On this day

August 20th

Victims of our own technology

August 20

Just a cou­ple of days ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweet­ed out a video pro­mot­ing, “the new iPad Pro: the thinnest prod­uct we’ve ever cre­at­ed.” The response has been over­whelm­ing, and over­whelm­ing­ly neg­a­tive: for many view­ers, the ad’s imagery of a hydraulic press crush­ing a heap of musi­cal instru­ments, art sup­plies, and vin­tage enter­tain­ment into a sin­gle tablet inad­ver­tent­ly artic­u­lat­ed a dis­com­fort they’ve long felt with tech­nol­o­gy’s direc­tion in the past cou­ple of decades. As the nov­el­ist Hari Kun­zru put it, “Crush­ing the sym­bols of human cre­ativ­i­ty to pro­duce a homog­e­nized brand­ed slab is pret­ty much where the tech indus­try is at in 2024.”

~ Colin Marshall, from Aldous Huxley Explains How Man Became “the Victim of His Own Technology” (1961)

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Setting aside the marketing brouhaha, I was gobsmacked by the phrase, “Crushing the symbols of human creativity to produce a homogenized brand-slab […]” Yes, “homogenized brand-slab” is brilliant and feels like a line of dialog from THX-1138. But I was really fish-hooked by the “symbols of human creativity” part. I talk a lot and often these days about creativity, but I’d never really considered the question: What are symbols—images, place holders, iconography—of creativity?

Because it doesn’t seem to make sense to me why a paint brush, or a trumpet (for example) represent creativity. It’s the mind of the person that does the creativity part… and so: What are symbols of creativity?

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What came before

August 20, 2023

I have several projects where there’s no end-game. (I’d argue all of my passion projects have no end-game.) The process of doing the creative work is the entire point. Do the thing, because doing the thing is some combination of “I enjoy it”, “I can rationalize the necessary parts I don’t enjoy” and “it’s making the world a better place.”

So you start. You do these trivial first actions, because they’re so stupidly easy, and then you’re working on the task. You’re inside the compound. You’re no longer trying to “get started.” Most of the resistance is gone, it’s clear enough what to do next, and it feels good to continue.

~ David Cain from, The Right Now List

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Rest. Reflect. Recalibrate. …was a wonder-filled takeaway from Trust Yourself by Melody Wilding. There was a little diagram of those three in a circle: Rest pointing to Reflect pointing to Recalibrate pointing to Rest. I am forever and ever imagining my projects as some sort of steady-state of affairs. Start the thing and then “just” do the thing. Forever. Forever? No. “What came before?” is, for me, the wrong question. How am I honestly feeling about whatever-it-is right now? That’s right. That just is. That’s how I am today. Okay, what comes next? Do I need to rest, reflect, or recalibrate?

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Resistance

August 20, 2023

If you have decided that you can’t do art until you quiet the voice of resistance, you will never do art. Art is the act of doing work that matters while dancing with the voice in your head that screams for you to stop. We can befriend the lizard, lull it into stupor, or merely face it down, but it’s there, always. As soon as you embrace the lizard (not merely tolerate it but engage it as a partner in your art), then you are free.

~ Seth Godin

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That says it all

August 20, 2022

And worse, when something truly significant does happen, it blends in seamlessly with the continuing shitstream that is information in the social media age.

~ Mark Manson from, The Outrage Cycle

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Manson lays it out pretty much as he always does. He’s not swinging a baseball bat; No it’s one of those bats from a zombies movie with nails sticking out of it. But the point is valid none the less.

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Nuance with Emeric McCleary

August 20, 2021

How can curiosity and nuanced listening enhance meaningful conversations, particularly in the context of podcasting?

A podcaster reveals how embracing curiosity and patience leads to unexpected and powerful storytelling.

The beauty of finding nuance is that it trains you to be a better listener, and it helps—at least it helps me—because I’m just infinitely curious. If you’re infinitely curious, you’re probably going to ask questions, or let people talk or give you more information, or again— looking for that gold nugget.

~ Emeric McCleary (5:04)

This conversation explores the value of nuanced listening and Emeric’s strategies for fostering meaningful conversations on his podcast. It begins with a discussion of the word “nuance” and its role in revealing subtle distinctions and insights within human interactions. He explains his process of recording long-form conversations, sometimes spanning hours, as a method to uncover the “golden moments” of authenticity and depth that arise over time. His podcast aims to provide hope and humor for widowed individuals, often featuring irreverent and candid topics that encourage openness and connection.

The conversation also addresses how curiosity plays a central role in crafting engaging episodes. Emeric reflects on how letting go of control and allowing guests to “unfold their stories” leads to unexpected discoveries. He shares his vetting process for guests, emphasizing the importance of selecting individuals who can engage deeply and authentically. Key influences like Joe Rogan’s interviewing techniques and resources such as “Never Split the Difference” are mentioned as tools for improving listening skills and uncovering deeper layers in conversations.

Takeaways

Curiosity as a foundation — Curiosity drives meaningful exchanges and trains listeners to explore subtle distinctions.

Long-form conversations — Recording sessions lasting several hours often reveal unexpected and authentic moments.

Vetting guests — Careful pre-screening ensures that potential guests can engage deeply and resonate with the podcast’s tone.

Nuance in podcasting — Allowing guests to unfold their stories fosters authenticity and richer discussions.

Listening as a skill — Effective listening enhances empathy, communication, and the ability to find hidden insights.

Resources

My Spouse Died Too

My Spouse Died Too podcast — Emeric’s podcast gives hope, so you can heal, find love again, and give grief the middle finger.

Never Split the Difference — Chris Voss’s book teaching negotiation and listening techniques to uncover unknown unknowns.

Joe Rogan Podcast — Referenced as an example of effective interviewing and curiosity-driven conversation.

Freakonomics Radio — Mentioned as a resource for learning engaging questioning techniques.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Embracing all the moments

August 20, 2021

I’m starting to see the unifying principle behind all the philosophies that really appeal to me (e.g. Buddhism, Stoicism, Arnold Schwarzenegger). They view all of life’s moments as having equal value, at least where it counts, and what counts is your skill in embracing the moments that make up your life.

It’s a genius idea, possibly the smartest thing human beings ever came up with. Embracing all moments as a rule transforms every day into precisely what you’re looking for: an interesting variety of experiences, every one of which offers you what you value, regardless of what happens in particular.

~ David Cain from, When All Moments Have Equal Value

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In addition to the sources listed by Cain, I’d add Jerzey Gregorek.

To me, this is all about mindfulness. Practicing being aware of each moment is a terrific way to swim in the joy of life. All the struggle and worry comes from my setting expectations—reasonable or otherwise makes no difference—which are always frustrated by the vast complexity of reality.

I’m fond of the Chinese proverb: “If things are going badly, relax, they won’t last. If things are going well, relax, they won’t last.” It’s of course super-helpful to be reminded to relax. But it’s far more helpful to be reminded that there’s really no difference between the “going badly” and “going well” parts, which brings me again to Cain’s point.

Choose what at first appears to be the harder path, because it is—as you soon discover—actually the easier path.

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A long voyage

August 20, 2020

Would you think a man had traveled a long voyage if he had been caught in a savage gale immediately on leaving port and had been buffeted to and fro by alternate blasts from opposite directions so that he was running circles in the same spot? That man has had not a long voyage but a long floundering.

~ Seneca

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That’s interesting

August 20, 2019

In response to the question, “Do you think we can educate ourselves, that any one of us, at any time, can be educated in any subject that strikes our fancy?” Isaac Asimov responded:

The key words here are “that strikes our fancy.” There are some things that simply don’t strike my fancy, and I doubt that I can force myself to be educated in them. On the other hand, when there’s a subject I’m ferociously interested in, then it is easy for me to learn about it. I take it in gladly and cheerfully…

[What’s exciting is] the actual process of broadening yourself, of knowing there’s now a little extra facet of the universe you know about and can think about and can understand. It seems to me that when it’s time to die, there would be a certain pleasure in thinking that you had utilized your life well, learned as much as you could, gathered in as much as possible of the universe, and enjoyed it. There’s only this one universe and only this one lifetime to try to grasp it. And while it is inconceivable that anyone can grasp more than a tiny portion of it, at least you can do that much. What a tragedy just to pass through and get nothing out of it.

~ Isaac Asimov, from His Hopes for the Future (Part Two)

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To grasp a tiny portion of it.

I’ve never had any delusions of grandeur—ok, sure, fine. I probably did in my youth. But currently, I do not now have delusions of grandeur. I’m not trying to leave a grand legacy or solve something in math or physics that will earn me a place in the pantheon of science.

I want to enjoy a few simple things, I want to appreciate the fruit of a lot of hard work and luck. Lots of smiling would be nice. Playing with my friends would be cool. I want to make that, “huh,” sound more often; Do you know that sound? It’s that little puff of curiosity one emits when some bit of knowledge clicks into place, or you realize there’s a small patch of your thinking which isn’t as illuminated as you had thought. It’s often followed by, “that’s interesting.”

When is the last time you made that noise?

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How to grow old

August 20, 2018

Make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river — small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.

~ Bertrand Russell from, How to Grow Old: Bertrand Russell on What Makes a Fulfilling Life – The Marginalian

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I’m certain I have nothing to add to that. If that doesn’t make you the least bit wistful, then I’ll wager you are young.

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John Quincy Adams on efficiency vs. effectiveness, the proper aim of ambition, and his daily routine

August 20, 2017

I feel the sentiment with which Tycho Brahe died, perhaps as strongly as he did — His “ne frustra vixisse videar” was a noble feeling, and in him had produced its fruits — He had not lived in vain — He was a benefactor to his species — But the desire is not sufficient — The spark from Heaven is given to few — It is not to be obtained by intreaty or by toil — To be profitable to my Children, seems to me within the compass of my powers — To that let me bound my wishes, and my prayers — And may that be granted to them!

~ John Quincy Adams from, John Quincy Adams on Efficiency vs. Effectiveness, the Proper Aim of Ambition, and His Daily Routine – The Marginalian

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