PHOTOGRAPHY 101
Dear friend,
If you’re new to photography, start here:
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography
- Free Photography Bootcamp
- 100 Photography Tips for Beginners
Photography is Everything!

- In Praise of Shadows
- Photography Leisure
- FOCUS ON PHOTO
- Closer is Better
- POWER PHOTOGRAPHY
- Film Noir Compositions in Photography
- RAW PHOTOS.
- The Photographer as Story Teller
- Photograph Your Own History
- THE INTRINSIC JOY OF PHOTOGRAPHING
- My Desire to Become the Uber-Photographer
- How to Become a More Creative Photographer
- IMPACTFUL PHOTOGRAPHY
- My Higher Mission
- Photograph Human Affairs
- Why is Photography So Pleasurable?
- How to Shoot More Photos
- Why Do You Shoot Photos?
- Photo Zen Sublime
- Photo Wisdom
- How to Make a Digital Portfolio
- How to Master Photography
- Digital Photography 101
- My Photos
- Natural Photography
- Fit Your Photography Style to Your Personality Style, Not the Other Way Around
- 13 New Photography Assignment Ideas for You
- Photography Ideas
- Camera is God
- Put Your Hand In It!
- Even a Single Hair Casts Its Own Shadow
- PHOTOS RULE EVERYTHING AROUND ME
- Shoot More, Think Less.
- Why JPEG is Superior to RAW
- How to Have Inspiration and Motivation to Make New Photos
- Shoot the Sky
- The Art of Choosing Your Best Photos: How to Cull and Edit Down Your Portfolio
- The Art of Photography
- Never Stop Photographing
- Visual Kinesthesia
- Photography is Writing with Light
- In Praise of Shooting Intelligent Auto JPEG
- How I Mastered Photography
- PHOTOGRAPHY GAME
- Photography as Discovering Beauty in Unlikely Places
- What is the Secret of Making Great Photographs?
- Why Do You Do Photography?
- You’re an Artist.
- How to Edit Your Photos
Photography Tips

- PHOTOGRAPH FOR FUN!
- 15 Tips How to Make More Interesting Photos
- 10 Tips How to Shoot More Photos Everyday
- 7 Tips How to Shoot Surreal Photos
- 10 Tips How to Fill the Frame in Photography
- Look Up! 16 Photography Composition Perspective Tips
- 10 Simple Black and White Photography Tips
- 10 Simple Black and White Photography Tips
- 5 Simple Street Photography Composition Tips
- 5 Simple Street Photography Composition Tips
Photography Articles

- How to Elevate Your Photography to the Next Level
- You’re (Already) a Photographer!
- 7 Tips How to Shoot More Photos
- Everything is Permitted in Photography!
- 20 Dark Tips How to Shoot Shadow Photos
- How to Give a Constructive Critique in Photography
- 15 Tips How to Shoot Better Selfies
- Photography is All a Matter of Perspective
- Photography Warmup Assignments
- 5 Simple Tips How to Take Better Pictures
- 10 Tips How to Shoot Better Architecture Photography
- 7 Reasons Why I Love Digital Medium-Format Photography
- My Experience Shooting Digital Medium Format in Street Photography
- My Experience Shooting my Friend Wedding on Digital Medium Format
Photography Techniques

- Photo Technique: Look Up
- Street Photography Technique: Overlap
- The Fishing Technique in Street Photography
- The “Bookend” Technique in Street Photography
Everyday Photography

- How to Shoot Better Night Photography
- How to Shoot Better Macro Photography
- Everyday Photography
- 10 Tips How to Take Better Photos of Everyday Life
- 15 Tips How to Shoot Better Selfies
- 10 Tips How to Take Better Photos of Everyday Life
Color Photography 101
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Color Photography
- Opponent Process Color Theory For Photographers
- Color Theory For Photographers
Photography Philosophy
Photography Inspiration
- How to Become a Self-Confident Photographer
- The Spirit of Becoming a Photographer
- How to Make Better Pictures
- 10 Tips How to Take Better Photos of People
- How to Avoid Boredom in Photography
- How to Master Photography
- A Photographer’s Guide to Seeing
- PRETENTIOUS PHOTOGRAPHY
- Photography Energy Management
- How to Unlock Your Potential in Photography
- There Are No Good or Bad Photos
- The 5 Minute Photographer
- A-Z: PHOTOGRAPHY DICTIONARY by ERIC KIM
- Why I Want to Be a Photography Newbie Forever
- PHOTOGRAPHY FLUX.
- 10 Creative Photography Assignments to Re-Inspire You
- 50 Photography Tips by ERIC KIM
The Fundamentals of Photography
- Make Simple Pictures
- The Art of Reading a Picture
- How to Choose Your Best Photos
- GET CLOSER.
- Keep or Ditch?
- What Makes a Good Photo?
- Why Photography?
- Everyone is a Photographer
- How to take better pictures
- How to take better selfies
- How to Paint With Light
- Why Bokeh is Overrated
Photography Equipment »

- What is the Perfect Camera For You?
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera
- More Megapixels, More Problems
How to Take Better Photos »
- How to Take Better Photos
- How to Capture Emotion in Your Photos
- How to Create a “Curiosity Gap” in Your Photos
Composition Lessons »

- Composition Lesson #1: Triangles
- Composition Lesson #2: Figure-to-ground
- Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals
Photography Assignments »

- 40 Practical Photography Assignments
- 15 Street Photography Assignments
- 25 Photography New Year’s Resolutions
Contact Sheets »
- Street Photography Contact Sheets
- Street Photography Contact Sheets Volume II
- Debunking the “Myth of the Decisive Moment”
Editing (Image Selection) »

Creativity »

Motivation »

- Each Photo You Take is an “Attempt”
- How to Overcome Photographer’s Block
- Why Do You Need “Inspiration” to Shoot?
Post-Processing

- How to Edit Your Photos
- Grain is Beautiful
- Are Filters “Cheating” in Photography?
- Video: Introduction to Editing, Processing, and Workflow in Lightroom
How to Create a Body of Work

Technical Photography Settings

Learn From the Masters of Photography
“He without a past has no future.”
Start here:
- Why Study the Masters of Photography?
- Great Female Master Photographers
- Cheat Sheet of the Masters of Photography
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- Beginner’s Guide to the Masters of Street Photography
- Download All Articles >
The Masters of Photography

Classics never die:
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Alec Soth
- Alex Webb
- Alexey Brodovitch
- Anders Petersen
- Andre Kertesz
- Ansel Adams
- Araki
- Blake Andrews
- Bruce Davidson
- Bruce Gilden
- Constantine Manos
- Daido Moriyama
- Dan Winters
- David Alan Harvey
- David Hurn
- Diane Arbus
- Dorothea Lange
- Elliott Erwitt
- Eugene Atget
- Eugene Smith
- Fan Ho
- Garry Winogrand
- Gordon Parks
- Helen Levitt
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Irving Penn
- Jacob Aue Sobol
- Jeff Mermelstein
- Joel Meyerowitz
- Joel Sternfeld
- Josef Koudelka / Part 2
- Josh White
- Lee Friedlander
- Lisette Model
- Magnum Contact Sheets
- Magnum Photographers
- Mark Cohen
- Martin Parr
- Martine Franck
- Mary Ellen Mark
- Rene Burri
- Richard Avedon
- Richard Kalvar
- Robert Capa
- Robert Frank
- Saul Leiter
- Sergio Larrain
- Sebastião Salgado
- Shomei Tomatsu
- Stephen Shore
- The History of Street Photography
- Todd Hido
- Tony Ray-Jones
- Trent Parke
- Vivian Maier
- Walker Evans
- Weegee
- William Eggleston
- William Klein
- Zoe Strauss
Dominate street photography:
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 101

- Street Photography Mastery
- How I Became the Greatest Street Photographer Alive
- Antifragile Photography
- How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography
- INSANELY AUDACIOUS AND BOLD
- 5 Simple Street Photography Techniques
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHER.
- The Street Photographer Ideal
- 50 Street Photography Tips, Techniques and Ideas
- Street Photography Values
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHY DOESN’T NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE IN IT.
- Why Street Photography is So Great
- WHY BECOME A STREET PHOTOGRAPHER?
- Society Photography, Not “Street” Photography
- How to Street Photography
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHY OPTIONALITY.
- 10 Street Photography Tips
- The Street Photographer as the Apex Photographer
- Street Photography & Adrenaline
- STREETTOGS STARTING GUIDE
- 50 Street Photography Tips by ERIC KIM
- What I Wish I Knew If I Started Street Photography All Over Again
- Photograph like it’s not a big deal
- Suburb Street Photography
- What is Our Personal Motivation Behind Street Photography?
- WHY I’M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- Personal Street Photography
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHY AS A PRACTICE.
- Pandemic Street Photography
- AIRPORT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- How to Shoot Street Photography Right Now
- Towards a More Independent Street Photography Approach
- How Street Photography Improves Your Life
- How to Tell Stories in Your Street Photos
- Face Street Photography
- How to Start Shooting Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography During a Pandemic
- 7 Street Photography Assignment Ideas
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY STARTER KIT

Master street photography with STREET PHOTOGRAPHY STARTER KIT.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 101

If you’re new to street photography, start here:
- The Ultimate Street Photography Tutorial
- Street Photography 101 Tutorial
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography
Brave New Street Photography
- 10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Street Photography
- SKIN IN THE GAME: STREET PHOTOGRAPHY ETHICS
- The Beauty of Mundane Happenings
- Humans and Environments
- Define Street Photography for Yourself
- Street Photography of People You Know
- Street Photography Composition Ideas
- How to Shoot Political Photography
- Social Photography
- Street Photography Lifestyle
- Why Street Photography is So Fun
- Street Photography for Mental Health
- How to Become a Street Photography Sharpshooter
- How to Shoot Kid Street Photography
- STREET PHOTO MANUAL
- Street Photography is an Approach, a Technique, and an Ethos
Street Photographs

- How to Shoot Street Photography with Dads and Kids
- HOW I BECAME SUCH A GREAT STREET PHOTOGRAPHER
- Use Quarantine as an Opportunity to Pick up Film Photography
- Hong Kong Street Photography by ERIC KIM
Street Photography Philosophy
- Brave New Street Photographer
- How to Talk to Strangers
- How to Shoot More Dynamic Street Photographs
- WHY I LOVE ARCHITECTURE AND STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- Why Street Photography Brings Me So Much Joy
- How to Shoot Street Photography Video
- How to Shoot Street Photography in the Brave New COVID World
- The Future for Street Photography
- ALL STREET PHOTOGRAPHS ARE GOOD PHOTOGRAPHS.
- AMERICA by KIM
- Street Photography in a Non-Travel World?
- How to Shoot Street Photography During COVID-19
- You’ve Never Shot Photography Until You’ve Shot Street Photography
- Xenophilia: Love of Strangers
- My Street Photography Philosophy
- Why Street Photography is Important for Society
- HOW STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT LOVING ALL PEOPLE
- Real Life People vs Abstract People
- Is it OK to Piss Off or Annoy People in Photography?
- ANTI PURISM IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- Street Photography of People You Know
- Street Photography is Courage
- MY STREET PHOTOGRAPHY PHILOSOPHY
- Street Photography Motivation from ERIC KIM
- I AM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- WHY TALK TO STRANGERS?
- Why Street Photography is Supreme
- How to Make Great Street Photos
- Street Photography Ideas by ERIC KIM
- Why Street Photography?
- The Street Photographer’s Soul
- How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer
- Black and White or Color for Travel Street Photography?
- Street Photographers are Adrenaline Junkies
- How to Master Street Photography
- Almost Anything and Everything is Street Photography
- Advice for Aspiring Street Photographers
- Street Photography Sociology
- Why There’s No Right or Wrong Way to Shoot Street Photography
- The Street Photographer as a Soldier-Artist
- Why Street Photography is the Best Photography
- Street Photography is a Way of Life
- How to Conquer Anxiety
- Street Photography is Art with People
Street Photography Articles
- How to Edit and Sequence a Photography Project
- Practical Street Photography Tips
- 5 Simple Street Photography Assignments
- Street Photography Composition Ideas
- 10 Advanced Street Photography Tips and Techniques
- Daredevil Photography
- Lingering Technique: How to Work the Scene in Street Photography
- Why Photograph People?
- No Guilt in Street Photography
- Street Photography is Hard.
- Street Photography Inspiration
- 5 Simple Tips How to Shoot Better Street Photos
- 10 Super Simple Street Photography Tips
- How to Shoot Head-On in Street Photography
- The Decapitation Technique in Street Photography
- Be Brazen in Street Photography
- How to Shoot Better Street Photographs
- Drive-By Technique in Street Photography
- How to Shoot a Wedding Like a Street Photographer
- Street Photography is 80% Risk Taking!
- 10 Simple Street Photography Principles
- 5 Fundamental Street Photography Principles
- 10 Street Photography Assignment Ideas
- How to Tell Stories in Street Photography
Street Photography Techniques
- How to Shoot Head-On Street Photography
- Street Photography Composition Tips
- In Praise of Street Vlogging
- How to Shoot Video Street Photography
- Street Photography Technique: The Stalker Technique
- Photography Technique: Take Photos While Walking!
- New Tokyo GoPro Fusion POV Street Photography YouTube Videos
- ERIC KIM Street Photography Tips and Technique
- The 360 Degree Technique in Street Photography
- How to Work the Scene in Street Photography
- How to Shoot Layers and the Bookend Technique in Street Photography
- Street Photography Technique: GET CLOSE & FILL THE FRAME + GOLDEN DIAGONAL COMPOSITION
- Street Photography Techniques: The 3D Scan/360 Degree Technique (Shooting Head-on) and Holding Your Camera High in the Air and Point Downwards (and Use Your LCD Screen to Frame the Scene)
- The Walking Alongside Someone and Shooting Until They Notice You Street Photography Technique
- SUPER INNOVATIVE NEW GOPRO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY POV EXPERIENCE: Cutoff Technique, Shooting Head-on with Flash, and Slow-Motion on RICOH GR II at 28mm
- How to Shoot a Street Portrait: Tips, Technique, and GoPRO POV Tutorial
- Street Photography Technique/Composition: Leading Lines and Crouching Down Low
- How to Shoot Layers in Street Photography: GoPRO POV Video Composition Tutorial
- How to Shoot Street Photography with a 24mm Lens
- The Cutoff Technique in Street Photography
- THE CUTOFF TECHNIQUE IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: GOPRO POV KYOTO ERIC KIM
Street Photography Ideas
- Street Photography is Like Fishing
- Why Do We Feel Nervous Shooting Street Photography?
- Street Photography Philosophy
- Everyday Street Photography
- Why Street Photography?
- Why You Must Follow Your Own Voice in Street Photography
- How to Overcome Guilt in Street Photography
- 5 Dynamic Off-Center Street Photography Compositions
- 5 Night Street Photography Composition Tips
- How to Talk to Strangers
- How to Overcome Fear in Street Photography
- Street Photography Empowerment
- Eric Kim’s Top 30 Street Photography Tips
- How to Shoot Street Photography on a 35mm Lens
- 7 Tips How to Conquer Your Fears of Shooting Street Photography
- Street Photography Lifestyle
- How to Use Tactful Flattery in Street Photography
- How to Conquer Social Anxiety With Street Photography
- Street Photography Secrets Debunked
- 10 Dynamic Street Photography Tips
- The Benefits of Shooting Street Photography
- The Street Photography Manifesto
- My Experience Shooting Digital Medium Format in Street Photography
- Why Do You Feel Guilty Shooting Street Photography?
- Improvise in Street Photography
- Ethics in Street Photography
Street Photography Composition Techniques

- 10 Inspirational Sergio Larrain Compositions
- 5 Henri Cartier-Bresson Photography Composition Lessons
- Street Photography Technique: Overlap
- Street Photography Composition Lesson: Chunking
- The Fishing Technique in Street Photography
STREET NOTES.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone with STREET NOTES: Mobile Edition.
STREET NOTES PAPER EDITION ON AMAZON >
LEARN FROM THE MASTERS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Timeless wisdom from the masters of street photography.
FUNDAMENTALS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- The Psychology of Street Photography
- Fundamentals to Street Photography
- How to Conquer Fear in Street Photography
- Street Photography Secrets
- NEO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- Street Photography Lenses
- Street Photography Settings
- Street Photography Techniques
- Street Photography Ideas
- CLOSER.
- CLEAN BACKGROUND
Street Photography Inspiration
- How to Enter the Street Photography Zone
- Simple Street Photography Tips
- How to Defuse Confrontations in Street Photography
- How to Make Controversial Street Photographs
- Street Photography Project Ideas
- How to Make Good Street Photos
- Is Defining “STREET PHOTOGRAPHY” a Good Thing?
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHY “RULES” TO BREAK
- Walking Meditation in Street Photography
- 10 COMMANDMENTS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
- Street Photography is Improvisation
- In Praise of Randomness in Street Photography
- How to Become a Fearless Photographer
- How to Make Better Street Photographs
- 12 ERIC KIM Street Photography Assignments
- Meaningful Street Photography
- 25 Street Photography Tips by ERIC KIM
Beginner Street Photography Articles
Get started in street photography:
Definitions in Street Photography
- Visual Sociology Street Photography
- Why Street Photography?
- What is Street Photography?
- Why Shoot Street Photography?
- The History of Street Photography
How to Shoot Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography
- Street Portraits 101 by ERIC KIM
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Street Photography
- 70 Street Photography Tips for Beginners
- 15 Street Photography Techniques and Tips
- A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self: If I Started Street Photography All Over Again
Street Photography Equipment
- What is the Best Camera for Street Photography?
- What is the Best Lens for Street Photography?
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera
How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography
See all articles to conquer your fears >
Intermediate Street Photography Articles
Take your street photography to the next level:
- How to Become a Stoic Street Photographer
- The 10 Principles of Good Street Photography
- 7 Tips How to Capture “The Decisive Moment” in Street Photography
- The Importance of Social Skills in Street Photography
- The Street Photography Code of Ethics
- “Taking” vs “Making” Photos in Street Photography
- Follow Your Gut in Street Photography
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Never Chimp While Shooting Street Photography
Advanced Street Photography Articles
Find deeper meaning in your street photography:
- How to Master Street Photography
- How to Be a Zen Street Photographer
- Personal Street Photography
- The “Bookend” Technique in Street Photography
- Street Photography is Self-Therapy
- Zen in the Art of Street Photography
- Taoism and Street Photography
- How to Find Your Style in Street Photography
- Follow Your Gut in Street Photography
Street Photography Tips & Technique
Learn how to shoot on the streets:
- 70 Street Photography Tips for Beginners
- 15 Street Photography Techniques and Tips
- Flash Street Photography Guide
- Take More Risks
- Don’t Think About Composition When You’re Shooting Street Photography
- 7 Tips How to Capture “The Decisive Moment” in Street Photography
- 7 Tips How to Make a Great Street Photograph
- Tokyo Street Photography Contact Sheets
- Video: Why it is Important to “Work the Scene” in Street Photography
- Shoot Less, Better
- Make Shitty Photos
- Shoot Effortlessly
- 10 Tips for Candid Street Photography
- 103 Lessons I’ve Learned From Street Photography
See all street photography tips and techniques >
Street Photography Guides
In-depth guides on street photography:
- How to Shoot Candid Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Portraits with Permission
- How to Shoot Black and White Street Photography
- How to Shoot Color Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Portraits with Permission
- How to Shoot Layers in Street Photography
- How to Shoot Urban Landscapes
Street Photography Equipment
The best equipment for street photography:
- What is the Best Camera for Street Photography?
- What is the Best Lens for Street Photography?
- Why I Love Cameras with Non-Interchangeable Lenses
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for Cameras in Street Photography
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera for Street Photography
- In Street Photography, The Smaller the Camera, the Better
- Why Sharpness is Overrated in Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography on a DSLR
Street Photography Editing and Workflow
- Video: Introduction to Editing, Processing, and Workflow in Lightroom
- How to Edit (Choose Your Best Photos) in Street Photography
- How Studying Contact Sheets Can Make You a Better Street Photographer
- Debunking the “Myth of the Decisive Moment”
How to Start a Street Photography Project
- Free E-Book: The Street Photography Project Manual
- How to Start Your Own Street Photography Project
- How to Come Up With a Personal Photography Project Idea
Learn From the Masters of Street Photography
“He without a past has no future.”
Start here:
- Why Study the Masters of Photography?
- Great Female Master Photographers
- Cheat Sheet of the Masters of Photography
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- Beginner’s Guide to the Masters of Street Photography
- Download All Articles >
The Masters of Photography
Classics never die:
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Alec Soth
- Alex Webb
- Alexey Brodovitch
- Anders Petersen
- Andre Kertesz
- Ansel Adams
- Araki
- Blake Andrews
- Bruce Davidson
- Bruce Gilden
- Constantine Manos
- Daido Moriyama
- Dan Winters
- David Alan Harvey
- David Hurn
- Diane Arbus
- Dorothea Lange
- Elliott Erwitt
- Eugene Atget
- Eugene Smith
- Fan Ho
- Garry Winogrand
- Gordon Parks
- Helen Levitt
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Irving Penn
- Jacob Aue Sobol
- Jeff Mermelstein
- Joel Meyerowitz
- Joel Sternfeld
- Josef Koudelka / Part 2
- Josh White
- Lee Friedlander
- Lisette Model
- Magnum Contact Sheets
- Magnum Photographers
- Mark Cohen
- Martin Parr
- Martine Franck
- Mary Ellen Mark
- Rene Burri
- Richard Avedon
- Richard Kalvar
- Robert Capa
- Robert Frank
- Saul Leiter
- Sergio Larrain
- Sebastião Salgado
- Shomei Tomatsu
- Stephen Shore
- The History of Street Photography
- Todd Hido
- Tony Ray-Jones
- Trent Parke
- Vivian Maier
- Walker Evans
- Weegee
- William Eggleston
- William Klein
- Zoe Strauss
Free Downloads
Free Street Photography Books
Distilled information on street photography:
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHY MANUAL by ERIC KIM
- The Art of Street Photography
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- Street Photography Contact Sheets
- Street Photography 101
- Street Photography 102
- Film Street Photography Manual
- The Street Photography Composition Manual
- The Street Portrait Manual
- 31 Days to Overcome Your Fear in Street Photography
- Zen in the Art of Street Photography
For more resources on photography, Start Here >
Economics by KIM














- THE PROMISE OF FUTURE MONOPOLY PROFITS?
- High gas prices are good
- What is Capitalism?
- Pride in What You Paid For
- On Making Money from Nothing
- Save Money Towards What Ends?
- No Regret Investment
Money thoughts:
- DONT BUY IT, BUILD IT!
- Silver US Dollar
- THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY
- THE FUTURE OF MONEY
- Price Insensitive
- WHY JOBS?
- The Future Economy
- What is Money?
- Individual Economics
The Philosophy of Money
- How to Become Economically Independent
- Economic Dependency
- It’s the Economy, Stupid
- ERIC KIM PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY
- Debt is the Devil
- Capitalism is Cruel
- In Praise of Capitalism and Consumerism
- Capitalism as the Road to Tolerance
- DIGITAL CAPITALISM
- Capitalism 2.0
- In Praise of Capitalism
- CREATIVE CAPITALISM
- ZEN CAPITALISM
- Universal Basic Income
Over Thoughts
Over is better than under:
Over Achieve
When I was a kid growing up, to be a “overachiever“ was seen as a double edged sword; on one hand, it was greatly respected admired, a desired thing. Yet at the same time, a lot of kids would tease and make fun of kids who were “tryhard“. That in fact, trying “too” hard, and aiming to achieve was seen as a negatively bad thing.
It is my personal thought that to overachieve is a positively good thing. For example, can one imagine an Elon Musk who wasn’t an overachiever? Or a Kanye West who wasn’t was an overachiever? Or a Jay Z who wasn’t an overachiever?
What does it mean to achieve?
Achieve — head? Same as chief?
To (ad) caput?
What does it mean to achieve, and what are the logical consequences of it?
*kap- head. Same word as capital.
Achever— to finish, to complete.
I think in modern day English, or modern day times, to achieve is to seen as succeed, to be number one, to advance, and a lot of achievement notions typically comes from academics and academia. For example, to achieve or scholastic achievement has to deal with getting straight A’s, getting a 4.0 GPA or a beyond a 4.0 GPA, getting into high-ranking universities, scoring high on standardized testing etc.
A generalize way we could think about achievement it’s a simply set a personal goal on something, and obtain it. To seize it.
*kap- to seize, to hold.
Holding?
HODL — hold on for dear life, a notion that we get from the cryptocurrency world.
To hold. What does it mean to hold? To grip onto something, to grasp. It has to do with grip strength, and wrist strength.
In the world of finance and economics, holding onto assets, or in Texas “hold-‘em”— you have the option to hold.
Perhaps true hold is a really really good idea. To hold is a good idea in so far much as holding seems like a passive action, but in actuality, it is one of the most virtuous things that you could do. It takes courage and skill to hold, rather than to quickly buy or to sell, in which people over act.
For example one of my friends used to own 50 bitcoin, a while back, but this is when it was valued very low, and after a huge spike, he freaked out, and sold it all. Perhaps the better strategy was for him to just hold, hold it for a decade or two, and if that were the case, he would be able to quit his job and retire.
The courage to hold?
Seneca is currently two years, eight months old. A new trick you could do is when at the park with me, she can grab the chin up rings, grab it, and hold his body up off the floor! The other day at Barnes & Noble, when washing our hands, she was actually able to Hold and grasp the edge of the sink table, and successfully hold and suspend himself on it!
Holding strength?
Maybe this is a new thing we could innovate; to see how strong and how much you could hold?
Even my 1000 pound infamous atlas lift, part of it is a lifting motion, in which I lift the weight off of the rack with my shoulder and legs, but then I hold it up for a second or two before putting it down.
Even when I think about the strongman competitions, there is this Hercules pillar hold competition in which there are two columns, each about 1000 pounds, attached with chain and hand grip. The contestant simply sees how long he can hold the weights together, before his strength gives out.
Tenacity
Maybe also the most virtuous path to entrepreneurship is towards tenacity? How long can you hold and be tenacious?
Mimesis?
A concept I am trying to currently think through is about mimesis and mimetic theory. The general gist is this; which desires are implanted in us by society, and which are truly inherent and natural?
Why does it matter? In terms of achievement, what you want to achieve… we need to set some sort of goal. But, is the goal you are setting inherently interesting to you, or is it a goal which is seen as desirable by society?
The Philosophy of Durable, Durability
Durable. Durability. Even Nietzsche once said, “Durability is the first rate good amongst human beings!”
The importance of durable, durability?
An interesting epiphany that I had is that it seems that with modern day consumerism, durability is actually not what we seek. For example, nobody truly seeks a 100% durable iPhone that will last forever. Why? We need some sort of excuse to upgrade. I think the same thing is with cars; cars are fashion. The second our car has any issues, or needs an “upgrade“, we are very very happy to jump ship, and then to seek some sort of new solution.
Why does this matter?
Durabilis: Durable, lasting.
I think this matters for many different reasons. First and foremost, with everything in life, we need to posit some sort of desired ends and outcomes. Therefore, if we know what we seek, and what we desire, then we can better straight shot attain, obtain, and pursue that which we desire.
Becoming harder
Duro— harden, make hard.
Studying some etymology for the word durable, it seems that comes from the Latin, duro, which means harden, make hard.
Durus: looking further into the Proto Indo European, it seems that it means far, long. Deros— Sanskrit dura which means “far”. Long, extended.
I suppose there are several interesting interventions with this line of thought. First and foremost, then it seems that the desired end outcome is for us to go long. An extended range, and also, to last into the future. Long, extended can be seen as distance, or time and years.
Extended range as good!
Modular solutions
Durability doesn’t just mean to be hard, to be robust. The philosophy of durability is to last for a long time, or for us to use the framework an ecosystem for a long time.
For example, cameras. I am a huge fan of the Ricoh GR series cameras, as it is so small compact and powerful. Yet the durability is poor insofar much as the duration you could use it only seems to be about a year. After hard-core use, all of my Ricohs have broken.
Surprisingly, the Lumix G9 that I bought in 2019 while in Japan, has lasted. Something about how it was engineered, and also the fact that it is an interchangeable lens system means that if the lens breaks (mine did), I can simply swap out the lens, and I could still keep using the system.
Whereas with non-interchangeable, non-modular systems, if one component breaks, it is all broken.
The same thing goes with computers. Laptops are bad in so far much as at least with MacBook laptop, you can honestly swap out the parts. This means, if one component breaks, you’re screwed.
Durable investments?
What is a durable investment? If we think long, long-term, maybe it is best to think in the 30+ year time span.
For example, a simple thought: will bitcoin prices go up or down in 30 years? Will more people use cryptocurrency or less in 30 years? Or, will we use our phones more for financial things? Or less? Will finances become more digital, or paper hard cash based?
30 years from now, what will we still need? A habitat somewhere to live, food.
Nobody likes to think 30 years ahead, because we want to live in the now. Yet this is my simple thought:
Live today, insanely frugal and scrappy, Spartan. Yet in terms of your investments, think 30 years ahead, like a demigod.
Durable body?
In modern day society, we have a strange relationship with our bodies. We know that it is important and critical, yet, we sacrifice it for other things like money, prestige, “productivity”, mental faculties, building capital, etc.
Yet at the end of the day, none of these things are possible without our bodies. And also a reverse thought:
What is the opposite should be done? That the ultimate endgame is to beautify and strengthen our bodies to the maximum, and money and capital and all these other things were simply to aid that end goal?
For example, modern day work and office work. I think I got it figured out. Essentially you sacrifice your health and well-being for money.
For example, if you work in the modern day office job, doesn’t matter if it is an investment banker, lawyer, attorney, money manager, programmer, etc.… essentially what you are doing is prostituting your body mind and soul for greater money and capital gains. Let us consider the inordinate amount of time we spent sitting; sitting in a car when committing to work, or sitting in the train, or sitting in the bus, sitting in the metro, or sitting in the office, sitting at our computer office chair, sitting down in meetings, etc. And all of that time we spend indoors which is positively bad for our health.
Why ethics and morality is the hook and the snare
My general thought is that morality “ethics“, religious rules of conduct is essentially soft forms of coercion and power control. For example, these “rules“ governing our speech, our social behaviors, our comportment and how we leverage and carry our bodies, what we do what we say, what we don’t do what we don’t say, what we desire what we don’t desire etc. Essentially almost 99% of our physical or mental activities is directed towards some other ends, which is often not our own.
For example, Confucianism. This ridiculous idea that no matter what, whether good or bad, one must always respect their elders. But why? Once again, another form of social control.
Or, the notion of “saving money“, or “not wasting“ water, electricity, etc. Yet once again, why are these things considered a virtue?