Nov 1, 2022Death: 1At 27 years old, the thought of death weighs on me. In Sam Harris’s book, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion, he mentions how our minds constantly steer between seeking pleasure and avoiding pain — that, to a large degree, our lives are dictated by these pulls. Over…3 min read3 min read
Oct 1, 2022The New PainkillersOne common trait we share these days is to turn to technology whenever we have a free moment. More specifically, we turn to entertainment — something to amuse us in the moments in-between. For me, I’ve noticed that these moments in-between where I amuse myself with Youtube, Instagram, and —…2 min read2 min read
Oct 1, 2022A Lack of TragedyIn Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, author Doris Kearns Goodwin notes how Lincoln was known for his especially melancholy demeanor. Some would say that Lincoln was the saddest-looking person they’ve ever met. Learning about his childhood and upbringing, one doesn’t fault him for this demeanor. By…1 min read1 min read
Oct 1, 2022Melancholy, Suffering, and Living Well: Arguments Against HappinessIn Susan Cain’s book Bittersweet, she comments on how Western society hides death. Outside of funerals, we don’t hold events such as Day of the Dead where we spend time mourning those that have passed. This falls in line with our culture of positivity, in which we uphold only that…1 min read1 min read
Sep 18, 2022Expectations, To ChangeExpectations, To Change In my last year of college, I was asked to change. Until then, I had played tennis almost daily for the past 16 years. I had spent countless mornings and evenings honing my technique, many nights in the gym strength training and improving my conditioning, and many weekends traveling to…5 min read5 min read
Sep 3, 2022Content DeceptionIn movies, TV shows, and videos there is a certain aesthetic I’m drawn towards. It’s captured well on Instagram: a picture taken in the early morning or evening with a cup of coffee or tea and a notebook or laptop. It radiates a certain stillness and peace. It’s picture perfect. …1 min read1 min read
Aug 31, 2022Suffering: The Everyday, Identity“Unhappiness is simply when the picture in your head doesn’t match the picture in front of you.” -Humble the Poet, spoken-word artist, from his book Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths for a Better Life “Suffering is the result of caring about things that you cannot change. If you are able to…4 min read4 min read
Aug 27, 2022Content and CharactersIntroduction Comedian Bo Burnham has a Netflix special called Inside. He begins the show with his song Welcome to the Internet. A few lines from the chorus describe the song’s intent: Could I interest you in everything? All of the time A bit of everything All of the time It talks…3 min read3 min read
Aug 20, 2022Incoherent Ramblings of a Grad Student: Doubts, Desires, etc.My heart is pulled in multiple directions. The first. I have been in my graduate program in materials engineering for 5 semesters and am entering my 6th semester. From the work I have left to do, it appears I have at least 2 semesters before completing the program. I’m on…4 min read4 min read
Jul 23, 2022My Evolving Sense of SelfAs a child I had a strong sense of self. I felt that I knew my personality and interests well. I had the unwavering knowledge that I was reserved and shy. I looked at how much other people interacted and sought interaction and thought, “Oh, that’s different. I can’t relate…3 min read3 min read
