Society honors its living conformists and its dead troublemakers.

Finished the Flow book… two new books I’m working on now!
-Phenomenology of the Mind : Hegel
-The Stranger : Camus

The stranger is a short book and shouldn’t take long, but the phenomenology of the mind is a beastly tome. Both are very interesting I think and so I am sure I will have some things to say about these… I have also taken on the task of watching the Ken Burns documentary entitled Jazz. I love it and am compiling a list of Jazz artists covered in the film as well as some quotes I enjoy. One thing I found interesting is someone in the film makes a comment on how Louis Armstrong discovered the same theory as Albert Einstein. At that time both were realizing some abstract truth. Albert Einstein said as you approach the speed of light, time will rest. Louis Armstrong, in his style, would come into these hasty and rushed tempos just floating above with a simple (even one note) melody. It’s beautiful the way he times and phrases it almost effortlessly. The connection is that Louis Armstrong saw a stillness in a busy/speedy tempo. At the time that was incredibly innovative.

Working myself to death right now in school so it doesn’t leave me much time to focus on anything else, unfortunately.

Aid the effort to find alien life

Filed under: Culture, Social Man

There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.

I have been spending a lot of time considering leisure and how it never fully satisfies in the end like hard work does. My mind and my body are inclined to laziness but are not satisfied with it once given slack. This is an old problem, but one that must still be addressed. Honestly, I think it would be more beneficial to just sleep whenever I have brain fatigue. It allows my mind a chance to rest and store the information it has just learned. I wake up refreshed and ready to work again. Leisure allows me the chance to minimally restore some of my mental energy, but I lose hours and have nothing to show for it. I don’t think this is a harsh way to live, I will have a richer fuller experience. When I speak of leisure I am referring to what the average person indulges in during his/her free time. This includes browsing the web, playing video games, watching TV, small-talk with individuals. There are certainly kinds of ‘leisure’, in the classical way we think of leisure, where the mind or body is still exercised to some degree and therefore no shame need be associated.  When I speak of this I am referring to athletics (physical training), meditation, edifying discussion, games of the mind, and so on. Right now the greatest obstacle I need to overcome is my infomania. I do love reading new things and browsing the web, but the stream of information is too noisy and does not suit my college life. The prime objective here now is to calm my mind and concentrate the stream of information. This is an effective way to attain greater retention as well as overall skill.

The other thing I have felt challenged about is my tender heart. This poor instrument beats it drums loudly for even the slightest movement. I am without a car or any convenient mode of transport, although there is a decent bus system I use. Generally, I walk a little under a mile a day. This is my estimation. Although that is not too terrible, it isn’t good either. There is a significant connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind. I do ensure that I eat well and restrict my diet to foods that will keep me thinking clear, this is important. The other side of the coin is physical training. I must confess that in this area I am completely languid. I enjoy the burn of my brain rather then the burn of my calves. Regardless I am set to press myself for at least sometime each day. The benefits are proven! People who exercise, even moderately, are significantly healthier and have more energy. In addition, there has been some studies showing a correlation to increased attention and improvement in cognitive abilities… this brings us back to that mind body connection.

Here are some links

Why I love the internet

A useful tool for the RSS addict

More for the aesthete within

Filed under: Body, Cognitive neuroscience, Health & Development, Mind

Ecstasy of Communication

Ecstasy of Communication

Was reading this on the bus and after I began walking I had this surreal moment. Jean Baudrillard talks about every aspect the world compressing in. The invention of the microchip is an obvious example, but a more subtle change is how our lives are lived (crunched) into a succession of instants. It was like I was detached from reality and perceived it for what it was… nothing. As I walked through a day I was rather walking through various realities, and all of the symbols and ideas lost their respective meaning. I was also listening to electronic music at the time.

Go for a ride.

Filed under: Uncategorized

I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it.

Had a bit of a crunch time with school, as a consequence wasn’t much to post. When in times of stress I generally just lose myself for a few days. I am about 2 weeks now into my sleep schedule and it is turning out to be quite hilarious. Looking back on the sleep chart I am keeping, it’s clear there is a problem. After one month is over I’ll post the picture for a chuckle. Well… a few questions I have been asking myself as of late: “What defines genius?”; “How fixed is intelligence?”; “What is my ultimate goal?”

In terms of ultimate goal… I have this insatiable hunger to achieve things never before dreamed possible. Now… I don’t think this is particularly unique to me. It’s healthy to foster a ruthless optimism, in my opinion. Still, it send a cold shiver down my spine whenever I gaze into my raw self and bring awareness to my own limitations. Now in college I am faced with a steep hill to climb. My lack of focus is an incredible disadvantage. I am chagrined to accept a reality where I cannot do everything. It’s a terrible realization, but now comes the choice of what I should focus on. I will follow my interests, but only in some will I have the natural ability needed to stand above the rest. On top of this, no one achieves this high level of success without sacrifice. I am afraid I might be making a terrible mistake. I have always wanted a small family and I don’t think it is possible to be successful at both. I can barely manage myself let alone a family. Without the support of a family it’s possible that I might actually be less successful. Then what are my choices? I see a mediocre existence colored by the joy of raising family or a chaotic lifestyle where I am highly successful -or likely not- but either way I live the end of my days alone and waiting to die.  I don’t think it’s too early to be thinking about these things since my life, like chess, should be played 20 moves ahead. -that’s not to say that I do not live in the present and enjoy what is now- …all this rambling to say I am uncertain.

Here are some links:

Some highly emotional Chinese music

Tucker Max: Proof that man is naturally evil

Everything Japanese

Eye yummies to satisfy the aesthete within

Filed under: Development, Mind, Nurture, Soul (Psyche)

Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.

Well I think my body is going through something because after getting a little over 6 hours sleep (usually good for me) I was very tired around 2 or so. Generally I try to take a one and a half hour nap in the afternoon. Today I slept from 2pm to 6:30pm. My body was just worn out for some reason… I want to be on a biphasic schedule but I’m beginning to realize it’s just not going to happen with work. I get out after 3pm and by that time my circadian rhythm will be shifting out of a drowsy stage and sleeping will be seriously ineffective. The best bet is to caffeine nap for 20 minutes and then try to get to bed earlier.

Here are some links that I’ve been reading:
http://makesmethink.com/top

http://www.todaysbigthing.com

www.mindcafe.org

Filed under: Body, Sleep

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.

We have some people visiting Unit One… Every night they hosting some workshop or facilitating some discussion. Tonight the them was “authoring your own life: finding your niche”.  So this topic particularly interested me because I am not really motivated to enter any known profession. I want to work for myself… I want to work in a project oriented environment that is very flexible. I am motivated by ideas and the pursuit of knowledge. So… I think the best way to do this is carve out my own path.

Some of the themes that came out of this discussion were: Separating between how and what in terms of specialization/where we direct our focus.. (death of the polymath). Making short term decisions instead of setting up long term goals bound to change, though obviously having some larger framework (just know it’s going to change). Having a drive to work for yourself and venture into the unknown stronger than a need for security and comfort. The danger of measuring success with “accomplishments”. The nuclear family as being an obsolete social framework… they suggested a shift to some larger community model.

All in all it gave me a lot of confidence to pursue some of my desires. Colleges have this well oiled machine that can be uncomfortable for someone like me. They push you into a major, push you into a career path, graduate you, and you are another success. This may achieve high post-graduation employment, but it certainly can strangle a true academic environment. I was beginning to feel marginalized by a lot of the academic services here… This idea of spontaneous living, a kind of pioneering “set out west” kind of attitude is not a part of their vocabulary. It’s an appealing image to someone as young as I am, but it is terribly frightening at the same time. I feel like it is only logical that yes, I pursue my dreams and I take risk, BUT… I know I’ll never go hungry with an engineering degree. Is that cheating? Nah, it’s not cheating. Maybe cheating myself if I just get some 9-5…

Filed under: Fundamentals, Institutions, Social Man

Your life is what your thoughts make it.

I have been doing a lot of reading on this book Flow: The Psychology of the Optimal Experience. I’m about a little over halfway through it now and I’ve come upon some very interesting things and I have some thoughts…

The basic premise is that flow is this state of mind created when someone is fully engaged in something. It creates a sense of enjoyment. For example when you are running a race you are solely focused on every challenge of this race, it pushes your limits. You are not concerned about anything but the competition. By the end you have pushed yourself farther than your perceived limits and the feeling of deep enjoyment is overwhelming. This is an example Flow. Flow can manifest in many different ways, but it always has some common characteristics which the book talks about.

This is an interesting way to look at life. Maybe this doesn’t resonate with a lot of people because their philosophy is to maximize pleasure. However, I find that the books explanation of flow is helping me to gain some understanding on how I naturally draw a deep sense of enjoyment from everyday living.

The problem with living a life that derives pleasure from external sources is that everything around you is outside your control and subject to change. How then can you ensure a happy life, even in the gravest of situations? It is crazy but even survivors of the concentration camp describe finding peace right in the middle of a terrible atrocity. This is the power of flow, and a view of life that I think is worth thinking about or at least exploring.

There is a lot of interesting research done on people living with ADD or individuals from an unstable home showing a lack of concentration. An overly distracted mind is less prone to flow activities which require a high focus. Without willing action to change their state of mind they will be subject to a whole flux of emotions. I don’t think this is something to be desired. I have to say again… The quality of your life is 100% determined by your state of mind. It’s how you approach things!

On a side note… there was an article mentioning that pro chess players exercise regularly so that their minds can endure longer periods of mental strain. I found this interesting as well as a good motivator to hit the gym. Swimming and running anyone? Get that cardio going and maybe I’ll be able to increase my focus during lectures! Yeah?

Filed under: Cognitive neuroscience, Development, Mind, Soul (Psyche)

The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read With loads of learned lumber in his head.

Here are some interesting things that I’ve been looking at…

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/ :There are bound to be some cool videos in here. Science!

Liu Bolin : Chinese artist who paints himself.. it’s impressive.

Eigenharp : I wouldn’t mind having one of these. If you find electronic instruments interesting here is a link I followed from the Eigenharp page

Keeping it short and sweet this time around… going to try and begin my switch to the biphasic sleep schedule today. I have been charting my sleep like I said and it is pure chaos. I will eventually post this and compare it to a hopefully successful biphasic schedule.

Filed under: Culture, Mind, Sleep

Man’s mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions.

Let me preface by saying I don’t like making up titles to my posts because I feel compelled to come up with something witty and succinct. So instead I’m just going to use quotes.

I have been reading these articles on supermemo.com… He definitely has a motive to sell his software, but a lot of what he writes is still very interesting. The end in mind here is to find the optimal method of obtaining and storing knowledge. What is genius, creativity, intellect? How do we store memories? These are all questions that Dr. Wozniak attempts to answer.  I have been using this site to help me find some solutions to the problem listed in my last post.

On another note… I watched a film today call “Salo” also known as 120 days of sodom. It was as interesting as much as it was terribly disturbing. The film is banned in many countries, and was just recently taken off the list here in the United States. Salo seeks to prove a posteriori that absolute power is indistinguishable from absolute anarchy. One example is the despots make these rules to govern a world that is under their complete control. These rules however are suited only to fit their perverse desires. I’ve been told it takes 24 hours to finally filter out the sodomy, defecation, torture, etc… (there are things I just can’t list).

Passage: Jason Rohrer, an indie game developer, creates simple poetry in 8-bit.

Filed under: Culture, Development, Social Man

Dealing with expectations (again)

Well now that mid-term has passed for the most part I can look back on and use the scores to gauge how successful I have been academically. Much to my chagrin I have been exceptionally unsuccessful. So… I am not going to attribute it to a lack of capability, I’m not so defeated yet. I can only see this as an indication of poor study habits and a misunderstanding of paper/exam expectations. I think that until I see an improvement in my academics I will have to suspend my extra-curricular goals and focus solely on my classes…

Some new approaches here: (1)Utilize an urgency/importance table to organize priorities for the day; (2) Move “due dates” two days before they are actually due; (3) Spend time reviewing the material in a group proportionally to time spent completing it;  (4) Make sure to get at least 6 hours of sleep at night minimum;..

Plan ahead while giving space to be flexible: Read directions carefully, and pay special attention to what is being asked, make a plan for how to achieve this, stick to the plan, give time for changes and be open to those changes.

The only other thing is I should be purposeful in increasing my reading rates, retention, and study skills… this includes

Flash cards (for the go); Always carry some  light work in case of downtime; spaced-repetition software; utilize the cornell outline; declutter periodically; daily review.. ask questions

I should do my best to stick to these tips here…

Filed under: Development, Mind