What I’ve been thinking:
“Throw things at the wall and see what sticks”
If you ever feel stuck in life and you don’t have hint of a clue what to do next, “throw things at the wall and see what sticks;” in other words - try something new, do something else; commit to changing your life for a while and see how it goes. Implement a new habit, cut out a seemingly bad one, whatever. Then if it doesn’t work out, if the new thing doesn’t stick, pick something new. It won’t be easy, starting over is not supposed to be easy. Cry if you have to, feel the pain, and then - do something else.
“Hope can either alleviate you of responsibility, or empower you to change your situation.”
Unfortunately I’ve been spending a lot of time, too much time, scrolling through bullshit online (in case you needed another reason for my lack of publishing) but while it has taken my valuable time and thrown it in the metaphorical trash of the past, it has given me something interesting to considers: Techno-Utopianists.
Individuals who sit back and trust in technology development to solve the problems they actually care little for; the very real issues which plague our world currently because, in a sinister way, they are convinced technology will save us, beyond belief. What makes this sinister is that, for these people, the belief gives them a closer and understanding of reality which they feel is indisputable. They don’t care for discussion on the subjects of death, of inequality, of planetary vulnerability. No. They’d rather end the conversation quick with a declaration of what is to come.
Similar to the great engineers of our time, they are putting their hope in technology; however, unlike those same engineers, they only rid individuals of responsibility as if they thing is already here and there is no longer work to be done. Something which in my opinion robs them of really taking part in “something great”, and in actually helping the ball roll forward. A “something great” is going to need all the help and attention it can get to get continue rolling on.
For my Star Wars Fans out there: if the rebellion had simply stopped putting forth effort into the fight after the Jedi Luke Skywalker joined in with them, they would have surely lost. Luke needed the rebellion, as much as the rebellion needed Luke. Their “new hope” did not catalyze them into self-entitled exemption from the fight to destroy the Death Star and bring down the Empire, but drove them to believe they could really win.
Let hope inspire you to reach your full potential, rather than rob you of ever seeing the vast possibilities life has to offer.
Hope as a tool for growth, not as a weapon for self-destruction.
What I’ve been reading:
This book Shantaram, by Gregory David Robert, has been pretty legit; a story of an escaped convict attempting to restart his life in Bombay India, Shantaram is an unapologetic tale about the darker side of life and not for the faint of heart. If you don’t like stories about the underworld - ie drugs, organized crime, and injustice - aka the real world, then this book is probably not for you. However, not only is Shantaram engaging and extremely well written, it is also full of bite sized philosophical truths which keep you thinking on different planes at all times. Not to mention it’s largely based on the actual experiences of the author himself. I’m not even close to finished so I’ll likely have more to add in the future, but for the time being I’m all in.
What I’ve been listening to:
~ Joe Rogan Experience #1897 - Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson - What an outstandingly mind expanding podcast which redefines our past and answers questions one might have about the present. Graham Hancock is stoked with the flames of passion and love, love of his community of paradigm shifters and for the next generation of exploratory humans. Randall Carlson is as charismatic as always; bright and full of energy. His work centers around the cutting edge understanding of our human history, an area of work a staggering amount of individuals think is already well and truly understood.
However, these two individuals challenge these mainstream views, and showcase their undeniable brilliance along the way. Joe is outstanding, his questions are seamlessly interwoven into this brilliant discussion, and - as is typical of a Joe Rogan podcast - he is quite obviously enjoying himself. Joe isn’t looking to get anything out of the conversation except a good conversation. Definitely worth a listen.
~ DTFH 536: Monk You Rou - Duncan Trussell interviews Monk You Rou for the second time, and on this occasion their conversation manages to get even farther out then their first. Monk You Rou goes deeper with Duncan on the topic of death and visions, building further on the content of their first podcast together. The pair go into topics like a.I. and theology, death, meaninglessness; simply hearing a daoist monks opinion on ai is for me mind bending enough. Duncan is charming and genuine, he delivers fully on what being a curious podcast host is all about and he’s not afraid to get personal.
~ Tim Dillon 321 - Bill Burr - Tim’s magnificent solo style of podcasting has taken a backseat over the last few weeks as far as his free content, but the work he’s been doing with others; the two person-combo rants Tim shares with other comedians and podcasters are fucking hilarious. Jokes often do point out what should be and are usually obvious truths about our lunatic society, and Tim is all about mentioning how crazy our world is. In this episode Bill Burr and Tim talk the different places they’ve been, the people they’ve met, they talk wealth, success, goals, and of course they talk a lot about comedy. Bill’s been around for a while now, and his perspective has aged like fine wine. Unmistakable in its quality and enhanced, not corroded, by time. Hilarious.
Thanks for reading!
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More to come.
May God be with you all.