Fix it

It is easy to complain about things around us. From traffic, plastic, corruption, pollution, corruption, Et all.

This world is not perfect, it has got many opportunities for us. How about working together and fixing it.

History tells us about it. From Martin Luther Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Henry Ford, Jamsetji Tata, Steve Jobs to Elon Musk.

Our time on this planet is limited. Instead of cribbing, we should focus on contributing to positive efforts.

The job of media is to create a sensation, political parties to throw shit on each other. Be aware, be responsible.

The Seven Sins of Memory

Psychology professor Daniel Schacter, proposes in The Seven Sins of Memory.

  • Our memory weakens and we lose memory over time.
  • We are preoccupied with distracting issues and don’t focus attention on what we need to remember.
  • We search for information that we may be desperately trying to retrieve – something we know that we know – but are blocked.
  • We assign memory to the wrong source.
  • Memories are implanted as a result of leading questions, comments, or suggestions when we try to call up a past experience.
  • Our present knowledge influences how we remember our pasts. We often edit or entirely rewrite our past experiences.
  • We recall disturbing events that we would prefer to eliminate from our minds altogether: remembering what we cannot forget, even though we wish that we could.

I found this interesting and worth sharing.

Reason

It is sad how we start finding reasons for everything. We forget that our life is too short to overanalyze and stress in every situation.

Things are going fine, but why?
Things are going bad, but why?

We try to build our imaginary thesis on every situation. How difficult it is to stay calm and let the brain relax?

Could this be the reason why most of us are stressed, worried and angry all the time?

Jokes

Sometimes we laugh and make jokes on our peers. In the moment of time, we don’t realize it’s long term effect. The joke might not sound sexist or racist to us but it leaves its mark on a longer run.

Keep laughter to a minimum; do not laugh too often or too loud.
— Epictetus

I am writing this because I realized I have been a culprit as well as the receiver of both.

Loss aversion

We don’t like losing. It can be in a relationship, wealth or competition. What could be the reason:

  • Our innate survival instinct?
  • Ego
  • Consistency

We always like to continue winning or getting profit from our investments. It sounds irrational but we are more hurt losing something than gaining 2X the same.

At the same time our ego takes over and we continue striving for anything to stay consistent. It can be staying in a relationship even being treated like trash or knowing it is headed nowhere. After all, we have invested so much emotionally and we want to stay consistent.

Mercenary

Social media is a double-edged sword. In one side it connects the world closer for good while on another it is for mercenaries.

Mercenaries on social media are a set of people who are very prejudiced and biased. They are also agenda driven. In the past, we have seen many deaths because of these people. They spread fake news, provocate a specific group or take a potshot at an individual or an organization. Mercenaries like mob justice and immediate attention.

It is too easy to take a side, respond out of impulse on social media. Being rational and logical, knowing the entire picture helps.

We are in election season and mercenaries are loud out.

Blessings

It is important to not forget everyone who helped you in shaping your present.

  • Parents rank on the top followed.
  • A few friends come next: the ones who helped and been honest with feedback’s.
  • Your first boss who trusted you and gave you the opportunity to start a career or open your own company. He/She took all the risk with money, honor by giving you the opportunity.
  • Life long mentor

Never forget them. They will always be there for you and act like a mirror of this society.

Mismatch

Running a startup is like running a Linux Kernel. Early employees are important threads. Some founders go out to raise and then build an army of employees. They along with their investors for the hope of shipping product quickly.

Sadly it never works, one reason being expectation mismatch. Founder expects new hires to be as passionate as them because they are among the best paid in the industry. The employees join the company because of the noise and fundraising PR.

Inversion

I want to know where I would die so I can never go there.
— Charlie Munger

I was reading this blog about Charlie Munger and I loved it. His principle of living life in the inversion is fascinating.

I am trying to add a similar principle to myself. Instead of seeing or striving for success, it is better to look and avoid a recipe for failure. In short, eliminating all the risk for failures, success will be the byproduct.

In the end, success and failures are not in our hand, we have to enjoy the journey and make the best of it.

I am hoping one day I will totally stick by this saying of Epictetus.

Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.

Attitude

A few years back I was told attitude never changes. I was struggling with myself at work and personal life. Reading an article on attitude a few days back, bought back the memory.

We are living in this cosmos which exists on the premise of evolution and change. How can we not change our Attitude?

I keep reading tweets of folks like “Attitude is everything.” All these folks miss adding, to inculcate great attitude one requires:

  • believers
  • mentors
  • honest friends

Our human mind is a monkey mind and when we say things via prefrontal cortex, logic and rationality take back seat.

We are the makers of our destiny, as long as we are trying we can achieve anything. It includes changing our attitude and being more optimist about self.