Either aim for Either ascetic simplicity or all-out ambition.Avoiding the middle is choosing between two extremes. Whatever the road you’re going to take, take that road with determination and fully commitAlso, you can do opposed things at the same time (read “trash” and do it guilt-free, but also read “hard” books)

How to avoid the middle?

Because it feels more comfortable in the short term. When you don’t challenge your views, the world is less complicated. It may seem like a good strategy, but any strategy that involves being static leads to disaster.Things can’t stay like that indefinitely, and that’s why you need epistemic humility. Accept new information and adapt your worldview

Stasis = Death

He [Who] Knows the “Why” for His Existence… Will Be Able to Bear Almost Any “How”

Jim has seen every European capital from London to Paris to Berlin on foot. Walking is the only way to truly understand a cityThomas walks at least a couple of hours a day; it’s where he gets his best ideas.You are thinking at the speed you are walking at; the motion and the fresh air help.

On Walking

It’s impossible and makes no sense to spend your life “avoiding” suffering (that’s some middle ground bullsh*t).Writers are sometimes stereotypically portrayed as quiet and depressive. In a way, this is the side effect of diving into “the depths” of your being.But, if you can grab the pearl (a piece of wisdom), and bring it to the surface then it makes it worthwhile. When you have a self-defined meaning behind your suffering, it makes it more endurable.

Suffering Is Inevitable, but It Can Be Meaningful

You’re on Twitter all day but not doing anything of meaning with itYou play guitar but have no purpose or method for improvement, and you wonder why you can’t progress. Side hustles that don’t develop any skills or money income.On the other hand, the edges are free even though you feel less safe. Learning and studying with a clear objective, i.e. going all out. Doing something fun and mindless like watching cartoons

The middle feels safe, but it’s dangerous and dull

Commonplacing is the act of compiling knowledge for future reference. Benefits of commonplace journaling:<ul><li>The best first step for aspiring writers</li><li>Organize your thoughts and generate new ideas</li><li>Get to know yourself and what you think; it’s a low-pressure context because there is no audience to write for</li><li>You can look back observe yourself from a more detached viewpoint (so you don’t fool yourself)</li></ul>We Are Unreliable Narrators: This is especially true when memory is involvedThings that we think are our memories get constantly updated and rewritten by our operating system.

The Idea of a Commonplace Journal

Those at the middle of the curve, being insecure and unsure of its position in the game of life, are always striving.

Thomas Bevan on starting a commonplace and Not defining growth with metrics

Thomas J Bevan is an author and essayist. He pens The Commonplace newsletter which includes workshops on writing, movie reviews, and essays on life. We talk about:  Starting a commonplace Striking a balance between the physical and digital Not defining growth with metrics The Soaring 20s Social Club And MUCH more!  Follow Thomas on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thomasjb3van and subscribe to his newsletter at https://thomasjbevan.substack.com/ 

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Become a more nuanced thinker.  In an era of uncertainty, the ability to think dynamically and avoid getting trapped in infinite loops of thought is more important than ever.  Whether we’re discussing ancient Chinese philosophy, the history of finance, or cutting-edge advances in artificial intelligence, our host Jim O'Shaughnessy’s passion, experience, and eclectic range of interests, combined with our extensive research into our podcast guests, always result in surprising conversations which substantively engage with our guests’ ideas.  Our aim: To equip you with the tools required to navigate through the Great Reshuffle that we are in.  Let’s start exploring.