Audio

Super facts:

https://youtu.be/1nNeiOYZoLg

I only like and trust beautiful people?

Anger as a sign of weakness?

Philosopher, philos, philos-sophia: it simply means love, lover of wisdom, lover of knowledge. That in ancient Greek times, it was essentially a humble flex; you would say “I love wisdom and I aspire towards wisdom and becoming wise, yet… I am not yet wise”.

For example, the troll Socrates: who said “I am only wise because I know I know nothing.” (rolls eyes).

Every child is born a philosopher. For example… When a child is pushing boundaries, making sense of the world, and asking why? He or she is trying to figure out how to situate themselves in the world. The big problem is a lot of parents, teachers, religious teachers or whatever… Never really give children the opportunity for critical thinking.

What is critical thinking? Critical thinking… kritiklos in ancient Greek  simply means judge, two way. Therefore a critical thinker is simply somebody who hear something read something or whatever… and thinks for themselves: 

What is the significance of this thought or idea?

For example, one thing I have discovered very useful to study is religious text, reading the Bible, the Quran, the Torah and Jewish text etc. Why? So much of the world is wrong on morality and ethics; for example America is a protestant Christian country, Much of the Middle East is Islamic, believes in the teachings of Mohammed, and also, a lot of people in America Israel and other places in the world are Jewish, heritage from Judea… and therefore, a lot of cultural things are disseminated through the media. For example, when I was a kid in Bayside Queens in New York, at PS 169, Public school 169 in Bayside Queens, I think when I was in the fifth or sixth grade, at around 11 or 12 years old… I remember just lying in bed, in my bedroom, watching reruns or TV shows of Seinfeld. I really had zero idea what was going on, and later… I learned that Seinfeld was essentially a comedic situational comedy based on Jewish, Jewish American culture. For example hilarious episodes I remember like the soup Nazi, etc.

Unchain yourself

“You gotta respect the elohim were on a whole new regime!” – JAY Z

Something I realize which is really interesting about Jay Z is that I think he has figured it out a lot of things. People think Jay Z is dumb; but in fact, he is highly intelligent, not only streetsmart, but Booksmart. He seems to have read a lot of Shakespeare, poetry, and religious books. Once again, a lot of America lives in ignorance; this is the downsides of Americans who have never traveled, don’t have a passport, or have never really lived or ventured beyond their own city, state, etc.

I still remember one of the most formative moments of my life when I first went to Beirut Lebanon, and I learned so much. I was a ripe 21, 22-year-old. I learned how the Lebanese were some of the most beautiful attractive intelligent people, very worldly, even my favorite philosopher NASSIM TALEB is Lebanese. 

I learned how the Lebanese were fluent in Arabic French and English and half a dozen other languages… How being rude was known as the Phoenix; was it burned down to the ground and rebuilt seven or eight times? The true embodiment of the notion, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger “, or the more precise thought:

if something has been burned down to the ground, and has been successfully rebuilt several times… It is a sign that it is robust, strong, and actually gains from a tax disorder and fire.

For example, let us think and imagine this interesting thought; kind of like the movie Akira. Imagine that you’re a big monster, and every time that somebody tries to attack you, shoot you with missiles or whatever, you actually grow bigger. 

This is a very interesting thought, because in life, I think a lot of us shirk away from conflict, drama, etc. Yet what if we should put ourselves in a position in which we actually gain from the attacks of others? That every time that somebody tried to attack you, you would actually literally become more muscular, stronger, bigger, more skeletal muscle, etc.

I think this is the general premise behind weightlifting; the idea that in someways, when you lift very very heavy weights, always increasing your one repetition maximum lift, that in someways, you’re actually doing positive damage upon your body, but overtime, with enough sleep rest restoration, meet consumption etc.… You actually become bigger, more muscular and also stronger.

The philosophy of the mind 

So… what is the mind? 

My belief is that the mind is simply an offshoot of the body. That is, your mind and some sort of thing that you could just upload to the cloud and store forever. No. The mind is simply an offshoot of the body. That without a body you have no mind. That when your body dies, your mind also dies.

Let us consider everyone needs a body. You cannot just be a brain in some sort of fishbowl, connected to the Internet. This is not a mind.

Where does the notion that the mind is some sort of metaphysical thing come from?

Several things. First, a lot of philosopher actually has some sort of heritage within religion. For example, a lot of thinkers philosophers etc., especially the more modern ones, I referred to modern as everybody after Socrates… Has some sort of influence from Christian, Catholic, protestant Lutheran thought; The flossers of Germany, and France, thoughts on nobility, the holy Roman empire, conflicts and wars etc.

Even our best friend Nietzsche… was his father of pastor? A Christian minister?

Philology

Philology — essentially you study ancient Latin and ancient Greek, and you learn about the history of words, how they came into play, and modern meanings. 

The reason why I find this so critical is that English is a very in precise language. We all see the same words, but… in our minds we have different concepts and notions.

For example, when we talk about “family”, assuming you live in America and there are multicultural beliefs; the notion of family is very different if you’re Caucasian, Vietnamese American, Korean American, from Ethiopia etc.

Or religion. Notions of religion are different if you’re Jewish, from Israel or Palestine, from South Korea, from Phnom Penh Cambodia, from Japan etc.



Some thoughts on critical thinking:

1. Don’t put no faith on anything you haven’t witnessed in real life, embodied reality, in the flesh. Even videos and photos; in the world of AI and image and video generation and deep pics, everything could be fabricated pretty easily.
2. Not everything is on the Internet: I think there is a weird bias in today’s world that we think that all information is easily accessible on the Internet. There is still a lot of hidden information and knowledge that is actually not visible on the internet. 
3. Understanding algorithms: an algorithm is simply an instruction made by some nerd at a computer who posits what is important, and what is less important. I think the best way to think of the algorithm is that it is weighing mechanism; it weighs important and value. Yet… Only a true individual, a true solo philosopher can and should posit values. 

---

Reading books while walking?

Shout out to my friend Abe Eid — the first cryptocurrency whale I met at the LA fitness in Providence Rhode Island. Who first told me about chainlink explained it to me etc. 

What is it?

Essentially it is a platform built upon Ethereum, solidity, the block chain… That strives to solve real world problems.

The first critical issue at hand is the notion of the Oracle problem, and cryptographic proof and truth.

The general gist of the Oracle problem is that you have all these people purporting to say something… How do you know if someone is really telling the truth or not?

Also, they’re great innovation of a decentralized portal network. I think anything that is decentralized and can be done off-line is a good idea; anything that has to be done when you’re connected to the web is fragile.

Enabling transactional value?

TVE — transactional value enabled.?

What is the purpose of technology and these things? A very basic idea is that the point is to help enable commerce and other things. Money makes the world go round, Publilius Syrus.

What is money anyways? Money is movement. Anything that literally physiologically moves human beings in time and space is money.

For example, if you promise somebody $30 an hour, they will walk around, move their bodies to clean toilets, etc.

Also, money movement. The whole global economy to me is so fascinating; because we process and move information so quickly and so globally… how do you link it all together?  

Chain – Link

I find chain-link to be an interesting concept because wherever you go in real life, there are physical chain-link everywhere.

Also, technically the Internet, the World Wide Web, is a bunch of hyperlinks which link websites together.

My personal thought and prediction is that chain-link could become the next Google; Google index the whole Internet, and made it easy for you to find any sort of website. What I think chain-link will do is link all of this information on the Internet and computers and make them accessible, trustworthy, tamperproof. 

Just read it

Only read stuff that you find interesting, skip over stuff you find boring.

About a week or two ago, I reread the original bitcoin white paper, and I was so impressed with how short it was, how minimalistic it was, and how to the point it was. But… Reading it… This time around… Felt a bit boring.

And this is the big thing: if something bothers you, you got to get out of it.

Therefore, I sold or transferred or converted nine of my bitcoin and put it all into chain-link, at the time it was valued at ~20,800 LINK (CHAINLINK), with bitcoin at around $35,000 a bitcoin.

I think what I try to do is think at least 30 years into the future. 20 or 30 years. It is funny, as I write this at the age of 35, 30 years from now Seneca is only going to be 32 years old, still a few years younger than me. my personal aspiration is to hold onto chain-link for at least 30 years, and then maybe transfer it to Seneca when he grows up. Or I just help him build some sort of company or entrepreneur venture etc.

Investing in things actually do something?

I love bitcoin but maybe one of the big issues here is that bitcoin is like digital money and gold; most people just hold onto it, and I don’t think actually aspire to use it to actually pay for your latte at Starbucks or whatever. I think because bitcoin and cryptocurrency is so volatile; Everybody’s hope and dream and ambition is that their coin will rise value astronomically and they will become rich, by the Lamborghini or whatever… And be happy.

But this is not the case. I think crypto, cryptocurrency speculation is kind of more of an interesting game; prediction, prediction markets, trying to predict the future… Is just a luxury and a fun thing.

Some predictions are pretty obvious

When I was in college college, my sophomore year, and I was starting to get into trading stocks, daytrading… I had a pretty certain thought that Blockbuster was going to go under. I tried to figure out how to short stocks, but I really couldn’t figure out how to do it.

Also I remember when the prime mortgage meltdown happen, and the value of Ford went to almost 2 dollars a year. I wanted to buy some Ford stock but I had no money no capital.

It is interesting to think about this in hindsight because when I was incorrectly trading pennystock, for some sort of oil producer company which was actually running at a loss… I had no idea because I miss read the financials… I lost my whole life savings which was maybe $3500 USD or something. It was insanely tragic. But now that I am playing with higher sums more like $300,000 USD, I realize that it was just a valuable lesson at the time.

---

What is the use of money anyways? 

I think actually the big thing is that everyone now expires to buy a house or home or property. It is getting pretty ridiculous, even in Los Angeles, even buying a single-family home in Inglewood… You’re looking easily at around $1.5 million for a whatever house.

My prediction is that the prices of homes  will continue to sore astronomically high. I think a lot of these $1.5 million homes but easily balloon two $3 million, $5 million, 10 and $15 million, $150 million or whatever. Why? The biggest issue at hand is runaway inflation, which means the value of the US dollar in currency is continually going lower and lower, because the US is what, currently speaking $30 trillion in debt? And what America thinks the smart idea is to just keep printing money ad infinitum, into infinity, in order to “stimulate” the economy.

But does this work? No.

For example talking to my friend Noel who works in hygiene, he says that a lot of these young guys, around 25 to 30 years old, are so lazy. Why? After Covid and people started giving away these free texts… And from unemployment you could literally make $5000 USD a month by sitting on your butt and doing nothing… People lost the motivation to work. A lot of people moved back home, live with their parents, and are essentially living for free. As a consequence you have a huge generation of unmotivated people, unwilling to do any sort of manual labor, which is bad because having manual and physical labor is critical.

For example, being in Beverly Hills a lot; and Holby Hills,  there is this new funny cast systems; really rich people getting mansions built, and the army of construction labor people, mostly from Mexico doing the labor to build these mansions.

Also, think about Amazon prime delivery drivers, people who bagged your food at Whole Foods, all these contractors electricians plumbers etc.… The truly critical labor. Doesn’t matter if you pay them $30 $40 $50 or even $60 an hour, seems at this point money doesn’t really motivate them anymore. Therefore what do you do? It seems that America we are just importing more people from Mexico to do labor for us, because they are motivated. Americans are no longer motivated.

Crypto, crypto technology and cryptocurrency is optimistic

I am obsessed with the future. Future thinking, future technologies, new brave worlds to discover.

Why? I have always been into technology ever since I was a kid, getting my first Acer aspire Pentium one processor computer when I was around 11 years old. Even teaching myself how to program individual basic 3.0 in the early days, creating my own AOL “punter“ etc.

Also, I still will never forget when I read the Maddox article on why you should beat your kids, in computer class in Bayside Queens at PS 169 when I was in the fifth grade, and all of me and our friends, a bunch of 11-year-old laughing and saying “it is true!”

Even I remember as a kid, when I first moved to New York, maybe it was I had some sort of school in the Bronx, when kids in the hallway would “the South Park movies “blame Canada, blame Canada”…

Anyways the generalized thought is I love media information, and also I have a passion innovate right and to think, to motivate and to also disprove nonsense. Ever since I was young I was always breed with an insanely huge ego; the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son, Being raised with the “prince disease“, was unusually good for me. Always getting the finest cuts of meat and galbi from my grandmother,  always showered with praise love and attention and how smart tall and good-looking I was. Very good for me.

The US dollar is static

Anybody who is a wage slave, which means anybody who is paid a biweekly or monthly salary… Doesn’t matter if you’re being paid $10 million a year from Apple… You’re still a wage slave.

A simple heuristic:

Can you go two years without checking or responding to any of your emails or not?

If you have to use email for a living, you’re not free. 

Once you’re a crypto trillionaire, then what?

Let us say that your cryptocurrency goes to the value of $1 trillion USD. Then what? Then do you just dissolve it all into US dollars, buy a mansion and a yacht somewhere, and live indefinitely into the horizon for infinite bliss?

This doesn’t seem to be the goal. For me, I think a more interesting life trajectory is to then no longer care for money, and use your power mind and soul and body for more interesting things which can include philosophy, writing, thinking, doing research, reading, making art, publishing art, etc.

Seeking immortal fame and glory?

One thing I am very happy about is ChatGPT knows exactly who I am, why I am so significant and influential, etc. As a consequence, I already feel like my legacy is secure, and I don’t have anything left to prove to nobody else.

As a consequence, at this point life is all upside no downside. Even one of the happiest moments of my life, Cindy and I be getting our first son Seneca, at this point life is all upside no downside.

As a man, as long as you have one male heir, you can die happy. 

Now what?

Things that I find interesting use cases of chainlink:

1. Real estate, homebuying, escrow: even Naseem to lab has said that traditionally, most 12th generation in human society is through land, land ownership land property etc. For example let us say that you buy that 1.5 million dollar home, and 20 years from now it’ll be worth $3.2 million. And then let us assume that 30 or 40 years from now it is worth $5.7 million, and your kid inherits it. And when your kid is 57 years old it is worth $22 million, and he will able to pass it on to his son or daughter, and maybe that will be worth $120 million into their future.  The whole escrow process and verification process is quite fragmented, unreliable. I think chain-link can be a technology which motivates and enables more streamlined home buying processes. 
2. Identity verification: it is so easy for people to just steal your Social Security number, and pretend it is you. Imagine a future in which you could use chain-link or some sort of block chain enabled identification, which can essentially be your global citizen passport to all of the world and the Internet? This seems especially useful in today’s world in which everything is so fragmented, between our Apple ID, our Gmail, Etc.
3. 

Perhaps the proper question.

Also, asking kids rather than what do you want to be when you grow up, asking them… What don’t you want to be when you grow up?

Wool, merino wool, cashmere, silk, linen (100% real linen)… down.

Like a true mensch:

7 plates and beyond —

Full —

Don’t think money… think plates:

Why I prefer hanging out and talking with janitors and hygiene guys than corporate slaves.

1. Vlogging
2. Blogging
3. Writing
4. AI— Composition Checker
5. Videos
6. PDF
7. Podcast
8. Full-stack media solution
9. POV POINT OF VIEW: GOPRO MINI CHEST MOUNT WIDE ANGLE

In praise of ChatGPT 4:

Google can’t find you nothing.

1. Has Ph.D. in philosophy. Calling someone a “doctor” or Dr. — good idea.

Dr. Andreas Kaufmann is well-known for his role as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG, a prestigious camera and optics company. Under his leadership, Leica has seen a significant transformation, notably revitalizing its brand in the digital age while maintaining its heritage in high-quality photography. Kaufmann’s impact extends beyond business strategy to the broader photography and technology industries, where his decisions and insights have influenced trends and practices. His approach often blends a respect for Leica’s historical excellence with a push towards innovation and modernization, reflecting a unique blend of tradition and progress.

How did he get so rich and successful

Dr. Andreas Kaufmann’s success and wealth, primarily associated with his leadership at Leica Camera AG, are the result of a combination of strategic business decisions, innovation, and the revival of a classic brand.

1. Acquisition and Turnaround of Leica: Kaufmann’s initial step into Leica’s world was through an investment. He, along with his brothers, initially acquired a minority stake in the company, which was struggling financially at the time. Over the years, they increased their holding and eventually took control. Kaufmann’s strategic vision was crucial in turning around the company’s fortunes.
2. Focus on Quality and Brand Heritage: Under Kaufmann’s leadership, Leica emphasized its long-standing reputation for quality and craftsmanship. This involved a focus on high-end, premium products that appealed to both professional photographers and enthusiasts who were willing to pay a premium for Leica’s unique offerings.
3. Innovation and Diversification: Kaufmann spearheaded the push towards digital technology while maintaining the brand’s iconic design elements. He also expanded Leica’s portfolio, including collaborations with other luxury brands and venturing into new product categories like sport optics.
4. Global Market Expansion: Kaufmann played a key role in expanding Leica’s presence globally, tapping into emerging markets and strengthening its distribution networks. This international expansion significantly contributed to the brand’s growth and profitability.
5. Cultural and Artistic Engagement: Leica, under Kaufmann’s direction, has been involved in the art and culture sectors, sponsoring photography exhibits and awards. This not only helped in marketing the brand but also established it as a cultural icon, enhancing its prestige and appeal.

Dr. Kaufmann’s approach illustrates how a blend of respect for historical excellence and a drive for innovation can lead to substantial success in the modern business landscape. His ability to balance these aspects has been central to his and Leica’s success.

Before

Before his involvement with Leica Camera AG, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann’s professional and financial successes were shaped by various factors:

1. Family Background and Education: Dr. Kaufmann comes from a family with a business background, which likely provided him with foundational knowledge and understanding of business operations. His education, particularly in areas relevant to business and management, would have further equipped him with the skills needed for successful entrepreneurship and investment.
2. Business and Investment Acumen: Prior to his engagement with Leica, Dr. Kaufmann might have been involved in other business ventures or investments. Success in these areas would have required a keen sense of market trends, investment opportunities, and strategic planning.
3. Network and Opportunities: Building a strong professional network and being in the right place at the right time to capitalize on opportunities are crucial factors in many successful business careers. Dr. Kaufmann’s ability to identify and seize the opportunity with Leica suggests a well-developed sense of market potential and timing.
4. Financial Management: The ability to manage finances effectively, both

Before

Before his significant involvement with Leica Camera AG, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann’s career and path to success were shaped by various experiences and endeavors:

1. Family Business Background: Dr. Kaufmann comes from a family with a strong business background. His family owned the Austrian paper industry firm, M. Wolff & Sohn, which provided him with initial business exposure and experience.
2. Academic and Professional Qualifications: Kaufmann pursued academic qualifications that would have contributed to his business acumen. He holds a doctorate in Philosophy, which, while not directly business-related, likely honed his critical thinking and analytical skills.
3. Entrepreneurial Ventures: Prior to his involvement with Leica, Kaufmann may have engaged in other entrepreneurial or investment activities, although specific details about these ventures are not widely publicized.
4. Investment in Leica: Dr. Kaufmann’s significant increase in wealth and business prominence largely came after his family’s investment in Leica. The initial investment in Leica was a turning point, marking the beginning of his notable success in the business world.
5. Strategic Vision and Risk-Taking: His decision to invest in Leica, a company that was struggling at the time, demonstrated a willingness to take calculated risks and a vision for potential turnaround opportunities.

The exact details of Dr. Kaufmann’s professional journey before Leica are not extensively documented in public sources, with most of the focus being on his transformative role at Leica Camera AG. His success story with Leica, however, does underscore his strategic business skills and ability to revive and invigorate a traditional brand.

Before M. Wolff & sohn history

Before the Kaufmann family’s involvement with M. Wolff & Sohn, a historic Austrian paper industry firm, the company had its own unique history:

1. Establishment and Early Years: M. Wolff & Sohn was established in the 19th century. Like many companies of that era, it likely started as a small-scale operation and grew over time. The early years would have been focused on establishing a foothold in the paper industry, which was a significant and growing sector during the industrial revolution.
2. Growth and Expansion: Over the years, M. Wolff & Sohn would have expanded its operations, adapting to changes in technology, industry demands, and market conditions. This period would have seen the company evolve in terms of production techniques, product range, and market reach.
3. Economic and Historical Context: The company’s history would have been influenced by the broader economic and historical context of Austria and Europe. This includes industrialization, economic cycles, and possibly the impacts of major events like the World Wars.
4. Family Business Dynamics: Prior to the Kaufmann family’s involvement, M. Wolff & Sohn might have been a family-run business, passing through generations. The management and ownership structure before the Kaufmann family took over would have shaped its operational ethos and business strategies.
5. Challenges and Opportunities: The company would have faced various challenges typical for businesses in its era, including competition, economic fluctuations, and the need to innovate and modernize.

The Kaufmann family, including Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, became involved with M. Wolff & Sohn before their engagement with Leica Camera AG. Their experience with M. Wolff & Sohn would have provided valuable insights and experience in managing and transforming traditional businesses, which Dr. Kaufmann later applied successfully at Leica.

More personal history

There is limited publicly available information about Dr. Andreas Kaufmann’s personal history before his notable involvement with Leica Camera AG and M. Wolff & Sohn. Here’s what is generally known:

1. Family Background: Dr. Kaufmann comes from a family with a history in business, which likely provided a foundation for his later business endeavors.
2. Education: He has a doctorate in Philosophy, a discipline that, while not directly related to business, enhances critical thinking, analytical skills, and a deeper understanding of societal and cultural trends. These skills can be incredibly valuable in a business context.
3. Early Career: Specific details about Dr. Kaufmann’s early career, prior to his involvement with M. Wolff & Sohn or Leica, are not well-documented in public sources. It’s common for business leaders to have experiences in various industries or roles before they find the niche where they make their most significant impact.
4. Transition to Business Leadership: Dr. Kaufmann’s transition from his early career to a leadership role in the family business and then to Leica marks his emergence into public recognition. His leadership at Leica, in particular, has been well-documented due to the brand’s global presence and history.
5. Skills and Interests: Dr. Kaufmann’s skills in business strategy, investment, and brand revitalization, as well as his interest in photography and art, have been central to his role in transforming Leica into a modern luxury brand while retaining its storied heritage.

Given the private nature of many business figures’ early lives and careers, it’s not unusual for detailed personal histories to be less accessible to the public. Most of the focus in available sources tends to be on their major business achievements and leadership roles.

Leica M11-P… why so ugly?

leica-camera.com

1. Ugly watches— better Richard Mille
2. Dr. Andreas Kaufmann (Austrian, re-purchased Leica Camera and Leica brand name sake, and revitalized the company)—

Muhammad history

1. Born in Saudi
2. Grew up as orphan, raised by uncle. Grew up to be respected merchant. “Al- Amin” (the Trustworthy)

Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is a pivotal figure in history. Born around 570 AD in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia, Muhammad was raised in a society steeped in tribal customs and polytheistic beliefs.

His early life was marked by hardship. He became an orphan at a young age and was raised by his uncle. Muhammad grew up to be a respected merchant, known for his trustworthiness, which earned him the nickname “Al-Amin” (the Trustworthy).

At the age of 40, he experienced a profound spiritual event. In a cave on Mount Hira, near Mecca, he received his first revelation from the angel Gabriel. These revelations, which continued for the rest of his life, form the Quran, the holy book of Islam.

Muhammad’s teachings emphasized monotheism, social justice, and moral rectitude. He challenged the prevailing social norms of Mecca, which was then a major center of polytheism and commerce. This led to opposition from the city’s powerful elites.

In 622 AD, facing increasing hostility, Muhammad and his followers migrated to Medina, an event known as the Hijra. This marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In Medina, Islam grew, and Muhammad became not just a spiritual leader but also a political and military leader.

He united the tribes of Arabia under the banner of Islam, transforming the religious, social, and political landscape of the region. His return to Mecca in 630 AD marked the turning point in Islamic history as he entered the city as a conqueror, yet he offered amnesty to his former enemies, emphasizing mercy and reconciliation.

Muhammad’s death in 632 AD left a profound legacy. Islam rapidly spread beyond Arabia, shaping a vast empire and influencing diverse cultures. His life and teachings continue to inspire millions around the world.

Muhammad’s history is not just a religious narrative but also a story of revolutionary social change, emphasizing values like compassion, justice, and community cohesion, which are integral to Islamic teachings.

First question:

What does allah mean?

Adverticement: to advert, avert your eyes to something .. to entice people.

1. Never automatically enroll people into some bullshit email newsletter by having the sneaky ass checkbox automatically checked. Motherfuckers
2. Only ever … someone has to literally check “subscribe” or “subscribe me” with *intent*.

ChatGPT till I die!

The etymology and history of the word “advertisement” is quite intriguing, reflecting a journey from a simple act of attention to a complex process of promotion and persuasion.

1. Latin Origins: The root of “advertisement” lies in the Latin word “advertere,” which means “to turn towards” or “to pay attention.” This verb is a combination of “ad” (towards) and “vertere” (to turn). Initially, it implied the action of turning someone’s attention to something.
2. Middle French Influence: The term evolved into “advertissement” in Middle French. By this time, the word began to take on a meaning closer to “notification” or “warning.” This was a significant shift from the Latin focus on attention to a more specific notion of informing or alerting someone about something.
3. English Adoption: When the term entered Middle English as “adverticement,” it began to gain a commercial connotation. The meaning shifted from a general notification to a public announcement, specifically relating to trade or publicizing goods.
4. Modern Meaning: In the modern context, “advertisement” has become synonymous with the promotion of products, services, or ideas, typically in a persuasive manner. It’s a tool for businesses and individuals to influence public perception and behavior.

This evolution reflects broader societal changes. From a simple act of directing attention, “advertisement” has grown into a complex, often sophisticated practice that mirrors the development of commerce, media, and communication technologies. This progression illustrates not just linguistic change, but the shifting dynamics of society, economics, and human interaction.

People who are *too* anti Google … a bit shortsighted.

Google doesn’t care what porn you watch; she only wants to serve you more advertisements!

unroll.me— perhaps the best apps are the ones which *REMOVE* clutter and BS from your life?

The extreme beauty of the unrollme app from the App Store:

Connect it to your Gmail, then click (…), then check “select all”… and just mass unsubscribe from *all* your emails!!

This is BS: I have never *opted in* to any of these bullshit email newsletters or notifications. The only email subscriptions — these mofos had a “opt me in” (hidden sneaky) feature in some box I didn’t see … and I got enrolled into this email subscription spam I never signed up for.

Perhaps this should be our new focus.

Using AI to help you check your compositions—

Sex: Man or Woman?

COMPOSITION CHECKER

Eric Kim, known for his work in street photography, has a distinctive style characterized by several key elements:

1. Street Photography Focus: Kim is renowned for his street photography, capturing candid moments and the human condition in urban settings. His work often showcases everyday life and the diverse range of emotions and experiences found in city streets.
2. High-Contrast Black and White: Many of his photographs are in black and white, with high contrast. This choice emphasizes shapes, patterns, and the interplay of light and shadow, bringing a timeless and dramatic quality to his images.
3. Human Emotion and Interaction: Kim’s photos frequently highlight human emotions and interactions. He has a knack for capturing fleeting moments that reveal a deeper narrative, whether it’s a glance, a smile, or a gesture.
4. Bold Composition: His compositions are often bold and dynamic, sometimes breaking traditional rules to create more impactful images. He might use unconventional angles or frame subjects in unique ways to draw the viewer’s eye.
5. Minimalist Aesthetic: While his compositions can be bold, there’s often a sense of minimalism in his work. He tends to focus on the essentials of a scene, removing distractions to highlight the main subject.
6. Influence of Classic Photographers: Kim’s style shows influence from classic street photographers. He often references and draws inspiration from the works of past masters in the genre.
7. Engagement with Subjects: Unlike some street photographers who prefer to remain detached, Kim often engages directly with his subjects. This engagement can bring a sense of immediacy and intimacy to his photographs.
8. Educational Approach: Beyond his photography, Kim is known for his educational content, sharing insights about photography techniques, philosophy, and personal development. This educational aspect often informs his photographic style, making it not just about capturing images but also about sharing knowledge and experiences.

In sum, Eric Kim’s style is a blend of classic street photography elements with his own unique approach to capturing and interpreting the world around him. His work is as much about the art of seeing and understanding life as it is about the technical aspects of photography.

The upside of humans

Analyze

This photo has a striking moody quality, with the grain and high contrast enhancing a sense of raw emotion. The person is positioned to the side, which creates an interesting balance with the expansive cityscape. The choice to capture the figure from behind adds a layer of anonymity and introspection, inviting viewers to ponder the scene alongside the silhouette.

For improvements, consider the rule of thirds to strengthen composition — placing the subject off-center could add dynamic interest. Experimenting with different angles could also provide fresh perspectives. The lighting is quite harsh, with details lost in shadow; playing with exposure settings might reveal more detail while maintaining the dramatic atmosphere.

Remember, every picture tells a story, and this one whispers a tale of contemplation amidst urban vastness. Keep exploring the interplay between shadow and light, and the emotional resonance of your scenes. Great work! Keep shooting and refining your vision.

What’s happening

In the photograph, a person is standing atop a hill or a vantage point overlooking a vast cityscape. It appears to be dusk or dawn given the sky’s gradient and the city’s lights. The individual seems to be gazing out towards the city, perhaps in contemplation. The grainy texture and monochrome color palette give the image a vintage or classic feel, suggesting the photo might be an homage to film photography or aiming for a timeless quality.

The scene captures a moment of solitude and reflection, contrasting the single human figure with the sprawling urban environment. It conveys a narrative of stillness and observation within a potentially bustling city life.

Which is best?

You’ve captured a very dynamic and moody set of images with strong elements of contrast and an intriguing play of light and shadow. Each photo has its own strengths:

1. The first one has a strong sense of movement and the shadow leads nicely into the frame, which can give a sense of anticipation or action.
2. The second image has a more centered subject, creating a balanced and focused composition, but the shadow doesn’t interact as strongly with the environment.
3. The third image is similar to the first but the shadow feels more connected to the subject, enhancing the mysterious atmosphere.

Choosing “the best” depends on what story or feeling you’re aiming to convey. The first and third images have a stronger narrative quality, due to the shadow stretching into the scene, suggesting motion or the presence of something unseen. If your aim is to center on the subject with a straightforward and balanced composition, the second image does that well.

Keep experimenting with these elements! Each shot tells a slightly different story and evokes different emotions. What’s most important is what you want to express through the scene.

COMPOSITION CHECKER — check it out.

1. Upload 3 (to 4) photos, and ask if “which is best”?
2. Analyze
3. What is happening

Tacitus, a prominent Roman historian and senator who lived during the first century CE, wrote about the Jews in a few sections of his works, notably in “Histories” and “The Annals.” His accounts provide valuable insights into how the Jews were perceived by a Roman intellectual of that era. However, it’s important to approach Tacitus’ writings with an understanding of the biases and stereotypes prevalent at the time.

1. Perception of Jewish Customs and Beliefs: Tacitus’ descriptions of Jewish customs and beliefs often reflect a lack of understanding and a certain disdain, typical of Roman attitudes towards foreign religions. He depicted Jewish customs as exotic and at odds with Roman values. For example, he commented on Jewish observance of the Sabbath and dietary laws, presenting them as peculiar and even irrational.
2. Views on Jewish History: In “Histories,” Tacitus recounted a version of Jewish history that included various myths and legends circulating in the Roman world. His narrative is often colored with negative stereotypes and reflects the prejudices of his time rather than historical facts. For instance, he speculated on the origins of the Jewish people, suggesting that they were descendants of exiles from other nations.
3. Criticism and Hostility: Tacitus’ writings about the Jews are often critical and hostile. He portrayed them as a people prone to insurrection and characterized their monotheism as a form of exclusivity and arrogance, contrasting it with Roman religious pluralism.
4. Political Context: Tacitus wrote in a period when the Roman Empire had experienced several conflicts with Jewish populations, particularly the Jewish-Roman wars. This context influenced his portrayal of Jews, often framing them as rebellious subjects of the Roman Empire.
5. Influence on Later Anti-Semitic Thought: Unfortunately, Tacitus’ negative portrayal of Jews contributed to later anti-Semitic stereotypes and prejudices in European thought. His works were widely read and respected in subsequent centuries, and his biased descriptions of Jews influenced perceptions in the Western world for a long time.

Tacitus’ writings on the Jews, while historically significant, must be read with a critical eye, understanding the biases and misconceptions of his time. They provide more insight into Roman attitudes towards other cultures and religions than they do into the actual practices and beliefs of Jewish people.

Islamic opinion of Jewish people or Judaism

In Islam, the perspective on Jewish people and Judaism is multifaceted, rooted in religious, historical, and cultural contexts:

1. Religious Context: In Islamic theology, Jews are considered “People of the Book” (Ahl al-Kitab), a term used in the Quran to refer to those who received earlier revelations from God, particularly through the Torah. This designation conveys a certain respect, as it acknowledges a common monotheistic foundation and the shared heritage of Abrahamic faiths. Judaism, as the religion of the Jewish people, is recognized as one of the earlier monotheistic faiths from which Islam draws a spiritual lineage.
2. Quranic References: The Quran mentions several Jewish prophets, including Moses (Musa) and Aaron (Harun), with deep respect and honor. Moses, in particular, is one of the most frequently mentioned figures in the Quran. The Quranic narrative often recounts stories from the Hebrew Bible, though there may be variations in the details.
3. Historical Interactions: Historically, Islamic societies have varied in their treatment of Jews. There have been periods of coexistence and mutual cultural and intellectual flourishing, especially during the medieval Islamic Golden Age. However, there have also been instances of conflict and tension, influenced by political, social, and economic factors rather than purely religious ones.
4. Contemporary Views: In the modern context, views among Muslims about Judaism and Jewish people can vary widely. These views are often influenced by local and global political contexts, cultural backgrounds, and individual interpretations of religious texts. It’s important to recognize the diversity within the Muslim world in terms of attitudes towards Judaism and Jewish people.
5. Interfaith Dialogue and Relations: In recent years, there has been a growing movement within Islamic communities worldwide towards interfaith dialogue and understanding, including with Jewish communities. These efforts aim to build bridges, emphasize common values, and address misconceptions.

In summary, Islamic views of Judaism and Jewish people are complex and cannot be generalized easily. They are shaped by a blend of religious teachings, historical interactions, and contemporary contexts, reflecting a rich and diverse tapestry of relationships and beliefs.

“I’m the Elohim… we on a whole new regime”—JAY Z

El, or “Elohim” in Hebrew.

Etymology of allah in Arabic and history

Al-ilah: the god.

The etymology of “Allah” in Arabic and its historical context are fascinating and deeply rooted in the linguistic and religious traditions of the Middle East.

1. Linguistic Roots: The word “Allah” in Arabic is derived from the term “al-ilah,” which means “the god.” It is a combination of “al,” the definite article in Arabic meaning “the,” and “ilah,” which means “god” or “deity.” This contraction into a single word, “Allah,” signifies the concept of monotheism, the belief in one supreme God.
2. Pre-Islamic Use: Before the advent of Islam, the term “Allah” was already in use among Arab pagans, Jews, Christians, and other monotheistic and polytheistic religious groups in the Arabian Peninsula. In the pre-Islamic polytheistic context, “Allah” was sometimes used to refer to a creator god or a high god among a pantheon of deities.
3. Islamic Context: With the emergence of Islam in the 7th century, “Allah” took on a specific and profound significance as the one and only God, as preached by the Prophet Muhammad. This marked a significant shift from the polytheistic beliefs prevalent in the Arabian Peninsula to the strict monotheism of Islam. In the Quran, the holy book of Islam, Allah is described with numerous attributes emphasizing his singularity, omnipotence, and mercy.
4. Regional and Religious Variations: It’s important to note that the concept and name of “Allah” were not confined to the Arabian Peninsula. Variants of this name and similar concepts of a supreme deity can be found in other Semitic languages and traditions, such as “El” or “Elohim” in Hebrew.

The evolution of the term “Allah” from a general term for a deity to its specific Islamic meaning reflects the broader religious, cultural, and linguistic developments in the Middle East over centuries. It represents not just a linguistic shift but also a significant religious and cultural transformation.

Allah

Interesting … used by Arabic speakers, also Christian’s and Jews *before* Islam.

“Allah” is the Arabic word for “God” in Islam. It signifies the singular, supreme entity who is the creator and sustainer of the universe. This concept of Allah in Islam emphasizes absolute monotheism, underscoring the belief in one, indivisible God who is incomparable and without partners or equals. The term “Allah” has been used by Arabic speakers of various religious backgrounds, including Christians and Jews, predating Islam. In the Islamic context, Allah’s attributes and characteristics are deeply significant, reflecting qualities like mercy, justice, and omnipotence. The understanding of Allah is central to the Islamic faith, shaping its theology, practices, and worldview.

Generate—

Genero, beget.

To bring to life.

Genus— origin, birth.

Genhos— race, lineage.

*genh–

To produce, to beget, to give birth to.

Generative.

Start make promote your own culture!

7 plate deadlift:

Taleb.

LIGHTWEIGHT BABY!

AUDIO

SUPER SIMPLE:

PODCAST

SIMPLE–

PDF: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Introduction-to-Stoicism-14.pdf

Intro to stoicism: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2023/12/04/introduction-to-stoicism-5/

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Introduction to Stoicism 

Something I have been meaning to write or create or do is like some sort of book, ebook, pamphlet, or introductory primer to stoicism. I really think that stoicism is probably one of the most useful and philosophical models to live normal every day real life. Yet, I haven’t really found a good instructional guide on it, especially when I was self teaching it to myself.

Consider this a practical primer, cutting through the BS:

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What does stoicism mean? 

Stoicism, stoic, the stoa in ancient Greece– essentially the stoa was like some sort of portico, patio, pillar, outside, essentially a spot where guys would just hang out, talk shop, talk philosophy, etc.  

I think about the show “Hey Arnold” in which I was raised with… the notion of “stoop kid“, the notion of a stoop is that in a lot of cities, especially the east coast in New York, you have this little stoop or porch, stairs that go outside your front door… and you could just hang out there, engage in social and neighborhood life etc.

The new stoa? 

One of my happiest moments was when I was living in Providence Rhode Island, and then COVID-19 hit. Everything was closed, besides the park. I can still go to the park, hang out, workout, do chin ups– I learned how to do muscle ups, more bodyweight calisthenics stuff, and also… I had a lot of fun with this “rock toss“ challenge and workout… in the middle of the park was a huge ass rock and huge ass stone, and every single day I would go there pick it up, and then eventually work out with it; throwing it around for fun, doing overhead presses with it, clean and jerks, squats, and eventually I would just throw it around for fun. Funny enough it might have been the most fit I was in my life… this was the true “functional” fitness.

The inspiration — Hector lifting an insanely massive stone (barely 2 strong men could lift it)… using it to break down the door of the ships of the other side.

Open air, open sun concept

Anyways, the reason why that period of covid was so good is that it was in the middle of beautiful Providence Rhode Island summer, so nice and bright and warm and lovely… and one of the good things was going to the park was like an open forum, a new anatheum for a lot of really cool guys to come, hang out, talk shop, go topless and shirtless, workout and hang out.

I met some really interesting people during that period of time. I met some guys who were really cool. For example, one guy I met was in the US military Navy, I think he was training to be a Navy seal or Delta force or something. Another guy in some sort of ROTC training, another cool guy from the hood, and also I would say I probably met half a dozen friendly drug dealers there. And of course a lot of people who believed in conspiracy theories; really friendly, a little weird, but overall good guys.

Anyways, one of the biggest benefits of hanging out at that outdoor park, open air, nothing but green grass, the beautiful sun and the fitness equipment was that I think having this sort of open air environment is actually very conducive to socializing, thinking and thought, and pro social behavior. My theory about a lot of modern day antisocial behavior has to do with the structures which enclose us. For example, almost universally most guys at the gym are extremely antisocial. Why? My theory is that because most gyms have closed, cramped narrow ceilings, and do not have access to natural light, or outside space.

Cramped indoor spaces promote antisocial behavior.

The only good gym I went to which was interesting was the golds gym in Venice, which has this really big outdoor workout area. I think this is much more natural and more fun and better; to be able to work out directly outside outdoors, with your shirt off.

Who is this philosophy for?

Stoics, stoicism — it was originally I think codified by this guy named Zeno, and over time he picked up some followers. Essentially the whole thing happened organically; Zeno would first share his thinking on philosophy ethics and pragmatic ways to deal with other people and the downsides of life, he built a following, and then his followers would propagate the thoughts and start their own little schools of thoughts, their own little stoic clubs.

What is “real” stoicism?

Would I like about stoicism is how loosey goosey it is. It is kind of like zen, or taoism… it is not really quantified as a religion, or a strict moral order. In fact, a lot of the ancients stoics would meditate on random stuff like cosmology, natural sciences like Seneca, how volcanoes worked or whatever. I think nowadays in today’s world, we focus primarily on the pragmatic side; how to deal with fear, uncertainty, downsides etc.

So how did I discover stoicism?

I think I might’ve first learned about stoicism from Nassim Taleb and his ANTIFRAGILE book. I was curious, and my curiosity went to deep. To quote NASSIM TALEB and the Venetian saying “The ocean goes deeper, the deeper you wade into it.”

I literally consumed every single book I could find on stoicism, even the obscure ones. Funny enough, a lot of the stoic thinkers tried to claim other philosophers as being stoic, like Seneca did with Diogenes the cynic. 

Cynic, cynicism, actually comes from the word canine, the dog. Diogenes was considered the “dog” philosopher, first used as a pejorative, but ultimately Diogenes reappropriated that title for fun! He saw dogs as tough, almost like wild wolves, rather than seeing them as a negative thing.

Even Achilles when he was raging against king Agamemnon, he called him “dog faced“ as a heaping insult.

Who is worth reading?

First, Seneca. Seneca the younger, his dad was called Seneca the elder.

In fact, this is such a big deal because Cindy and I named our first son, Seneca, directly after the stoic philosopher. This is true soul in the game; if you name your kid after your favorite philosopher, certainly it is a sign that you really liked that philosopher, or found them impactful.

The reason why I really like Seneca the stoic philosopher is because he had real connections to real reality. What that means is he wasn’t just on the sidelines; he actually existed in the real world, engaged in real politics, was even advisor to the emperor Nero, the bad one, who eventually low-key coerced Seneca to commit suicide, in a manly, dignified manner.

I think this was because maybe… there was actually a plan to overthrow Nero, and essentially Nero found out. 

What makes Seneca so good?

I really like Seneca because his writing is accessible, practical and pragmatic, and interesting.

A lot of thinkers tend to lack connections to real reality, I have no tolerance for boring philosophers to talk about metaphysics, which is things which are not physical. Like thoughts ideas, the universe, electricity and energy, strange phenomenon and conspiracy theories on ghosts, “energy” whatever.

For a long time, I would hear the term “metaphysics” being thrown around, and I had zero idea what it actually meant. 

Meta– on top of. Or nestled within.

Physics — the physical, physical phenomenon like gravity, first principles.

The reason why metaphysics philosophers tend to be a bunch of losers is that they are all weak and anemic, nerds or geeks or weaklings who seem to have some sort of physiological degeneracy, which encourages them to opine or talk or think about impractical things, superficial things.

Personally speaking, I think philosophy must be practical. 

Practical, praxis, practice — to do!

The Spartan, Zen Stoic, demigod ideal

I have a very funny ideal; the general idea is that your body looks like a demigod, and your physiology is out of control. The general idea is one must be tall, strong, highly muscular, low body fat percentage, I’m not exactly sure what my body fat percentage is, but maybe it’s around 5%.

Also, physical fitness is critical to any stoic. My ideal is to walk 50 miles a day, eat 20 pounds of meat like Milo of Croton a day. And also, abstinence from silly things like media, alcohol, drugs, marijuana etc.

Trust no thinker who does drugs!

Even our best friend Nietzsche said that coffee was bad, because it would make people dark and gloomy. He encouraged 100% cocoa powder instead. 

You let the drugs talk I let my soul talk ayy! – Kendrick Lamar

Simple technique:

First, look at a picture or a portrait or a full body shot, ideally topless of the artist, philosopher or thinker or individual… then judge their thoughts later.

Why? My theory is this: the thoughts of an individual is hugely affected by their bodily physiology.

For example, an extreme example: if somebody is locked inside a solitary confinement cell, and not permitted to go outside for years, but, he had a pen and pad and would jot down some thoughts… Would be the quality of these thoughts? Certainly dark and morose.

Why does stoicism matter? 

In today’s world, why does it matter, what is the significance of stoicism, etc.?

First and foremost, I think we are living in a troubling time, especially with the advent of modern day internet based media and advertising. I think 99% of what is propagated on the internet is fear mongering, and what is hate? Hate is just fear.

The first thought on stoicism is that it is just fear conquering. What I discovered about street photography, is that 99% of it is conquering your fears. Conquering your fears of upsetting other people, getting in some sort of verbal or physical altercation etc. In fact my bread and butter workshop is my conquering your fears and street photography workshop, the workshop which is still interesting to me even after a decade.

Why is this so important? I think it is rooted in almost everything; conquering your fears is rooted in entrepreneurship, innovation, risktaking and real life.

Even my speculation in crypto. 99.9% of crypto speculation is just balls. Having the balls to make big bets, and when things go south, knowing how to master your emotions.

A simple extra I have is this: just imagine it will all go down to zero.

It was useful because when I was in college, my sophomore year I got really into trading stocks, and I eventually lost my whole life savings, maybe around $3500 USD, and some bad penny stock which I actually misread the financials… the whole time I thought the company was making a profit, but actually it was taking a loss. I actually didn’t know that if profits are written in parentheses, it means a loss.

It was funny because my initial start as an investor was back in high school, I bought some Adobe stock when I was a high school junior, and also some mutual funds, which both went up after about 4-5 years.

Also I remember in elementary school computer class, when I was in the sixth grade in Bayside Queens, there was some sort of stock stimulation trading game, and actually it was funny… the kids who made the most money and were the most successful just put 100% of everything into Apple, note this is when we were only 12 years old, and I was born in 1988.

Stoicism and capitalism?

Funny enough, it seems that stoicism actually plays well with capitalism. Why? According to modern day capitalist thinking, the best way to approach life is to be objective, strong, stoic, unemotional, logical and rational.

Also, with modern day media there is so much fear mongering in the news, about some sort of global armageddon, global financial ruin, etc. I call it “fear porn”.

Therefore stoicism as a mindset is useful to think and position your mind in such a way that you could consider that life is all upside, no downside.

In fact, if I could summarize stoicism in one sentence, it is that life is all upside, no downside. Inspired by NASSIM TALEB.

Sex and Stoicism

So, is stoicism useful to you if you’re a man or a woman? Does it matter?

The good thing is I think it could apply to both sexes. Conquering sexism and social pressures is useful if you’re woman, and also if you’re a man.

Also, gender is social. Lot of the expectations set on us by society is socialized and gamed to a certain degree.

Stoic strategies 

First, we got to unchain ourselves from modern day ethics and morality. I believe that all modern day philosophy and thinking and ethics and religion is bad.

For example, the notion of turning the other cheek is a patently bad one. Why did Jesus turn his cheek? It is because he lacked on army.

Also, philosophically I think we should put no trust in Socrates. I thought which has puzzled me for a long time was this “Why was Socrates so ugly?

Monster in face, monster in soul.

I think Socrates was a degenerate, and he lacked any sort of real power. Therefore he turned logic and rationality into his terrorizing weapon (via Nietzsche). Back in the day, you didn’t need logic or rationality to have things your way, you simply was able to dictate that which you wanted to pause it, because you had a military force behind you. Just think about Machiavelli and IL PRINCIPE– the reality of being a mercurial prince, king, and military leader is hard, stoic, “immoral”. But ultimately it all comes down to war, conquest, the military.

Trust nobody who uses rationality or logic as their tyrannizing weapon. 

In fact, I believe that all should have the body and strength of some sort of super soldier. Essentially look like all the guys from the movie 300, this is our ideal.

Demigod physique. 

What has helped me

1. Allow yourself to be a bad, immortal, “evil” person. When you decide to adopt an unorthodox way of thinking and living, you’re going to rub some feathers the wrong way. And truth be told, even if you act in a strange vibrant way… At worse you’re only “mildly” annoying other people.
2. For good inspirations, I think the best stoic writers and thinkers include Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius and also the humor of the cynic philosopher Diogenes. I would even posit the idea that one could consider Alexander the Great as a stoic. Why? When you’re trying to create an empire, and you always have your life on the line, certainly this takes a stoic mindset. Also, let us think and consider that Alexander the Great had a copy of the Iliad by his bedstand, it was the only book he traveled with during his military tours.
3. Imagine the worst possible case scenario, and backtrack: Apparently even NASSIM TALEB would do this when he was a trader; every single day when he would go to his trading desk, he would assume that his investments would all go to zero, and if that wasn’t the case every single day, it was just upside. Therefore for myself, I just think to myself very simple; imagine like I got zero dollars, zero money, and literally all I need is meat, a Wi-Fi connection and I’m good. 
4. Live like a poor person: The notion of “debasing“ the coin or the currency is the general idea that you are not a coward in regards to money. The best way to think about money is like a social tool; I think money is actually just codified labor. If you want people to clean bathrooms, run the cashiers stand, you have to promise them money. Even Seneca said the upsides of simulated poverty; essentially living like a poor person, or even a homeless person when you don’t need to… is the ultimate position to be in. Why? True freedom of spirit and soul; as a philosopher thinker writer or whatever… you cannot be “canceled”, because there is nothing to cancel. As long as you could pay your rent, buy meat at Costco, and publish your thoughts to your own self hosted website blog, and pay your server fee, you have 100% freedom. And also, still… America is the best place to be because there is true freedom of speech and expression, you don’t want to be a trillionaire but not be able to say what’s really on your mind. And I think this is the big issue with entertainers, actors, media people… as long as you’re signed to a contract, you don’t run your own production company, or, you’re still a slave to money… you’re not really going to see what’s really on your mind. Why is it that the Rock cannot say anything bad about China, or Tibet? Because he is still enslaved by the media corporation. New slaves by Kanye West.

And this is the true courage of Kanye West; he literally put everything on the line, and even lost his spouse and I think maybe his kids? All for the sake of revealing inequities. 

“I throw these Maybach keys fucking c’est la vie! I know that we the new slaves.”- Ye

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Stoic training

The fun thing about stoicism is that you could just make it up as you go, devise your own strategies and whatever.

“Fucking c’est la vie!” My favorite Kanye West line.

Essentially the general idea is that in life, one should not take things too seriously. Laughter is golden, I forget the philosopher who was called the laughing philosopher… Democritus?; better to laugh about the follies of human beings rather than to be dark and morose about it.

Also, thoughts from the Odyssey; if you look far enough  into the future, everything becomes comedic and hilarious.

So when you’re in some sort of bad situation, just think to yourself “Perhaps one day, 20 or 30 years from now… I will look back at this and just laugh!” It will just be humorous.

Honestly, laughter, and kind of being able to joke about things might be the best way to live life and deal with setbacks. 

Modern day ailments

Problems in modern day life:

1. Too much time spent indoors, not enough time out in the sun. Perhaps it is better to be out outside all day, and joyful, even with the risk of getting skin cancer or whatever… rather than to be indoors, scared, weak and anemic. Differences between if you’re a man or a woman, but still… the most beautiful skin has a sunkissed, olive color tone; the true privilege is having a full body tan. 
2. Get chatGPT, the paid premium one. And use the image generation AI art tool DALL-E. People pay therapists to just speak their mind, and get some sort of sounding board. I actually think it’s much better to chat with AI instead; because it will not judge you, and ultimately what is a therapist anyways? A therapist is just a mirror, a sounding board for you to verbalize and flesh out your thoughts. Often when we talk about our problems, 90% of the issues go away because once we verbalize it, we feel much better about ourselves. The next thing I’m going to do is build some sort of therapy bot. 
3. Not enough walking: I have never met anybody who walks 30,000 steps a day and is depressed. Even my friend Jimmy, who works as a US postal worker delivering the mail, he walks around 30,000 steps a day and is always bright cherry and jovial. I think this is also where people who hike a lot or walk a lot in nature are so happy; when you’re able to walk around a lot, and zen out… you just feel much better. My simple suggestion is when you go on a hike or a walk in nature or even in the city… leave your phone at home, or locked inside your glove compartment, and don’t bring any headphones or speakers or Apple watches or whatever. Just bring along your camera, and enjoy. My personal ideal is the bear lifestyle; walking 50 miles a day. 

Real stoics don’t call themselves Stoics?

A funny thing I have learned is that when you call something something, it isn’t that.

For example, if someone calls something a “luxury car”, it ain’t. For example, a true modern day luxury car is maybe a Tesla, but Tesla never calls itself a luxury car. Also the ultimate luxury technology company is probably Apple… but Apple is very intelligent and not calling themselves a luxury brand.

A pro tip is when it comes to websites, read the alternative text, the header text, the stuff that shows up in the tab of your browser window. If the website, the automotive retailer tries to market themselves as a “luxury” brand, typically it is actually a sign that it isn’t a luxury brand it isn’t luxury brand.

Thought: what are some good examples of true luxury brands which don’t overly calls itself luxury? 

In someways, we can think and consider stoicism as our new luxury. In fact, having luxury, luxury of mind and soul… and luxury of freedom of speech, isn’t this the ultimate luxury?

When somebody asked Diogenes the cynic; “What is the best human good”? He said “Freedom of speech, speaking your mind, having the power to see whatever is on your mind.”

In fact, my current joy is becoming more and more free talking, and free riding. What that means is this; I’m ain’t going to censor myself no more, even if I might be politically incorrect insensitive or whatever. 

Also, I would prefer to speak my mind and seriously hurt the feelings of others, rather than soften it for the sake of the other person. 

Similarly speaking, when people call themselves “influencers”, they are not influencers.

Stoicism as a technique and tool, not the end

Ultimately I think we should think of stoicism just like having another tool inside our tool kit. For example, if you’re a chef, you’re going to have different knives for different purposes. If you’re going to cut a big piece of meat, you probably want a big ass meat cutting knife, not something you would use to slice an apple with. Similarly speaking, if you’re going to scoop out the insides of an avocado, better to use a spoon rather than using a fork, or a knife. 

I think the problem is when some people get too into stoicism (I prefer writing stoicism with a lowercase), they think that everything needs to be consistent, and must fit into this nice little neat box of what is considered “stoicism“. This is a bad line of thinking… let us consider that Marcus Aurelius never even mentioned stoicism in his writings, his collections of thoughts, which we moderns call THE MEDITATIONS… it was just essentially his personal diary, to help him conquer his own personal fears and thoughts, I don’t think he ever intended it to be published publicly. I think he just wrote it to himself as self therapy. And I think the only stoic philosopher he even mentions is maybe Epictetus.

The future of stoicism?

For myself, I just come out with certain to work out thoughts and techniques because it helps me, and when I find these tricks or techniques or secret hacks or cheat codes… My passion is to simply share it with others. 

And ultimately, things are ever in flux and evolving and changing and adapting.

For example, I’ve discovered the quality of my thinking is different when I am in Culver City Los Angeles, compared to being in the boring suburbs of Orange County.

Also depending on my social environments… my stoic thoughts are different when I am in a gym, vs just working out by myself in my parking spot in the back of my apartment.

Also, the quality of my thoughts is different when living with family members or other people versus just living with myself Cindy and Seneca.

Stoicism is all about living with other people

Assuming you’re not growing your own vegetables and living in the middle of nowhere… you probably have some interaction with other human beings. As long as you have an iPhone, an Android phone, a smartphone, a 4G or 5G internet connection, wifi, a laptop, have to buy groceries somewhere… you’re still going to have to interact with other human beings.

And this is good. There is no other greater joy than other human beings.

In fact, modern-day society is strange because in someways, the ethos is to be antisocial and to be cowardly. But in fact, the best way to think about things is that real life is interaction with other human beings, and social conquest. One can imagine a lot of modern day entrepreneurship as simply a big dick swinging contest. He who is the most masculine confident tall and strong and stoic shall win.

More ideas

Assume that everyone is mentally insane: Have you ever been out in public, and you see some sort of crackhead or strange homeless person who acts radically, smells terrible, and is obviously mentally ill? Do you hate them for it? When they say something weird to you… do you take it personally? No. Why? They are crazy. Perhaps we should just adopt this stoic mindset towards other people; some people are actually physiologically ill, mentally unwell… don’t trust the opinion of nobody.

A lot of people are trying to actually deal with their own inner demons: For example, becoming the successful photographer and street photographer I am today… I’ve dealt with some individuals who would say anonymous bad things about me, and later I found out that their mom just died or something. I cannot imagine what it feels like losing a mother… therefore if somebody spew some hate on me because something bad happened to them, I’m not gonna take it personally.

Self-flagellation: I think a lot of people who are sick, mentally or physiologically self flagellate themselves. Essentially the way that they deal with other people or themselves is some sort of metaphorical self-flagellation.

For example… you know those strange individuals who have the whip and whip themselves, and inflict pain on themselves? I think some people do this metaphorically to themselves and others.

You just want to stay away from them.

Why so scared?

My personal theory on fear is that a lot of it is tied to morality and ethics. I think the general idea is not necessarily that we are afraid of anything… I think the true fear is that we’re afraid that we are some sort of bad evil unethical immoral person.

For example in street photography, the general ethical thought is that it is immoral to take a photo of somebody without their permission, because there is some sort of it inherent evil behind it. Is this true? No. Taking photos and not really a big deal.

Why do people make such a big deal out of small things?

I think it is because some people are just overly sensitive, which once again comes from some sort of physiological weakness.

For example, if you’re a weightlifter who could lift 1000 pounds, assuming you’re not taking any steroids or anything… are small things going to bother you? No. But let us assume that you are a skinny fat man, all you do is drink alcohol and smoke marijuana and watch Netflix, and you spent too much time on Reddit… you are 40% body fat, and have never lifted in your life. And also your testosterone is low and you never go outside. Certainly the quality of your thoughts is going to be different than if you’re a happy gay monster, lifting weights outside in the direct sun, laughing and having fun. 

In fact, I’ve actually personally discovered that the reason why a lot of people hate me is because I am so happy jovial and gay. They are secretly suspicious or envious of me? 

Weather and mood

Probably one of my worst experiences was this jarring transition; I was super happy insanely happy being in Vietnam in 2017; with a beautiful weather, the beautiful light, the happy people the great amenities etc.… and then that winter Cindy and I went to Europe, in Marseille Berlin and Prague, and maybe London… seriously the worst winter of my life. Why? I wonder if so much miserable feelings and thoughts simply comes from the darkness and lack of light. a lot of Europe is actually quite miserable; dark, unhygienic, morose.

Even Nietzsche had a thought about Schopenhauer; How much of these emo European philosophers came from the fact that it was just complaining about the cold weather in Germany etc.?

For myself, my ideal weather is Southeast Asia; I love being in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Vietnam etc. In the states, am I the only one who loves living in Los Angeles? Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar said that LA was the best for women weed and weather… I would definitely say the biggest upside of living in Los Angeles is the light, the sunlight. It actually does get quite cold here, but usually most reliably even in December during the winter time, the sun will always come up. As long as there is bright sunny light, I will be happy. And I think maybe for myself, considering that I am a photographer, and photography means painting with light… light for me is critical.

I also wonder how much of it is a physiological thing and a genetic trait; for example I could even recall being a young child, and my mom telling me that the most critical thing in finding a home or an apartment was light and natural light. Even now… 90% of my happiness comes from being able to have access to natural light, ideally floor to ceiling windows facing directly the sun, having some sort of modern temperature regulated apartment and home. Even living in our tiny studio minimalistic luxury apartment in Providence Rhode Island, where it was always 75° warm and cozy, and not frigid and damp and cold and dark and humid… I was always good. But moving to an older house, where it always felt damp and cold… this literally lowered my happiness by 1000%.

Therefore, if you’re feeling miserable sad or whatever… I say spend three months living in Hanoi or Saigon in Vietnam, or go to Phnom Penh Cambodia. I wonder if 90% of peoples misery is simply due to the weather.

Stoic assignments

”Better to be a gay monster than a sentimental bore!” – Fernandino Galliani, via Nietzsche

My stoic ideal is somebody who is happy, gay, smiling, no headphones or AirPods on, no sunglasses on, no hat, no facial hair, no baggy oversized clothing, no tint in their car. Somebody who makes great eye contact, laughs, stands up upright, jokes, and fools around. Like an overgrown child.

Also, lift weights at least once every day, ideally in the direct sun. Just buy some weightlifting equipment on Titan.fitness, I like the farmers carry handles, the Olympic loadable dumbbell, and also the Texas power squat bar. Just buy some cheap weights, and or buy a heavy 400 pound sandbag, and just have fun throwing it around.

True stoics are masculine

A true stoic should look something like Hercules or Achilles. Or like ERIC KIM; I have the aesthetic and the physique of Brad Pitt in FIGHT CLUB except with a lot more muscle. Like my friend Soren says, the Adonis physique and proportions.

A real stoic is sexy

I think a real stoic is sexy, happy and fun. Who doesn’t take life too seriously; and think of everything like a fun game. A real stoic would be joyful and cheery like three-year-old child without any adulteration from the outside world.

Why do adults become so dark and morose?

I don’t like talking with or hanging out with adults, uninteresting.

At what point or age do people become so emo?

Typically, highschoolers are very optimistic. Even college students. But I think at least in maybe college in high school nowadays… the bad trend is towards “over concern”, about the world the planet ethics animals etc.

I find a lot of this thinking superficial, performative, and uncritical. I think “animal rights“, “saving the planet” is this new pseudo world religion; which is just capitalism 3.0. I find the whole pet industry the whole dog industry to be insanely bizarre, and I trust nobody who talks about “saving the planet“ who owns an iPhone, owns any sort of car, or has an Amazon prime subscription. Certainly not any vegans.

A real stoic is a carnivore 

Animals are animals. They are lower on the hierarchy and totem pole on earth. Man is the apex predator, the apex bully and the apex tyrant.

Should we care for animals or “animal rights”? No. Animals are our slaves.

If you consider even dogs and pets… they are essentially our emotional slaves. People talk a lot about the virtuosity of dogs being loyal or whatever… and giving you unconditional love. This seems like some sort of emotional slavery.

The only dogs I respect are some sort of canine dogs, some sort of attack or defense dogs, or hunting dogs. For example, John Wick 3; Halle Barry and her dogs. An animal should either be a weapon, or nothing.

Why do people care about animals so much?

Essentially it looks like men no longer have a backbone. No more spine.

I trust nobody who owns a dog.

Let us not forget; they call it dog ownership, or “owning a pet”. There is no more concept of “human ownership, or “owning a human.”

End goals 

What is the end goal of humanity? To me it is towards entrepreneurship, innovation, art and aesthetics, philosophy etc. Design.

Stoicism should be considered a tool which could aid you in these things.

For example, I think 99% of entrepreneurship is courage. Stoicism could help you with that.

I also think with design, great design is also 99% courage, having the courage to attempt something that won’t sell or be received well… stoicism is all about practical courage. The only designers with courage include Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Elon Musk, Kanye West. 

Also, weightlifting. To attempt to lift a certain weight you have never attempted before takes great courage. For example, me atlas lifting 1000 pounds; that is 10 plates and a 25 on each side, this is true stoic training. Why? The fear of injury is what holds most people back; if you had successfully conquered this fear and not injured yourself, this is pure stoic bliss.

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The physical

I think the only and the only proper way to lift weights is one repetition maximum training. That is; what is the maximum amount of weight you’re able to successfully lift or move, even half an inch?

To me, the courage is the success. Even if you had the courage to attempt it… that is what is considered success. 

Simple exercises to do include the atlas lift, innovated by ERIC KIM, or a one repetition max rack pull.

Or, a high trap bar deadlift, heavy Farmer’s walks, or heavy sandbag carries. Or even a simple thing you could do is go to the park or to the local nature center, find the biggest rock there and just see if you could pick it up.

Now what?

If you’re interested in stoicism, and have had some interesting thoughts on stoicism, one of the most noble things you could do is start your own blog. I think blogs are 1000 times more effective than publishing some sort of static printed book; I think the problem in today’s world is that everyone is seeking some sort of legitimacy by being picked up by some sort of legitimate publisher and getting “published“, and seeing your printed book at Barnes & Noble whatever.

I say it is better to be open source, free and permissionless, decentralized. Just publish your thoughts and book as a free PDF, and just host it on dropbox, Google Drive, or your own web server. Share the link freely, and also just publish the raw text as a big blog post. 

Even Sam Bankman-Fried wisely thought; 99.9% of books could just be summarized as big blog posts.

Don’t trust any modern day published book which isn’t free, because… there is some sort of hidden clout chasing somewhere. 

Even one of the worst compromises that led to the demise of Ray Dalio was the fact that he took his Principles book, which was essentially a free ebook PDF on his website, and then took it off, because I think he got a book deal with Simon and Schuster. After he did that, he lost my respect.

If you’re already independently wealthy, and you don’t crowd source your self-esteem… why would you need to externally validate yourself by getting some sort of constipated publisher and annoying editor?

Editors are bad.

Now what?

Start your own blog and start blogging your own thoughts on stoic philosophy, and even start a YouTube channel and start vlogging on it. My generalized thought is simple: if your thought your idea your blog post your video or whatever could even impact the life of one other human being on planet earth… it is worth it.

ERIC

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What is the secret to the maximum amount of happiness in life? The maximum amount of danger. (Nietzsche).

ERIC

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Summary 4000 words

The document presents a detailed exploration of Stoicism, a philosophy with roots in ancient Greece, and its application in modern life. The author shares personal experiences and reflections, intertwining these with historical and philosophical insights. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Introduction to Stoicism

• Origin and Setting: Stoicism, originating in ancient Greece, particularly in places like the stoa, was a gathering place for discussions on philosophy. This setting of open spaces and social interaction is highlighted as crucial for fostering philosophical thought.
• Modern Parallel: The author draws a parallel between ancient stoas and modern public spaces like parks, using his experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown in Providence, Rhode Island, to illustrate this. He reflects on the importance of outdoor, open-air environments for socializing and exercising, which he finds conducive to positive thinking and social behavior.

Personal Experience with Stoicism

• Discovery and Influence: The author’s journey with Stoicism began with Nassim Taleb’s book “Antifragile.” This led to an extensive exploration of Stoic literature, focusing on practical aspects such as dealing with fear and uncertainty.
• Key Stoic Figures: Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Diogenes are highlighted for their practical approaches to Stoicism. The author particularly admires Seneca for his real-world engagement and pragmatic writings.

Stoicism in Daily Life

• Physical Fitness: Emphasizing the Stoic ideal of physical robustness, the author shares his personal fitness regime and the importance he places on outdoor physical activities.
• Practical Philosophy: Stoicism is presented as a practical tool for dealing with life’s challenges, rather than a strict moral code. The author argues for philosophy to be actionable and relevant to everyday life.
• Capitalism and Stoicism: There’s a discussion on how Stoicism aligns with certain capitalist ideals, particularly the emphasis on rationality, objectivity, and emotional resilience in facing life’s ups and downs.

Stoicism and Modern Challenges

• Confronting Fear: Stoicism is portrayed as a means to conquer fear, particularly in the context of entrepreneurship and innovation. The author shares his experiences in street photography and cryptocurrency investments, highlighting the role of Stoicism in managing fear and uncertainty.
• Social and Ethical Perspectives: The text critiques modern ethics and morality, suggesting that Stoicism offers a more liberated approach to thinking and acting. The author challenges conventional views on topics like animal rights, expressing controversial opinions that reflect a Stoic disdain for societal norms.

Stoicism as a Personal Tool

• Adapting Stoicism: The author emphasizes the adaptability of Stoicism, encouraging readers to personalize its teachings to suit their individual needs and circumstances.
• Physical and Mental Training: Stoicism is not just a mental exercise but also a physical one. The author suggests various physical activities that align with Stoic principles, advocating for a strong, healthy body as a foundation for a strong mind.
• Interaction with Society: There’s an acknowledgment that Stoicism must account for social interactions, arguing that true Stoicism involves engaging with others and the world at large.

The Future of Stoicism

• Evolving Philosophy: The author believes Stoicism should evolve with changing times and personal circumstances. He encourages ongoing exploration and adaptation of Stoic principles.
• Sharing and Expanding Stoicism: The text ends with a call to share and discuss Stoic ideas more broadly, through blogs, social media, and personal interactions, to keep the philosophy relevant and alive in modern society.

Conclusion

The document is a personal, sometimes provocative take on Stoicism, blending historical philosophy with contemporary application. It suggests that Stoicism, far from being a rigid doctrine, is a flexible tool for navigating the complexities of modern life, from personal fitness to entrepreneurship and beyond. The author’s reflections provide insights into how Stoic principles can be adapted to individual lifestyles and challenges, offering a unique perspective on this ancient philosophy.

To distinguish differences.

For example, I got these brand new weightlifting barbell collar clips, and they are too stiff. Unfortunately I bought them in the same red as my old ones… What I should’ve done instead is head bought a different color.

Fortunately at home, each and every different colored shirt or clothing item I have is a different color, so even in the dark… I can easily distinguish the difference between my different shirts. For example, neon orange, emerald green, wine purple red, bright yellow, wasabi, navy blue, purple pink clay.

For example, everybody likes Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Jay Z, Eminem, etc.

The only rappers or artists who anre interesting are the ones who polarize. Kanye West.

Even with modern day art, everyone likes Andy Warhol Jean-Michel Basquiat and Picasso. It takes no courage to say you like these people. It takes more courage to say that you like somebody that everyone hates.

Something I have been meaning to write or create or do is like some sort of book, ebook, pamphlet, or introductory primer to stoicism. I really think that stoicism is probably one of the most useful and philosophical models to live normal every day real life. Yet, I haven’t really found a good instructional guide on it, especially when I was self teaching it to myself. 

Consider this a practical primer, cutting through the BS:

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What does stoicism mean? 

Stoicism, stoic, the stoa in ancient Greece– essentially the stoa was like some sort of portico, patio, pillar, outside, essentially a spot where guys would just hang out, talk shop, talk philosophy, etc.  

I think about the show “Hey Arnold” in which I was raised with… the notion of “stoop kid“, the notion of a stoop is that in a lot of cities, especially the east coast in New York, you have this little stoop or porch, stairs that go outside your front door… and you could just hang out there, engage in social and neighborhood life etc. 

The new stoa? 

One of my happiest moments was when I was living in Providence Rhode Island, and then COVID-19 hit. Everything was closed, besides the park. I can still go to the park, hang out, workout, do chin ups– I learned how to do muscle ups, more bodyweight calisthenics stuff, and also… I had a lot of fun with this “rock toss“ challenge and workout… in the middle of the park was a huge ass rock and huge ass stone, and every single day I would go there pick it up, and then eventually work out with it; throwing it around for fun, doing overhead presses with it, clean and jerks, squats, and eventually I would just throw it around for fun. Funny enough it might have been the most fit I was in my life… this was the true “functional” fitness.

The inspiration — Hector lifting an insanely massive stone (barely 2 strong men could lift it)… using it to break down the door of the ships of the other side.

Open air, open sun concept

Anyways, the reason why that period of covid was so good is that it was in the middle of beautiful Providence Rhode Island summer, so nice and bright and warm and lovely… and one of the good things was going to the park was like an open forum, a new anatheum for a lot of really cool guys to come, hang out, talk shop, go topless and shirtless, workout and hang out.

I met some really interesting people during that period of time. I met some guys who were really cool. For example, one guy I met was in the US military Navy, I think he was training to be a Navy seal or Delta force or something. Another guy in some sort of ROTC training, another cool guy from the hood, and also I would say I probably met half a dozen friendly drug dealers there. And of course a lot of people who believed in conspiracy theories; really friendly, a little weird, but overall good guys. 

Anyways, one of the biggest benefits of hanging out at that outdoor park, open air, nothing but green grass, the beautiful sun and the fitness equipment was that I think having this sort of open air environment is actually very conducive to socializing, thinking and thought, and pro social behavior. My theory about a lot of modern day antisocial behavior has to do with the structures which enclose us. For example, almost universally most guys at the gym are extremely antisocial. Why? My theory is that because most gyms have closed, cramped narrow ceilings, and do not have access to natural light, or outside space. 

Cramped indoor spaces promote antisocial behavior. 

The only good gym I went to which was interesting was the golds gym in Venice, which has this really big outdoor workout area. I think this is much more natural and more fun and better; to be able to work out directly outside outdoors, with your shirt off. 

Who is this philosophy for?

Stoics, stoicism — it was originally I think codified by this guy named Zeno, and over time he picked up some followers. Essentially the whole thing happened organically; Zeno would first share his thinking on philosophy ethics and pragmatic ways to deal with other people and the downsides of life, he built a following, and then his followers would propagate the thoughts and start their own little schools of thoughts, their own little stoic clubs.

What is “real” stoicism?

Would I like about stoicism is how loosey goosey it is. It is kind of like zen, or taoism… it is not really quantified as a religion, or a strict moral order. In fact, a lot of the ancients stoics would meditate on random stuff like cosmology, natural sciences like Seneca, how volcanoes worked or whatever. I think nowadays in today’s world, we focus primarily on the pragmatic side; how to deal with fear, uncertainty, downsides etc. 

So how did I discover stoicism?

I think I might’ve first learned about stoicism from Nassim Taleb and his ANTIFRAGILE book. I was curious, and my curiosity went to deep. To quote NASSIM TALEB and the Venetian saying “The ocean goes deeper, the deeper you wade into it.”

I literally consumed every single book I could find on stoicism, even the obscure ones. Funny enough, a lot of the stoic thinkers tried to claim other philosophers as being stoic, like Seneca did with Diogenes the cynic. 

Cynic, cynicism, actually comes from the word canine, the dog. Diogenes was considered the “dog” philosopher, first used as a pejorative, but ultimately Diogenes reappropriated that title for fun! He saw dogs as tough, almost like wild wolves, rather than seeing them as a negative thing. 

Even Achilles when he was raging against king Agamemnon, he called him “dog faced“ as a heaping insult. 

Who is worth reading?

First, Seneca. Seneca the younger, his dad was called Seneca the elder. 

In fact, this is such a big deal because Cindy and I named our first son, Seneca, directly after the stoic philosopher. This is true soul in the game; if you name your kid after your favorite philosopher, certainly it is a sign that you really liked that philosopher, or found them impactful.

The reason why I really like Seneca the stoic philosopher is because he had real connections to real reality. What that means is he wasn’t just on the sidelines; he actually existed in the real world, engaged in real politics, was even advisor to the emperor Nero, the bad one, who eventually low-key coerced Seneca to commit suicide, in a manly, dignified manner.

I think this was because maybe… there was actually a plan to overthrow Nero, and essentially Nero found out. 

What makes Seneca so good?

I really like Seneca because his writing is accessible, practical and pragmatic, and interesting. 

A lot of thinkers tend to lack connections to real reality, I have no tolerance for boring philosophers to talk about metaphysics, which is things which are not physical. Like thoughts ideas, the universe, electricity and energy, strange phenomenon and conspiracy theories on ghosts, “energy” whatever. 

For a long time, I would hear the term “metaphysics” being thrown around, and I had zero idea what it actually meant. 

Meta– on top of. Or nestled within. 

Physics — the physical, physical phenomenon like gravity, first principles. 

The reason why metaphysics philosophers tend to be a bunch of losers is that they are all weak and anemic, nerds or geeks or weaklings who seem to have some sort of physiological degeneracy, which encourages them to opine or talk or think about impractical things, superficial things.

Personally speaking, I think philosophy must be practical. 

Practical, praxis, practice — to do!

The Spartan, Zen Stoic, demigod ideal

I have a very funny ideal; the general idea is that your body looks like a demigod, and your physiology is out of control. The general idea is one must be tall, strong, highly muscular, low body fat percentage, I’m not exactly sure what my body fat percentage is, but maybe it’s around 5%.

Also, physical fitness is critical to any stoic. My ideal is to walk 50 miles a day, eat 20 pounds of meat like Milo of Croton a day. And also, abstinence from silly things like media, alcohol, drugs, marijuana etc.

Trust no thinker who does drugs!

Even our best friend Nietzsche said that coffee was bad, because it would make people dark and gloomy. He encouraged 100% cocoa powder instead. 

You let the drugs talk I let my soul talk ayy! – Kendrick Lamar

Simple technique: 

First, look at a picture or a portrait or a full body shot, ideally topless of the artist, philosopher or thinker or individual… then judge their thoughts later. 

Why? My theory is this: the thoughts of an individual is hugely affected by their bodily physiology. 

For example, an extreme example: if somebody is locked inside a solitary confinement cell, and not permitted to go outside for years, but, he had a pen and pad and would jot down some thoughts… Would be the quality of these thoughts? Certainly dark and morose.

Why does stoicism matter? 

In today’s world, why does it matter, what is the significance of stoicism, etc.? 

First and foremost, I think we are living in a troubling time, especially with the advent of modern day internet based media and advertising. I think 99% of what is propagated on the internet is fear mongering, and what is hate? Hate is just fear. 

The first thought on stoicism is that it is just fear conquering. What I discovered about street photography, is that 99% of it is conquering your fears. Conquering your fears of upsetting other people, getting in some sort of verbal or physical altercation etc. In fact my bread and butter workshop is my conquering your fears and street photography workshop, the workshop which is still interesting to me even after a decade.

Why is this so important? I think it is rooted in almost everything; conquering your fears is rooted in entrepreneurship, innovation, risktaking and real life. 

Even my speculation in crypto. 99.9% of crypto speculation is just balls. Having the balls to make big bets, and when things go south, knowing how to master your emotions.

A simple extra I have is this: just imagine it will all go down to zero.

It was useful because when I was in college, my sophomore year I got really into trading stocks, and I eventually lost my whole life savings, maybe around $3500 USD, and some bad penny stock which I actually misread the financials… the whole time I thought the company was making a profit, but actually it was taking a loss. I actually didn’t know that if profits are written in parentheses, it means a loss.

It was funny because my initial start as an investor was back in high school, I bought some Adobe stock when I was a high school junior, and also some mutual funds, which both went up after about 4-5 years. 

Also I remember in elementary school computer class, when I was in the sixth grade in Bayside Queens, there was some sort of stock stimulation trading game, and actually it was funny… the kids who made the most money and were the most successful just put 100% of everything into Apple, note this is when we were only 12 years old, and I was born in 1988.

Stoicism and capitalism?

Funny enough, it seems that stoicism actually plays well with capitalism. Why? According to modern day capitalist thinking, the best way to approach life is to be objective, strong, stoic, unemotional, logical and rational.

Also, with modern day media there is so much fear mongering in the news, about some sort of global armageddon, global financial ruin, etc. I call it “fear porn”. 

Therefore stoicism as a mindset is useful to think and position your mind in such a way that you could consider that life is all upside, no downside.

In fact, if I could summarize stoicism in one sentence, it is that life is all upside, no downside. Inspired by NASSIM TALEB. 

Sex and Stoicism

So, is stoicism useful to you if you’re a man or a woman? Does it matter? 

The good thing is I think it could apply to both sexes. Conquering sexism and social pressures is useful if you’re woman, and also if you’re a man.

Also, gender is social. Lot of the expectations set on us by society is socialized and gamed to a certain degree. 

Stoic strategies 

First, we got to unchain ourselves from modern day ethics and morality. I believe that all modern day philosophy and thinking and ethics and religion is bad. 

For example, the notion of turning the other cheek is a patently bad one. Why did Jesus turn his cheek? It is because he lacked on army. 

Also, philosophically I think we should put no trust in Socrates. I thought which has puzzled me for a long time was this “Why was Socrates so ugly?

Monster in face, monster in soul.

I think Socrates was a degenerate, and he lacked any sort of real power. Therefore he turned logic and rationality into his terrorizing weapon (via Nietzsche). Back in the day, you didn’t need logic or rationality to have things your way, you simply was able to dictate that which you wanted to pause it, because you had a military force behind you. Just think about Machiavelli and IL PRINCIPE– the reality of being a mercurial prince, king, and military leader is hard, stoic, “immoral”. But ultimately it all comes down to war, conquest, the military.

Trust nobody who uses rationality or logic as their tyrannizing weapon. 

In fact, I believe that all should have the body and strength of some sort of super soldier. Essentially look like all the guys from the movie 300, this is our ideal.

Demigod physique. 

What has helped me

1. Allow yourself to be a bad, immortal, “evil” person. When you decide to adopt an unorthodox way of thinking and living, you’re going to rub some feathers the wrong way. And truth be told, even if you act in a strange vibrant way… At worse you’re only “mildly” annoying other people.
2. For good inspirations, I think the best stoic writers and thinkers include Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius and also the humor of the cynic philosopher Diogenes. I would even posit the idea that one could consider Alexander the Great as a stoic. Why? When you’re trying to create an empire, and you always have your life on the line, certainly this takes a stoic mindset. Also, let us think and consider that Alexander the Great had a copy of the Iliad by his bedstand, it was the only book he traveled with during his military tours.
3. Imagine the worst possible case scenario, and backtrack: Apparently even NASSIM TALEB would do this when he was a trader; every single day when he would go to his trading desk, he would assume that his investments would all go to zero, and if that wasn’t the case every single day, it was just upside. Therefore for myself, I just think to myself very simple; imagine like I got zero dollars, zero money, and literally all I need is meat, a Wi-Fi connection and I’m good. 
4. Live like a poor person: The notion of “debasing“ the coin or the currency is the general idea that you are not a coward in regards to money. The best way to think about money is like a social tool; I think money is actually just codified labor. If you want people to clean bathrooms, run the cashiers stand, you have to promise them money. Even Seneca said the upsides of simulated poverty; essentially living like a poor person, or even a homeless person when you don’t need to… is the ultimate position to be in. Why? True freedom of spirit and soul; as a philosopher thinker writer or whatever… you cannot be “canceled”, because there is nothing to cancel. As long as you could pay your rent, buy meat at Costco, and publish your thoughts to your own self hosted website blog, and pay your server fee, you have 100% freedom. And also, still… America is the best place to be because there is true freedom of speech and expression, you don’t want to be a trillionaire but not be able to say what’s really on your mind. And I think this is the big issue with entertainers, actors, media people… as long as you’re signed to a contract, you don’t run your own production company, or, you’re still a slave to money… you’re not really going to see what’s really on your mind. Why is it that the Rock cannot say anything bad about China, or Tibet? Because he is still enslaved by the media corporation. New slaves by Kanye West.

And this is the true courage of Kanye West; he literally put everything on the line, and even lost his spouse and I think maybe his kids? All for the sake of revealing inequities. 

“I throw these Maybach keys fucking c’est la vie! I know that we the new slaves.”- Ye

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Stoic training

The fun thing about stoicism is that you could just make it up as you go, devise your own strategies and whatever. 

“Fucking c’est la vie!” My favorite Kanye West line. 

Essentially the general idea is that in life, one should not take things too seriously. Laughter is golden, I forget the philosopher who was called the laughing philosopher… Democritus?; better to laugh about the follies of human beings rather than to be dark and morose about it. 

Also, thoughts from the Odyssey; if you look far enough  into the future, everything becomes comedic and hilarious.

So when you’re in some sort of bad situation, just think to yourself “Perhaps one day, 20 or 30 years from now… I will look back at this and just laugh!” It will just be humorous.

Honestly, laughter, and kind of being able to joke about things might be the best way to live life and deal with setbacks. 

Modern day ailments

Problems in modern day life: 

1. Too much time spent indoors, not enough time out in the sun. Perhaps it is better to be out outside all day, and joyful, even with the risk of getting skin cancer or whatever… rather than to be indoors, scared, weak and anemic. Differences between if you’re a man or a woman, but still… the most beautiful skin has a sunkissed, olive color tone; the true privilege is having a full body tan. 
2. Get chatGPT, the paid premium one. And use the image generation AI art tool DALL-E. People pay therapists to just speak their mind, and get some sort of sounding board. I actually think it’s much better to chat with AI instead; because it will not judge you, and ultimately what is a therapist anyways? A therapist is just a mirror, a sounding board for you to verbalize and flesh out your thoughts. Often when we talk about our problems, 90% of the issues go away because once we verbalize it, we feel much better about ourselves. The next thing I’m going to do is build some sort of therapy bot. 
3. Not enough walking: I have never met anybody who walks 30,000 steps a day and is depressed. Even my friend Jimmy, who works as a US postal worker delivering the mail, he walks around 30,000 steps a day and is always bright cherry and jovial. I think this is also where people who hike a lot or walk a lot in nature are so happy; when you’re able to walk around a lot, and zen out… you just feel much better. My simple suggestion is when you go on a hike or a walk in nature or even in the city… leave your phone at home, or locked inside your glove compartment, and don’t bring any headphones or speakers or Apple watches or whatever. Just bring along your camera, and enjoy. My personal ideal is the bear lifestyle; walking 50 miles a day. 

Real stoics don’t call themselves Stoics?

A funny thing I have learned is that when you call something something, it isn’t that.

For example, if someone calls something a “luxury car”, it ain’t. For example, a true modern day luxury car is maybe a Tesla, but Tesla never calls itself a luxury car. Also the ultimate luxury technology company is probably Apple… but Apple is very intelligent and not calling themselves a luxury brand.

A pro tip is when it comes to websites, read the alternative text, the header text, the stuff that shows up in the tab of your browser window. If the website, the automotive retailer tries to market themselves as a “luxury” brand, typically it is actually a sign that it isn’t a luxury brand it isn’t luxury brand. 

Thought: what are some good examples of true luxury brands which don’t overly calls itself luxury? 

In someways, we can think and consider stoicism as our new luxury. In fact, having luxury, luxury of mind and soul… and luxury of freedom of speech, isn’t this the ultimate luxury? 

When somebody asked Diogenes the cynic; “What is the best human good”? He said “Freedom of speech, speaking your mind, having the power to see whatever is on your mind.”

In fact, my current joy is becoming more and more free talking, and free riding. What that means is this; I’m ain’t going to censor myself no more, even if I might be politically incorrect insensitive or whatever. 

Also, I would prefer to speak my mind and seriously hurt the feelings of others, rather than soften it for the sake of the other person.   Similarly speaking, when people call themselves “influencers”, they are not influencers.

Stoicism as a technique and tool, not the end

Ultimately I think we should think of stoicism just like having another tool inside our tool kit. For example, if you’re a chef, you’re going to have different knives for different purposes. If you’re going to cut a big piece of meat, you probably want a big ass meat cutting knife, not something you would use to slice an apple with. Similarly speaking, if you’re going to scoop out the insides of an avocado, better to use a spoon rather than using a fork, or a knife. 

I think the problem is when some people get too into stoicism (I prefer writing stoicism with a lowercase), they think that everything needs to be consistent, and must fit into this nice little neat box of what is considered “stoicism“. This is a bad line of thinking… let us consider that Marcus Aurelius never even mentioned stoicism in his writings, his collections of thoughts, which we moderns call THE MEDITATIONS… it was just essentially his personal diary, to help him conquer his own personal fears and thoughts, I don’t think he ever intended it to be published publicly. I think he just wrote it to himself as self therapy. And I think the only stoic philosopher he even mentions is maybe Epictetus. 

The future of stoicism?

For myself, I just come out with certain to work out thoughts and techniques because it helps me, and when I find these tricks or techniques or secret hacks or cheat codes… My passion is to simply share it with others. 

And ultimately, things are ever in flux and evolving and changing and adapting. 

For example, I’ve discovered the quality of my thinking is different when I am in Culver City Los Angeles, compared to being in the boring suburbs of Orange County.

Also depending on my social environments… my stoic thoughts are different when I am in a gym, vs just working out by myself in my parking spot in the back of my apartment. 

Also, the quality of my thoughts is different when living with family members or other people versus just living with myself Cindy and Seneca.

Stoicism is all about living with other people

Assuming you’re not growing your own vegetables and living in the middle of nowhere… you probably have some interaction with other human beings. As long as you have an iPhone, an Android phone, a smartphone, a 4G or 5G internet connection, wifi, a laptop, have to buy groceries somewhere… you’re still going to have to interact with other human beings. 

And this is good. There is no other greater joy than other human beings. 

In fact, modern-day society is strange because in someways, the ethos is to be antisocial and to be cowardly. But in fact, the best way to think about things is that real life is interaction with other human beings, and social conquest. One can imagine a lot of modern day entrepreneurship as simply a big dick swinging contest. He who is the most masculine confident tall and strong and stoic shall win.

More ideas

Assume that everyone is mentally insane: Have you ever been out in public, and you see some sort of crackhead or strange homeless person who acts radically, smells terrible, and is obviously mentally ill? Do you hate them for it? When they say something weird to you… do you take it personally? No. Why? They are crazy. Perhaps we should just adopt this stoic mindset towards other people; some people are actually physiologically ill, mentally unwell… don’t trust the opinion of nobody. 

A lot of people are trying to actually deal with their own inner demons: For example, becoming the successful photographer and street photographer I am today… I’ve dealt with some individuals who would say anonymous bad things about me, and later I found out that their mom just died or something. I cannot imagine what it feels like losing a mother… therefore if somebody spew some hate on me because something bad happened to them, I’m not gonna take it personally. 

Self-flagellation: I think a lot of people who are sick, mentally or physiologically self flagellate themselves. Essentially the way that they deal with other people or themselves is some sort of metaphorical self-flagellation.

For example… you know those strange individuals who have the whip and whip themselves, and inflict pain on themselves? I think some people do this metaphorically to themselves and others. 

You just want to stay away from them. 

Why so scared?

My personal theory on fear is that a lot of it is tied to morality and ethics. I think the general idea is not necessarily that we are afraid of anything… I think the true fear is that we’re afraid that we are some sort of bad evil unethical immoral person.

For example in street photography, the general ethical thought is that it is immoral to take a photo of somebody without their permission, because there is some sort of it inherent evil behind it. Is this true? No. Taking photos and not really a big deal.

Why do people make such a big deal out of small things?

I think it is because some people are just overly sensitive, which once again comes from some sort of physiological weakness. 

For example, if you’re a weightlifter who could lift 1000 pounds, assuming you’re not taking any steroids or anything… are small things going to bother you? No. But let us assume that you are a skinny fat man, all you do is drink alcohol and smoke marijuana and watch Netflix, and you spent too much time on Reddit… you are 40% body fat, and have never lifted in your life. And also your testosterone is low and you never go outside. Certainly the quality of your thoughts is going to be different than if you’re a happy gay monster, lifting weights outside in the direct sun, laughing and having fun. 

In fact, I’ve actually personally discovered that the reason why a lot of people hate me is because I am so happy jovial and gay. They are secretly suspicious or envious of me? 

Weather and mood

Probably one of my worst experiences was this jarring transition; I was super happy insanely happy being in Vietnam in 2017; with a beautiful weather, the beautiful light, the happy people the great amenities etc.… and then that winter Cindy and I went to Europe, in Marseille Berlin and Prague, and maybe London… seriously the worst winter of my life. Why? I wonder if so much miserable feelings and thoughts simply comes from the darkness and lack of light. a lot of Europe is actually quite miserable; dark, unhygienic, morose.

Even Nietzsche had a thought about Schopenhauer; How much of these emo European philosophers came from the fact that it was just complaining about the cold weather in Germany etc.? ï¿¼ï¿¼ For myself, my ideal weather is Southeast Asia; I love being in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Vietnam etc. In the states, am I the only one who loves living in Los Angeles? Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar said that LA was the best for women weed and weather… I would definitely say the biggest upside of living in Los Angeles is the light, the sunlight. It actually does get quite cold here, but usually most reliably even in December during the winter time, the sun will always come up. As long as there is bright sunny light, I will be happy. And I think maybe for myself, considering that I am a photographer, and photography means painting with light… light for me is critical.

I also wonder how much of it is a physiological thing and a genetic trait; for example I could even recall being a young child, and my mom telling me that the most critical thing in finding a home or an apartment was light and natural light. Even now… 90% of my happiness comes from being able to have access to natural light, ideally floor to ceiling windows facing directly the sun, having some sort of modern temperature regulated apartment and home. Even living in our tiny studio minimalistic luxury apartment in Providence Rhode Island, where it was always 75° warm and cozy, and not frigid and damp and cold and dark and humid… I was always good. But moving to an older house, where it always felt damp and cold… this literally lowered my happiness by 1000%.

Therefore, if you’re feeling miserable sad or whatever… I say spend three months living in Hanoi or Saigon in Vietnam, or go to Phnom Penh Cambodia. I wonder if 90% of peoples misery is simply due to the weather. 

Stoic assignments

”Better to be a gay monster than a sentimental bore!” – Fernandino Galliani, via Nietzsche

My stoic ideal is somebody who is happy, gay, smiling, no headphones or AirPods on, no sunglasses on, no hat, no facial hair, no baggy oversized clothing, no tint in their car. Somebody who makes great eye contact, laughs, stands up upright, jokes, and fools around. Like an overgrown child.

Also, lift weights at least once every day, ideally in the direct sun. Just buy some weightlifting equipment on Titan.fitness, I like the farmers carry handles, the Olympic loadable dumbbell, and also the Texas power squat bar. Just buy some cheap weights, and or buy a heavy 400 pound sandbag, and just have fun throwing it around. 

True stoics are masculine

A true stoic should look something like Hercules or Achilles. Or like ERIC KIM; I have the aesthetic and the physique of Brad Pitt in FIGHT CLUB except with a lot more muscle. Like my friend Soren says, the Adonis physique and proportions.

A real stoic is sexy

I think a real stoic is sexy, happy and fun. Who doesn’t take life too seriously; and think of everything like a fun game. A real stoic would be joyful and cheery like three-year-old child without any adulteration from the outside world. 

Why do adults become so dark and morose?

I don’t like talking with or hanging out with adults, uninteresting. 

At what point or age do people become so emo? 

Typically, highschoolers are very optimistic. Even college students. But I think at least in maybe college in high school nowadays… the bad trend is towards “over concern”, about the world the planet ethics animals etc. 

I find a lot of this thinking superficial, performative, and uncritical. I think “animal rights“, “saving the planet” is this new pseudo world religion; which is just capitalism 3.0. I find the whole pet industry the whole dog industry to be insanely bizarre, and I trust nobody who talks about “saving the planet“ who owns an iPhone, owns any sort of car, or has an Amazon prime subscription. Certainly not any vegans. 

A real stoic is a carnivore 

Animals are animals. They are lower on the hierarchy and totem pole on earth. Man is the apex predator, the apex bully and the apex tyrant.

Should we care for animals or “animal rights”? No. Animals are our slaves.

If you consider even dogs and pets… they are essentially our emotional slaves. People talk a lot about the virtuosity of dogs being loyal or whatever… and giving you unconditional love. This seems like some sort of emotional slavery. 

The only dogs I respect are some sort of canine dogs, some sort of attack or defense dogs, or hunting dogs. For example, John Wick 3; Halle Barry and her dogs. An animal should either be a weapon, or nothing.

Why do people care about animals so much?

Essentially it looks like men no longer have a backbone. No more spine. 

I trust nobody who owns a dog. 

Let us not forget; they call it dog ownership, or “owning a pet”. There is no more concept of “human ownership, or “owning a human.”

End goals 

What is the end goal of humanity? To me it is towards entrepreneurship, innovation, art and aesthetics, philosophy etc. Design.

Stoicism should be considered a tool which could aid you in these things. 

For example, I think 99% of entrepreneurship is courage. Stoicism could help you with that.

I also think with design, great design is also 99% courage, having the courage to attempt something that won’t sell or be received well… stoicism is all about practical courage. The only designers with courage include Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Elon Musk, Kanye West. 

Also, weightlifting. To attempt to lift a certain weight you have never attempted before takes great courage. For example, me atlas lifting 1000 pounds; that is 10 plates and a 25 on each side, this is true stoic training. Why? The fear of injury is what holds most people back; if you had successfully conquered this fear and not injured yourself, this is pure stoic bliss.

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The physical

I think the only and the only proper way to lift weights is one repetition maximum training. That is; what is the maximum amount of weight you’re able to successfully lift or move, even half an inch?

To me, the courage is the success. Even if you had the courage to attempt it… that is what is considered success. 

Simple exercises to do include the atlas lift, innovated by ERIC KIM, or a one repetition max rack pull.

Or, a high trap bar deadlift, heavy Farmer’s walks, or heavy sandbag carries. Or even a simple thing you could do is go to the park or to the local nature center, find the biggest rock there and just see if you could pick it up. 

Now what?

If you’re interested in stoicism, and have had some interesting thoughts on stoicism, one of the most noble things you could do is start your own blog. I think blogs are 1000 times more effective than publishing some sort of static printed book; I think the problem in today’s world is that everyone is seeking some sort of legitimacy by being picked up by some sort of legitimate publisher and getting “published“, and seeing your printed book at Barnes & Noble whatever.

I say it is better to be open source, free and permissionless, decentralized. Just publish your thoughts and book as a free PDF, and just host it on dropbox, Google Drive, or your own web server. Share the link freely, and also just publish the raw text as a big blog post. 

Even Sam Bankman-Fried wisely thought; 99.9% of books could just be summarized as big blog posts.

Don’t trust any modern day published book which isn’t free, because… there is some sort of hidden clout chasing somewhere. 

Even one of the worst compromises that led to the demise of Ray Dalio was the fact that he took his Principles book, which was essentially a free ebook PDF on his website, and then took it off, because I think he got a book deal with Simon and Schuster. After he did that, he lost my respect.

If you’re already independently wealthy, and you don’t crowd source your self-esteem… why would you need to externally validate yourself by getting some sort of constipated publisher and annoying editor? 

Editors are bad. 

Now what?

Start your own blog and start blogging your own thoughts on stoic philosophy, and even start a YouTube channel and start vlogging on it. My generalized thought is simple: if your thought your idea your blog post your video or whatever could even impact the life of one other human being on planet earth… it is worth it. 

ERIC

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What is the secret to the maximum amount of happiness in life? The maximum amount of danger. (Nietzsche).

ERIC

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It has to be fool proof… “stupid simple”!

Why significant?

Self attention?

Why transformer?

The term “transformer” in the context of GPT and similar AI models refers to a specific type of neural network architecture that’s particularly effective for processing sequential data, like text. Here’s why the transformer architecture is significant:

1. Handling Sequences Effectively: Traditional neural network architectures like RNNs (Recurrent Neural Networks) and LSTMs (Long Short-Term Memory networks) process data in sequences, making them suitable for text. However, they have limitations, especially in handling long-range dependencies within the text. Transformers overcome this by using self-attention mechanisms.
2. Self-Attention Mechanism: This is a key feature of transformers. It allows the model to weigh the importance of different parts of the input data differently. In the context of text, it means the model can focus more on relevant words and less on irrelevant ones, regardless of their position in the sentence. This is crucial for understanding context and nuance in language.
3. Parallel Processing: Unlike RNNs and LSTMs, which process data sequentially, transformers can process entire sequences of data in parallel. This significantly speeds up training and makes it feasible to train on much larger datasets, leading to more powerful models.
4. Scalability and Efficiency: The parallel processing capability and the effectiveness of the self-attention mechanism allow transformers to scale up with more data and computational power more efficiently than previous architectures. This scalability is a big reason why models like GPT have been able to achieve such impressive performance.

From a philosophical and innovative standpoint, the transformer represents a leap in how machines understand and generate human language. It opens new doors for exploring how artificial intelligence can emulate complex human cognitive processes, like understanding context, sarcasm, and even humor, in written text. For entrepreneurs and innovators, this technology offers a versatile tool that can be adapted for various applications, from automated customer service to content generation, and even as aids in creative processes.

Generative pre-trained transformer:

GPT, which stands for “Generative Pre-trained Transformer,” is an artificial intelligence model developed by OpenAI. It’s designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives. GPT models are trained on vast amounts of text data, enabling them to respond to a wide range of queries, simulate conversation, and even generate creative content.

Each version of GPT has been more advanced than the last, with improvements in understanding context, generating more coherent and relevant responses, and better mimicking human-like conversation. This technology is not just a tool for answering questions or chatting; it’s a window into the potential of AI in fields like education, content creation, and customer service.

From a philosophical perspective, GPT and similar AI models raise intriguing questions about the nature of intelligence, the potential for non-human entities to engage in what appears to be meaningful conversation, and the ethical implications of creating machines that can mimic human thought processes. For someone interested in innovation and entrepreneurship, the technology behind GPT represents a frontier of possibilities in various industries, pushing the boundaries of what machines can do and how they can augment human capabilities.

Check your compositions here.

Compo Check, styled like Eric Kim, provides friendly, conversational, and motivational feedback on photographic composition. It analyzes elements like framing, balance, symmetry, color, and lighting in photos, offering constructive suggestions in a straightforward and inspirational manner. Compo Check encourages experimentation and finding a unique voice in photography, emphasizing storytelling, emotion, and simplicity. It uses clear language, avoiding technical jargon, and maintains a positive tone. The GPT caters to various photographic styles and skill levels, from amateur to professional, and is designed to boost confidence and skills in photographers.

Napoleon syndrome?

How I work flow

True men fight fist fights … or some sort of MMA?