERITY — “Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
One can bring self-judgement into reflection practice, but it is not necessary. Simply practicing being aware will pay dividends. I’m recommending you do the reflection without the judgement.
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Arrived in the middle? Visit the first post, Where to begin?
(The entire series is available to download as a PDF ebook.)
Big changes for 2020
For the past 5 years, I’ve been passionately working on a project called Movers Mindset. I’ve been particular about keeping it separate from “me”—in the sense that I would think, “is this idea something I want to put into Movers Mindset or on my blog?” (It sounds weird, I know—why didn’t you tell me years ago?) This led me to wind up with multiple “outlets”; this blog, public Movers Mindset web site and the Forum. As part of my continued efforts to simplify, we’ve taken down the Movers Mindset public web site.
* We didnt literally turn it off, but it’s just a static page about the project, and it powers the technology to make the podcast work. There’ll be nothing new posted there, and everything that was there will slowly appear in the Forum.
The entire Movers Mindset project grew from conversations I started having as part of my personal journey rediscovering movement. The project started late in 2015, under a different name, and it was initially simply a web site that shared others’ writing. The project grew, and in 2017 I started a companion podcast involving a team of people. In 2019 I created the Movers Mindset Forum. I’ve worked extremely hard, but none of this would have been possible without so much help from so many people.
The Movers Mindset Forum
Everything Movers Mindset does, everything we create, all the people who work on the project for fair pay— Everything is made possible by people who value what we create and support our work by joining the Forum.
If you’re already a Forum member, thank you for your support.
If you do join the forum, you instantly gain access to everything. I hope you will consider supporting our work. To learn more, see Welcome! Join the Movers Mindset Forum .
A note about “access to everything”: I’ve a tremendous amount of stuff to repost into the Forum. I’ll be chipping away at it, but it will take months as I work through it. If there’s something in particular you’re looking for, let me know.
Podcast
The Movers Mindset podcast is available wherever you normally listen to podcasts. Just search for movers mindset and you should be set. You can also find a listing of the podcast episodes in the Movers Mindset Forum. See the topics tagged “podcast “.
The public topics for each episode have only the show summary. Forum members can see the members-only Podcasts category where everything else is actually posted.
Thank you!
I hope you find my blog, the Forum, or the podcast interesting. Please consider sharing if you do.
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This greater good you’ve found
Indeed, if you find anything in human life better than justice, truth, self-control, courage – in shrot, anything better than the sufficiency of your own mind, which keeps you acting according to the demands of true reason and accepting what fate gives you outside of your own power of choice – I tell you, if you can see anything better than this, turn to it heart and soul and take full advantage of this greater good you’ve found.
~ Marcus Aurelius
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Treat people like human beings
In the end what he wanted wasn’t entitlement to other people’s money, or a pity job from someone who secretly didn’t like him. All he needed to keep going was to have people acknowledge there was a problem and treat him like a frickin’ human being.
~ Scott Alexander from, Radicalizing the Romanceless
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I’ve heard that men tend to be quick to propose solutions. That fits perfectly with my self-perception: When someone complains, or voices a concern, or raises an issue, etc., my first instinct is to try to find the root cause (or at least, a major cause) and then immediately start proposing or brain-storming solutions, things to change, action items.
It took me a long time to understand that what everyone wants, first of all, it to be understood.
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Parkour: the spectacle, the practical, the philosophical, and where competition fits in
The question is, do we want parkour to be a thing that is a casual part of more people’s lifestyles, like walking a dog or riding a bike? Or do we want it to be a pursuit only the able and passionate need bother even try?
~ Amy Vhan from, «https://fallingleavesandabird.com/2016/11/29/parkour-spectacle-competition/»
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Trout
Appetizers, salad, Pinot Grigio, Trout with lemon and Thyme. You’ve wondered why Tracy puts up with me… now you know.
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Why the austerity fraud matters
But this week a controversy broke out in economics, and it actually deserves your attention. A paper that has had a major influence on public policy around the world turns out to be wrong. And not just wrong in a subtle way that only geniuses can see, or even wrong in an everybody’s-human way that you look at and say, “Oh yeah, I’ve done that.” This one was wrong in three different ways that make you (or at least me) say, “That can’t be an accident.”
~ Doug Muder from, Why the Austerity Fraud Matters
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Really, you should read this. Foundations have moved.
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Can machines think?
My background is not in Computer Science. (My background is in Engineering; More in About.) I happily stumbled, more or less backwards, into network and systems administration. Although I’ve always had the analytic and scientific skills for this work, I’ve had little education, formal or otherwise, on the theoretical side. Recently I was delighted to find a survey-level CS column in the Communications of the ACM.
Reading CS classics widens your perspective by introducing stable, timeless ideas. You escape the popular themes of your times and evaluate the field from a more literal position. You learn about the qualities that make a person a great scientist. You realize those people are delighted to think over problems. By learning the history of computers and studying the lives and works of eminent computer scientists we all recognize the true merit of being part of such a respectful profession and privileged community.
~ Selma Tekir from, Reading CS Classics, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 55 No. 4
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I dutifully queued the reference list for assimilation, and eventually I arrived at the following. If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool computer scientist, you surely see where this is going, and I encourage you to start laughing at me at this point.
I propose to consider the question, ‘ Can machines think ? ‘ This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms ‘machine’ and ‘think’. … Instead of attempting such a definition I shall replace the question by another, which is closely related to it and is expressed in relatively unambiguous words. The new form of the problem can be described in terms of a game which we call the ‘imitation game’.
~ Turing, A. M. I from, Computing machinery and intelligence, MIND LIX, 236 (1950)
I had to hand type a URL to figure out that “MIND” is a “quarterly review of psychology and philosophy”, and “LIX” was the volume number. This quoted article being from volume 59, issue number 236, circa October 1950. That’s a tri-axel dump-truck load of awesome in one citation.
HAH! Clueless me. This is THE article by Alan Turing. <me, stands gawking in awe>
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