Self Is Not Enough
7 Things That Got Me Thinking and Feeling...
Here are 7 things that got me thinking (and feeling) this week…
I came to the TV series “Monk” years after its 2002 debut. After watching the first episode I was hooked. I have never felt so much empathy for and connection with a fictional character like Adrian Monk. The show made me laugh at a time in my life where I needed to smile. And it gave me a deeper understanding into the struggles of people with O.C.D and other mental disorders. So I am beyond excited to watch “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” which premieres today on Peacock. Its a Bonus to see that reviews are raving about the movie.
I usually write to Jazz, hip-hop instrumentals, and lo-fi music. But this week, I’ve been writing to mediation music. And wow! Its a vibe!! It has improved my concentration big time. If you are interested in hacking your deep-work moments, try this playlist.
“The problems with fakes isn’t the truth they hide. It’s the truth they reveal,” says Daniel Immerwahr in the recent AI issue of The New Yorker. The article ask if the A.I. generation of fake videos (like deep fakes) reason for concern and worry. Convincingly the author argues that deep fakes are not misleading the populace. Rather, the problem is that they “amplify our views rather than complicate them, facilitate the harassment of women, and help turn politics into a blood sport won by insulting ones opponent in an entertaining way.” I don’t necessarily feel less worried by them after reading the piece. I’m just worried in a different way. Thanks Daniel.
Lebron James is now the oldest person in the NBA. But no one has told his body that. This season he is averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Is he proving that age is just a number? Perhaps. But hes’ also showing how far discipline, effort, and taking care of your body can take you. All this talk of age reminds me of the philosopher Martha Nussbaum’s and law professor Saul Levmore’s 2007 book “Aging Thoughtfully” where they talk about the inevitability of aging and how we can age thoughtfully with zest and friendship. Lebron is definitely aging thoughtfully, and I want all of his secrets!!!!
Speaking of aging thoughtfully, I went down a youtube rabbit hole this week watching old school and recent performances of the 1990’s hip-hop group Digable Planets. Boy have they aged well. The music has too! “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” is simply timeless!! Is it possible to make timeless music in the age of the internet? For some, “time has a strange effect on music, and the things that spread the fastest are often the things that disappear just as quickly.” If you want to go down that rabbit hole, start here.
This month’s book for the “So Emotional” Book Club is I Want a Better Catastrophe: Navigating the Climate Crisis with Grief, Hope and Gallows Humor by Andrew Boyd. If you want to learn more about the climate crisis and how to do your part, read the book and/or join us in our virtual discussion this Tuesday. Register for the link.
“The self knows that that self is not enough,” says the Irish Poet Brendan Kennelly. Fill yourself up this weekend by calling a family member, making a new friend, or talking to a stranger.
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