John Vervaeke teaches cognitive sciences University of Toronto. Similar to his Canadian colleague, Jordan Peterson, he became popular through his Youtube channel, where he explores deep philosophical ideas. In 50 hour-long episodes, Vervaeke analyses the crisis of meaning (which he describes as a pervasive feeling of alienation from the world and from each other). To get to the bottom of the meaning crisis he puts in context various historical philosophical schools of thought, combining them with cognitive sciences and much more.

John Vervaeke's "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis"

To seek our purpose in the world is a human pursuit for millennia. For Vervaeke, the meaning in life is found in wisdom. But the modern world has distanced us from the goalpost and Vervaeke points out spikes in depression, suicide rates, and social unrest.But while things look bleak the public seems to be much more interested in topics related to meaning: mindfulness, stoicism, psychedelic ... all of these weird Hippie interests points to a revival of the meaning conversation.

The meaning of life in the 21st century

Humans existed for 200-300 thousand years. But 40,000 BC something happened. Humans started living in settlements. And they started to make ... art. Sculptures, paintings, and even music.This is the period where humans have an upgrade to their cognitions. They invent abstract tools like the calendar or projectile weapons.Meaning began when our ancestors started to complement their tech with psycho technologies to allow them to deal with the environment but also with others. Literacy or shamanic rituals are some early such technologies.

Upper Paleolithic Transition

We evolved to use tools. In that sense, we are natural-born cyborgs. Our clothes, our objects are tools we enhanced ourselves with biologically. Psycho technologies enhance our brain. Like literacy, which enhances our cognition by helping us to remember. Taking notes makes time obvious.If we use a computer analogy: regular technology enhances our hardware, while psycho technology is like a software upgrade. Since humans operate on pretty much the same basic hardware it can be concluded all our major advances were psychological.

Psycho Technology

Saying "How are you?" was a huge leap fwd in the interaction between human beings: It shows you are interested in others. It allows relationships built on trust and ... trading. Mindsight is the ability to pick up on other people's mental states. It is a massive cognitive advancement of people from 40,000 years ago.And once we started paying attention to others, we also started paying attention to our own mental state.

mindsight

Shamanism is a cultivated ritual for altering your consciousness. It was so pervasive in prehistorical civilization, to today the shaman became an archetype: Yoda, Merlin, any old wise man are all Shamanic characters.Shamans do this through sleep deprivation, imitation of animals, isolation, or psychedelics. The goal is to create awakening experiences by disrupting the normal patterns in the world, which trap you.

Shamanic rituals

When the shaman dresses like a deer, he is not imitating the deer. He is becoming the deer.

A very long series of lectures about meaning from a Canadian cognitive academic. I plan to watch them all and will share my insights as I go.

New videos released every Friday. List of Books in the Video: •Michael Anderson - After Phrenology: Neural Reuse and the Interactive Brain •Barry Boyce (Editor) - The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life •Andy Clark - Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence •Michel Ferrari and Nic Weststrate (Editors) - The Scientific Study of Personal Wisdom: From Contemplative Traditions to Neuroscience •Harry Frankfurt – On Bullsh*t •David Lewis-Williams - The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art •L. A. Paul - Transformative Experience •Massimo Pigliucci - How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life •Matt Rossano - Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved •Daniel Siegel - Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation •Steve Taylor - Waking From Sleep: Why Awakening Experiences Occur and How to Make Them Permanent •John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Filip Miscevic - Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis •Michael Winkelman - Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing •Susan Wolf - Meaning in Life and Why It Matters Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vervaeke.John/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john First episode of Dr. John Vervaeke's Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

philosophy

Philosophy

history

History

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

New videos released every Friday.

List of Books in the Video:

•Michael Anderson - After Phrenology: Neural Reuse and the Interactive Brain 
•Barry Boyce (Editor) - The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life 
•Andy Clark - Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence 
•Michel Ferrari and Nic Weststrate (Editors) - The Scientific Study of Personal Wisdom: From Contemplative Traditions to Neuroscience
•Harry Frankfurt – On Bullsh*t 
•David Lewis-Williams - The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art 
•L. A. Paul - Transformative Experience 
•Massimo Pigliucci - How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life 
•Matt Rossano - Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved 
•Daniel Siegel - Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
•Steve Taylor - Waking From Sleep: Why Awakening Experiences Occur and How to Make Them Permanent 
•John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Filip Miscevic - Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis
•Michael Winkelman - Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing
•Susan Wolf - Meaning in Life and Why It Matters

Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vervaeke.John/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john

First episode of Dr. John Vervaeke's Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.

John Vervaeke, PhD is an award-winning lecturer at the University of Toronto in the departments of psychology, cognitive science and Buddhist psychology.

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John Vervaeke

Ep. 1 - Awakening from the Meaning Crisis - Introduction

A great man is hard on himself; A small man is hard on others.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

Shower thoughts

It is approximately people who like Monday quotes? You understand the kind—you see them with their plastered-on smiles. Their peppy outlook, and their completed to-do lists. I envy those humans, in particular, due to the fact I’m no longer one in every one of them.&nbsp;

Here we're going to explore step by step 64 inspirationally positive early Monday quotes that are the beginning of the week.

productivity

Productivity

habits

Habits

How to start Monday morning? Top 64 Monday Quotes - Motivational Blog

We think of our body as a brain that operates a machine of flesh & bones. Our mind distinctively separated from our bodies. It's why we think we can start living in the meta-verse.But we don't have a body. We are a body!All our consciousness is the result of our body interacting with the world and other people. Separating the 2, even in theory, makes no sense.

The myth of mind body separation

We somehow think children are better at language learning than adults. But an adult brain is so much better than a kid's brain so if something changes is the adult body.We also think language is like an instinct. But it has been proven that people growing without other humans don't develop language ability.A language is a tool, a social tool. To use a language one has to interact with others in a certain context. Languages are lived, not purely spoken.

Language Learning Myths

Language is a unity of generalisation and social interaction, a unity of thinking and communication.

We think our minds can be filled with information, books, methods etc... Like a container. That metaphor is broken. There is a huge difference between knowledge and knowing. The transition from to another is activity. Doing the knowledge is the only way to know. This is true learning.

Knowledge ≠ Knowing

We are not a mind and a body.We are somebody.

As everyone is dreaming about the metaverse, we have to remember our consciousness is not a brain process that happens in out brains, but a full experience with our bodies. This has some big insights on learning.

Are you a mind, or a body? Join me on a philosophical adventure into language, learning, and human nature. - Get unlimited access to my courses and learner community in the Canguro Academy. Learn pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening, and more! https://canguroenglish.com/academy - Stay updated on how to learn English: Canguro English newsletter: https://canguroenglish.com/newsletter - Official Facebook group: https://canguroenglish.com/facebook Instagram: https://canguroenglish.com/instagram Listen to the podcast: https://canguroenglish.com/anchor Twitter: https://canguroenglish.com/twitter - Buy official Canguro English merchandise here: https://canguroenglish.com/merch

mindfulness

Mindfulness

education

Learning & Education

Are you a mind, or a body? Join me on a philosophical adventure into language, learning, and human nature.
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Get unlimited access to my courses and learner community in the Canguro Academy.
Learn pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening, and more!
https://canguroenglish.com/academy
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Stay updated on how to learn English:
Canguro English newsletter: https://canguroenglish.com/newsletter
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Official Facebook group: https://canguroenglish.com/facebook
Instagram: https://canguroenglish.com/instagram
Listen to the podcast: https://canguroenglish.com/anchor
Twitter: https://canguroenglish.com/twitter
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Buy official Canguro English merchandise here: https://canguroenglish.com/merch

Changing the way the world learns English.

Canguro English

Learning is useless.

Einstein understood the value of developing an informal avocation. “Mainly play the things on the piano which please you,” he tells his son, “even if the teacher does not assign those.”Doing what you love, the way you like to do it, he goes on, “is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes."

Do What You Love, The Way You Like To Do It

Csikszentmihalyi’s insights into human flourishing mirror Einstein’s: he calls such creative immersion “flow,” or the state of “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake.”"The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost." - Csikszentmihalyi

Creative Immersion, Flow ~ Human Flourishing

Contrary to our usual conceptions of using one’s “skills to the utmost,” Csikszentmihalyi tells us that the reward for entering such a state is not the material benefits it generates, but the positive emotions. These, as Einstein theorized, not only motivate us to become better, but they also provide a source of meaning no amount of financial gain above a minimum level can offer.

The Reward Of Positive Emotions Give Sense Of Meaning 

“The lack of basic material resources contributes to unhappiness,” Csikszentmihalyi’s data demonstrates, “but the increase in material resources does not increase happiness.” While none of us can be Einstein, Csikszentmihalyi tells us we can all benefit from Einstein’s advice, by doing whatever we do to the best of our abilities and without any motive other than sheer pleasure.

Do What We Love To The Best Of Our Abilities For Sheer Pleasure

Flow is indeed a lovely state to be in. Sharing this here as a reminder to self and to everyone else too.

As one particularly astute observer of human emotions might put it, it is a truth universally acknowledged that we can’t all be Albert Einstein. In fact, none of us can. Open Culture, openculture.com

health

Health

creativity

Creativity

Albert Einstein Tells His Son The Key to Learning & Happiness is Losing Yourself in Creativity (or “Finding Flow”)

According to Lawrence Kohlberg, there are six stages of moral development. STAGE 1 - Punishment/Obedience Motivated by fear of punishmentSTAGE 2 - Self-interest/Rewards Motivated by the promise of rewardSTAGE 3 - Conformity/Pleaser (social norms) Motivated by a desire to please others STAGE 4 - Law & Order Motivated by a belief in rules and social orderSTAGE 5 - Empathy Motivated by a consideration of othersSTAGE 6 - Integrity Motivated by a personal code of ethics

6 Stages of Moral Development

An inspiring guide to transforming education for children describes the methods through which the author exposes first-generation immigrant students to classic culture and enables them to score in the top one percent on standardized tests.

books

Books

Read Rafe Esquith's posts on the Penguin Blog. The New York Times bestseller that is revolutionizing the way Americans educate their kids-"Rafe Esquith is a genius and a saint" (The New York Times) Perhaps the most famous fifth-grade teacher in America, Rafe Esquith has won numerous awards and even honorary citizenship in the British Empire for his outstandingly successful methods. In his Los Angeles public school classroom, he helps impoverished immigrant children understand Shakespeare, play Vivaldi, and become happy, self-confident people. This bestseller gives any teacher or parent all the techniques, exercises, and innovations that have made its author an educational icon, from personal codes of behavior to tips on tackling literature and algebra. The result is a powerful book for anyone concerned about the future of our children.

Rafe Esquith

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire

Don't complain for a whole day and observe how your day unfolds.<ul><li>This will shift your focus to see the good in everything.</li><li>Amor Fati — accept and love everything that happens</li><li>Be grateful for all the things and events that happened and may happen because it may help you realize the things you can improve on.</li><li>We must embrace uncertainty. </li><li>Recognize that we have no control over everything; we only have control over how we perceive and respond to it.</li></ul>

Don't complain

Practice what you Preach or change your Speech<ul><li>Walk the talk</li><li>Reflect on the actions that you did today if it represents who you want to be.</li></ul>

Practice what you preach

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">We must not force ourselves to finish everything all at once. Take one step at a time.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep in mind that we have the option to take a break. We don't have to push ourselves all the way to the brink of exhaustion.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">We must also reflect on the things that we did to visualize our progress.</li></ul>

Act. Rest. Reflect. Repeat.

Keep moving forward

This serves as a gentle reminder that we always have the option to rest. We're not obligated to complete everything at once. Just concentrate on one thing at a time and savor the experience. Have a nice day!

Thoughts for the Day [Nov. 3]

A RACI matrix, also called a RACI chart, is a type of responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) in project management. In practice, it’s a simple spreadsheet or table that lists all stakeholders on a project and their level involvement in each task, denoted with the letters R, A, C or I. Once these roles are defined, assignments can be attributed to the roles and work can begin.

RACI Matrix: Project Management Tool

The RACI matrix roles highlight the level at which a stakeholder or team member is involved with a particular task.<ol><li>Responsible: A manager or team member who is directly responsible for successfully completing a project task.</li><li>Accountable: The person with final authority over the successful completion of the specific task or deliverable.</li><li>Consulted: Someone with unique insights the team will consult.</li><li>Informed: A client or executive who isn’t directly involved, but you should keep up to speed.</li></ol>

What are the RACI Roles?

Pros:<ol><li>Maintain clear and open communication with all stakeholders.</li><li>Avoid overwhelming team members with tasks or unnecessary information.</li><li>Avoid “too many cooks” offering input on any task.</li><li>Help stakeholders prepare for a project’s future impact on their work.</li></ol>Cons:<ol><li>You might spend time unnecessarily creating the chart for simple projects.</li><li>Roles are rigid and might not fully illustrate a team member’s stake in a project.</li></ol>

Pros And Cons Of RACI

Use the RACI matrix for:<ul><li>Large-scale projects with clear-cut deliverables or workgroups</li><li>Organizations that have static roles and responsibilities</li><li>Projects with a wide variety of stakeholders for different aspects</li><li>Projects spanning multiple departments</li><li>Projects in highly regulated industries</li></ul>Don’t use the RACI matrix for:<ul><li>Small, single-department projects — it’s likely not necessary</li><li>Teams working with an Agile framework like Scrum</li></ul>

When To Use And Avoid

Projects require many people's involvement, but how do we avoid a situation where people are struggling against one another to do a task.

RACI defines each team member's role to manage cost and project duration. Learn how to incorporate RACI into your project now.

career

Career

problemsolving

Problem Solving

teamwork

Teamwork

RACI Matrix | Understanding Responsibility Assignment Matrix

Stoicism, a school of thought that flourished in Greek and Roman antiquity. It was one of the loftiest and most sublime philosophies in the record of Western civilization. In urging participation in human affairs, Stoics have always believed that the goal of all inquiry is to provide a mode of conduct characterized by tranquillity of mind and certainty of moral worth.

Stoicism 

The Stoics believed that perception is the basis of true knowledge. In logic, their comprehensive presentation of the topic is derived from perception, yielding not only the judgment that knowledge is possible but also that certainty is possible, on the analogy of the incorrigibility of perceptual experience. To them, the world is composed of material things, with some few exceptions (e.g., meaning), and the irreducible element in all things is right reason, which pervades the world as divine fire.

Nature Of Stoicism 

communication

Communication

Stoicism | Definition, History, & Influence | Britannica

<ul><li>Art of Acquiescence - to accept rather than fight every little thing</li><li>In Stoicism, instead of accepting what happens, we must enjoy what has happened - whatever it is.</li></ul>

Accepting What is

Amor Fati [A love of fate]It's not just accepting, it's loving everything that happens.

No matter how much preparation, no matter how skilled or smart we are, the ultimate outcome is in the lap of the gods. The sooner we know that, the better we will be.<ul><li>However, actions still play an important role because you miss 100% of the shots you do not take.</li><li>Even when we fail, we become more resilient and wiser, which increases our chances even further as we strive and work harder.</li></ul>

Binding our wishes to what will be

From the team that brought you The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, a beautiful daily devotional of Stoic meditations—an instant Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller. Why have history's greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today's top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you'll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you'll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.

From the team that brought you The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, a beautiful daily devotional of Stoic meditations—an instant Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller. Why have history's greatest minds—from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today's top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities—embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you'll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you'll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well.

Ryan Holiday is media strategist for notorious clients like Tucker Max and Dov Charney. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under the strategist Robert Greene, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He is the Director of Marketing at American Apparel, where his work in advertising was internationally known. His strategies are used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google, and have been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker, and Fast Company. He is the author is *Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator*, which is due out in July. He currently lives in New Orleans, with his rebellious puppy, Hanno.

Ryan Holiday

Stephen Hanselman is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Stephen Hanselman has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Stephen Hanselman's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Stephen Hanselman

The Daily Stoic

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