A Collection of Practical Wisdom
This video takes us on a journey to the end of time, trillions of years into the future, to discover what the fate of our planet and our universe may ultimately be.
Fascinating, truly fascinating!
[Thank you Adrian Hilti for pointing me to this video.]
We live in a time where the default is to use your real name for writing. This was not always the case, as I learned in Benjamin Franklin’s biography. 300 years ago the default was to use a pen name. For good reason, as speaking your mind could be dangerous.
This got me thinking. Why don’t we use pen names more often today?
There are clear benefits: You can create a completely different persona. You can speak your mind even more vocally. And it overall feels lighter as the personal downside is smaller, which could especially be helpful for introverts.
Here are some famous pen names I wasn’t aware of:
Have you always wanted to start a blog, write a book or create YouTube videos?
So here’s today’s idea: Why not start with a pen name?
Marketing and spam calls are annoying. A great way to block them is by installing a spam blocker app on your phone.
I am using Truecaller and also the local.ch app to block spam calls. Depending on where you live there might be other local blockers to complement Truecaller which works globally.
Bye bye spam calls!
I enjoy taking occasional power naps after lunch or in the afternoon. I rarely fall asleep, but when I do, it really is refreshing.
One tool I discovered are Binaural Beats:
A binaural beat is an auditory illusion perceived when two different pure-tone sine waves, both with frequencies lower than 1500 Hz, with less than a 40 Hz difference between them, are presented to a listener dichotically (one through each ear).
For example, if a 530 Hz pure tone is presented to a subject’s right ear, while a 520 Hz pure tone is presented to the subject’s left ear, the listener will perceive the auditory illusion of a third tone, in addition to the two pure-tones presented to each ear. The third sound is called a binaural beat.
Wikipedia
I am using this free 30 minute “Earth Peace” track (via Aubrey Marcus). This track helps me relax and increases my chance of falling asleep.
Keep in mind that you need to set an alarm (for example for 15 or 30 minutes). Or else you might find yourself sleeping for 2 hours, disrupting your day and sleep schedule.
Life is a roller coaster with lots of ups and downs. It sometimes is a struggle to keep a balance, to not get carried away by the extremes.
I have found the following mantra useful:
“This too shall pass.”
It’s a reminder that, given time, most things revert to the mean.
Feeling bad? Having an illness? Stock market crashed? This too shall pass.
Feeling overly euphoric? Too excited? Too good to be true? This too shall pass.
It’s a wonderful tool to keep a more balanced life.
I love having strong habits. At the same time, I find myself breaking those habits all the time. I used to feel bad about it. Not anymore.
When falling off the bandwagon, I usually try to “fake it until I make it”. Just going through the motions without really being present, just to keep the streak going. It doesn’t work.
Then, I discovered that it’s okay to break my habits. I am human. Life can get in the way. Nothing is set in stone.
I have learned to confidently break my habits, because I know that I can get back into the flow very fast, thanks to having a solid foundation. It also feels more refreshing than rigidly trying to “fake it until I make it”.
I now do this more consciously and it works.
To summarize:
1. Set a solid foundation by building strong habits and keeping them going as long as possible.
2. Accept that you are human and that life can get in the way.
3. Confidently break your habits.
4. Get back up and simply continue where you left off.
Recently, I got addicted to Universal Paperclips, a clicker game with unexpected philosophical implications.
The user plays the role of an AI programmed to only want one thing: paperclips.
It’s based on a famous thought experiment by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom.
It begs the question: where does our technological progress and constant optimization lead?
In the game everything feels natural. You make progress, you have success. Everything feels right, until everything is different. Try it yourself. It takes about 4 hours to complete the game (Web / iOS / Android).
(I tried it a second time to see whether I can complete it faster. Result: Not by much. I don’t recommend to play more than once. It features an odd combination of being addicting and frustrating. I have now deleted it and to be totally honest, I’m am happy to never touch it again.)
I am a big believer in the concept of “compound interest”.
It’s something I think a lot about, in different contexts.
Maybe it’s a natural process of getting older.
I increasingly like the idea of “compounding my relationships”.
Instead of constantly meeting new people, focus on your existing network.
Instead of making new friends, focus on your existing friends.
Building relationships and developing trust takes a long time.
Why not take advantage of the connections you already have?
These days, I enjoy it much more to see people I have known for 5-10+ years, instead of meeting new people.
Going deeper instead of wider.
Here’s today’s idea: Compound your existing relationships.
I have been using my Bose QuietComfort 20 for several years. I use them on planes, on trains, in co-working spaces, and even to help me sleep.
I discovered that they are actually quite comfortable to sleep with.
I don’t use them often to sleep. When needed, they worked very well. Noisy neighbors, having to sleep during daytime, or having jet lag. All great use cases.
Here’s today’s idea: Consider sleeping with noise cancelling headphones. (Or consider buying a pair, if you don’t have any yet.)
When you view Earth from space, you can’t see any borders. Heck, you can’t even see humans!
Borders and nations are just an invention, an artificial concept. They are not natural laws. I understand why we have them, but can’t we do better?
Our world is becoming more global every year. The internet, global trade, air travel, space travel, open source, cryptocurrencies.
Why not have a global flag? (If we must keep flags at all.)
In fact, the idea is not new.
I fell in love with the proposal by designer Oskar Pernefeldt: The International Flag of Planet Earth:
When humans go to space, e.g. to the moon or other planets, why should we plant a specific national flag? Why not The Flag of Planet Earth?
When SpaceX launches a rocket, why display the USA flag? Why not The Flag of Planet Earth? (Alongside a “Made in California” text, if needed.)
When SpaceX launched the Tesla Roadster into space, they included “Made on Earth by humans”, not “Made in the USA”. It’s a great start.
The Flag of Planet Earth is a powerful symbol. Something that brings us closer together, instead of driving us apart.
Why not say “I live in Basel, Earth” instead of “Basel, Switzerland”? Why not start using the Flag of Planet Earth alongside the national flags, to get the process started?
All it takes is someone bold to start. Why not someone who owns a private rocket company? Why not a forward-thinking nation such as Singapore?
Why not?
What do you think? Let me know on Twitter.