Commitment

Weddings are about love. I cry every time I’m invited to attend one; how honored am I to participate in a ceremony of commitment?

It’s not for sure, this commitment. There’s some inherent questioning there. Forever? And that’s the point. It’s not for certain. It’s a commitment.

We are a society built up of this. Can we form more commitments?

Growing up Settings

We do absolutely all we can to provide a better life for our children. So that they may have it better than we had it, so they have more opportunity for love and prosperity. And yet, when children grow up in a privileged setting, with nothing left to want, they can sometimes grow to have no drive or purpose. How do we combat this juxtaposition?

Transition Time

Time fluctuates during transitions. The end of quarters, a move or breakup… it can fly by at the speed of light or pass laboriously in trickles. I often wonder about the fluidity of time, and how personal experience seems to influence it, instead of the other way around. Perhaps we are more powerful than we imagine.

Critical Thinking in Today’s World

Biologically we aim to assimilate. In marketing, we aim to be different.

As consumers we’re attracted to the bright and shiny, so ads are catchy and evoke emotion.

And in today’s world, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern when we’re being sold to. I believe it should be wrapped into every level of education.

Our ability to think critically will be the last bastion in an ever changing world.

Responsibility and Fate

Back when Michael Shellenberger ran for California governor, I remember him saying he wanted to build a “Statue of Responsibility” in the San Francisco Bay, to correspond with the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. I still think about it often, as well as “if the whole world acted the way I’m acting now, what would the world be like?” We are responsible for our own destiny. What fate will we choose?

Incredibly Two Years Later

Today marks 2 years since my Granny died. As others who have lost loved ones can attest, the time has passed nonlinearly. I still remember the first time, many months later in 2022, when I realized, "I haven't thought about my Granny yet today."

She made an indelible impact not only on my life, but on those of many others. And 2 years later, my most poignant recollection is her positivity. Doris Martinez viewed people as good, the world as a nice place. It wasn't naviety; it was her manifestion of how to behave in the world.

Through her memory I try to always remember the bigger picture. To see the world as a wondrous place ripe for adventure. To emanate love from my core. And to be kind to others. Yes Granny, you've told me.

Concentration Reflection

How often do you spend an hour or more in uninterrupted, deep concentration? While listening to Cal Newport detail his work habits, it occurred to me that I rarely spend much time completely focused on one thing. Which means my brain hasn't wired itself to optimally sustain such mental states. I suspect this is fairly common in the world today, with how much we refer to our smartphones and especially social media. What impact does this have? Are Americans distinct in this regard, or is this prevalent all over the world?

A foreboding feeling arises when we consider such questions. Our technology enables astonishing things and lives of convenience. Does it also dampen our global consciousness? Can we manipulate incentives to actually unite humanity and inspire change? Time will tell. Maybe it simply starts with concentration and reflection—who do we want to be as individuals, and as a species.

The Need for Sociology in Today's Technological World

“Sociology is the study of human society… human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture…” so says Wikipedia. It helps us understand social change.

This field of study is often met with derision. But as the exponential acceleration of technological progression continues to dramatically alter our world, it’s clear Sociology is not only necessary but paramount. How our phones affect us shouldn’t just be studied on a neurobiological level, but on the grand stage of society.

Humans have always lived in groups. We are the orcas of the land, and our tools extend the size and reach of our pods. How we organize socially has determined our history and defines our fate. Understanding our sociology can help identify incentives, and ultimately inspire change.

Reese’s Gone

I thought, “what if Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups went out of production, and there would only be a finite amount left?”

It made me unreasonably uneasy. I would buy and hoard them, ration them for as long as I could.

But nothing lasts forever, not even us, our consciousness, our lives, our species.. where do we go from here?

I offer this: we live, as wildly and freely as possible. Together, in this big beautiful amazing world.

Artificial Intelligence Considerations

Despite all the chatter, no one knows the outcome of our dance with AI. It's ironic that Dune Part 2 premiered this month, when its source novel provides:

“Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.”

And:

"Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of human mind."

I'm not against development of more capable AI. But we seem too eager to seize value from its capabilities without considering consequences. Everything has consequences in this universe; it's basic physics.

Do we understand the potential consequences of General Artificial Intelligence? Are such repercussions primarily due to the technology itself, or the culture and societal structure within which it grows?

Technology rarely leads to pure salvation or destruction, but the hype feels real that AI could be either. Can we bend it to further raise global consciousness? It's unclear where to go from here, but worth our deliberation.