Expanding Our View

Years ago, I was working at a software company. I was sitting in the lounge, on one of my breaks, reading a book on Philosophy when the CEO walked in and asked "Why aren't you reading books on software?" to which I replied "Because there's more to life than software...". With a puzzled look on his face, he left.

Recently, I read the "A Thomas Jefferson Education" book by Oliver DeMille and was reminded of that interaction. In his book, Oliver DeMille argues that people today are highly trained but poorly educated which creates situations where people aren't aligned morally. This is partly the reason why morally bankrupt individuals have found support in some areas of the world.

"It is only he who has learned to like himself who can be generous and friendly with other persons." -Les Giblin

In order to live, what I would consider to be, a complete human experience one must be proficient in one area of his life while also be knowledgeable in other areas such as relationships, health, philosophy, politics, finances... To only focus on one area is to miss out on all others and the narrow view creates situations where your beliefs aren't being challenged which opens the doors to being taken advantage of.

Spend time learning about your area of expertise while also looking at other subjects.

Where It's Okay To Scream

My sister won lodge tickets to a hockey game and invited both my dad an I. We had an amazing view of the game and it was one of the best matches I had seen in a while.

While I'm not much of a sports fan, I realized that arenas are a great outlet for stress. Throughout the night, people screamed/cheer/booed at whatever was happening on the ice seemingly forgetting, for a brief moment, the troubles of their lives.

The more I got into the game, the less my troubles seemed to matter. As I was screaming/cheering, I felt a weight getting off of my shoulder.

If there's anger inside of you and you feel like screaming - go support one of your local sports teams (where these behaviours are usually encouraged). Obviously, remain polite as you let it all out.

We're Never Better Than Machines

The fastest man in the world isn’t faster than a car. The strongest man in the world isn’t stronger than a bulldozer. The most intelligent man in the world can’t memorize as much information as a computer. In every situation where man is faced against a machine he comes short. 

When it comes to my job, I think about machines the same way I think about death. The question isn't on whether or not I will die, or be replaced by a machine, but when.
What remains important through this transition is whether or not we will still be free to pursue fulfilling human lives. What we ought to do today is start thinking about a purpose beyond wealth brought forth by labour as it's likely going away.

In the Star Trek universe, humans have evolved beyond the need of money. With their basic needs met, everyone is free to pursue their passions without monetary constraints. After all, what would be the point of an economy where everything is automated? Is this the sort of future that awaits us?

Focused Learning

"Nobody knows what knowledge will prove to be of use, and what is destined to be useless."

-John Stuart Mill

Most don’t learn beyond what is necessary for them to survive and surviving is all that they do.

Some people indulge too much in hobbies. If you can name all Star Wars characters, but can’t pay your bills, then you’ve been learning about the wrong things. Hobbies are only meant to be temporary escapes: They’re not meant to take over someone’s life.

In order to thrive in the Information, dawn of the A.I., Age it is important that we continuously learn about things that will support our lives both at home and professionally.

Learn about your work, how to be a better partner, about how to become a better member of society. 

2025 in Books

Since my early 20s I've always been carrying books around but never really committed to a yearly reading goal. For 2025 I was inspired by a friend, who read upwards of 2500 books in her lifetime, to setup a reading goal after she told me she wanted to read an additional 100 books throughout the year. My goal was to read a minimum of a book a month which was, apparently, too conservative as I got upwards of 35 this year in addition to quite a few science based magazines.

The amount of books isn't as important as what we're able to learn from them. While I can't recall every details of every book I read, the below are the ones that I connected with the most:

• "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" book by Carl Sagan explores the "why" people still believe in pseudo-science today.
• "Letters from a Stoic" book by Seneca (2024 modern translation) is a classic that explores the futility of accumulating things and what is required to be at peace with death (or at least try to be).
• "A Thomas Jefferson Education" book by Oliver DeMille is information I wished I would of gotten sooner in my self-improvement journey. If you're just starting out, this is one of the first books you should pick up.

The goal for next year will be 20 books. I have no idea how my friend is able to read 100 books/year... At 35 books, I already felt like I was reading all the time; Maybe I need to ask her if she reads in her sleep?