Hi friends,
Greetings from Cincinnati!
Personal Updates
Travel Essay Announcement
One year ago, I set out to solo-travel the world. After 25 countries, 50 flights, 3.5x round the world, I have returned home. I will post an essay on my travels soon.
National Cinema Day
Sunday was National Cinema Day. Movie tickets were $4. I took the liberty to watch Oppenheimer, as I love science. Between pirating online and watching in the theater, I chose the theater. An immersive environment that brings historical characters to life.
Curated Ideas
The Moral Case Against Screens
Imagine a puppy, locked in a cage for its whole life. Most people would find this wrong.
Why?
Victor says: We have an idea of what being a dog means. "A dog walks outside, sniffs other dogs’ rears, and pees on trees." In a cage, a dog is deprived of these activities.
Similarly, we have an idea of what being a human means. A human sees things, hears things, touches things, and moves around.
Screens are the modern day cages. By focusing on 6” (or 13”) small rectangles all day, we are deprived in other areas (aural, tactile, kinesthetic, spatial) that make us human.
To solve this, Victor advocates dynamic mediums. Instead of typing words on a screen, we can convey ideas by walking around a room, or molding objects with our hands.
Watch the full talk here:
On Training the Brain
The more you focus on something, the easier it becomes. Literally. Your brain changes.
🏠 The real estate theory of the brain. Just like more homeseekers erect more buildings— the more you do something, the more neural circuitry is devoted to it. The caveat is, a reward must be present.
Reward comes from motivation. A dispassionate tennis player can devote 10,000 hours to the game with no improvement. Only through engaged, focused, and reward-driven efforts can we enhance our abilities.
Reward may be the wrong word. Relevance may be a better one. Only when things are relevant (for good or bad) will our brains adjust its circuitry. Relevance releases acetylcholine, the chemical that softens our brain for change.
Say a person has a weak arm and a strong arm. When they rely on their strong arm, their weak arm atrophies. The opposite is also true. For physical therapy users, the key strategy is to strap up the good arm, so they are forced to use their bad arm. Undoubtedly, their condition improves.
Why does it work? While it is frustrating to use a weak arm, every time you do, you are rewarded for it. You feel intrinsically motivated to raise a sandwich to your mouth, or hold a cell phone to your ear, therefore your brain devotes more circuitry to it. And you get better at it.
All this is measured in brain scans and images and results. For more on neuroplasticity, I recommend this book.
How can I take advantage of this information?
We all have things we'd like to change about ourselves. Whether it's learning a new skill, being a better father, or being more productive at work.
There are two steps to proactive change. First, find out what rewards you. Second, do more of what rewards you, in the context of whatever skill, trait, habit, or behavior you want to improve.
I know a guy who hated going to the gym. So he hired a personal trainer, on the hypothesis that he'd be more inclined to go if he felt accountable to someone else. His desire to "not let his trainer down" became his motivation for going. And now he's fit as ever.
What do you find rewarding? Here’s a starter (non-exhaustive) list of questions you can ask yourself. Some will resonate more than others, which is precisely the point.
Do you feel a warm fuzzy feeling when looking after something, or someone?
Do you feel incredible when sharing an experience with others with no boundaries?
Do you feel a thrill when challenging boundaries?
Do you feel a sense of accomplishment when seeing your peers accept that what you've done is hard?
Do you love the feeling of being on the same wavelength as someone else?
Do you feel a rush when you reach a goal you set for yourself?
Do you enjoy the feeling of "being productive"?
Do you feel satisfaction knowing you've supported someone else?
Do you feel a rush that comes with making a decision?
Do you feel pleasure when controlling for every single step of a desired outcome?
Do you feel delight when carrying someone's emotional burden?
Do you feel a little pulse of joy when creating connections between pieces of information?
Without reward, we feel apathy, frustration, and resentment. So I urge you to find what rewards you, and then leverage that to whatever aspect of life you'd like.
Home is comfortable, perhaps too comfortable. My initial fear of being kicked out of the house has not yet manifested. My Dad has more energy than when I last saw him. My Mom has evolved to be a better cook. I’ve enjoyed seeing these developments. These days, I’m pondering over my next move.
Two weeks ago, my plan was to be a YouTuber, making videos such as: “I visited every Starbucks in Boston”, “6 ways to cook an egg”, or “I fasted for 100 hours”. Now, I’m not so sure. Being on camera feels too weird, too unnatural. Yet I remain interested in the cross-section of entertainment and education.
Over Labor Day, I’m visiting my sister in Cleveland. Then in September, I’ll visit the Bay Area. And in October, either Mexico City or Medellín to team-up with a friend. Here’s a photo of where I live:
Until next time!
Leo A
It has been a privilege to travel the world alongside you, Leo. I have watched my world expand through your experiences. And I have watched you evolve. You introduced me to new architecture, customs and cuisines. It has been a joy!
Thanks, too, for the Bret Victor link.
congratulations on making it home safely after a wild adventure. cant wait to read about it!