Psychology of money

I picked up the psychology of money by Morgan housel; last week. The summary of the book happens to be two things: 

  1. Own your time or independence 
  2. Live your life instead of chasing someone else’s or, consumerism should not lead life. 

I could relate to the book because most parts made me realize I am reading recycled philosophy books of Seneca and Epictetus. 

The author cites many books and many short stories iterating his observation. I particularly liked the example of the guy who lived a frugal life but donated 6-8 million USD to the hospital and library. He died wealthy not rich. He believed in compounding his wealth. 

I would especially recommend this book to people in their early 20’s just starting their career. They are the ones most easily fooled by the glamorous, Instagram life and consumerism. 

todo

Why do we have to live like a TODO machine? I hear from friends how they are missing their timelines related to work or personal leisure.

Taking control of our life means prioritizing life. It means being aware of our actions and what we need from them.

We have to de-crowd our minds and accept the reality of our limitations. The era of multi-tasking and decision paralysis is making us more confused and, we are acting like a TODO machine.

limit

In the dictionary of professional coaches, we can do anything, conquer anything. In short, we are limitless.

Is it the same in our real life? Are we all limitless or, we have limitations? Are these limitations self-induced because of our bias and blindspot? Can these professional coaches help us in overcoming these?

We, humans, are like wild animals. Our brain got developed with centuries of conditioning. We are still irrational, full of our perceptions. Some of it is results in making us superhuman while others a pest.

algorithms

I was watching Hannah Fry Aeon’s video title: Should computers run the world. After watching the video, I bought her book title: hello world. The book is a collection of real-world events driven by algorithms: medicine, crime, art, music, and legal: to mention a few.

The more I read: one part of my brain pointed towards the surveillance dystopia. The other part gave assurance about the better world.

Our human mind is irrational. Our decision-making takes account of our limited knowledge, emotion, and bias.

Algorithms depend on data. They can get biased, racist, and incorrect with the decision. If we leave ourselves at their mercy, we are doomed.

The middle ground is a mix of both: human consciousness + algorithms, the author suggests.

clueless

The more I watch the news, the more I feel sad about the overall state of our country. Death rate increasing, oxygen shortage reported daily, election rally continuing, and holy dip practiced.

We had so much time to prepare ourselves and, we took it lightly; we took nationalism and our nationalism over this catastrophe.

Are our illiteracy, ego, stupidity, confidence, and misgovernance all playing together? How many more deaths are we waiting for in the coming decade to prepare our country for the future?

We will continue bhagwaan bharose like our previous generation. Our leaders will blame each other and, we will go back vote for caste/religion/region.

We are all clueless; we are all trying to live with the fear of who will die next because of COVID19 and helplessness. Sadly, it is not a Hollywood movie with the story around zoonotic pathogens but the life of every other Indian currently.

reconnect

Remote, isolation, loneliness is the new normal. It is also the time when we are closer to ourselves. It is the time to self introspect.

I had a call with a friend after two years. We have been closely working on an open-source project 6-7 years back. It was like yesterday, talking about everything from personal to professional life. We felt grateful to be alive and living life.

As we age, the only thing matters is a company of a few friends. I have decided to reconnect with many other friends with whom I have worked in the past. I think it is time to reconnect.

inside

Our society is crumbling and, technology is responsible: this was the theme of one clubhouse discussion.

Is society or technology alone responsible for this Dystopia? Or is it our greed, the want of being someone, something in the the rat race of likes, followers, or retweets or fundraising?

Are we even looking inside ourselves? We all want love, respect. How many of us strive for reciprocity?

close

I have been hearing from friends about losing their loved ones due to COVID19. Some friends were not very serious about it in the early days. A reason could be that it was not happening to them or their dear ones.

We don’t see the gravity of trouble unless it hits closer to us. Could that have been the reason why we took the pandemic so lightly: as an individual, government, or administration?

Boondi

Boondi grew up in the Balangir district in Orrisa. Her father was a government school teacher. After finishing class five, she qualified for Navodaya Vidyalaya and studied at a government subsidy. She stood among the toppers throughout her schooling. During vacations, she would visit her home. News about people dying of hunger, surviving on eating grass was regular in Balangir, which also happens to be the poorest district in Orrisa.

After her senior secondary, Boondi appeared for IIT entrance and got a respectable rank. With an average income background, her father got a loan for engineering studies. She was sent with her cousin to Mumbai for her education.

During summer, which is too harsh for the Balangir district, Boondi’s mother got sick. Her father got few medicines from the nearby pharmacy. The pain and fever continued to rise and, after a week, Boondi’s mother passed away. Boondi could not attend the funeral or see the face of her departed mother.

Boondi was in trauma for some time and made peace with reality. She had her father to take care. She would try talking to him once a week, laugh, and share joy. In 3ed years of engineering, her father started sharing Ristas(bride) with her. It is nothing less of pride to a father getting marriage proposals in the flock for her daughter. Boondi always resisted all these conversations.

Boondi’s love and care for her father increased day by day. She ensured vising him even for a few days after her semester exams. On one such trip, she bought Ram, her boyfriend to meet her father: the poor man had a hard time, showed all the tantrums, and resisted. In India, caste, religion, and culture always precede love: but not this time. After all the drama, showdown, emotional outburst: Boondi’s father agreed to get them both married on a condition: Open a school to teach girl child, so many more Boondi’s could come from the backward district of Balangir. Also, ensure spending a month every year in Balangir.

It’s been over 15 years, Boondi/Ram with Richa(their daughter) continuing their promise to her father, who is no more.

Choice

The choice is ours; we are independent animals with rationality. Everything which is in our control has o be taken care of by us. We are masters of our destiny and in control of our thoughts. We know what our life is and, we have to govern it on our principles. 

Most famous personalities like Van Gogh, Anton Chekov, Simone de Beauvoir, Beethoven went through pain, miseries, failures, and oppression in their life. It kept them going, fostered their creativity, and made them produce their masterpiece. 

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” 

– Friedrich Nietzsche