#18 You can always make time to be a good person
#18 You can always make time to be a good person
One with 3 Laws, 6 word stories and profile of a gentleman
I indulged myself in binge-watching this weekend. Money Heist & then the latest episode of Ted Lasso - 'idiot box' was a lot of fun this weekend. I won’t comment on Money Heist. But, I do have a take on Ted Lasso. This episode (S2E7) was a letdown when I finished it. It felt uneventful. I could not believe it. So I got to what every series nerd does - I read online about the episode. And then I realized it. Its beauty was that it delved deep into human behaviour. There were no big waves but dark & silent motions. Ted & Dr Sharon's interaction was such an eye-opener. Seeking help can be scary and challenging. Even the most positive & sensible person out there (read Coach Ted) feared & tried hard to avoid it. It cannot get more realistic than this.
It's been a hectic week and weekend. I was tempted to take a shortcut on the post this week. As I was about to get started, I came across a snippet from James Clear’s Atomic Habit.
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”
I cannot risk breaking my writing habit. So, I toiled through the Sunday evening. I have gathered some gems from my collections of favourite readings from the last few months. These are not fresh off the press but are relevant anytime every time. After all, some things are timeless.
So let’s get to them, shall we?
1.
The Three Laws of Human Behavior
Like Newton’s law of motion, these three laws sound so simple and almost common sense. But all that is simple is not always easy to use. This article does a good job in not just defining these laws, but also set some starting points to go deeper.
The three laws themselves can be seen in the beautiful illustration.
Image source: https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/the-three-laws-of-human-behavior/
2.
Six-words stories
The format is very simple. An interesting topic, tell a story. Any constraints? Yes, just one - you have got only 6 words. I’ve enjoyed many Twitter threads on this format. But this section on the Wired website tops them all. It shares a new sci-fi topic every month and asks its reader to submit their stories. The output is amazing, you've to read them to believe it.
Here’re my favourites:
A story about a robot pop star - The unplugged sessions didn’t go well.
A story about a self-aware self-driving car - It’s my way on the highway.
A story about a casual encounter with aliens - So, about your planet’s extended warranty...
3.
Profile Dossier: Keanu Reeves
The most famous scene in "The Matrix" is when Reeves's character Neo is offered the choice between taking the red pill or the blue pill. The red pill would free him from the enslaving control of the machine-generated dream world while the blue pill represents a beautiful prison of comfort within the simulated reality of the Matrix.
It begs the question — Is it better to free your mind? Or live in blissful ignorance?
"The red pill, to me, is a kind of symbolic taking of the torch of trying to understand,” Keanu Reeves says. “It represents the best of who we could possibly be to ourselves and other people."
His story is a fascinating tale of how tragedy can be used to create a beautiful life filled with joy and kindness. It’s a feel-good read, uncovering many inspiring aspects of the actor’s life & philosophy.
4.
Rice, rice baby: Japanese parents send relatives rice to hug in lieu of newborns
Japanese rituals have stood the test of time and triumphed more often than other cultures. This one is the story about how one such ritual is fighting with the Covid world to survive. The headline above says it all, still, check out this link to see one of the cutest rice bags in the world.
5.
Some random goodness from the internet:
Instagram: Vincent Bal’s Instagram feed ‘Shadowlogy’ is magical. His imagination is wild and can create beautiful images from the shadows of mundane objects.
Web: Atlas Obscura is a rabbit hole for hidden surprises that are anywhere between interesting to weird. I found limited results when I searched for Bangalore. But there seems to be some really good info available for hidden gems around Delhi. Check out the screenshot below from the website:
Youtube: According to its website - "Little Big World" turns the most beautiful and interesting places on earth into adorable miniature models using tilt-shift photography with spectacular drone cinematography and amazing time-lapses.
I did not know most of the technical jargon mentioned in the description above. But as I saw it, I realized that it basically means magic. You’re about to see stunning visuals from some of the most beautiful places.
Warning: you won't be able to stop once you start watching them.
Before we sign off, here's a snapshot of a tweet worth saving.
Don’t get bogged down on the tools. It’s the process that makes all the difference.
That's all for this week, folks!
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PS: Today's post is grade 5 as per https://hemingwayapp.com/