šø
Consumerism is fascinating, especially for someone who studied both Sociology and Media Literacy in school. Commercials are rich texts full of cultural values and norms. Theyāre incredibly interesting to watch.
Dec 1, 2024
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I've been really into watching YC videos on how to start and run a successful tech start up after learning more about them during the whole OpenAI debacle. I'm like 60% sure I don't want to start my own company any time soon but it's still really interesting to me to hear about how these people think and a lot of does really apply to any corporate/tech job in general.
(I do feel conflicted though because I'm sure most of these people are cash grab capitalists trying to get rich quick and are insufferable to talk to IRL tho, but sometimes they do say interesting stuff I haven't thought of before and agree with)
Feb 9, 2024
Changed my perspective on so much--namely money and history. It's shocking how so much of the mainstream story of where money came from is false conjecture. For instance, we are told that societies start out bartering for goods and then develop money to make trade easier... but actually Graeber shows in no society has bartering ever predated coinage. The actual ways societies have historically dealt with exchange of goods and services are diverse and often more humanistic. Could it be that the mainstream narrative is merely justification for the inevitability of the free market? š¤ Definitely want to re-read because there's lots more too
Mar 12, 2025
A bit too free market capitalism focused, but starts to break out the paradigm that causes the problem you're lamenting.
Jul 4, 2024
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Iām not a parent and do not plan to be. Kids can wear me out fast with their high energy and noise level; it leaves me very over-stimulated. But itās pretty extreme when people say they āhate kidsā and I often feel itās a reflection of their childhood and beliefs around how kids āshould be.ā That they were expected to be quiet, obedient, and out of the way by their parents when they were little.
Itās fucking hard to be a kid. Youāre dealing with a rapidly-changing body and underdeveloped brain, managed by flawed adults who are enforcing boundaries that you do not understand. Itās confusing and hard to manage your feelings and honestly just a lot.
People are impatient with kids when theyāre brand new to the world and figuring it all out, and this is a time kids need a friend the most. Children can also be teachers to adults with how they are less habituated to the world. They teach us how to be free and open-hearted and silly and imaginative.
A good practice is to be kinder and gentler with kids. If that feels difficult, start with gentleness toward your inner child. Maybe thatās the child in your life that needs your attention and kindness most.
3d ago
I meant to post this yesterday. Absolutely beautiful morning for walk.
This morning is also beautiful but in a spring rain kind of way.
Mar 23, 2025
ā§ļø
Prescriptive gender is a prison. Rather than gender being a form of self-expression, gender is treated as a pass/fail test for how well you can conform to cultural expectations.
Since I was young, I remember feeling a great deal of pressure to conform to these expectations around what āmenā are meant to be. You like sports, cars, womanizing, aggression, and not having feelings. I felt so distant from this ideal. I was sensitive and shy, and I preferred spending my time being creative in some way
For a long time, I felt like I was failing at ābeing a man.ā In many ways I was! Because I didnāt need toĀ bea man. All I needed to be was myself.
Itās taken me a long time to separate myself from prescriptive gender, sharpening in on which aspects of masculine energy I identify with and which I donāt. Iām not done yet. Maybe I will never fully be. The self continues to evolve over time, and I suspect aspects of my gender will too.
Mar 15, 2025