Or like what chess grand masters say: to become a great chess player, first study the endgame and then work your way backwards.
In life, consider what your desired outcome is, and then work in reverse to figure out what you need to do in order to get there.
Or, in life, do what Jeff Bezos does with the regret minimization framework: consider yourself 90 years old on your deathbed, what would you regret in life? How can you prevent yourself from feeling that regret in life?
Or, think about how you desire to feel before you die. Then structure your life in such a way in which you will die feeling happy.
Or, how do you sleep better at night? Work your way backwards. Considering that coffee and caffeine takes 12 hours to exit your bloodstream, consider what your desired bedtime is, then just work backwards.
Or with money Welton riches, consider what your endgame is. Then work your way backwards.
Contrary to what some pretentious photographers may think, I believe that photography should be insanely easy. Better to automate the technical things, and the more you could focus on just shooting and having fun, the better.
Hate is information. When you hate certain things, and you hate certain behaviors, it is wise to use that information to your benefit. To change what you hate.
It seems that everyone wants to buy a house. Why? Notions of success, stability, etc.
But this is my realization: ultimately, a house and a home is a box. Literally and figuratively. Doesn’t matter if you rent or own, it is still a box.
Also, once you buy and own a home, it owns you. Also, imagine all the time you waste having to accumulate your house with stuff, and having to maintain it.
I think about Alexander the great: how apparently he said when he died, “look at my hands, they are empty. I want to let the world know that when I died, I have nothing my handsâ€. What he meant to say was his life was dedicated to expansion, building an empire, spreading Hellenism, and conquest.
Therefore the question you wanna ask yourself is would you rather be a Genghis Khan or Alexander the great, or would you rather be a sultan who sits on his throne, having the whole world attend to him? Or would you rather be king Leonidas, bare and free, or would you rather be a rich Persian slave?
What we need more in life is not less, but more ambition.
Give a middle finger to self preservation. Instead, seek growth at all costs.
Also, become insanely picky who you share your energy, life and time with. Don’t give advice or don’t try to “help†those who you don’t think will take it or appreciate it or change. Become harder, more “cruel†and indifferent to the happiness, “well being†and thriving of others.
What to become more ambitious about? Maximizing your impact.
Also, don’t waste your money on things. Instead invested on maximizing your impact.
I wonder from an aesthetic perspective, we would be happier with just one. Just one car, one home, one neighborhood, one coffee shop, one camera one lens, one phone, one device, etc.
Just one hiking trail, just one park, just one pair of shoes, just one cryptocurrency, just one platform, just one focus, just one brand. Just one outfit. Just one color. just one exercise or type of lift.
The ultimate simplicity, and the ultimate Archimedes lever: just one?
Also do not forget, you are one, and you are the one.
And within the limit of one, finding novelty, variation, interest and challenge in just that one.
Occam’s razor — note that it is razor, not razor(s).
Also, when making an argument, you don’t need more than one reason to convince somebody otherwise. Just one ultimate reason.
A decision making theory: you don’t need more than one reason to do a certain decision. Also, you don’t need more than one benefit. Avoid people and organizations who tout too many benefits, and also, beware people who offer too many reasons to do something and features.
Let me give you example when it comes to investing, I don’t think you need more than one good reason to invest in something. Also, cryptocurrency‘s or crypto coins which promise more than one benefit seem wise to avoid.
For example, bitcoin isn’t the fastest or the “best“ cryptocurrency, but, it does offer one big benefit: number one brand recognition. And that is all it needs.
If you’re interested in investing in cryptocurrency, just one big reason to invest in it is regarding counterfeiting. You cannot counterfeit cryptocurrency, you cannot counterfeitbitcoin.
“run faster, jump higher!â€
“ Man, I won’t let you poison me so I threw it to the ground!†(Lonely Island through it to the ground song)
There is this very funny YouTube video, SNL sketch in which there is a random guy selling energy drinks, who says that the energy drinks can make you smarter, run faster, jump higher, etc. If he wanted to do better marketing, he should only stress one benefit.
Another example about college: the only good reason I think about going to college is potentially meeting your future life partner, your future husband or wife. When I was an undergraduate, that is how I met Cindy, my soulmate. I doubt I would have been able to meet Cindy online nowadays via online dating, as the algorithm would have never matched us. This is my critique of online dating— it matches people with mutual interests, and lifestyles. But, I think there is a hidden charm randomly meeting people who are very very different from you, people who you would never expect to click. For example, me and Cindy were seen as polar opposite in college, and when people found out that I was dating Cindy, everyone was so shocked.
“ Cindy‘s dating you????â€
My response—
â€I know… right??â€
In college, Cindy was a sophisticated, suave, intelligent and deep one. I was seen as the joker, the unserious guy, and the guy who only chased pretty girls. But ultimately what found us together was this one really big thing: both of us are interested in growth. That one reason is sufficient into itself.
Don’t buy it if you need more than one reason to convince yourself to buy it
This is one idea I got from Nassim Taleb: you never need more than one reason to buy something, otherwise you’re just trying to trick yourself into buying something you don’t really need.
Well, if you’re thinking about upgrading or buying a new iPhone, you don’t need more than one reason. One good reason to buy a new iPhone is this: I broke my old iPhone. Or, my old iPhone is too slow now.
One should not upgrade the iPhone if one needs a cadre of multiple reasons: it is faster, has a better camera, has better battery life, and will help me become more productive.
When you need to conjure up multiple reasons to do something, you probably don’t really need to do it.
How to tell whether somebody is lying
You can tell if somebody is lying if they give you more than one excuse. If they give you multiple excuses for why they didn’t do something, or why they didn’t show up, or what they were doing, it is most likely a lie. A true excuse simply needs to just be one: I forgot, or I was doing this.
A funny mini drama currently at the house: a family friend withdraws money from a Bank of America ATM machine, and much to her dismay discovers that one of the $100 bills which was dispensed was a counterfeit $100 bill. How did she find this out? It is when she tried to deposit the hundred dollar bill at the bank, the bank did not accept it.
I did my personal due diligence, and closely inspected the $100 bill, seeing if I could spot it being a counterfeit. Superficially, I kind of had a gut feeling that it was a counterfeit. Why? Although the paper felt pretty real, the color of the green ink seemed a bit off. The green color was too bright, too cartoony. Also when I inspected the printed text closer, the text didn’t seem sharp enough.
And this is the thought that came to my mind:
You cannot fake or counterfeit cryptocurrency. This would have never happened if it were crypto.
How much money do governments, economies, and individuals lose from counterfeiting?
It seems like a lot. And therefore, if governments and individuals use more cryptocurrency‘s instead of printed paper money cash, you would squash out counterfeiting.
Money as trust?
I’ve been wondered, what can we do with this counterfeit $100 bill. Superficially, it looks very real. If you gave somebody $500 in cash, and one of the hundred dollar bills was the counterfeit one, most people probably couldn’t tell. Then I started to wonder, the only reason we don’t give people counterfeit money when we know it is counterfeit, is because of ethics and a sense of trust, and mutual respect.
Something I’ve noticed: there tends to be some people who prefer to preserve what they already have, whereas others prefer to expand.
As a quick analogy, let me compare the difference between the Mandalorian and the new book of Boba Fett series. The reason why I prefer the Mandalorian so much is this:
The book of Boba Fett is about preservation. Boba Fett becomes Lord of his little feif and kingdom, and his goal is like the godfather, to preserve what he has. Whereas the Mandalorian is all about dis regarding preservation and self preservation, and instead embarking on this epic mission to return the child.
If you want to change certain behaviors, or increase compliance to something, you gotta make it insanely easy. Insanely easy for yourself and others.
For example, if you want to increase mask compliance, make it insanely easy by just leaving a bag of masks outside the front entrance to a place, with a big red and orange sign commanding people to put on a mask before they enter.
This is also why I like the “set it and forget it“ ethos: it makes cooking insanely easy, which is good because it allows us to do other things, and also makes it easier for us to eat healthier.
The best way to flex is not by becoming more high key and flashy, but by becoming more low key and subtle. For example, maybe it is a better low-key flex to get your Lamborghini in a very boring color like silver, instead of getting a bright and flashy color.
Maybe this is why matte black is so enigmatic to us: it is the most stealth like, and low-key color.
Super stock
Another thought:, cars have more charm when you keep the outside appearance more subtle and stock, and instead, you soup up the engine and that which is internal. This is what they call a †sleeper “ . Better to be perceived as more common and ordinary, than to be considered unique and different.
In other words, deep down within your soul, you are in fact very unique and different, but your outside appearance looks very plain and ordinary. Compare this to people who on the outside dress very flashy, but their soul is actually very basic and ordinary.
Or in other words, be more impressed with a rich and successful person who drives a shitty car, then somebody who is of moderate wealth driving a flashy car. Or other words, I have never met a successful person who drives a BMW three series.
It seems in today’s world, the bias is that our worthiness is measured by how much we do. Typically, we all want to do more. Doing more is considered better.
But what if the opposite were truth? That in fact, doing less were better?
For example, I’ve observed at least with weight lifting, the fewer repetitions you do, the better. The trick is lifting a heavier weight for fewer repetitions is superior than lifting a medium weight many times. For example, better to squat 385 pounds once, once a week, then to do 100 bodyweight squats every single day.
Therefore I say, it seems the most optimal strategy is to do less, but with more intensity and strength.
It seems nowadays, everyone wants more range with their electric cars. It makes sense because there are notions of “range anxiety“.
On one hand, if you want to do a very very long road trip, certainly the more range you have, the better. However, realistically speaking, and thinking about our every day lived lives, how much range do we really even need?
Nietzsche once said that utilitarianism is a slave mentality. In America right now, it also seems that utilitarianism is our major guiding ethos. That everything we must do must be prudent, yield high utility, be productive, not wasteful, help elevate the common good, and be practical.
But, perhaps we should start thinking beyond utility. Utility is boring, and anti-aesthetic.
Also, I think that the notion that something is practical it’s just a way to trick ourselves into buying something that we think is good for us.
Also, practicality is boring because if we all just wanted to be practical, there would be no innovation. The most practical car would either be a Toyota Camry, a Prius, or a Honda accord, or some other boring car.
Even loud and audacious cars like Lamborghini exist because they are not practical. They are cool and sexy because they are not practical.
For example, the Lamborghini scissor doors are not very practical, yet they are very cool, exotic, and sexy.
Even certain fun leisure activities like powerlifting are technically not practical. In what situations in water day living would I need to lift a 475 pound object off the ground? The way I make my living is using a laptop and nowadays, a phone— not through brute physical strength.
Practicality is when we no longer have the audacious nature in which we could posit our own goals and ends. If you only want to do things which are practical, you are just a beast of burden.
Also, one can also make the argument that having a high muscle mass and low body fat percentage is not practical. Yet, it is the height of apex and beauty.
Something that I’ve learned and discovered: I have the most fun when I do things which are both difficult and thrilling, which are within my own means.
For example, I’ve been doing these one armed kettle bell swings with my 105 pound kettle bell, which I try to bring up into a “clean†position. It is quite challenging, difficult, yet it is thrilling and exciting. Whenever I do it, I must focus, hype myself up, and also use chalk.
Therefore in life, perhaps we should pursue more things which are both difficult and thrilling to us. We must have certain challenges for ourselves which requires supreme focus, and an element of danger. It is unpredictability and a sense of potential danger which makes things fun and thrilling for us.
The worst life is life in which we are unengaged. And when are we the most unengaged? We are unengaged when things become too predictable, lack challenge and difficulty, and are boring.
Better to buy a new Porsche Macan (cheapest model) than the most expensive Toyota. Or better to buy the cheapest iPhone than the most expensive Android phone.
Also, maybe it’s better to buy the cheapest Leica camera, the Leica CL, than the most expensive Fujifilm camera.
Dear friends, a thought on my mind: perhaps the goal of our photography is to become more Zen. My personal ideal is becoming a more Zen photographer. Some quick thoughts:
There are a lot of things which are ugly which I experience on a daily basis. As a visual artist, I’m very sensitive to visual stimulate. Things which I perceive as ugly, often rub me the wrong way.
However, I realize that if you had a option of just staying at home, and being bored, or be out in the real world experiencing ugly things, better to be out in the real world experiencing ugly things. Why? Even ugly things act as a positive stimulus.
What is true luxury? The luxury of becoming more like a Spartan. Becoming much more simple, harder, bare, and raw. True luxury is having fewer options, fewer superfluous things in matter, and more discomfort.
For example, when I think about the movie 300, one of my favorite films, I love their clothing. That to think that the most impressive and fearsome warriors of all time didn’t wear a shirt, or pants. Essentially all they had was a cod piece, a cape, and a ferocious bronze helmet. And of course their weapons.
True luxury is less
If I think about my real ideal notion of luxury, it is less. To live a more luxurious life, rather than adding more Apple gadgets and devices to my life, and instead of buying newer and better clothing, or by buying newer and better cars, it is reverse: to be able to subtract the amount of cares and worries and concerns of my life, and having fewer less things to maintain, manage, and deal with.
For example, my Apex notion of luxury when it comes to cars is to not own a car. Rather than having the newest Lamborghini, or the newest Tesla car, I would just prefer to Uber everywhere, and if I really did want to go on a joyride, I could just either rent a Lamborghini, or even rent an experience center at the local race track, being able to drive cars really fast without danger.
I like the idea that when you become really rich and successful, you no longer need to flex in order to impress others. I have this notion of a “reverse flex“, that in which you actually choose more basic options, much lower than what you could afford, in order to be different.
For example, typically only poor or low class people go to McDonald’s. Maybe it is a better statement to just probably tell others that you love McDonald’s coffee, rather than trying to be a pretentious snobby espresso expert.
Also, typically Walmart is he as the low of the low. But truth be told, what is the difference between Amazon and Walmart? I think Amazon is just Walmart 2.0, with a good conscience. Because you don’t actually see poor people having to labor for you, you actually feel better about yourself. Amazon and Walmart is essentially the same thing. So perhaps, instead of just ordering everything on Amazon, it’s not a bad idea to just stop by Walmart to pick up something quick.
Or with cars, rather than trying to flex by how expensive your car is, but it is a more interesting reversed flex to show others how cheap your car is. in fact, I had more pride and joy and bragging about how I was able to buy my old Subaru for only $800 in cash, instead of bragging that I bought a new Tesla, or even a new Lamborghini.
What’s the quickest way to become rich?
By moving to a more poor neighborhood. And the quickest way to become poor is to move to a rich neighborhood.
I’m always very impressed whenever I see rich and successful people using cheaper iPhones
For example, I was very impressed when I saw my friend Don Dillon, who is very successful, just using a basic iPhone SE even though he could probably afford 1 trillion iPhone pros. He told me he just prefers the smaller design.
If anything, I see this funny thing in which when people have the brand new iPhone Pro, it is just a tryhard flex. That in fact, a lot of poor working class people will waste all their money buying the brand newest iPhone, in order to try to assert that they’re richer than they actually are. Similar how aspiring rich people wear Louis Vuitton, whereas the really rich people wear unbranded yet very expensive goods. Also I’ve noticed in very very rich neighborhoods, where people live in $10 million homes, they just drive super basic cars, either Subarus, or drive some old Honda Odyssey minivan. If you are really really rich, you don’t want others to know that you’re rich, out of fear that you might be robbed.
Why I prefer shopping at Aldi instead of Whole Foods
I like this notion of Spartan luxury, that is, true luxury is having fewer options, more simple, more direct. Whenever I buy groceries, I actually prefer the local Aldi, why? Because there are fewer options, and it is just much faster and more efficient. I don’t like Whole Foods because there are too many options, and often the lines are way too long. Even at this point going to Costco is a funny luxury, I just like to go to Costco to take pictures.
Something I’ve discovered: it is not necessarily beauty that we are searching for, it is health.
For example, what is the indication of supple breasts in a woman? Healthiness, and fertility. Also, with legs in the backside of a woman, it is more of a sign of health, rather than aesthetic.
Even women having full lips, I wonder if it is simply a sign of healthiness.
We try to beautify ourselves with certain products, make up, and certain types of clothing. But, if the ultimate goal is to show ourselves to others as being the maximal healthy, isn’t focusing on our health the real goal?
What do you do with your life, when you’ve achieved all your life dreams, and no longer need or desire anything?
Some simple and quick thoughts:
Having the privilege to walk much, striving to walk at least 30,000 steps a day.
The focus on creation, no more need for the money making profit motive. To create educational materials, to create physical products, and to create ephemeral products. To pursue things which interests you, and to share and deliver things to people that you love, do you think they will also love.
To share and propagate your ideas. To share and publish your ideas via email newsletters and blog posts. Or via podcast and YouTube vlogs.
After you’ve reached financial independence, the desire to still do things. A life of endless experimentation, self experimentation, recreation, and innovation. The desire to become rich and retire as a red herring (not the real goal, a distraction). What we just desire to do is do more of what we are passionate for.
To pursue more random things which interest us, without concern of how popular the ideas may be. Rather, the goal seems to be to reach a smaller yet more select and elite group of people. In other words, better for your ideas to reach five extremely influential people, then to reach 5 million random people.
What is the privilege of the thinker and philosopher? To think bigger, and to think beyond.
For example, beyond concern for the self, and thinking beyond the self. Thinking about humanity in general, and humanity in the future, 300 years from now and beyond.
To think of the should for humankind, in the direction you want to move the needle for humanity into the future.
Something that was always very bizarre to me was watching sports. Growing up, I played a lot of sports, but didn’t watch any sports. And this is the funny thing with being a spectator versus being a doer, it is literally not even the same thing.
For example, even though I played linebacker, outside and inside linebacker, my sophomore and junior year of high school, I had very little idea how the game of football was played by the other positions. In fact, when you’re actually playing football, your position is highly specialized, and your vision is actually very poor. For example, if you’re a wide receiver, to be able to run topspeed and peer over your cramped shoulder (you are very bulky with all the protective equipment), peering through the tiny limited visor of your helmet, it is almost impossible to see the ball coming at you.
Compare this to being a football fanatic, watching football on TV. You see a birds eye Panopticon view of everything, you have god mode. And when you see certain players mess up, you yell at them with indignation. But once again, nobody in real life actually has that Birdseye view perspective. What would actually be more accurate, is if you strapped a GoPro to to the front facing helmet of a player, and saw from their perspective.
Another realization that I had about porn, nobody has sex like that in real life. Real life sex, is often done in the dark, and you have limited visibility, and most of your focus and your sensations is in your nether regions, and sight isn’t actually that important. Also, there is an interaction in interplay with your partner, that is more subtle, which is not a concept in porn.
This is why I find when non-Street Photographers critique street photography to be absurd: non-practitioners should not critique practitioners, if one does not actually have real life experience doing the thing. In other words, if you don’t play basketball yet you watch basketball and critique basketball players, you are a nerd.
Why observe, and spectate?
So then what is the purpose of observing, and spectating? Is it adrenaline seeking? Novelty seeking? Self education learning, or something else?
At least with television, it is to feed you more advertisements.
There is no ultimate right and wrong in life, all is opinion. Therefore, it seems most logical for you to just share your own personal opinion, share your own personal philosophy. This is how people, society, and ideas evolve and thrive.
Why all truth is relative
There is no such thing as ultimate, irrefutable truth. Truth is just a reconfiguration of certain value judgments to things, and truth finding is not the goal of philosophy. I see philosophy as an art form, but instead of creating art objects, we create artwork out of ideas.
And what is true to you may not be true for another. Also, what I value is not what you value. Therefore, it is the task of every individual to discover their own true personal preferences, without getting indoctrinated or suckered from others or society.
Why blogging is great
I wonder if Socrates were alive today, he would really like blogging. Why? It seems that Socrates and a lot of philosophers of the past didn’t like writing down what they wrote, out of fear that when they changed their mind, they would be seen as hypocrites. But, if you live long enough, sooner or later you will contradict yourself. For example, let’s say when you were a kid you told people you want to grow up and become an astronaut, and when you grew older and you did not become an astronaut, people might say that you’re contradicting yourself. Certainly we do not see this to children, but we do say it to adults.
People change. Lifestyles change. Our life conditions change. To be tenacious to a certain opinion for the sake of it, is unwise.
Therefore the great thing with blogging is that if we change our opinion, you could either delete the post, or modify it.
My life mission is simple: to maximally empower, motivate, and help photographers become more. To help photographers become more inspired, more motivated, more creative, more entrepreneurial, and more fearless.
One thing I think a lot about is cars. I was always into cars, ever since I was 15 years old, and even today, I’m still very interested. Why is that? In America, we see more cars than people. Also, because I’m interested in design, industrial design, car design, I wonder a lot about car color combinations.
Some quick thoughts on color combinations for cars:
Right now, the trend is towards all black everything. For example, get a black car, with black rims, and you black out all the components. Also all black tint. but the problem with this aesthetic is multiple: first of all, it is insanely hard to keep your car clean, your car gets very very hot if you live in Southern California, your car paint does not last long, and in someways, the look is a little bit played out. Also the downside with tint especially if you live in Southern California is that sooner or later, the tint will bubble, and look ugly.
The classic thing to do in Southern California is to just get a white car. This is smart because it hides dirt well, and also reflects heat. Also, the paint will last a long time. But the problem with white cars is that White is boring also, it is a bit of an eyesore, it is almost too bright, and reflects too much light.
I’ve actually discovered that silver is actually a very good color combination. Why is that? Silver Does a pretty good job of reflecting heat, is pretty low-key, and also has good contrast especially if you contrasted with black components. For example, a silver car with black rims actually looks very good. The only downside of silver is that traditionally, silver is seen as a very boring color. However, once upon a time in the past, silver was actually seen as the color of progress. The silver bullet. All aluminum and silver components were seen as futuristic. Let us consider airstreams, and a lot of turn of the century design. something I actually really liked, which I did not expect to like, was seeing all silver Tesla cars. I actually think that the Tesla model S in all silver, will silver components looks very good. Also, the Tesla model three with all silver components also looks very good. A silver car, with silver components, and silver rims, if done well and is very clean, looks very modern, futuristic, and progressive.
Red is the classic hot rod color, and also the color that Robert Downey Jr. decided to make his Iron Man outfit. Yet, even though red is probably the best car color in terms of attracting attention, it is almost a little bit too bold. I’ve personally owned a red Mazda Miata in the past, and red quickly loses its novelty. Also there is the myth that red cars attract more police attention, and is more likely to give you a ticket.
Yellow is also a good color, as it is very bright and bold. It seems that also yellow is the de facto color for Lamborghini cars. Yellow is also loud, and attracts a lot of attention. But, yellow almost feels a little too childlike. Big bird is yellow, schoolbuses are yellow, bumblebees are yellow, etc. Taxis are yellow.
Wearing the right outfit is very important. If we consider that clothing is like our armor, and also that our personal aesthetic greatly affects our mood in our feeling a self-confidence, then the clothes and shoes where are much more important than your car, your home, and your gadgets.
Why? In a life in which art is so short (ars longa vita brevis [art is long, life is short]), perhaps it is best for us to hone into our #1 art skill, which is making photos.
If anything I predict a new future in which we photographers reign king and supreme.
Let us consider already right now, photography is the primary form of arts-creation amongst most people. Considering that Apple is now a 3+trillion dollar company, and practically everyone has an iPhone, everyone is a photographer. And everyone makes photos, and thus makes art.
Once again:
The iPhone is by far the most popular and most used camera on the planet.
It also seems that Adobe and Lightroom is doing so well– why? The exodus of all these new photographers.
Even thinking about photography vs video– at this point, it seems that photography is just a lot more direct and simple. I love video, cinema, and film, but videos don’t keep well. It is easy to print and frame a photo and share photos, videos are harder.
Considering that we are for simplicity and minimalism, perhaps we should double-down on our photography.
2. Beyond happiness?
Perhaps beyond being ‘happy’, better to just be active. To act, to do, to create, to explore.
Or in other words, more time outside of the house.
Going to the local market, the local hipster indoor-outdoor market, the local coffee shop, the local mall, to restaurants/bars/cafes, going hiking, going on a mini road trip, etc.
Even personally, I have found the best way to become ‘happier’ is to just try to walk 30,000 steps a day. I’ve not hit it yet (my record is around 28,000 steps in a day), yet — I have found all parts of my life existence to improve. More thinking, more idea generation (ideation), and overall better well-being.
If you’re stuck at home, and itching for some new photographic inspiration and motivation, I cordially invite you to my online DISCOVER YOUR UNIQUE VISION IN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP (Saturday, Feb 12, 2022 from 11am-2pm PST, Pacific SF Time).
Currently I have the most blessed life, the most blessed existence. Strong health, wealth, and happiness. Cindy’s mom and my mom to help Seneca. Cindy doing well, baby Seneca doing well, I’m doing well. The most peaceful, simple, nature-forward, focused, and productive life.
What has greater intelligence? Your body. Your body has 1 trillion times more self wisdom intelligence than your mind. I personally believe that what we think is simply an amalgamation of indoctrination from our teachers, society, and our teachers.
For example, or mind tells us what we should do, but our body tells us what we must do.
Should is moral and ethical indoctrination from external sources. Must is an internal bodily command.
Can we really hear what our body is trying to tell us?
I think in modern times, no. Nobody can hear what their body is trying to tell them, because morality has also taught us that the body is evil, cannot be trusted, and is foolish.
For example, what is the first step of Christianity? To castrate your sexual desires. The Christian and Catholic church teaches us that any sexual impulse or desire is evil, and is the devil.
Where notions of self-discipline run astray
The motto of American fitness is simple: no pain, no gain. And it becomes the strange thing in which pain is glorified, and worthiness is seen as the amount of self pain you inflict upon yourself.
For example, we are taught that it is industrious to wake up at 4:30 AM to 6 AM to work out, regardless of how tired or exhausted we may be. We are taught that mental power should triumph over bodily exhaustion. But is this wise? No. I found that if you’re exhausted, the best thing you could do is sleep more, or just take a nap.
In fact, I think the philosophy of fitness at least in America and in the west, is all wrong. There is too much morality and ethics built into it, when did not enough scientific skepticism.
What is progress? Full stack integration. Vertical integration. Becoming a full stack solution.
This means, creating the components which completes the full stream. For example, in photography, it is my aspiration to become a full stack Photography solution. This means giving the knowledge education and resources and tools to help photographers thrive, and also giving them an outlet or a platform to share their photos and get feedback. This was the big motivation I had behind creating arsbeta.com — creating the anti-social media, in order for photographers to get real feedback and have a real place to share their photos.
