Tag: progress

Fun way to exercise

Today I am asked, what’s the most fun way to exercise? I suppose the best way to stick to anything is to make it fun. Here are a few ideas I have about making exercise fun.

  1. Nature walking. Seeing beautiful things brings happiness to people’s lives. I used to take long walks on the trails around a nearby lake. The view was very nice and I would occasionally catch site of wildlife. It was a pleasant way to get your steps in.
  2. Find a workout buddy. I used to lift weights pretty regularly, like three or four times a week. During that time, I had a workout buddy. We both had similar goals and helped to motivate each other. It was probably the healthiest thing I ever did.
  3. Listen to music or audiobooks. When I use a treadmill or bike I often have headphones in to keep my mind occupied. Music can be very motivational and books can keep your mind focused on something. This makes the time go by much faster.
  4. Track your progress. I used to set goals and track my progress. The goal was to gradually increase the amount of weight I could lift, or the amount of time I ran, etc. It’s fun to see the progress you make over time.
  5. Athletic activities. Sports and other athletic activities can be fun. You might try rock climbing or take up golf. There are all sorts of activities that are both fun and provide some degree of exercise.

How do you make exercise fun? What sort of athletic activities have you tried? Let me know your thoughts, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

What I would change about modern society.

First, I think we would have to define what modern society is. There are actually a wide variety of societies all over this world, all of them existing in modern times, but would we classify all of them as modern? Also, are all societies imbibed with the same modern ideas?

I believe many societies today actually lack the necessary infrastructure to be classified as modern. Some of them barely have access to clean water and good roads. If we assume modern society has advanced technology, we are leaving out a few of these societies. They are still on the sidelines observing, and slowly working to catch up. I do think strides are being made every day, but there is still work to be done.

I also believe that when we talk about changing society, we are talking about changing how people think and function. Many societies, even in modern times, differ greatly in their beliefs, goals, perspectives, and practices. Certain attributes or practices of a particular society might be considered very primitive by another society for instance, yet we are all living in the modern era.

For these reasons, modern society can only be understood in a relatively localized fashion, as in your particular society, or in a very broad way that not all modern societies fall under. That being said, I feel like what we are really talking about is the generalized philosophy and practices of highly developed nations.

What I wouldn’t change

I would like to start with the things I would not change, because I believe these to be the foundation of not only modern society, but also necessary to live a good life as a human.

Individual Freedom

I believe modern society has greatly improved our individual freedom. I think every person should have the right to carry out their lives however they see fit. Many people want to be in other people’s business. They are annoyed by everything their neighbor does. If you aren’t careful, these people will pass ridiculous rules and laws to get rid of all their pet peeves and annoyances. This should not be allowed. Society should mainly focus on preventing violent criminal behavior. Basically, the perfect society is one where everyone has the freedom to be themselves and pursue happiness in their own way.

High Inclusivity

I believe modern society strives to be highly inclusive. Everyone is different. We have different appearances, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, religions, histories, habits, ideas, etc. If we guarantee individual freedom, we will have to have some way of dealing with all our differences. This means society needs to continually focus on tolerance and acceptance.

I think this is an attribute of modern society, because if you look back at history, we didn’t do this very well. We held onto our differences and made war with everyone who wasn’t like us. Unfortunately, I believe that even in modern times, acceptance is still in a relatively primitive state, and needs to improve dramatically. It also seems fragile, like it could fracture at any time and cause us to revert back to our primitive ways.

Business Ownership

I believe modern society is dependent on its members being able to buy and sell in a relatively unrestricted manner, with minimal taxation. The ability to conduct business is also a part of someone’s individual freedom. If you place extreme regulations on this, you will decrease the ability of a person to profit from his labor and efforts. This will dramatically increase poverty and lead to an oppressive society. Modern society is dependent on businesses, especially small businesses and entrepreneurship, and this should not be changed. If I changed anything, I would reduce current regulations and taxation, because I see it as a violation of a person’s individual freedom.

What I would change

I wasn’t always like this, but I have actually come to appreciate modern society in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t say I love it, but I think it has been heading in roughly the right direction and made remarkable progress. It is my hope that modern society will remain stable and individual rights and freedom will continue to improve across the globe. That being said, I might change a few things.

Violent Crime

There is a lot more violent crime than I care to see. I don’t have an answer for this at the human nature level. Many people just have violent tendencies and anger issues, but often it’s a one-off based on difficult circumstances. The trick is to head them off at the pass before they do something everyone regrets. Perhaps modern society will use AI to create predictive models for preventive purposes.

I hate to say this, but it is looking like increased surveillance is a part of modern society. It feels really creepy, but one thing it has going for it is it should decrease crime. Literally, all crime will be observed as it happens, and law enforcement and emergency services can be routed immediately. Video evidence will also be available to ensure proper prosecution of the criminal. Hacking and deep fakes could interfere with the effectiveness of surveillance though.

Social Manipulation

There is a huge amount of social manipulation going on though the news and social media outlets. Organizations and governments are trying to prevent this, but unfortunately, they often combat it by inserting their own agenda and propaganda. I believe this is really one of the biggest concerns for modern society, because it has the ability to escalate people to the boiling point and create violence, rioting, and civil war. Some people have a tendency to believe the sky is falling already, and they don’t need any help.

I wish the negativity and manipulation would go away, but I’m not really sure how to fix it at this point. Perhaps AI could stop corrupting stories from emerging, but that could lead to extreme censorship. Who gets to decide what you receive as news? Whatever you come up with could potentially be used by bad actors to create an even worse condition. I shudder to think of what harm it is going to do to modern society.

What are your thoughts on my list? What would you change? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share! Oh, and if you made it this far, thanks for reading!

A future that worries me.

There are many concerns that I think we should be worried about. It would be hard to say what I most worry about for future generations. Below are the ones that I think might be at the top of the list.

You might notice that technology plays a part in many of them. I think technology is one of those things that always poses an extreme danger to humanity, but no one can stop its progress. That is probably because we are living in a highly competitive world, and technology grants tremendous power.

  • Technological advancements will outpace humanity. I think we are reaching the point where most of the population struggles to understand its own technology. Do people even understand all the technology that goes into their cell phone?
  • Most of the human population will become obsolete. Some people predict that rapidly advancing technology will eventually displace almost all human workers, leaving them to starve without a source of income for survival.
  • There will be a population implosion. There is some concern that family sizes have been shrinking over the past few years. I also hear that breeding in general is at an all time low for the younger generation. This could be very dangerous if it continues.
  • There will be a pollution and garbage overload. The Earth is a big place and it does a good job of cleaning up waste, but I feel like if we continue to generate massive amounts of plastic waste we will eventually overload it’s capacity.
  • People will become too self-centered. I feel like there’s a danger that people will become so self absorbed that they will become very bad at taking care of people who need it, like children and the elderly. The world could become a very cold place.
  • Nefarious people will gain influence and power. The world always has some bad actors who are up to no good. They may gain enough influence and power to stage some heinous crimes against humanity. It’s happened many times before in history.
  • The world will become completely capitalistic. Currently, human labor is king, but if robots and AI do all the work in the future, the ones who own those machines will be able to capture all the world’s wealth and income and exclude everyone else.
  • Social manipulation will trigger catastrophes. Social media and news outlets have shown tremendous power in manipulating the masses. Terrible things could be instigated by virally spreading the wrong message.
  • Extreme natural disasters will cause huge fatalities. It is very conceivable that a major natural disaster is looming on the horizon. If a large enough asteroid collided with the Earth, it could literally extinguish all human life on the planet.
  • Tampering with DNA will cause major harm. We have the ability to genetically engineer animals, plants, and diseases. Super diseases could be created, or the introduction of new species could wipe out old ones, including the human species.
  • We will never evolve past our biases and prejudices. Humanity is plagued by a lot of isms, like racism, sexism, ageism, etc. I believe our future is very bleak if we never learn to put aside our differences, let go of all our biases, and treat each other as equals and friends.

Do you agree or disagree? Do any of these really stand out as a major concern for you? Have any other worries you would add to the list? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe!

What I’m passionate about.

I used to be passionate about a lot of things, then a few years ago, I went though a very difficult period of my life that started with my dad being diagnosed with brain cancer. After that, a series of difficult decisions presented themselves that I was not in the proper place or state of mind to handle.

Ultimately, I got through it, but I never returned to being the person I was before this catastrophe. I have been piecing myself back together slowly with the help of some very special people I met along the way. So, the answer is really, I don’t know! I am having to reacquaint myself with some of my old passions, while being introduced to new passions. I will just have to see what this new person I am forming inside ends up being like.

There is one thing that I am still very passionate about. It’s freedom. Not freedom like you would normally think if the word. Often I hear it related to things like patriotism and war and that sort of thing. The thing I’m talking about is the freedom to truly do what you want with the short time you have left in your life. It’s slipping away, and I feel like I have spent all my time catering to the needs and wants of other people.

The problem with a job is it gets in the way of living.

I’ve been in the workforce my whole life. It’s paid the bills, though some years have been pretty slim. I don’t want to sound lazy, but I really wish I didn’t have to do this. I know it helps the world to keep running, and all the infrastructure we have built up to keep our society functioning has to be maintained by someone, but it is a really heavy burden on some people. The problem with a job is it gets in the way of living.

Sometimes I ask myself, what would I do even, if I didn’t have to work? It is usually something like, I would make art, or write books, or write computer software, or make games, or construct websites, or read and study things, and yes, I would also still blog.

The odd thing is, those things sound a lot like work, just a different kind of work, a kind of work that I want to do, a kind of work that I am passionate about. Unfortunately, I have never had the freedom to do those things for long, because I have always had to spend my time at pursuits that help other people to make more money or serve the state in some way.

The problem is, I don’t think these things really add as much value to society as we would think. They really aren’t that creative. They really aren’t progressive. Every renaissance was triggered when people were freed up enough to explore their own creativity. That is the direction we should be going.

We were made to pursue our passions.

If everyone were truly able to pursue their passions, there is no telling how far we could go. We would be in a state of life maximization. That is the kind of world I would like to live in. That was what we were truly made to do. We were made to pursue our passions.

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? What would you do with your time if it all belonged to you and you were not enslaved by the rat race? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe!

It wasn’t for me.

I remember there used to be a time when there wasn’t an internet, but I honestly don’t like to think about it. It was a time when everyone was expected to do everything in person or through paper. It was a time when people couldn’t work from home very easily. It was an era that predates blogging and many forms of self-publication. It was really not for me. I was born for the internet, and I spend a ridiculous amount of time there.

Some people like to blame the internet for everything, and there are some negative aspects, but if you really think about it, it has made the world a better place. Here are some things it has added.

  • Better connection to other people. Before the internet, it really wasn’t that easy to keep up with people you went to school with, or family that moved out of state. I remember my grandmother actually had to write to her cousins on paper and use snail mail. That definitely wasn’t optimal, though it did build anticipation and teach patience.
  • The internet allows for anonymity. Some people see this as an evil aspect of the internet, but I think it is absolutely critical. Societies and governments tend to silence and chastise people who criticize them out of fear that if enough people gather together, they will overthrow them. Without anonymity, those people would not be able to state the truth about their society or government.
  • It is more inclusive. The internet is pretty much everywhere now. Before it, you had to really work hard to connect with people outside your local community or state. The world has become much smaller and striking up a conversation with someone across the globe is trivial now.
  • The information age opened up tons of jobs that allow you to work from home, or anywhere there is an internet connection. You can literally work from the beach if you like. You can travel the world if you like, taking your work with you. You also don’t have to worry about that dreaded commute anymore. The only highway you have to be on is the information superhighway.
  • It provided an outlet for tons of creative minds. There are so many creators out there now. It’s almost becoming an expectation in our society. Without the ability to self-publish, you would have to get everything approved by a bureaucratic publishing system and advertising was pretty slow and expensive. Now, you just create an account on social media and start sharing.
  • Of course, the best part of having the internet is that you get to read this amazing blog. 🙂

So, what’s your favorite thing about the internet? Could you live without it? Tell me about it in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe.