Kaizen

Philosophy

6 posts

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Supporting Men

Much of my thinking about the world is influenced by evolutionary psychology. I’ve previously referred to many of the issues modern people face as existing downstream of the disconnect between the primitive ‘hardware’ our minds function on clashing with the latest ‘software’ the modern world requires our minds to execute(various sources). I’ve also written about the importance of having a close group of friends who you can turn to when times get tough, or that simply spending time with helps yo

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On Instant Gratification (and Worthwhile Rewards)

The successful among us delay gratification. The successful among us bargain with the future. -Jordan Peterson I (and many close friends of mine) are constantly looking for ways to optimize productivity, professional output, and improve chances of long term success. Yet I often feel like this magical box I always have in my pocket saps away short and long term focus. In exchange, I get frequent micro-hits of dopamine that make me feel good for a second, but always leave me looking for the next

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On Catharsis

I don't know what the move is here, I honestly don't. This can't really be the point where everything collapses. It's too absurd. Too fast. There's too much pushing all of us forward. The stock market is plowing ahead despite the chaos. Covid-19 panic seems to be dying down. Places are reopening and it's going relatively well. Everything's going to continue forward, the maniacs from both fringes are just stirring up some madness right now. But that might be my own echo chamber reflecting back

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The Chimps Have Taken Over

10 years ago I certainly never thought I'd write something like this. Early 20's, college-student Brandon spent much of his time listening to Rage Against the Machine and bitching about the overreach of a political system he barely understood. He'd watch documentaries like Religulous and rail on faith, saying such things were only for podunk hillbillies whose parents were related before they were married. He thought watching The Daily Show made him informed about what was really going on in th

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On Camaraderie and Constancy

"We've never been more connected, but never felt more alone." Pretty sunny outlook to start a piece with, eh? I don't recall where I first read this quote, but it's a problem I feel has been getting worse as technology has become more enmeshed in our lives. Communication has become more impersonal; we've gone from talking in person, to phone calls, to texting, and I only assume what comes next will be some pseudo-sign-language where we communicate solely through gifs and emojis. With social m

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What Drives a Man to Spend 10 Days in Silence

There's a quote I've heard repeated many times, that perfectly sums up my reasons for choosing to spend 10 days sitting in silence with a bunch of monks in Thailand. It's by the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, who wrote "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." Like many things, that statement is probably more true for some people than others, and I definitely think I land on the (MUCH) more true side of that continuum. In some of my previous (as