The Origin - Week 1
So, what exactly is this? Well, I couldn't tell you...yet. All I know is that for the last couple months, I’ve been looking for some way to express and articulate all the information I’ve been consuming and thinking about. I’m not sure how many people will end up reading through this, but if even one person can take something away or find any joy in receiving these, I’ll be happy. I would like to mention that much of my inspiration for this comes from the Minted Minutes newsletter written by Marcus Milione, as well as the Modern Wisdom podcast and newsletter by Chris Williamson. I have linked both of them accordingly, and I highly suggest checking them out.
Thoughts of the Week
With the first full week of my 2nd semester of classes wrapping up this week, I’ve started to implement and act on a couple of principles that I hope I can maintain throughout the semester and life as a whole. I don’t think any of these are academic exclusive, and I highly suggest trying to add any of them into your day.
Journaling
After years of seeing people talk about the benefits of journaling, I finally caved in and started journaling for 5-10 minutes in the morning and before bed. At first, I didn’t really know what I was doing, and simply wrote what was on my mind, but I’ve slowly been able to find a routine that worked for me. In the morning, I’ll write 3 things I’m grateful for as well as my goals for the day. Before bed, i’ll reflect on the interesting parts of my day, and get my thoughts down on paper. I’ve found that having a place to empty my thoughts has been especially helpful in going into every day with a clear mind.
Water
Admittedly, this is something I should have been doing a long time ago, but I have recently started prioritizing consistent daily water intake. I aim for about a gallon and try to limit any intake after 8pm. This has also been surprisingly useful in judging my hunger levels much more accurately.
Smiling
I used to be reserved about smiling, especially in photos, but over time I’ve realized how nice a smile can be. It’s a small act, but I can definitely recall specific moments when someone’s smile has made my day just a little better. As a result, I now make a conscious effort to smile every now and then. Admittedly, it has felt odd smiling at random people, but it's worth it to step outside of my comfort zone and try to spread some joy.
A smile, someone once said, costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.” - Dale Carnegie
Things to Think About
Instant vs Long-Term Gratification
I recently stumbled upon a podcast talking about the effects of reducing the sources of instant gratification in our lives in exchange for more activities that promote long-term gratification. This idea isn’t particularly new or unique, especially in the current state of the self-improvement world, but what caught my attention was the way it was framed.
“When you do instant gratification, what you’re doing is just stealing happiness from your future self”
Thinking about instant gratification like this has altered the way I make decisions. By framing it as a decision that will “steal” something from future me, I know I’ll be taking away something that I could have otherwise experienced. I’ll have to keep playing around with this way of thinking, as I think there are situations where instant gratification has its place.
The Danger of ChatGPT
I’ve recently been employing the help of ChatGPT in my everyday life, and have started to think more about what the upcoming release of GPT4 could mean for the future. With news about a subscription-priority model as well as an AI-generated text detector created by Open AI coming out, there seems to be more concerns about the ethics of the tool in our everyday life.
And the bad case -- and I think this is important to say -- is like lights out for all of us. I'm more worried about an accidental misuse case in the short term where someone gets a super powerful -- it's not like the AI wakes up and decides to be evil…But I can see the accidental misuse case clearly and that's super bad. So I think it's like impossible to overstate the importance of AI safety and alignment work. I would like to see much much more happening. - Sam Altman(CEO of OpenAI)
Although it’s nice to see concern from an individual as knowledgable as Altman, it is interesting that one of the main individual’s overseeing the creation of ChatGPT is also one of the individuals most concerned about the misuse of the tool. As many GPT users will tell you, the tool is only as powerful as the commands it is given, as it’s still largely limited by the constraints of its input. However, it will be interesting to see how this will change with more updates being released. Here’s the link to the full interview with Altman.
What I learned This Week
Young Male Syndrome
Young Male Syndrome is defined as the inclination of young, unmarried, and childless men to engage in risk-taking behavior as a result of higher testosterone levels. These high testosterone levels come from periods of time spent single, as male testosterone usually drops when an individual finds a partner. This drop is an effect of having more to lose, as a man with a wife and kids would statistically be less inclined to take any actions that could hurt them or put their genetic line at risk. Theories suggest that there are 3 main results of a society with a large amount of men dealing with Young Male Syndrome .
A drop in individual happiness
Introvert or Extrovert, all individuals desire connection in some form. An increase in YMS would not only mean more lonely men but also fewer connections in society as a whole.
Less stability in society
An increase in YMS means more men are spending time endangering their lives as opposed to being working, contributing members of society.
Birth rate problems
Any increase in the number of childless men will lead to problems when it comes to maintaining a steady birth rate.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too
In a culture brimming with social media influencers of all kinds, it’s easy to desire the work ethic of people like David Goggins, or the virality of someone like Mr. Beast. However, what we often forget is that the desirable traits and skills of these individuals usually come as a result of their shortcomings and experiences. Goggins didn’t develop his unparalleled grit without the grueling races that made him question everything. Similarly, Mr. Beast’s fame and communication skills weren’t developed without his experience of spending over a year of his childhood obsessing over Youtube metrics. You just can’t have your cake and eat it too. Success is a complete package that comes with all the lows one doesn’t expect, and it’s important to manage your expectations for what your road to success will look like.
Interesting Articles I Read This Week
Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal
TLDR: This study highlights the positive effects of brief sessions of breath work and meditation.
Seawater Split to produce Green Oxygen
TLDR: Researchers from the University of Adelaide have been successful in converting seawater into hydrogen via electrolysis
The inflation in Software Engineering titles
TLDR: In the last few years, there has been a large increase in the number of superficial titles being given to employees in the Software Development field.
Training
I don’t think anyone is too interested, but one of my favorite parts of the Minted Minutes is the training log, so I thought it could be interesting to include mine. I’m currently training for an road 8k in March, and am also trying to build as much lean muscle as possible without increasing weight.
Monday: 40 minutes easy, Lift: Off
Tuesday: 65 minutes easy, Lift: Legs
Wednesday: Off day, Lift: Pull
Thursday: 65 minutes easy, Lift: Chest
Friday: 45 minutes easy, Lift: Legs
Saturday: 60 minutes easy, Lift: Pull
Sunday: Long Run: 80 minutes , Lift: Chest
I seem to be recovering from the swollen marrow in my left leg well, but it’s important I maintain a steady routine of strengthening drills to bring the leg back to full speed. This completes my 2nd week of being back in the gym, and I’ve noticed my strength has come back considerably faster than I had expected. I expect to start workouts in the next week or two, which should provide a challenge as my legs are still getting used to lifting and walking around campus.
That’s all for this week! If you have any thoughts or suggestions on ways to improve this newsletter or parts you think could be in or excluded, please let me know! Feel free to comment below or message me on Instagram or email @tarun.vedula. Have a great week!
-Tarun