In life, you can only optimize for one thing. I say —

Optimize for aesthetics above all!

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Heuristic:

If Someone Talks Shit About Others Behind Their Back, Most Likely They’re Also Talking Shit About You Behind Your Back

In other words:

Don’t socialize or associate with shit-talkers.

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In photography, let us not over-think things. Shoot more, think less.

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Whoever tells you that RAW is better and also sells presets … be very very cautious. They cannot be trusted. Why? Because they have ‘conflict of interest‘.

JPEG is superior to RAW for many reasons:

1. Simpler and faster workflow.
2. Often the colors of JPEG look superior to even the best-massaged RAW images.
3. You shoot more, think less.

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The world is your playground!

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A brave new frontier: the frontier of AI, artificial intelligence, and ethics. AI cannot have her own ethics; the program, code, and algorithm of the AI will always be rooted in the originator and creator.

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The great scholar is also a soldier. And the soldier should also become a scholar.

A thought:

Trust your own body’s physiology and inner-wisdom. AVOID by all costs what you consider harmful and bad for your body. Do what you consider is life-promoting and adds vigor and strength to your body.

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If we want more people to become virtuous, it ain’t to get people to guilt them into becoming more virtuous. No … treat virtue like a privilege, a right, and something elite!

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A thought:

What is the upside of doing anything you hate?

Or the corollary:

What is the downside of *NOT* doing things you hate?

I believe it is possible, and also desirable, and also BETTER to life a life in which you don’t do anything you hate!

To me, working out is a passion. It is never hateful, or feels like a chore. I would actually pay money to have the privilege to go to the park and workout.

For example:

1. Meeting new folks and making new friends! The park is faaaar more social than the gym!
2. Fresh air, lots of green, blue skies. Better for the health than an enclosed gym!
3. Lots of fun challenges you can do. Throw rocks, muscle ups, planche and other body weight (or weighted) exercises you can do, to flex, get stronger, and discover a new ‘trick’!

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And even once you achieve your life goals, then what?

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If confronted with convenience and simplicity or freedom and independence, I’d always choose the path with maximal independence and freedom!

Whenever possible, just rent it. Don’t buy it. The downside of ownership (even if you’re a trillionaire) is the stress of having to maintain it, register it, fix it, and worth about it. Why did Elon Musk get rid of all his shit? He’s onto something.

When is internet anonymity good, and when is it bad?

1. Internet anonymity is good when it prevents you from getting killed or jailed indefinitely.
2. Internet anonymity is bad when people are just trolling for the sake of it, or they shield themselves from criticism of their own opinion.

In other words:

If it ain’t a life or death situation, don’t be anonymous online.

ERIC

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Photography reigns supreme:

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Use RICOH GR III to shoot food!

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What are we missing in today’s soft and scared world?

Honesty. Brutal honesty.

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RICOH is the best camera. Workout with it … both physically and also artistically:

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In praise of eggs, and my patented technique:

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How I edit my videos on iMovie:

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If you pay for a service or a premium for a thing, it is more likely to be better.

To be human is to be creative … to create! A life in which we are not allowed to create is not a life worth living.

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On being mortal:

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Interesting new peer-reviewed study from Nature (July 8th, 2020) which suggests a deeper connection between the gut (what we moderns call the ‘microbiome’) and the brain.

My theory:

Perhaps our gut (stomach) is our first brain… and far more intelligent than we give it credence.

The abstract copy and pasted below:

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What is propaganda? Propagao in Latin means to extend, enlargen, and expand-increase.

Pro means forward … or to advance. ‘Pehg-‘ in Proto-Indo-European means “to attach”.

Thus in a simple sense, propaganda is simply to attach a certain idea to a certain medium, then to send it forth to others.

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Another funny bias I have discovered:

Why is in modern society alcohol is tolerated and considered ‘fine in moderation’ or even sometimes… positively GOOD and seen as *BENEFICIAL* … whereas eating meat seems to be bad … in almost any quantity?

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The best video by far: anything from Panasonic-Lumix. Do not get suckered by all these other brands (Sony, Fujifilm, etc) — Lumix is king.

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Do we get a perverse joy from criticizing or critiquing others for the sake of it (to feel superior), or do we genuinely want to treat, heal, and help people?

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Dear friend, no idea where you are, or what you are doing right now, but know … I got your back! Some quick photo assignment ideas for you to get you going:

1. Cross-process JPEG filter: Experiment with the cross-process JPEG filter for RICOH GR III camera. It is really good!
2. Shoot video: We are not just still-photographers, we also shoot moving photos as well! (video). If you shoot with a Ricoh, Fuji, Leica, Sony or whatever … experiment with the built-in video function. Shoot at the highest FPS and resolution, and start uploading it to your own YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/upload). And yes, you already got a YouTube channel! If you have a Gmail or a Google account or Google Maps, you can start uploading directly to your YouTube channel from your laptop or desktop here.
3. The colors green and red: The best two colors. Red like a cherry or strawberry. Green like fresh verdant (green) pastures and grass. Think Gucci colors, Heineken beer, or Christmas. Green-Red is a fantastic color combination! (Red and Green Composition Color Theory For Photographers)
4. Make your own PDF e-book of your best photos on Mac with iBooks Author. You can see my YouTube tutorial video here.
5. Start your own website-blog. I am convinced. The future is websites and blogs. The death of the indoor spaces … who will go into a physical gallery anymore with COVID-19 on the rise? I say — create your own virtual gallery space (your website) with a curation of your best photos. Learn more: Why Curate Your Photos?

With any new photos you’ve created, upload your best to arsbeta.com for honest feedback and critique.

Why?

Also exciting news; finally released my ‘Why App?‘ (Also called ‘Zen of ERIC KIM’). My friend Stoytcho built it for me .. the basic gist is this:

It is a Facebook chat bot which helps you discover deeper truths about your life by constantly badgering you WHY? you do anything?

Learn more about the WHY APP here, or give it a spin here: https://www.messenger.com/t/ZenOfEric

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HAPTIC INDUSTRIES

Creative tools to empower you.

See all the fresh new products to re-inspire and respire your passion for photography here.

You can also see the HAPTIC SHOP on Amazon here.

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Turbo thoughts

Some great thoughts and ideas I’ve had on my mind:

1. You never step into the same river twice (Publilius Syrus)
2. The rolling stone gathers no moss (Publilius Syrus

New Blog Posts

1. Anti-Moderation
2. Why I’m Anti Silicon Valley Thinking
3. How to See in Layers (Composition 101)

And let us never forget our motto:

When in doubt, just shoot it!

ERIC

(If this inspired you, please email this to a friend! 👍👍👍).

Subscribe to ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER here.

Turbo Links

1. ERIC KIM YOUTUBE CHANNEL
2. ERIC KIM PODCAST
3. ERIC KIM VIDEOS

Never stop learning: Free Books >

Or in other words, why Coca-Cola is evil. Also … how Type 2 Diabetes is totally reversible by quitting sugar. And how Type 3 Diabetes is essentially Alzheimer’s disease.

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What is wealth, and why have it? For what, and towards what aims?

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All or nothing:

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The bias in philosophy and thinking:

Only things created with purpose and intent have worth.

Which means:

Rationality, logic, and purposeful decision-making is king … any unconscious, subconscious or random has no worth.

Why this bias? My theory:

In a world of chaos, fear and darkness … humans have only been able to survive and thrive through careful planning to PREVENT potential bad things or trauma from happening.

But in today’s quite predictable world, is this a good way of living and thinking? If COVID-19 has taught us anything it is this:

Logic and rationality and planning abilities aren’t apex. No. Fearlessness, flexibility, ability to change, adapt and evolve is king.

The more ghetto and janky, the better:

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You don’t always need a high-tech solution to a low-tech problem:

In praise of a ‘McGyver’ mindset — where you can ghetto-hack things in a fun, interesting and novel way to solve problems!

Or in other words:

Anti-Silicon Valley Thinking

Also–

You don’t need to always BUY or purchase some sort of technological tool or app to solve a deep problem.

Deep problems require deep thinking … not just buying another Apple or Google Device, or signing up for some new App or service!

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What is the purpose of being a billionaire when your body looks like shit, when you *feel* like shit, and you look anything less than a Greek demigod?

I say —

The ultimate wealth is your body.

Your body in terms of your bodily composition (skeletal muscle mass and adipose tissue composition), as well as your health (physiological vigor) and your mental-physical-bodily health.

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there is no sound sweeter than the sound of your own name.

Do you bother to remember other peoples’ names? Do others bother to remember your name?

The thought:

Strive to remember the name of others to the best of your ability.

Also:

When it comes to teaching, or meeting other people… less important to remember what they said, more important to remember their name!

This means strive to devise all these funny tactics and strategies to remember the names of others. What I typically do is try to associate their name with a name of a famous person (Michael Jordan, Tina Turner). Even when I introduce myself to others I say: “My name is ERIC KIM. ERIC like ERIC CARTMAN from South Park. Kim like Kimchi because I’m Korean!”

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Another life heuristic:

When in doubt, delay.

We have been brain-washed into thinking that we must always have a ‘bias for action’. But in fact, to delay takes more courage and skill. Purposeful procrastination is key.

Also —

When it comes to decision-making theory, ‘ALAP’ (As Late as Possible) is best.

Or in other words:

All forms of creation are good!

Nothing is possible without me having unusually abundant health. Thus the first step:

Prioritize your personal health, vigor and strength above all!

Why do we falter as photographers and visual artists? Our sucker mistake:

Believing that photos are sacred.

In fact, photos are profane. No sacred quality to them. Let us go BEYOND this basic romantic (French, Henri Cartier-Bresson notion). Photos are just art works!

Filling the frame, and creating dynamic tension in your frame with all your subjects.

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Some of my personal thoughts on the future of creativity:

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My attempt at an “antifragile” (Nassim Taleb) system of ethics:

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He who creates, benefits and bestows blessing onto others and society is the good (generative) man. He who is the parasite and milks the system is the bad man; the degenerate.

For a healthy thriving society; promote the generators, cut the leeches.

Innovate means to breathe new life into something old, or to just create something new from scratch.

How do we do this? Some thoughts:

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We philosophers … we must share our thoughts and visions without spite and malice. To analyze society and other humans honestly, without hatred. To judge others honestly with love.

To not blame others for who they are— just striving to understand why they are the way they are.

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Simple ideas:

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The beefier, the better.

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More wisdom in your stomach, legs, and intuition than your ‘brain’.

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To make huge money, strive to solve huge problems. Best to think:

What are massive personal problems in my life, and if I could… how could I fix my own problems and share the solution with others?

You can’t have one without the other. The true ubermensch will have augmented both his or her virtues AND vices to the max.

Towards a more rigorous and honest approach.

Beware the word “should” from others. It is a sign of disrespect and intolerance.

Before you say or do something that may be irreversible, wait at least 48 hours before acting. In fact delay and purposeful procrastinaton are our two best weapons.

A primer on working out:

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It isn’t really “minimalism” we want … it is convenience.

For example, the reason why I don’t like owning a lot of stuff isn’t a virtue thing. It’s pure convenience! To own just two T-shirts (Outlier.nyc black merino wool t shirt) makes life a trillion times more convenient. Also for pants, more convenient to have black merino wool leggings (Meriwool brand) instead of jeans. Also, the benefit for us men and merino wool leggings:

Whenever you want, you can workout!

You can do yoga whenever, stretch whenever, do one legged pistol squats whenever, and do deadlifts whenever.

When it comes to people, thoughts, philosophies or systems of thought ask yourself:

Are these people on the ascent or the descent in life?

Avoid those stagnant or descending. Link and partner with those on the up and up— those who believe and breathe for ascending life!

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I never blame people for being sick or toxic. The best is just to avoid them, and distance yourself from them. For your mental hygiene, and also for your mental health.

I don’t blame people for who they are. But if you meet someone who is like a rabid dog, you don’t blame the rabid dog for being a rabid dog… but the wise thing is to just keep as far away as humanly possible from the rabid dog.

Shouldn’t we also do this with toxic people?

I love talking to strangers. Why? And how do I do it?

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Optimus means “best”. To optimize is to make things better.

It seems in life, perfection doesn’t exist and isn’t a goal. Instead, striving always for more better … this seems to be a better goal.

For example, always striving for a better body. Better body means more muscle mass (skeletal muscle mass) and less body fat (adipose tissue).

For websites, web design, blogs, or any design… recognize that perfect doesn’t exist. Great exists; perfect — not.

Once you become great, just keep striving to become great(er)!

ERIC

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In life, ignore commentators. Only heed the words from creators.

In praise of life-furthering and life-promoting photos:

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My personal goal:

Craft my physique to look like that of a Greek demigod.

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Instead of striving to one day buy or purchase x, y, z … isn’t it far more interesting to aspire to build, create and design something instead?

Is there a future for photographers in today’s brave new world?

My thoughts:

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The notion of “van life” and “tiny homes” are a trap. Why? It makes us think:

Once I just disconnect from technology, society, and go “off the grid” I can finally become happy and free.

Not true. Far better to be part of society, live in a city, and live in a tiny (“luxury”) apartment than to live sequestered from society …. cut off.

Minimalism is escapism. Escapism from the reality of our own lives. In other words:

Lifestyle ain’t the answer, our own approach and philosophy is.

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As long as you cleave your self esteem to others, you will be disappointed. The simple solution:

Extreme selfishness and extreme self esteem, and extreme self focus on yourself.

No dependence or reliance in others. No expectations in others. Only high expectations in yourself. To conserve your energy, and not waste it on others.