#008 Friday's Findings
Discover more from The Meandering Mind
#008 Friday's Findings
Why everyone feels like they're faking it, Life must be lived forwards and more.
Hello everyone!
This week, I made sure to slow down more than usual. This is because last week was so hectic—as life sometimes can be—and as you'll know, it is important to be in the present moment.
As of late, I am thoroughly enjoying the small moments. I entered a gaming tournament with my friends for fun (even though I hardly play any longer), and it has been great to spend some more time with them.
I am also glad that I am able to have more control over my day this spring. The sun is starting to set late, as I'll also see this weekend when the clock ticks one hour forward. This extra light has made the day less tiresome.
Be sure to appreciate this absurd life, the little moments that follow, and all the rest. That is what makes life, life. What else would you need?
It is snowing right now where I am at.
Enjoy your weekend, and perhaps consider going for a nice, long walk.
Suggested readings
Every measurement, the mathematician Paul Lockhart reminds us in his book Measurement, is a comparison: “We are comparing the thing we are measuring to the thing we are measuring it with.” What thing do we use to measure undergraduates? What aspects can be compared? Quality or quantity? Originality or effort? Participation or progress? Apples and oranges at best. Closer to bananas and elephants. Even quantitative tests mark, at most, a comparison between what the test-maker thought the student should know and the effectiveness of instruction. Grades become the permanent records of these passing encounters. And how do we grade the grader?… (The End of Grading)
The artificial intelligence research lab OpenAI has released GPT-4, the latest version of the groundbreaking AI system that powers ChatGPT, which it says is more creative, less likely to make up facts and less biased than its predecessor. Calling it “our most capable and aligned model yet”, OpenAI cofounder Sam Altman said the new system is a “multimodal” model, which means it can accept images as well as text as inputs, allowing users to ask questions about pictures. The new version can handle massive text inputs and can remember and act on more than 20,000 words at once, letting it take an entire novella as a prompt… (OpenAI says new model GPT-4 is more creative and less likely to invent facts)
Although we would like to think we have a realistic perception of ourselves and the world around us, many of our thoughts are actually inaccurate representations. These so-called cognitive distortions can trick the mind, impacting our sense of self, our mental health, and even the integrity of our decision making. How can we learn to think more clearly?… (Magnification and Minimization: Two “Binocular Tricks” of the Mind)
A pioneer of what he called “radical-humanistic psychoanalysis,” the great German social psychologist and philosopher Erich Fromm (March 23, 1900–March 18, 1980) was one of the most luminous minds of the twentieth century and a fountain of salve for the most abiding struggles of being human… (The Art of Living: The Great Humanistic Philosopher Erich Fromm on Having vs. Being and How to Set Ourselves Free from the Chains of Our Culture)
Long before Pauline Clance developed the idea of the impostor phenomenon—now, to her frustration, more commonly referred to as impostor syndrome—she was known by the nickname Tiny. Born in 1938 and raised in Baptist Valley, in Appalachian Virginia, she was the youngest of six children, the daughter of a sawmill operator who struggled to keep food on the table and gas in the tank of his timber truck. Tiny was ambitious—her photograph appeared in the local newspaper after she climbed onto a table to deliver her rebuttal during a debate tournament—but she was always second-guessing herself. After nearly every test she took (and usually aced), she would tell her mother, “I think I failed it.” She was shocked when she beat the football-team captain for class president... (Why Everyone Feels Like They’re Faking It)
A quote I’m contemplating: “It is perfectly true, as philosophers say, that life must be understood backwards. But they forget the other proposition, that it must be lived forwards” — Søren Kierkegaard
Tools and Proposals
Daily Stoic — I suggest you try this stoic newsletter! Daily Stoic sends daily thoughts on relevant days from the modern world into the perspective of ancient Rome, such as Marcus Aurelius and his thoughts on Stoicism.
Refind — I propose you subscribe to this newsletter. This is a smart newsletter. Every day Refind picks 5-20 links from around the web for you, tailored to your interests. You can pick which topics you’re most interested in.
Obsidian — With a beautiful interface, this desktop writing tool allows you to take notes easily. The dream for creatives.
Sounds
Until next time,
Magnus