Matter of Movement

Every generation seems to complain about another generation being "entitled" - when they too, are "entitled". It is human to behave in an "entitled" way at times, but we must remember that the universe owes us nothing. Everyone is "entitled" to living their best life. Everything in life is borrowed, including life itself. We are ultimately insignificant in the scheme of things, so don't have a chip on your shoulder. We must enjoy the time we have and leave this rock in a better state than we found it

I have stumbled upon a few books, namely 12 Rules for Life, The 48 Laws of Power, and The Art of War which despite their rampant popularity, left a bad taste in my mouth. They endorse the use of deception and of violating the golden rule of treating other how you would like to be treated. I understand that this behaviour may be useful to "get results" and "obtain power", but is it worth the cost of hurting others and negatively affecting the trust which people have in you? If people continuing to be rewarded for carrying on like petulant children to gets results, they will continue to behave in such away. A positive feedback loop of behaving unethically. We should choose not to reward this type of behaviour, and when on the receiving end of someone trying to wield their power, should choose to delay or ignore in an effort to break the cycle.

A brief review of each of the books I read in the last month. The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 unconventional laws to redefine your life and succeed on your own terms - Vishen Lakhiani 5/5 After listening to this audiobook I have already ordered the hard copy to re-read it more deeply. This book is worth a read to update your beliefs and systems for life.  Get your hands on it and read it. Physics of the Impossible: a scientific exploration into the world of phasers, force fields, teleportation and time travel - Michio Kaku 4.5/5 In this book, Kaku discusses phenomena which were previously considered impossible but have come into fruition, phenomena which are currently considered impossible but do not violate the laws of physics, and phenomena which are currently considered impossible and do violate the laws of physics. Kaku speculates on technologies which we now perceive as science fiction but may be developed in future years, whether that be 10 years, 1,000 years, or 1,000,000

The Golden Rule - treat others as you would like to be treated. This message is echoed across all religions and is an agreed upon principle of being considered a "good person". This is an important step in empathy. It helps you understand how others may feel or think. If you have no awareness of the emotions and thoughts of others, you will likely do them harm.

Be mindful of loss a version and the sunk cost fallacy. Loss a version – losses are more painful than gains are pleasurable – people will disproportionately prefer to avoid losses . Sunk cost fallacy – when people continue to invest time or money because of their previous sunk costs, regardless of whether future winnings look probable – chasing losses. The sunk cost fallacy can lead people to persist in areas they have invested much time and money (I studied finance for four years, so I have to continue to pursue a career in finance). Sometimes it is best to cut your losses and let the sunk costs go (I do not enjoy working in finance and would rather work in healthcare). Just do the next right thing for you regardless of what you have spent time on in the past.  

The vast majority of people either watch, listen to, or read "the news" on a regular basis. "The news" paints a picture of a terrible world where mostly negative things happen. This is because fear keeps people watching. "The truth", as it is claimed by the news is just a journalist's interpretation of something they likely don't fully understand, and which has been framed in a way to invoke the maximal emotional response.  You will have seen time and time again that the media exploit people's emotions to get more views - notice if someone is crying in an interview, the camera pans to their face. The world is a better place than it is portrayed to be through the media - we as humankind are making progress for the better and the world has never been a better place to live - despite what those who grew up in the 80s may believe through their romanticised memory. We are led to believe the world is a bad place because this is what we see on "t

I have become enthralled by Japanese philosophy as of late, and one of the key concepts that keeps presenting itself is Ikigai. Ikigai can be loosely defined as purpose - a reason for living. The idea is that if you can find and practice your Ikigai, you will live a happier and more fulfilled life. It is your why - your purpose in life. Again, the following quote is brought to mind: "In work, do what you love. In family time, be completely present." - Lao Tzu