Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words, Charlie. Any wisdom I may have is not my own but has been stolen from the wise people around me. For those people, I am grateful.
What an insightful and compelling journey you took us on with this one Jack. Your thoughts interspersed throughout are - like many others have said - wise beyond your years.
And this especially resonated - “Ditching the news for its lack of usefulness and actionability and focusing instead on the people we pass and the communities that envelop us.”
James, thanks you so much for your readership, support, and extremely kind words.
We have discussed news consumption in the past and I hope to slowly convince others that they don't need the news to go about their lives. It's a hard fought battle but one worth fighting as I think eliminating the news, if your career allows you to do so, is one of the quickest improvements you can make in your life.
My wisdom is merely stolen from others. And I am grateful to have many wise people, including you, to look up to in my life.
It's important to remind ourselves of the significant changes that've enveloped our world. Even within the last 4 years, we've experienced a drastic shift in the way we operate as individuals.
This calls forth an action that many are hesitant to take, but as mentioned, many are beginning to consider. It's time to reshape the way we live to better appreciate the human experience, and understand the gravity of where we once were, as well as understand the utility of our modern priveleges, and see to it that we don't fall into a pit of compulsions, extreme biases, lethargy, etc.
Ibra, thank you for reading and for leaving such a sharply worded summary here.
I really like the idea of looking at everything we take for granted in our lives as "modern privileges." Because everything from running water and electricity to bountiful grocery stores really are privileges that 99.99% of humans throughout humankind could have never dreamed of having.
Not falling into a pit of compulsions, extreme biases, and lethargy, as you so eloquently point out, is a constant battle we must fight each day to stay grateful and grounded.
Thank you for the response and points made. I recently went camping, and can’t even begin to describe the level of humility that comes with being in environments that lack these modern privileges. More people should make the practice of deliberately exposing themselves to such environments for sure.
Whether it's camping, daily exercise, occasional fasts, or other harsh practices, exposing ourselves to more challenging circumstances than we need to is essential building character, tenacity, and peace of mind. They build the belief that "I am capable of enduring hardship if I must." And funnily enough, the essay I posted yesterday was on camping! https://www.longevityminded.ca/p/everyone-should-camp-once
Thanks for your comments here, Ibra. Appreciate you making me think.
The flow of this piece is gorgeous, Jack. My eyes rolled over the sentences and paragraphs easily, happily, drinking in the images you craftily created. Great topic for gaining a life/time shift perspective we need to pay homage to. Mr Rhea seems grounded in reality, working the fields, connected to the Earth. How many of us, swamped in modernity, can make that claim?
Thanks so much for your kind words, Dad. Hearing that my writing is finding progress from where I began always makes me so happy to hear.
Very few of us could make that claim. But, if we start taking the small actions of holding the door for people, smiling and starting friendly conversation in the grocery store or coffee shop, and doing other uniquely human things, we can rewind to a time where our connections to people, ourselves, and the Earth was more in tact.
As always, Jack, this was incredibly poignant and needed. This pace of change is something I’m shocked more people don’t realize. I’m glad you are optimistic for a pushback in progress.
Thanks so much for your readership and support, Jeremy. You are right: we don't realize it. We think the world today is how it has always been but it is SO INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT. You only need to go back 10-20 years to see how different the world today is, let alone 100 years. For most of humanity, the world remained largely the same, I think, for thousands of years at a time.
I loved reading this piece, Jack. You poignantly sum up the disconnect between physical fitness and "traditional work." I too have had that strange sensation. While working out on the roof, I often share glances with construction workers toiling away on the roof of neighboring buildings. We're all doing hard physical work, but I know that the mentality is not the same. This is certainly a byproduct of capitalism, which has done more to alienate us than elevate us. Being aware of this divide (and the forces that hold us back) is a key to liberation, but something needs to change on a grand scale in order for everyone to have the right and privilege to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Adam, thank you for reading and for this incredibly interesting comment. There is so much depth to what you said and I can't disagree with any of it. Your point that our world does a better job of alienating rather than elevating us is thought-provoking. I would build on that by saying it's a spectrum. The digital world alienates us while the human world elevates us. Depending on how much of our days are digital versus real will probably impact whether we feel alienated or elevated as we go through the day.
Thanks again for this great comment. You have given me a lot to think about.
I am 64 years old and a retired union ironworker. When I came into the industry i was told by many oldtimers that my generation was soft lazy and weak. Not by all oldtimers but by many. I think of that now as guys/gals my age complain about the youth of today. Your writing is a sign to me that as much as things change the more they remain the same. Keep on keeping on as they used to say when I was a kid and things will hopefully turn out well for you and yours and humanity
James, thank you so much for reading and for the wisdom in your words.
You are so right in that every generation looks at the one behind theirs and sees them as flawed and doomed. At the age of 25, I look at 18 year olds now and judge them as Internet obsessed, too sensitive and dramatic, and lost in the clouds. Of course, I see the irony in this as the generation before mine probably looks at me and thinks something similar.
Pessimism sells better than optimism so that's what makes headlines. But when you turn to real life and real people, as opposed to the messages being sent on the Internet, the world looks much more positive.
People are people. Human nature is human nature. And I choose to believe that most people wake up each day trying to make the world a little better than it was yesterday.
Lovely essay, Jack. As many people have noted, the flow in your words only continues to get flowier.
I especially love the optimistic undertone at the end. It's easy to despair and complain and think everything is doomed. It's much harder, and therefore all the more important.
We have to believe the future will be better than the present, if we want to have any hope of it coming true.
Haha thanks Tommy boy, getting flowier is a great compliment to any writer.
I completely agree with you. Pessimism sounds smart and is much easier to buy into. But the world has been going to hell since it began and every generation has believed that they are they last great generation, with the one following being rife with problems and doomed.
But optimism is the best gift you can give yourself and everyone around you. So I try to remain optimistic for the future, even when news and popular opinion peddles dark times ahead.
Optimism, like you said, is a necessary trait for the positive forward-looking human.
Good stuff man. I love how so many people are pushing away all the “progress” being sold to us as indispensable for the sake of some real and tangible humanity. Also, that picture of the farmer in the Bronx is epic.
Love how you put that, Martin. We are told to think a certain way, without questioning it, by companies who stand to profit from us thinking that way. But those narratives are often the ones we most need to question.
For example, I heard yesterday that we don't need to use dryer sheets. Wool dryer balls are infinitely reusable and achieve the same objective. In fact, because of the coating they put on your clothes, dryer sheets actually damage your clothes over the long run.
This is a small example of something being sold to us as indispensable that can, in reality, be gone without. With all of the other progress happening, especially in tech and AI, we have to step back and ask if these innovations are helping or hurting humanity.
Thanks so much for reading and for this thought-provoking comment. Really appreciate it. And that picture is incredible... hard to believe that was only 100 years ago.
Great anecdote about the dryer sheets. I’m all for progress, but I guess the required caveat is (as it is for anything being sold to us) what ulterior motives does it ride on. I’m generally optimistic, but it’s easy to get cynical when everyone is trying to turn a buck. Nonetheless, there are definitely those out there with the greater good in mind—they just usually aren’t the ones with the $$$.
Very good point. I'm a dying optimist but optimism doesn't mean naivete. Important to root for progress but ask important questions of those who are changing things. Food is another great example. Companies are constantly swapping out ingredients for cheaper, more unhealthy ones. Read the ingredients on the back of a bag of bread... the ingredients are scary and sound nothing like food.
Thanks for the comments and for making me think. Appreciate you being here, Martin.
...bravo brother...i love physical labor so much (but i think largely because i don’t get to do it every day)...great insight though that we have the power to control what time we live in (kind of) and who we choose to be in this time (definitely)...we don’t need the apps...the apps need us...
You definitely nailed the physical labour point... I too enjoy it when I do it but only because I spend most of my days behind a computer. Another great insight: the apps need us. So true. We can check out of a lot of that stuff and check in to real life with simple actions and gestures each day. Less digital time and more human time is an aim I strive for.
Thanks for your comment pal, I always enjoy reading your thoughts and reactions.
Kacy, thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment. It is really amazing when you step back and look at how much the world has changed in 100 short years. And I believe you are right: people want the feeling of being human which we can only get through real connection with others and a handful of other uniquely human behaviours.
I’m trying to wrap my brain around you being 25. You are much wiser than 25. Loved the flow and message of this piece, Jack.
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words, Charlie. Any wisdom I may have is not my own but has been stolen from the wise people around me. For those people, I am grateful.
Flowier as Tommy says 😁
What an insightful and compelling journey you took us on with this one Jack. Your thoughts interspersed throughout are - like many others have said - wise beyond your years.
And this especially resonated - “Ditching the news for its lack of usefulness and actionability and focusing instead on the people we pass and the communities that envelop us.”
🙏
James, thanks you so much for your readership, support, and extremely kind words.
We have discussed news consumption in the past and I hope to slowly convince others that they don't need the news to go about their lives. It's a hard fought battle but one worth fighting as I think eliminating the news, if your career allows you to do so, is one of the quickest improvements you can make in your life.
My wisdom is merely stolen from others. And I am grateful to have many wise people, including you, to look up to in my life.
It's important to remind ourselves of the significant changes that've enveloped our world. Even within the last 4 years, we've experienced a drastic shift in the way we operate as individuals.
This calls forth an action that many are hesitant to take, but as mentioned, many are beginning to consider. It's time to reshape the way we live to better appreciate the human experience, and understand the gravity of where we once were, as well as understand the utility of our modern priveleges, and see to it that we don't fall into a pit of compulsions, extreme biases, lethargy, etc.
This is an amazing post.
Ibra, thank you for reading and for leaving such a sharply worded summary here.
I really like the idea of looking at everything we take for granted in our lives as "modern privileges." Because everything from running water and electricity to bountiful grocery stores really are privileges that 99.99% of humans throughout humankind could have never dreamed of having.
Not falling into a pit of compulsions, extreme biases, and lethargy, as you so eloquently point out, is a constant battle we must fight each day to stay grateful and grounded.
Thanks again for this wonderful comment.
Thank you for the response and points made. I recently went camping, and can’t even begin to describe the level of humility that comes with being in environments that lack these modern privileges. More people should make the practice of deliberately exposing themselves to such environments for sure.
Couldn't agree more.
Whether it's camping, daily exercise, occasional fasts, or other harsh practices, exposing ourselves to more challenging circumstances than we need to is essential building character, tenacity, and peace of mind. They build the belief that "I am capable of enduring hardship if I must." And funnily enough, the essay I posted yesterday was on camping! https://www.longevityminded.ca/p/everyone-should-camp-once
Thanks for your comments here, Ibra. Appreciate you making me think.
The flow of this piece is gorgeous, Jack. My eyes rolled over the sentences and paragraphs easily, happily, drinking in the images you craftily created. Great topic for gaining a life/time shift perspective we need to pay homage to. Mr Rhea seems grounded in reality, working the fields, connected to the Earth. How many of us, swamped in modernity, can make that claim?
Thanks so much for your kind words, Dad. Hearing that my writing is finding progress from where I began always makes me so happy to hear.
Very few of us could make that claim. But, if we start taking the small actions of holding the door for people, smiling and starting friendly conversation in the grocery store or coffee shop, and doing other uniquely human things, we can rewind to a time where our connections to people, ourselves, and the Earth was more in tact.
As always, Jack, this was incredibly poignant and needed. This pace of change is something I’m shocked more people don’t realize. I’m glad you are optimistic for a pushback in progress.
Thanks so much for your readership and support, Jeremy. You are right: we don't realize it. We think the world today is how it has always been but it is SO INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT. You only need to go back 10-20 years to see how different the world today is, let alone 100 years. For most of humanity, the world remained largely the same, I think, for thousands of years at a time.
I loved reading this piece, Jack. You poignantly sum up the disconnect between physical fitness and "traditional work." I too have had that strange sensation. While working out on the roof, I often share glances with construction workers toiling away on the roof of neighboring buildings. We're all doing hard physical work, but I know that the mentality is not the same. This is certainly a byproduct of capitalism, which has done more to alienate us than elevate us. Being aware of this divide (and the forces that hold us back) is a key to liberation, but something needs to change on a grand scale in order for everyone to have the right and privilege to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Adam, thank you for reading and for this incredibly interesting comment. There is so much depth to what you said and I can't disagree with any of it. Your point that our world does a better job of alienating rather than elevating us is thought-provoking. I would build on that by saying it's a spectrum. The digital world alienates us while the human world elevates us. Depending on how much of our days are digital versus real will probably impact whether we feel alienated or elevated as we go through the day.
Thanks again for this great comment. You have given me a lot to think about.
I am 64 years old and a retired union ironworker. When I came into the industry i was told by many oldtimers that my generation was soft lazy and weak. Not by all oldtimers but by many. I think of that now as guys/gals my age complain about the youth of today. Your writing is a sign to me that as much as things change the more they remain the same. Keep on keeping on as they used to say when I was a kid and things will hopefully turn out well for you and yours and humanity
James, thank you so much for reading and for the wisdom in your words.
You are so right in that every generation looks at the one behind theirs and sees them as flawed and doomed. At the age of 25, I look at 18 year olds now and judge them as Internet obsessed, too sensitive and dramatic, and lost in the clouds. Of course, I see the irony in this as the generation before mine probably looks at me and thinks something similar.
Pessimism sells better than optimism so that's what makes headlines. But when you turn to real life and real people, as opposed to the messages being sent on the Internet, the world looks much more positive.
People are people. Human nature is human nature. And I choose to believe that most people wake up each day trying to make the world a little better than it was yesterday.
Lovely essay, Jack. As many people have noted, the flow in your words only continues to get flowier.
I especially love the optimistic undertone at the end. It's easy to despair and complain and think everything is doomed. It's much harder, and therefore all the more important.
We have to believe the future will be better than the present, if we want to have any hope of it coming true.
Haha thanks Tommy boy, getting flowier is a great compliment to any writer.
I completely agree with you. Pessimism sounds smart and is much easier to buy into. But the world has been going to hell since it began and every generation has believed that they are they last great generation, with the one following being rife with problems and doomed.
But optimism is the best gift you can give yourself and everyone around you. So I try to remain optimistic for the future, even when news and popular opinion peddles dark times ahead.
Optimism, like you said, is a necessary trait for the positive forward-looking human.
Good stuff man. I love how so many people are pushing away all the “progress” being sold to us as indispensable for the sake of some real and tangible humanity. Also, that picture of the farmer in the Bronx is epic.
Love how you put that, Martin. We are told to think a certain way, without questioning it, by companies who stand to profit from us thinking that way. But those narratives are often the ones we most need to question.
For example, I heard yesterday that we don't need to use dryer sheets. Wool dryer balls are infinitely reusable and achieve the same objective. In fact, because of the coating they put on your clothes, dryer sheets actually damage your clothes over the long run.
This is a small example of something being sold to us as indispensable that can, in reality, be gone without. With all of the other progress happening, especially in tech and AI, we have to step back and ask if these innovations are helping or hurting humanity.
Thanks so much for reading and for this thought-provoking comment. Really appreciate it. And that picture is incredible... hard to believe that was only 100 years ago.
Great anecdote about the dryer sheets. I’m all for progress, but I guess the required caveat is (as it is for anything being sold to us) what ulterior motives does it ride on. I’m generally optimistic, but it’s easy to get cynical when everyone is trying to turn a buck. Nonetheless, there are definitely those out there with the greater good in mind—they just usually aren’t the ones with the $$$.
Very good point. I'm a dying optimist but optimism doesn't mean naivete. Important to root for progress but ask important questions of those who are changing things. Food is another great example. Companies are constantly swapping out ingredients for cheaper, more unhealthy ones. Read the ingredients on the back of a bag of bread... the ingredients are scary and sound nothing like food.
Thanks for the comments and for making me think. Appreciate you being here, Martin.
...bravo brother...i love physical labor so much (but i think largely because i don’t get to do it every day)...great insight though that we have the power to control what time we live in (kind of) and who we choose to be in this time (definitely)...we don’t need the apps...the apps need us...
You definitely nailed the physical labour point... I too enjoy it when I do it but only because I spend most of my days behind a computer. Another great insight: the apps need us. So true. We can check out of a lot of that stuff and check in to real life with simple actions and gestures each day. Less digital time and more human time is an aim I strive for.
Thanks for your comment pal, I always enjoy reading your thoughts and reactions.
Kacy, thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment. It is really amazing when you step back and look at how much the world has changed in 100 short years. And I believe you are right: people want the feeling of being human which we can only get through real connection with others and a handful of other uniquely human behaviours.