💭 Escaping the Meaning Crisis / Insights from Sam Harris / In Praise of the Gods
👋 Hi friends,
Is 30 too young to have a mid life crisis? Because I sometimes feel like I am there. Occasional panic that I am getting older and I haven’t “achieved anything”.
At least that’s how it feels.
I guess compared to some people look up to I feel that I haven’t done “enough”.
Even as I write that sentence I feel mildly disappointed in myself for even thinking that. A quote comes to mind, “comparison is the root of unhappiness”. I am not sure who said that. It seems especially true in the age of social media.
There is always someone happier, better looking, more talented and so on. Surely everyone knows by now that Instagram makes people miserable, and is leading to a rise in teen suicide.
I digress.
In the end life is a single player race - you are only competing against yourself.
Where are we all racing to anyway? The next exam, the next job the next holiday, the next visit to the pub? There is only one final destination, and I am in no hurry to arrive.
If you can’t enjoy where you are now, doing what you are doing right now, it seems unlikely you will suddenly start enjoying your life when you get to the next thing.
Have a great week.
Jamie
🎙 Podcast episode I recorded - Escaping the Meaning Crisis
I spoke with John Vervaeke, professor of cognitive science, about the crisis of meaning, the cognitive cultural role of religion, and the ecologies of practice necessary to build meaning into our lives.
Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎧 What I am listening to - New Insights from Sam Harris, Dr. Peter Attia, Ramit Sethi, and Elizabeth Gilbert
I used to be an avid listener of the Tim Ferriss show, but drifted away the last few years. However, I really enjoyed this episode, which might bring me back to regular listening.
📚 What I am reading - In Praise of the Gods
It feels strange to articulate that one can be too rational. Surely rationality is always good? The spread of rationality has been good in so many ways, but taken to its extreme can leave life feeling a little….empty? This article is an fantastic exploration of that idea.
💬 Quote I am thinking about
“When did you learn the most, when it was easy or when it was difficult?” ~ Jack Kornfield
Was this edition valuable? Help me to improve it.