Tag: Society

Topic of discussion

Today’s question is what topics do I like to discuss?

Over the years, my choice of discussion topics have changed considerably. I used to like technology quite a bit, but I’ve been in the tech career for more years that I can remember, so it’s gotten a little boring to me. In some ways, I also feel like technology has headed down paths that make me a little nervous about our future. At this point, I feel like I could write a pretty good dystopian novel, just based on what I know right now. I can talk the talk today, but it’s gradually fading, and one day I might decide to just go off the grid.

Another topic that I used to discuss a lot was politics. A few years ago, I had a couple of friends who were pretty extreme in their political beliefs. I had to follow lots of news just to keep up with the conversation. Honestly, I wasn’t that political before I met them. It was a stretch for me. I have since moved away from them and we have lost touch. I miss them sometimes, but I don’t miss the political discussions at all. In my opinion, politics have grown too extreme over the years, and have taken on the persona of a fanatical religion. It’s a toxic subject matter at this point, as far as I’m concerned, and I try to shy away from it.

Over the past few years, I have kind of evolved into a different kind of person, and my favorite topic has changed considerably. I have come to realize that every human being is experiencing life in a very different way from me, based on their own unique memories and life experience. I don’t even think I experience life in the same way I did in years past. When I look back on the person I used to be, I barely even recognize him honestly. I respect and love him, but he’s just not me anymore. It’s like sharing memories with a lifetime I never lived, but for the first time, I can understand why he did what he did.

In line with this new perception, my favorite discussion topic has been the many ways we differ. For instance, I love striking up a conversation with a complete stranger, because you don’t really know what to expect. I’ve also had a couple of really close friends in the past few years who were incredibly open with me about how they really felt. It was sometimes shocking, taboo, and even a little disturbing. I began to understand them though, and even empathize with them. In the end, I think it was an important source of change for me.

What is your favorite topic of discussion? Are there any topics you try to avoid? Do like hearing unique life experiences? Do you see a dystopian future ahead, or a utopian future? Do you ever look back on your life and not recognize yourself? Do you think politics have become too extreme? What was the biggest catalyst for change in your life? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

My secret skills

Today’s question is what’s a secret skill or ability I have or wish I had? I have quite a few skills, but I don’t know that any of them are secret. I’ve used most of them openly in school and at work.

My secret ability

There is an ability I have that I don’t say much about. I can often see through people’s schemes, but I usually don’t tell them about it. Basically, there are many instances where I can perceive that a person is lying to me about their true intentions. I often play along and feign naivete, but I am secretly thinking out how to neutralize anything harmful. Telling them I know would just give them the upper hand, and possibly make them angry. It makes me sad when I see someone do this though, as it means they are not truly my friend. They are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Luckily, most people are not nefarious like this, but I am still forced to keep my guard up at all times, and that can be tiring.

Wishful thinking

I can think of one ability I wish I had, but it might be more like a superpower. I wish I could be someone else. An example happened last night. I saw a group of people that I sort of wanted to blend in with, but I intuitively knew they were not the type of people who would naturally desire my company. I wish I was the type of person who could just blend in with anyone I wanted. I think this would be the greatest skill you could ever master, but I’m a long way from that presently.

On the reverse of that, I am sometimes approached by types who aren’t really good for me. I’m always nice, but I know there is no growth potential there for either of us. It’s an odd predicament. If only I could wake up tomorrow as the right kind of person. Of course, this might break the synchronicity I have with some people who do make my life better. Acquiring and keeping the right people in your life is really hard work.

What secret ability do you have? What ability do you wish you had? Can you see through people’s schemes? Do you sometimes play naive? Do you ever wish you were a different person? Would you like the ability to blend in with anyone you choose? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe! Thanks for being here!

My experience with podcasts.

I’ve honestly had very little experience with podcasts. I know there are a lot of great podcasts out there, and sometimes someone will suggest one to me, but I rarely have time to fit it in. I do consume audio content, but it is mainly in the form of Audible audiobooks. I’ve actually been an Audible fan for many years now and I have listened to countless audiobooks while commuting to work. I don’t commute as much as I used to, but I still listen while walking around. I guess the reason I haven’t heard many podcasts is because the audiobooks are competing for my time, and the books always win.

One podcast I was considering was the Freakonomics podcast. I became interested in the podcast because I had read both the Freakonomics books by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. I found these books very interesting because I love exploring human behavior. If you are into that, I think you would enjoy reading these books. They aren’t really about economics exactly. I think it’s more an exploration of the psychology behind economics. I highly recommend!

Freakonomics

Freakonomics

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? How did the legalization of abortion affect the rate of violent crime? These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the riddles of everyday life from cheating and crime to sports and child-rearing and whose conclusions turn conventional wisdom on its head.

Freakonomics is a groundbreaking collaboration between Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They usually begin with a mountain of data and a simple question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: Freakonomics.

Super Freakonomics

SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

Freakonomics lived on the New York Times bestseller list for an astonishing two years. Now authors Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with more iconoclastic insights and observations in Super Freakonomics—the long-awaited follow-up to their New York Times Notable blockbuster. Based on revolutionary research and original studies Super Freakonomics promises to once again challenge our view of the way the world really works.

I have had an Audible account for many years now, and I still use it almost every day. It’s a great way to educate and entertain yourself. If you walk, run, or commute, I highly recommend a subscription. If you don’t have one already, you can start a free trial by clicking below. Of course, it also helps to keep this site up by providing affiliate income. Thank you!

Do you listen to audiobooks or podcasts? What are your favorite podcasts? Have you ever created a podcast yourself? Have you read Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics? Do you find odd human behavior interesting? Let me know in the comments, and remember to like, share, and subscribe!

Meeting with famous people.

Honestly, I’m not very good at meeting famous people. I think this is because I haven’t really lived or visited places where I’m likely to meet famous people. I also don’t seek out opportunities like this. I know people who would get crazy excited over meeting someone famous. I don’t think it’s my cup of tea though. I would probably just mark it down as a slightly untypical day. I do think our society has a lot more stars than it used to because of reality TV and YouTube, but I’m not sure if I would know those people if I met them. I don’t have a lot of time to follow all their channels. Of course, if I had met more famous people, this would be a much better blog post. Maybe I should look into meeting some famous people.

What famous people have you met? Is it easy to meet famous people? Do you have any pointers on how someone would go about meeting famous people? Let’s discuss in the comments, and please like, share, and subscribe! Maybe a famous person will read it.

People I think are successful.

When I think of successful, who comes to mind? I guess I would need to sort of define success before I could determine who is successful. Let me think of some things that I think of when I think of the word success first. Here are a few things that come to mind.

  • A successful person has to believe in themselves. To be successful, you need to believe that you can achieve the goal. This requires you to have or develop a level of self confidence in your own abilities.
  • A successful person is able to achieve the desired result. People aim for different objectives, but a successful person has to have the ability and will power to push though and achieve their goal.
  • A successful person is someone who has put in the work. Winning the lottery doesn’t make you a success. It might help spur you toward it, but to be successful, you have to accomplish something on your own.
  • A successful person is someone who didn’t lie, steal, or bully his way to success. There is some degree of honor necessary. You can’t be truly successful if you have sold your soul to get there.
  • A successful person has to have perseverance and patience. Some goals take a long time and you may fail many times and have to put yourself back on track. A successful person has to get back up and keep trying.
  • A successful person has to have the nerve to take risks. There’s a luck factor involved in success. Fortunes were made merely by being in the right place, at the right time, and being prepared and willing to take on the job. Fortune favors the bold.

Based on this definition, I suspect there is no one who is perfectly successful. That being said, I do think a few famous people have achieved enough to be considered a success. I might not agree with what they accomplished, but I do admit they were successful at their objectives. Here are a few people I think might be considered relatively successful.

  • Steve Jobs. He was very successful at starting and leading Apple to the height of it’s position in our society.
  • Elon Musk. He managed to start and lead several successful companies, and is seen as a visionary by some of his fans.
  • Bill Gates. I don’t always agree with him, but I believe he was very successful at getting Microsoft to it’s prominent role in our society.
  • Steven King. He’s on my mind because I’m reading his book On Writing. I wouldn’t say he is my favorite author, but I believe he has been very successful.

The first time I felt like a grownup.

The first time I felt like a grownup was probably around puberty. Technically, that’s when all animals become an adult, though we humans tend to associate adulthood with a time when you are finished with your schooling. In my opinion, this causes a lot of problems in our society and is a burden on many parents who support their children way past the time they are children.

To me, it feels like the age of adulthood increases slightly every year. It seems like it used to be roughly eighteen, as that was when people graduated high school. I think I read somewhere that during the Middle Ages people were moving out and starting families before the age of fourteen. These days, it’s not that easy to get a good job with just a high school diploma, so the age has increased to somewhere in the mid to late twenties, depending on whether or not you know what you want to be when you grow up.

There were a lot of biological changes that began happening to me around the time of adulthood, including more hair, occasional acne, deeper voice, etc. Those changes made me feel like I was slowly becoming a different person, and I didn’t really like that to be honest. It was also a time when I began to think about girls a lot more often, though I had really always liked girls.

I think the biggest change I remember was in how people started seeing me. I was no longer this cute little kid running around playing with his toys. I think they began to see me in a more competitive way, like I was a burden or someone standing in their way. This was especially true when there was a girl involved. They had to show off in front of her to get her attention.

Unfortunately, I’m not someone who cares to compete with people. I never wanted to beat anyone. I just wanted to play like I had always done. I guess that’s the thing I hated most about adulthood. People began to see me as another ugly man who was in the way of getting what they want. To be honest, I think childhood was the only time in my life when I could truly be myself. It feels like home to me.

When did you start feeling like an adult? Do you think it takes longer to grow up these days? What age do you think a person becomes an adult these days? What age should it be? Did people’s attitude seem to change after you reached puberty? Was this a difficult part of your life? What do you like better, childhood or adulthood? Let us know in the comments, and please like, share, and subscribe!

Think about it.

Thinking is actually hard to do, so much so that a lot of people avoid it. Instead of thinking, they use their learning to short circuit the need to use their thinking mind. This works great for a lot of things, but it does get in the way when you really need to think about something.

It is also the leading reason why people get into a rut. They have already learned something, so they don’t need to think about it anymore, or they have been trained to think in a certain way at an early age, and don’t recognize that they never really considered another viewpoint. This usually causes considerable confusion when the person runs into someone who was taught something totally different.

My challenge to you is the next time someone tells you something, fully investigate and think about what they are telling you. Often what people really want is for you to think like them. If everyone thinks like them, then they won’t have to change their thinking. Things will just stay the way they always were. See how this is problem? Laziness in thinking can create a very stagnant society. Also, every now and then, try and rethink something you already thought you knew. It might surprise you. You might end up with a completely different opinion.

Here’s an interesting YouTube video I found on how we can get stuck in our learning.

Do you think memory and learning short circuit thinking? Is relearning good for society? What ideas do you think society takes for granted that might not actually be true? What ideas are holding us back? Is there sometimes a good reason to keep an untruth going? Think about it, and let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

My favorite word

I personally like the word carefree. It isn’t a word I use often, but it conveys a powerful meaning to me. It means being happily free of all responsibility. I have been saddled with responsibilities since young adulthood, and I have hated it honestly. I think people should be able to live a relatively carefree and spontaneous life, but that is not the case with our world. It is burdensome and requires tons of maintenance just to keep the gears spinning in the right direction.

I’m not a huge spender, nor do I crave lots of money, but I would love to win the lottery, simply because I could then live a very carefree lifestyle. I wouldn’t have to set the alarm every day. I wouldn’t have to deal with difficult people. I wouldn’t have to show up somewhere. I could do the things I wanted to do every day. I wouldn’t have any anxiety about making ends meet. I could finally just live. I think that’s why money is really important, not to buy junk, but to finally emancipate yourself.

There’s another word I do use pretty often. It’s the word fabulous. A lot of times, people will ask me how I’m doing, and I will respond with the word fabulous. I say it in a very positive way most of the time, and I think it has a good effect on people generally. If you say it right, the word conveys a meaning that things are not just good, but a little better than good. I think it’s a word people would associate with me if they had to greet me every day. I guess that’s better than other F words.

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a fabulous and carefree day!

What are your favorite words? Do you long for a carefree life? Do you think our world is burdensome? What would you do if you won the lottery? Do you try to greet people exuberantly? Do you use the F word often? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

The last thing I searched for online.

Looking back at the web history in my browser, it looks like the last thing I searched for was day in the sun. I was searching for that phrase because it was related to previous post called Having your day in the sun. I knew there was some sort of idiom about a day in the sun, but I wanted to know the precise meaning. I found an article at the top of the search results that explained it very well. You can read about it for yourself on the page Day in the sun meaning.

The idiom fit well with the post I was writing because it was about a homeless man laying out under the hot sun. The idiom actually means you get attention and are appreciated. This also fits, because the post is about noticing and appreciating the connection we have with other people. I think it’s the perfect title for the article actually. I love it when things connect in multiple ways like that. It makes it much more memorable to me.

What’s your latest day in the sun? Do you like idioms? Do you like double meanings like that? Do you do a lot of web searches while writing? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

The thing that brings tears to my eyes.

One might describe me as a reluctant introvert. Outwardly, I usually seem very quiet, but this appearance belies my true nature. Over the years, I have learned to spend a lot of time alone, but I am not a true introvert. Under most social conditions, I can’t completely assume the characteristics of an extrovert, but I’m sure it would be very enjoyable if I could.

One of the main reasons I can’t be extroverted in every social situation is because I am unable or unwilling to overcome the extreme extroverts. A person who is overtly extroverted is highly competitive about getting and sustaining everyone’s attention. They won’t let anyone outdo them for long. It makes them uneasy. They might start looking for a different group if everyone tunes them out, one that listens to them and strokes their ego.

Have you ever been to a gathering and some guy says, why are you so quiet? Cat got your tongue? Don’t trust the quiet ones! If you have, you’ve met one of these competitive extroverts. They have to make the potential competition look weird or unworthy of hearing so they can keep the floor the whole time. They mostly do it subconsciously of course. They just can’t allow anyone to be heard above them. They’ve got to be the life of the party. Some people love this type of person, but many others, including myself, find them annoying and arrogant. Let someone else talk for a change!

I’m not pushy with my extroversion, but I know it’s still there. I want to be a person that people listen to sometimes, but I’ll take turns listening, and I mean really listening, not just thinking of my next funny reply. That’s another characteristic of the competitive extrovert. They never really hear anything you say because they only care about what they have to say. Their own ideas trump everyone else in the room.

I was then left all alone. I didn’t want to be alone again! I remember just sitting there by the porch, trying to play by myself, with tears rolling down my cheeks.

I experienced the need to be around people at an early age. One time when I was very young, several of my cousins came over to my house to play. We spent many hours playing, as kids often do. I don’t remember exactly what we did, probably involved lots of running around, or maybe playing a game, or we could have just played with cars or action figures under the big shade trees. The thing I do remember is when they all went home that evening. I was then left all alone. I didn’t want to be alone again! I remember just sitting there by the porch, trying to play by myself, with tears rolling down my cheeks. The emotional pain was overwhelming! I had found the thing that brings tears to my eyes, it’s simply the act of saying goodbye.

If I’m not an extrovert, and I’m not an introvert, then what am I? I believe the best way to describe my personality type would be to say that I’m an omnivert. I can sit quietly for long hours in contemplation and also do things that require incredible levels of concentration, like writing and programming computers for instance, but if I’m around people I like, I will become something totally different indeed.

I remember there was a girl I used to know, and once she started hanging out with me, she said something kind of funny. She said, wow, you’re a talker! She was very surprised to learn that I could keep a conversation going for as long as she wanted, maybe even longer. I think my extroverted side comes as quite a shock to someone after I know them enough to let it loose.

You may recall from another post, that I have difficulty concentrating around certain kinds of noise, so much so that I often opt for hearing protectors to block out sounds. It so happens that the main sounds that distract me are human voices. My extroverted side wants to know what they are talking about and join into the conversation. This is yet another example of my affinity toward the people I find interesting.

More info about omniverts can be found here: What Is an Omnivert? – Meaning And Traits.

Possible discussion ideas.

  1. How would you describe yourself (extrovert, introvert, ambivert, omnivert)?
  2. Do you know any competitive extroverts?
  3. Do you get annoyed when someone hogs all the attention?
  4. Ever feel really sad when company goes home?
  5. Do you know someone who never listens?
  6. Know any talkers who are quite most of the time?