It is what it is.

Mercedes is goodâ€” a Mercedes is a Mercedes. Same with BMW.

Lexus is just a Toyota. Rolls Royce is a BMW. Bugatti is a Porsche, Porsche is an Audi, Audi is a VW.

Speak frankly what is on your mind. Donâ€™t censor yourself.

Stoicism Stunts Our Power?

In trying to discover the ideal mode of conduct, a critique of Stoicism:

In becoming more Stoic and hard, it stunts your power.

For example, some thing a lot of stoics talk about, like Seneca is about anger (ira). The stoic sage says that the wise Stoic will not feel anger, or succumb to anger. However, what if anger was simply another source of our power? That actually, unleashing our anger was a good thing, as it does not unnaturally close off a valve of our power?

Imagine anger like a fire hose. Maybe it is a wise idea to unleash the valve, and let the anger out, and get on with your life rather than unnaturally restricting it.

Stoicism and love

Another thingâ€” in becoming more stoic, does this actually decrease our capacity to love with depth?

For example, the more controlled and Stoic you become, and the less you succumb to your anger, perhaps this also restricts our capacity to love to a deeper depth or a greater height.

STOICISM 101

Become invincible:

The Stoic Masters

Marcus Aurelius statue — Marcus Aurelius

Learn from the master stoics:

See all philosophy >

How and why are the Japanese so good at making video games?

White rice is candy?

Time yourself while eating?

WHY RICOH GR IIIX WILL MAKE YOU A HAPPIER PHOTOGRAPHER

The Ricoh GR 3X is currently the best camera out there, both for creativity, artisticness, etc.

What makes one a happier photographer?

Shooting a lot. This means, having a camera as small and compact as possible, that fits in your front right pocket, and in which you donâ€™t even think about shooting; whenever you see something, you simply respond and just shoot it.

THE FUTURE OR NOTHING.

VIDEO PODCAST

My thoughts:

SELF AUTHORITY

Authority means author. You are the author and self authority to your own life.

Also, you must advocate for your kids, and protect your kids and wife.

BECOME MORE UNYIELDING.

My only regrets in life is when I yield:

Never yield in that which you believe in.

Also, good idea to use your weapons of aggression, and your anger to prevent yielding.

What does society in religion and ethics strive to do? To make us more yielding. To become â€œnicerâ€, more â€œkindâ€, predictable and yielding.

Anti Modern Authorities

And what are we pressured to yield to? To â€œreasonâ€, â€œlogicâ€, â€œdataâ€, â€œevidenceâ€, â€œproofâ€, â€œscienceâ€, â€œcommon senseâ€, â€œcultural normsâ€, elders, â€œexpertsâ€, â€œprofessionalsâ€, authority figures and doctors etc.

Also, to kowtow to people with â€œcredentialsâ€, degrees, education, etc

KEEP GETTING BUFFER.

The more swole and buff you become, the better:

RICOH GR IIIX IS INSANELY GOOD.

I photographed the birth of Seneca with the Ricoh GR 3, and after my Ricoh GR3 died, I am currently using the Ricoh GR IIIX and I love it. The camera keeps surprising me how insanely good it is, even though there are lots of problems with it.

When the weather is interesting outside, a bit overcast, before or after the rain, the way that the Ricoh GR 3X is able to render the tones is incredible:

Or, something to consider is how grateful I am for the Ricoh GR 3X to have captured so many wonderful moments of Seneca. I think the GR IIIX is the best family camera, as well as the best artistic and creative camera in general.

VLOG: YOURSELF 25 YEARS FROM NOW?

The wisdom of the future:

PODCAST

ALL

AUDIO

Think very far ahead:

VLOG

PART I

PART II:

A thought:

What do you want to become 25 years from now?

1. Regret minimization framework

Via Jeff Bezos:

Imagine yourself 90 years old on your death bed– what would you regret NOT having done or attempted?

Bezos very smart– fore-goed a lucrative (mid year) lawyer salary bonus to go off and get a head-start on starting his tech company (Amazon).

2. Why think 25 years into the future?

Strength tolerance?

How strong, or how bitter can you tolerate?

Coffee as strength tolerance:

How strong of a cup of coffee can you tolerate and bear in the morning?

What will the world look like 25 years from now?

My prediction: a lot more similar to the world of today then we would like to think.

For example, at least in the states and America, we will still be a heavily car dependence society. The only difference is there will be more electric cars, faster recharge times, longer range, etc. Also more automated driving for stop and go traffic on the freeway.

What will become more expensive 25 years from now, and what will become more cheap 25 years from now?

It looks like 25 years from now, we will still probably be buying iPhones.

25 years from now, sweet things will keep getting cheaper and cheaper. Also, 25 years from now there will be more obesity, diabetes, type three diabetes (Alzheimerâ€™s), poor health etc.

25 years from now, fuel, petroleum, gas will probably be more expensive. It will be the luxury of the rich to drive cars which require expensive premium gas, with low gas mileage.

Also, 25 years from now, we will become more dependent on our phones. Using our phone to pay the bills, pay for rent, and every day financial purchases and transactions.

Photography 25 years from now

Still will look pretty much the same. Bigger issues in photography will have to do with creativity, building your fame and your clout, and staying motivated and inspired.

Why do we love the news?

Because we love the â€œnewâ€.

The best news is the most recent news

This is why Twitter is such a great idea and investment for the future; the future news will be up to the second.

If it is not updated daily, or even hourly or up the minute, it is not updated enough.

For optimal health, donâ€™t go to the gym every day.

Everything has a cost.

What type of future technologies are actually useful?

Crypto, crypto currency. Information.

HEALTH IS CRITICAL.

WHY VLOG?

The reason I love vlogging so much; a more natural way to share your thoughts.

Why I like vlogging with gopro

Turn off the front LCD display. And disable the blinking lights. This helps you focus more.

Lose self-consciousness

The ultimate goal is to be able to stream your thoughts unobstructed, no self-consciousness.

Videopress with WordPress

Not just YouTube; YouTube is becoming a cesspool.

Podcast Video?

Something very interesting with anchor.fm, which is owned by Spotify; the ability to do video podcasts. Considering that YouTube is becoming a bit of a mess, it seems that video podcasts will be a good way to cut through the clutter.

ERIC KIM ANCHOR PODCASTS

Just make a podcast

Another avenue to make your information more durable long term!

Recent podcasts

THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXPANSION

LIFE AS COMBAT TRAINING

SELF CONFIDENCE VLOG

DEPENDENCY VLOG

VLOG: WHY AM I SO MOTIVATED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

VLOG: WHAT IS THE IDEAL SHIRT?

VLOG: Demetricate Yourself

VLOG: BEAUTIFUL BODY, BEAUTIFUL SOUL.

VLOG: A CRITIQUE ON LIFE IN AMERICA

How to conquer creative friction

What I learned deadlifting 3.3x my bodyweight

Nobody cares for France anymore.

THINK 25 YEARS AHEAD.

What will matter more in the future? 25 years from now? What will matter less 25 years from now? Also, what will continue to be important 25 years from now?

25 years from now, people will still be drinking coffee. Also, 25 years from now, I believe that the Phone concept will still exist. People will probably be spending more time on their phone 25 years from now.

Also wise to think 25 years in the past.

Trust your own intuition

One Column

Sidebars and multiple columns â€” anaemic design thinking.

Why Study Your Own Photo Compositions?

For me

the joy of studying my own photo compositions â€”

Iâ€™m trying to figure out why I like certain photos of mine, and why they are successful to me.

Video games as more honest?

Perhaps the goals in video games and the way they are designed are more attuned to human nature â€”

The desire to loot, conquer, kill, dominate, ascend.

The desire to fight, shoot, battle.

VLOG: LIFE AS COMBAT TRAINING

VIDEO PODCAST

PODCAST

AUDIO

LIFE AS COMBAT TRAINING

Perhaps best to approach life like combat?

How to Gain More Power?

Happiness is not the purpose to life, but more power!

Animal Products Are Luxury

Note â€” wool, leather, down.

Synthetic is not.

Intermittent Detox

The ideal with coffee and caffeine. Every once in a while, detox (at least 24-48 hours) for optimal health.

For the most part, it seems coffee is a slave beverage (for us busy worker bees to keep on working, for longer hours, more vigorously).

Let us consider the ancient Greeks did not have coffee or caffeine. And yet they were still great.

A bad sign:

I cannot recall the last time I had a truly deep and restorative round of sleep.

Religion IS the State

In Cambodia, the state religion (Buddhism) IS the state

In countries where the state and religion are divorced donâ€™t really make sense.

America as a Protestant â€œwhiteâ€ country. But pretends not to be?

America cannot exist without God.

Where China is bizarre â€” no more religion (state or in general) creates a vacuum.

Then what is the new religion? Industry.

Silicon Valleyâ€” â€œdataâ€ as the new God.

Also â€œcapitalâ€ becomes its own godhead.

Catholicism as the Holy Roman Empire 2.0

Yoga â€” â€œBuddhismâ€ or â€œmindfulnessâ€ as the new religion.

Tattoos make you more generic

Nowadays, it is more uncommmon to not have a tattoo, than have a tattoo.

Note, the Sneetches of Dr Seuss. For the future, tattoo removal service will be very profitable!

If you want to become more unique, donâ€™t have a tattoo.

Similarly speaking, more interesting to NOT own an iPhone pro, than to have one.

I favor those who favor my kid, and I also hate people who ignore the existence of my kid

Human hygiene

Why in Asia, why are the untouchables called untouchables? A hygiene thing.

Typically speaking, the more beautiful someone is, the more hygienic they are. Ugliness is typically a mental shortcut for us to think that another person is not hygienic and potentially a carrier of disease.

Even now, I discriminate, whether I think somebody might have Covid, or might be an anti-VAXxer. Also how I am very very discriminating on who I decide to let touch my kid.

Touch is the ultimate human privilege.

IS SUPERFICIAL BAD?

VLOG: THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXPANSION

THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXPANSION

AUDIO

PODCAST

NO EXPANSION, NO NEW LIFE:

iPhone Titan

A great idea: Apple should make an iPhone Titan, starting at $1999 USDâ€” made out of titanium.

Everyone could afford an iPhone Pro now, so the $999 USD price tag is no longer interesting. Consider all the rich Americans, and mainland Chinese who could afford it.

Remember how Andy Warhol said he loved Coca-Cola, because it didnâ€™t matter how rich or poor you were, everyone could afford the same Coke? Well, perhaps best for us to think of Andy Warhol as a hippie communist, and what he strove to do with his art was to make it a egalitarian.

The only reason why Apple doesnâ€™t make a super expensive iPhone is that it feels like it needs to be affordable. But, everyone can afford an iPhone SE now, so Apple would be very intelligent to make even a higher end iPhone.

Some low level dangers are good for us

A world with absolute no danger isnâ€™t a world worth living.

Sexy

How do we become more sexy?

Also, who is the sexiest black pink member? Not Lisa, she is too emaciated. People will probably trend towards Jennie. Also, good that black pink donâ€™t just look like prepubescent girls anymore.

More mature is more sexy.

Also, as a man, if you no longer desire random women to have sex with you; then what is the point of sexiness? Then ironically enough, becoming like some sort of celibate monk might actually be sexier towards women.

Even Nietzsche philosophized that young priests, with sexy legs were appealing to women.

Theory: that which is out of reach for us, or unobtainable as more sexy? Once it is too easily attainable, or within reach, it is no longer sexy to us.

City planning ideas

Very very big open spaces and plazas. Conducive to dancing. Phnom Penh Wat Botum Park area as insanely successful.

NO SLEEP, NO LIFE.

NEWS: Self Expansion

The-Philosophy-of-Expansion-5 Download

The Philosophy of Expansion

Dear friends, a thought on my mind, expansion. Why is expansion important, and how does this apply to us?

What is expansion?

To spread out. â€Pethâ€.

To fly. Imagine the image of one spreading their wings. I think this is also the appeal of the gull wing doors on the Tesla model X, or, â€œbillionaire doorsâ€, in which when youâ€™re about to enter your vehicle, your car doors expands their wings, making a great grand opening for you.

Or, think about how LeBron James does infamous chalk clap above his head. This is him spreading his wings.

So the first thought is this: why is it important for us to spread our wings?

First of all, my personal thought is that nobody likes to feel restricted. Nobody likes the idea of a glass ceiling. And I think this is what drives entrepreneurs, and companies; ever expansion.

What do bodybuilders want?

For example, I think what bodybuilders want is for them to ever expand their muscles. The bodybuilder has no interest how buff they currently are, they are interested in how buff they can become.

Where is this most conducive?

So the question that is this: is there an ideal place, state, country, nation or city which best promotes the opportunity for expansion?

Typically, the best places to be are the up-and-coming areas. Emerging markets, emerging places.

For example, the place you do not want to be is a place which is already tapped out. You do not want to be in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, etc. If youâ€™re a developer, it is wise to go to where the puck will go, not where the puck currently is.

For example, there is actually a lot of space still in Southern California. It looks like new emerging places might include Victorville, and Placentia.

Or, Asia and Southeast Asia. I am currently here in Phnom Penh Cambodia, and there is still lots of opportunity for development and growth in Cambodia.

Economic Leverage

Also, one of the good thoughts about expansion in emerging markets is this; economic leverage. For example, Cindy and I currently have the benefit of living in a four-star hotel, for only about $50 a night. I think back in the states, the equivalent might be at least 200 or $300 a night.

The why I am able to see the â€œpurchasing power parityâ€ is this; figure out what a local service industry worker earns a month, and do the math. For example, here in Phnom Penh, it seems that the average restaurant worker might only earn $100 USD a month. And even an elementary school teacher hereâ€” university educated, only earns $250 USD a month. Therefore out of my personal math, your US dollar goes at least 10 times as far here in Cambodia.

This makes sense. Why would you live somewhere in which your dollar doesnâ€™t go as far?

Creative expansion

In the context of creativity, I like the idea in which you could expand your mind, and also expand your avenues for creativity. This means, do not silo yourself into a single creative ghetto.

For example, why is it that photographers pigeonhole themselves into such a small category? This is also the same for all artists.

Also the bad thing is that certain artists feel like they need to look the part. For example, if you want to be well regarded as a poet, it seems that one feels pressure to look the part. For example, a poet; somebody who looks scraggly, emaciated, addicted to drugs and alcohol, long hair, And has this aura of being perpetually distressed.

also, kids are getting to skateboarding. Why is it that you must wear vans sneakers, where baggy pants, garage your hair, have a bagged T-shirt etc.? Why not wear Lululemon tights, and under Armour compression T-shirt?

Also some thing Iâ€™m starting to realize that streetwear is the new emo; kids who get into streetwear feel like they all need to look antisocial, always have their head stuck down on their phones, and be incommunicable.

Also, women who are into yoga; why are they all pressured to wear Lululemon tights, and sports bras? Why not baggy pants instead?

How to expand yourself creatively

Become more creatively promiscuous. This means, sleep around creatively.

For example, dabble in any sort of creative endeavors which has personal interest to you. 3-D sculpture with nomadsculpt on iPad or iPhone, digital illustrations with procreate, digital calligraphy with zen brush 2, making beats (GarageBand), etc.

Also, dance.

What are you so scared of?

Success is a trap. When you become successful, you are afraid of losing your success. Also, you are afraid of losing your views, followers, fans, and identity. Truly creatures artist an elevator is not afraid of self cannibalization.

Even Steve Jobs, one book he was very interested in was the â€œinnovators dilemma;â€ once youâ€™ve innovated and become successful and on the top â€” what traps do innovators fall into?

The innovators dilemma is this:

The way you were initially able to innovate, and become wildly successful, is that you ignored all conventions.

However, once youâ€™re on the top, you are afraid of losing your foothold. Therefore, rather than continually doing radical innovation, you become more risk-averse, and stick to the tried-and-true, and focus on iteration instead.

For example, consider the new iPhone Pro. There is nothing really radically innovative about it; the form factor is the same, only big innovation is the â€œdynamic islandâ€œ concept, which essentially means just creating a little bit more space for the display to breathe, something that technically Samsung has had forever. Also, a bad sign; when corporations start to use old marketing lingo; talking about how design and engineering meet.

Is iteration bad?

Question: would you rather be a Tesla, or a Toyota?

Toyota has worked with a kaizen approach; making their cars 3% better, indefinitely. The downside of this is that it creates generally boring cars.

Far better to be a Tesla, when you start carte blanche (vlog), from scratch. Podcast.

Radical innovation

What does it mean to be radically innovative? It means you think very very deeply about first principles, and create your own idealized thing.

For example, my initial vision for arsbeta.com; a double blind experiment for photos.

Also to think philosophically:

Rather than how to do something, should you do something?

Should you expand?

There is an interesting story about this mystic from India who was talking to Alexander the Great.

The story was this: when Alexander the great asked the mystic for some advice, the mystic simply took out a piece of dried calfskin, the one that crawls upwards, and pushed down on every single side. As the mystic pressed on other sides of the calf skin, other parts would raise, and other parts would fall.

Essentially the just was this; in trying to over expand, you lose it all.

Even if you think about history, colonialism doesnâ€™t seem to work. â€œGreatâ€ Britain lost her foothold all around the world, in trying to overexpand into India. Also, even if you think about the French; their expansion into Southeast Asia, in Indochina, might have indirectly led to their demise. France should have simply taken care of matters back home.

It seems that it only makes sense to expand if back home, youâ€™re already wildly successful and solid. Otherwise, expanding into other places will only weaken you.

For example, do not try to fix someone elseâ€™s house, if your own house is in shambles. In direct terms:

First focus on the well-being of your own direct family, a.k.a. your kid and wife, before trying to â€œhelpâ€ other people.

This is where I get very very suspicious of people who do missionary work; are you leaving your kid and wife behind back home, in order to do evangelize abroad? This seems foolish.

When is the right time to expand?

Once youâ€™re on top, expand.

For example, once I became number one on Google for Street Photography, I realize that it was wise for me to expand into other topics. For example, expanding into photography entrepreneurship, and also photography philosophy.

Even now, Iâ€™m very interested in photography innovation, photography motivation (video), and other pursuits. Creative photography.

The motivated photographer.

Expand yourself

Self expansion means:

Once youâ€™ve become insanely solid yourself, then you can continue to expand and help empower others. Why empower others vlog.

But first â€”

Prioritize yourself, THEN focus on others.

ERIC

Photography as self therapy.

Expand your horizons

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Other random things on my mind

GarageBand for iPhone great for kids!
Purple color for new iPhone pro very cool.
Gopro hero 11â€“ needs to market themselves as â€œthe strongest camera on the planetâ€. Seneca loves the GoPro and throwing it around!
Phnom Penh is the new prime spot on the planet.
Defense.gov â€” funny how the military for America is the â€œdepartment of defenseâ€, not offense.
Are you allowed to hate dogs in America?

More thoughts:

Also really like the new http://balenciaga.com stuff.

Share the ideas

If this sparked any creative ideas within you feel free to forward to a friend!

ERIC KIM NEWS LINK

I hate foreign things.

SHAME IS SELF SLAVERY

Unshame yourself

Apple marketing suggestions

Some suggestions for the apple.com website:

First of all, if Apple really wants to highlight their new dynamic island concept for the iPhone 14 Pro, they should put that front and center.
Second, apple should get rid of the two column design. Two column design doesnâ€™t work. You focus on nothing. Better to just have a bunch of full width images.
Third, some marketing language suggestions. For iPhone 14 Pro, donâ€™t say â€œpro beyondâ€, instead, say â€œbeyond pro.â€ For the new Apple Watch, not â€œA healthy leap forwardâ€œ, this makes no sense. Better to say,â€ become healthierâ€. For the Apple Watch SE, not â€œa great deal to loveâ€ , instead, say â€œget it.â€ The purpose of the Apple Watch SE should be trying to get people who are interested in it to just buy it. For Apple fitness, and it should just say â€œget fit with your iPhoneâ€œ. For AirPods Pro, and it should say â€œa new soundâ€œ. For college kids, the impetus should be to get better grades. Also, with Apple card, the focus should be less about cash back, but about having the elite status of having the sexy all white Apple Card.
Also, Apple should stop trying so hard to get people to watch the Apple TV shows. Get rid of the auto carousel in the bottom, it just looks spammy and desperate.

Nobody cares for versatility

GoPro calls itself the worlds most versatile camera. This is boring.

Instead, GoPro should call itself, the worldâ€˜s most â€œepicâ€ camera, or the worldâ€˜s most â€œadventurousâ€ camera. Or even the worlds â€œstrongestâ€œ camera.

I donâ€™t want to be restrained by anything.

Are you allowed to â€œhateâ€ dogs in America?

DEFENDER.

Your most number one essential task as a parent; defend your kid, defend your family.

Also, with transport, the most important thing is to see your car or vehicle as some sort of tank, something which could withstand foreign attackers.

Think about the tail event; if your car got in a really really bad accident, would you, your wife and your kid be unharmed?

Perhaps best to think of your car as a third skin; armor.

Also, maybe it is best to think of your house like some sort of defense center.

Whoever has the best defense shall win the war.

What should a home be for?

Why does it matter whether you are rich or not?

Make it look different.

For example, a very intelligent thing that Apple did with iPhone Pro is the new purple color.

MAKE AN IMPRESSION.

It doesnâ€™t matter whether you make a good impression or a bad impression; just make a strong impression.

WHAT DO I DESIRE?

Why I Love Design So Much

Slave?

Even if youâ€™re a Google employee earning a million dollars a year, you probably need to answer a million emails a day.

Even a CEO is not free â€” he cannot just get up and leave the company, or not show up to work because he â€œdoesnâ€™t feel like itâ€.

Why are solo careers so much more successful than group careers?

Maybe Lisa should leave BLACKPINK if she wants to soar further or reach her pinnacle. But can she?

Strength for the sake of strength.

Photography is magical!

Does one actually â€œspendâ€ money?

Or, is money simply transferred?

THE FREEDOM TO PHOTOGRAPH.

What did the ancient Greeks desire?

Ancient Greeks did not desire world domination. They were very happy to be Greek, and in Greece. They enjoyed the lovely Mediterranean weather, and the nice light.

So what is it that the Greeks desired? The highest of the Greeks, the philosophers, sicced deeper truths about existence, and the world.

Then perhaps, maybe we should be happy regardless of where we are, as long as we have the spirit to philosophize.