The other day at work, we talked about the value of experiments. In the context of poker, if you play the same game, an adaptive player will always win in the long run. And yes, the long run can be a very long time and perhaps the experiment isn't worth the initial cost, but many times the benefits are enormous. For example, let's talk about my mom's cooking. My mom is a great cook and I always love going back home to eat her cooking, but it's likely that she improved to a point and stopped experimenting because her cooking reached a level she is satisfied with. But if every time she made the same dish, she tried 1-2 new things, the results would be extraordinary.
So the first barrier to running experiments is being narrow-minded to the possibility that a better alternative may exist or not wanting to improve on the current state. Maybe you've never tried yoga, golf, Indian cuisine, meditation, Brazilian jujitsu, some experimental drug, sex with a (insert adjective here) girl, waking up early, the possibilities are endless. What if you tried it, and it ends up being a game changer? In fact, this is where I have trouble and I'm trying to be more open minded about new possibilities.
The second barrier to running successful experiments is the difficulty in determining results. Say you have trouble sleeping, what can you do? You might try to relieve stress through a hobby, exercising, removing distractions before bed, or maybe some sleeping aid drug. But how many data points do you need to determine it's unsuccessful? How do you determine adverse side affects? In a game like poker, it might be easier to conduct experiments because of the controlled environment and limited number of decision points. But in real life, there are so many uncontrolled variables that it can be extremely difficult to evaluate the experiment. How many times do you try a food before you can determine you do not care for it? Have you considered acquired tastes? The costs of trying a new food or restaurant is so low. But when you find that favorite dish or restaurant, it will continue to blow your mind forever.
Anyways, we're way too young to be stuck with our habits. Try new things! The downside is so small, yet the upside is nearly unlimited.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Framing
Framing is the way we look at things. Having a baby. It could be "magical," could be mistake, could be simply the further reproduction in the evolution of a species.
I'd like to point out that we frame almost everything in a way that our parents and society have taught us (which makes a lot of sense), BUT that makes us unaware. I'll give a few examples. The idea of a birthday wish already assumes we don't have everything we want. So does the idea of a dream. The fear of death is ingrained in us as something horrible, but it happens to everyone. How can it be horrible? Our society emphasizes the importance of the individual. And in the grand scheme of things, our only affect on the world is likely to be our children. Yet we believe that there is nothing more important than the self. Society emphasizes having a great career. But there are a lot of careers that manipulate the masses in order to achieve greater profits. And again, the concept of the self is more important, so we want to make money at the expense of others.
I think about a certain frame a lot. It's one where you can put a creature in an environment and watch it. Like if you watched rats or puppies or monkeys in their natural habitats, what happens? And now,
if you watched a video of yourself, what would you see? I go to work 5 days a week, and probably spend of my non-work hours alone. I eat well, exercise from time to time, and I'll see my friends maybe 2 nights a week. Once a month, I visit my family.
Try this exercise with your own life and someone else's life. What would life be like as a billionaire? What would life be like as a lunch lady? Or a sweatshop worker, or a prostitute, or a soldier, etc. Think of how your day to day would change, and how your relationships with other people are different. Imagine yourself as another person, then think about the community, the country, the human race, then how we fit in this universe. And on every level, the frame is different.
On the universe level, we are all part of the same flow of events. We are the product of some series of events that created the Earth, created life, and life has evolved to our current state. And the universe will continue, we will die, our offspring will evolve and the flow of things continues. Yet sometimes it seems like we work so hard to go against the flow of things. Society gives us the impression that we should all want to be rich models with fancy things, but statistically, less than 1% of people can obtain all of these things. And if that's the case, then were we born likely to be depressed. But from a different frame, aren't we incredibly unlikely to be born? In which case, we should be born likely to be ecstatic.
I'd like to point out that we frame almost everything in a way that our parents and society have taught us (which makes a lot of sense), BUT that makes us unaware. I'll give a few examples. The idea of a birthday wish already assumes we don't have everything we want. So does the idea of a dream. The fear of death is ingrained in us as something horrible, but it happens to everyone. How can it be horrible? Our society emphasizes the importance of the individual. And in the grand scheme of things, our only affect on the world is likely to be our children. Yet we believe that there is nothing more important than the self. Society emphasizes having a great career. But there are a lot of careers that manipulate the masses in order to achieve greater profits. And again, the concept of the self is more important, so we want to make money at the expense of others.
I think about a certain frame a lot. It's one where you can put a creature in an environment and watch it. Like if you watched rats or puppies or monkeys in their natural habitats, what happens? And now,
if you watched a video of yourself, what would you see? I go to work 5 days a week, and probably spend of my non-work hours alone. I eat well, exercise from time to time, and I'll see my friends maybe 2 nights a week. Once a month, I visit my family.
Try this exercise with your own life and someone else's life. What would life be like as a billionaire? What would life be like as a lunch lady? Or a sweatshop worker, or a prostitute, or a soldier, etc. Think of how your day to day would change, and how your relationships with other people are different. Imagine yourself as another person, then think about the community, the country, the human race, then how we fit in this universe. And on every level, the frame is different.
On the universe level, we are all part of the same flow of events. We are the product of some series of events that created the Earth, created life, and life has evolved to our current state. And the universe will continue, we will die, our offspring will evolve and the flow of things continues. Yet sometimes it seems like we work so hard to go against the flow of things. Society gives us the impression that we should all want to be rich models with fancy things, but statistically, less than 1% of people can obtain all of these things. And if that's the case, then were we born likely to be depressed. But from a different frame, aren't we incredibly unlikely to be born? In which case, we should be born likely to be ecstatic.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Game Changer: Meditation
I've been reading a lot of positive psychology, which is the study of how to be happy, optimistic, confident, etc. And there's research that shows meditation can literally transform your brain to make you more likely to be content and happy.
Happiest Man in the World
Quick 2min video about meditation
The first link is an article about a monk who undergoes brain scans and shows happiness levels that are completely off the charts. The second is a western psychologist who's done lots of research on eastern meditation techniques and effects.
The first point I'd like to get across is that your brain is constantly changing and continues to develop, change, grow or decay throughout your lifetime. This is phenomenal!! We're constantly changing our ideas, viewpoints and opinions, but we can also change our fundamental outlook on the world. Neural connections can be created very quickly if we allow our mind to continue to expand. As children, we're constantly confronting new feelings, emotions and ideas but it doesn't change as adults. There are fewer new experiences for adults, which results and fewer neural connections created.
The second point is that meditation or mindfulness training can help us change our brains. We all know the placebo effect is real, and that a $2 hotdog tastes better than a 25c hotdog, or a $2 aspirin is more effective than a 25c aspirin. Our mind changes how we perceive and happiness is a function of our perception.
One of the ways that the mind changes through meditation is that we become more aware. There are many lies being told in our society that are perpetuated and become truth to many people. Awareness and mindfulness development over time will reveal many truths because it removes you from the current state and see the world from a different point of view. I personally dislike the phrase, "I don't know why anyone would do that." It's a very ignorant phrase which is used too often and basically translates into, "I only understand the way I think."
There's also the conventional arguments of stress relief, anger reduction, better sleep or whatnot, but you all have heard that before.
Happiest Man in the World
Quick 2min video about meditation
The first link is an article about a monk who undergoes brain scans and shows happiness levels that are completely off the charts. The second is a western psychologist who's done lots of research on eastern meditation techniques and effects.
The first point I'd like to get across is that your brain is constantly changing and continues to develop, change, grow or decay throughout your lifetime. This is phenomenal!! We're constantly changing our ideas, viewpoints and opinions, but we can also change our fundamental outlook on the world. Neural connections can be created very quickly if we allow our mind to continue to expand. As children, we're constantly confronting new feelings, emotions and ideas but it doesn't change as adults. There are fewer new experiences for adults, which results and fewer neural connections created.
The second point is that meditation or mindfulness training can help us change our brains. We all know the placebo effect is real, and that a $2 hotdog tastes better than a 25c hotdog, or a $2 aspirin is more effective than a 25c aspirin. Our mind changes how we perceive and happiness is a function of our perception.
One of the ways that the mind changes through meditation is that we become more aware. There are many lies being told in our society that are perpetuated and become truth to many people. Awareness and mindfulness development over time will reveal many truths because it removes you from the current state and see the world from a different point of view. I personally dislike the phrase, "I don't know why anyone would do that." It's a very ignorant phrase which is used too often and basically translates into, "I only understand the way I think."
There's also the conventional arguments of stress relief, anger reduction, better sleep or whatnot, but you all have heard that before.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Sick TED Talks
http://www.ted.com/talks/david_christian_big_history.html
Talks about the history of the universe, from the big bang to the beginning of life, through evolution and our current role in the universe.
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html
Talks about the different growth rates of countries and compares them to measures of health, like child mortality. Talks about wealth, growth, health, population, trends of the world and revealing true statistics which are likely to contradict our current beliefs.
http://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_hawking_asks_big_questions_about_the_universe.html
Talks about the possibility of aliens, space, time and the future of the world.
Talks about the history of the universe, from the big bang to the beginning of life, through evolution and our current role in the universe.
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html
Talks about the different growth rates of countries and compares them to measures of health, like child mortality. Talks about wealth, growth, health, population, trends of the world and revealing true statistics which are likely to contradict our current beliefs.
http://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_hawking_asks_big_questions_about_the_universe.html
Talks about the possibility of aliens, space, time and the future of the world.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Theory of Mind
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind It is the idea that children cannot understand that other people have different ideas and feelings. Basically, children believe the world revolves around them and they are they only thing that matter. As we grow older, we develop the capacity for compassion.
Second level thinking can greatly improve relationships. Relationships by definition is a two-way street. If you can read body language well, or simply ask a friend questions from his perspective, it can go long way into developing a deeper relationship. Most teenagers are unable to understand this concept, which may contribute to why high school is so harsh towards people who aren't "popular." I also believe that I was able to form deeper relationships in college because of the slight increase in maturity.
How do I get better talking to girls? How can I interview better? How can I be a better son? How do I show my boss I deserve more responsibility? We don't really need a book to tell us any of these things. If we could fully understand the other person, we would have the solution to all of our questions.
Perhaps maturity and wisdom are both related to theory of mind and our ability to see through another's eyes.
Perhaps maturity and wisdom are both related to theory of mind and our ability to see through another's eyes.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Cost of Living
A good friend of mine made a good argument for the fact that there exists a cost of living. I work 45-50 hrs a week and I get paid. With my money I can afford some lifestyle and I also have vacation days. On weekends and vacation days, I can determine exactly what I want to do. Vacations and weekends are my time. And in order to have this standard of living and have my own time, I must work and for 50 hrs a week for the next maybe 30 yrs of my life, these hours belong to someone else. If you screw up enough, you lose your job and can no longer maintain the same standard of living. The argument is that in order to live my current lifestyle in the US with my friends and family, and all the safety and running water and constant internet access, I must have a job and I don't choose what I'm doing. Sure I can start a company but that is also running a high risk that I may not have the same standard of living. Sure I can choose my job, which is somewhat of a choice of what I want to do in those hours, but nonetheless, I must add value somewhere. I can choose a lower standard of living, but that simply lowers the cost. I'll be free to do what I want with my time, but time and money are interchangeable at this point. If you want more time, you'll have less money. If you want to be able to pay for more things and vacations, you need to work more.
Something like 30-40% of my waking hours of my entire life are going to be working somewhere or at school. I might work at a great job and be doing well for myself relative to the average college graduate, but 35% of my waking hours are dedicated to something that is not determined my me.
The one thing we have going for us is how we interpret these hours. In A Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl writes about his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. For the prisoners, 100% of their waking hours are determined by someone else. They have no vacation days and no weekends and are also separated from their families and friends. But what Frankl finds is that one can find meaning through hardship. Rather, one is forced to find meaning or become depressed and lose the will to live. Maslow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs) once said that if you take 3 men from 3 different walks of life. Beggar, priest, businessman. You deprive of them of food and sleep for 1 week and they'll become the same person, a hungry fiend. In practice, Frankl discovered that men are completely different when they are deprived of food and sleep. Some find meaning in life, some would choose to die rather than give up a name of someone who stole bread from the kitchen. Some choose to steal or turn their back on the Jewish people. It is possible to laugh, even in times of great distress and it is possible to be happy. This gives me great hope.
My takeaway from this idea is that
1. Time and money are interchangeable, Cost of Living exists
2. It is possible to be happy at our job, perhaps 'cost' is not the best word
3. Either pick a job you like, or like the job you have
Something like 30-40% of my waking hours of my entire life are going to be working somewhere or at school. I might work at a great job and be doing well for myself relative to the average college graduate, but 35% of my waking hours are dedicated to something that is not determined my me.
The one thing we have going for us is how we interpret these hours. In A Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl writes about his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. For the prisoners, 100% of their waking hours are determined by someone else. They have no vacation days and no weekends and are also separated from their families and friends. But what Frankl finds is that one can find meaning through hardship. Rather, one is forced to find meaning or become depressed and lose the will to live. Maslow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs) once said that if you take 3 men from 3 different walks of life. Beggar, priest, businessman. You deprive of them of food and sleep for 1 week and they'll become the same person, a hungry fiend. In practice, Frankl discovered that men are completely different when they are deprived of food and sleep. Some find meaning in life, some would choose to die rather than give up a name of someone who stole bread from the kitchen. Some choose to steal or turn their back on the Jewish people. It is possible to laugh, even in times of great distress and it is possible to be happy. This gives me great hope.
My takeaway from this idea is that
1. Time and money are interchangeable, Cost of Living exists
2. It is possible to be happy at our job, perhaps 'cost' is not the best word
3. Either pick a job you like, or like the job you have
Illusion and Reality
So, I'm a nerd and I'm a big fan of Naruto, which is an anime about ninjas. There is a character named Sasuke Uchiha who has a brother named Itachi. Their clan is one of the most powerful in the world because of their special eyes, which they could use to place others into an illusion called 'genjutsu' and also have high levels of perception. Itachi killed every member of the Uchiha clan, except for Sasuke and Sasuke goes on a quest to kill his brother to seek revenge. His brother is one of the best ninjas in the world but also loves his little brother. After Sasuke murders Itachi, he finds out that his brother was forced to murder his own clan because of political reasons. Thus, Sasuke seeks to destroy the village that forced his brother into such an act.
For the whole beginning of Sasuke's life, he believed one thing, and lived his life around getting stronger so he can one day face his brother. And after discovering the truth, he changed his beliefs about his brother and turned his anger towards something else. Perhaps Itachi created this hatred inside Sasuke in order to make him strong, and for what purpose? Maybe Itachi has even bigger plans for Sasuke's future.
Itachi was able to shape Sasuke's reality with illusions he created. And after Sasuke discovers 'the truth', perhaps he is still in another illusion. Sort of like an inception-like illusion within an illusion. This is similar to movies like The Matrix or Inception, where the illusion becomes the reality. But what I want to leave this with is the fact that our environment has created our reality. My parents, teachers, friends, NJ, BRHS, Columbia, etc. have shaped my reality. And my reality is completely different from that of others. I'm not saying that we might wake up one day and realize robot sentinels have taken over the world, but that perhaps our reality is not the best form of reality. Do we have the power to change our own illusion/reality? Can we break free from the illusion/reality that our society has created for us? What can we gain from experiencing the reality of others? And of course, is there a difference between an illusion and reality?
For the whole beginning of Sasuke's life, he believed one thing, and lived his life around getting stronger so he can one day face his brother. And after discovering the truth, he changed his beliefs about his brother and turned his anger towards something else. Perhaps Itachi created this hatred inside Sasuke in order to make him strong, and for what purpose? Maybe Itachi has even bigger plans for Sasuke's future.
Itachi was able to shape Sasuke's reality with illusions he created. And after Sasuke discovers 'the truth', perhaps he is still in another illusion. Sort of like an inception-like illusion within an illusion. This is similar to movies like The Matrix or Inception, where the illusion becomes the reality. But what I want to leave this with is the fact that our environment has created our reality. My parents, teachers, friends, NJ, BRHS, Columbia, etc. have shaped my reality. And my reality is completely different from that of others. I'm not saying that we might wake up one day and realize robot sentinels have taken over the world, but that perhaps our reality is not the best form of reality. Do we have the power to change our own illusion/reality? Can we break free from the illusion/reality that our society has created for us? What can we gain from experiencing the reality of others? And of course, is there a difference between an illusion and reality?
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