9 Insights That Will Change The Way You Think
One of these insights may change the way you think, view the world, or behave.
No decision is wrong, because we cannot know what the outcome will be.
This I actually learned from Levi from Attack on Titan, but this sentence stuck in my head like glue.
It's true. We can never be certain what decision will lead to the best outcome.
So do what you think is best and do not fear the consequences.
And do not regret your past decisions.
Perhaps the life I want is not pursuing greatness, but rather exploring the world and building myself up. A simpler life.
I have had grand aims my whole life, wanting to be a person of greatness, of doing great things.
But perhaps I don't need to live this way. Perhaps a simpler life is okay for me.
Anyways, who is the greatness for? It's seeking recognition from others. It's actually not for myself.
There is pride, yes. But can there be pride without other people?
If you have no one to compare yourself against, or no one to share your accomplishments, can pride still exist? Perhaps not.
Perhaps pride can only exist in the presence of other people.
While being sick is not good, the last week of recovery - of lying around and doing absolutely nothing - has been beneficial for me. It feels like the first time I have unwind in a long long time.
There is no space in our lives anymore.
We have absolutely no time to think.
And the little stresses of life build up -
Missed the bus. Have to reply to a client. Relationship issues with a friend. Obligations that you must attend. Unexpected problems. Bills to pay. And so on.
These micro problems of the modern world, in addition to the constant and overwhelming intake of information, leaves us in a dazed and haggard state 24/7. We simply don't get a break.
But an unfortunate event turned miraculous for me.
Me being sick for a week with high fever left me with no thoughts of obligations besides getting better. I had nothing to do but to lay in bed. I had not expectations of myself. No tasks that I forced myself to complete. No guilt or shame for what I ate or did. And I had plenty of time to sleep, think, and lay around doing nothing.
I cannot express how much of an impact that had on my brain and mental wellbeing. I came out of it a changed person. More clear. More orientated.
So my advice to you: get sick. Go lick some unsanitary surfaces. Breathe in others' coughs. Share that drink at a party. Do what you need to do to become a better person.
You are thinking too far in the future Jacob. Too grand of goals. Just do stuff now and see what happens.
I have dreams of starting my own university.
Of becoming a famous podcaster. YouTuber. Author.
Of starting my own business empire, financially free and powerful.
Of being a "guru", a sage, a wise philosopher that develops the next philosophical school that changes the world. Of helping people become a better version of themselves and to alleviate suffering.
All the crazy goals. Then you come back to reality and realize that I am just a 24 year old average guy with little skills and no money. How the fuck would I accomplish any of that?
Then the overwhelming depression and anxiety and hating myself and my life comes. But, fuck that. It's because my train of thinking is not right. I should not incapacitate myself by overthinking about these grand goals.
I should just act and focus on the present. See where it takes me.
I already feel like I want to go home. But if I do I will check my phone, lay around, feel bored, watch Netflix, text people, etc. Nothing really goods come from it.
I have this terrible habit that once I am in my room my entire hopes and dreams for a better future dissipates. I suddenly become a glop of goop. I switch between phone apps like a mad swiper. I got 20 things on my mind - like the tabs open on a grandma's Chrome browser. My mind is absolute goop and my active ram memory is overfull. I am useless.
This is a reoccurring issue. It's a habit or behavior I can't seem to shake.
Is there a solution?
Not be at home?
Turning off my phone does help. Talking and engaging with my roommates helps too. Leaving and taking my laptop to a cafe is also a good choice. And the gym never hurts too.
But this brings to the forefront the fundamental issue, can we change our bad behavior? It seems I can fight it, but relapses occur. Punishment doesn't seem to help? The guilt from it can be worse anyways.
It seems that the best way is what I listed above. Providing alternative behavior and options.
Rather than hating myself and my bad behavior, I should think cleverly and come up with a solution.
I realize now that this anxiety never came from the caffeine... It came from myself.
I didn't drink coffee, yet the terrible overwhelmed feeling came anyways. This is proof that caffeine is not causing my anxiety, but rather it is coming from the way I think.
This is a good insight, because it means I don't have to worry so much about not drinking coffee now. 🤗
(but I have some brain rewiring to do, haha.)
While washing my face, I looked into the mirror and into my own eyes, an experience I don't often have. See myself.
Kind of odd, but I rarely have the experience of looking myself in the eyes and looking at myself as a person. This is me. This is what other people see.
How do I feel about myself? Who is this person? Do I like them? If I was someone else and I met "this person", would I like them?
Am I beautiful? Or am I a bad person?
Do I feel sympathy or pity towards myself?
How come I don't look fully awake or conscious sometimes? This awareness about the body and the self seems important, but it is rarely explored.
I rarely touch my body. Like my feet, I see as dirty. I never touch them. I never just randomly grab my arm and massage it, or massage my face, or give myself head rubs.
I don't have a strong relationship with myself. It's almost like we are disconnected, we are strangers.
So this was a very interesting and awakening experience for myself, looking at myself deeply in the mirror. (Not the small glance you get from brushing your teeth, but rather staring into your own eyes, into your own soul, and seeing yourself as a living, conscious being. Truly beautiful and worthwhile.)
Doing less actually leads to more.
Having that empty space where you don't do anything or you even waste time - leads to higher output in other domains.
Your brain truly needs downtime! It truly cannot fucking think without emptiness.
You must also keep things in harmony. You cannot perform well if you are tired, exhausted, and stressed. This is a short-term strategy, but a terrible life-long one.
So let go that expectation that every hour must be one of insight and power and productivity. Let it aside. Just be you. Just be. Just chill my dude.
Do less.
More information is not good.
It's like piling trash in your room without first organizing it.
It's better to have a few clear thoughts that a mountain of gibberish.
First actually learn the information that you are exposed to before you read more.
And what I mean by learn is that it is now an integral part of you, your thinking, and your behavior.
If the information did not change how you view the world, how you think, or the way the you behave, then you've learned nothing. You've just absorbed gobbledygook. (This word's definition is not correct, but I like the way it sounds and it encapsulates the feeling I am trying to express.)
And this constant absorption of information - without proper thinking and consideration - will just turn your brain into an untidy mess. Then how are you suppose to think well? Simply cannot!
Work with what you have first, then test the waters and explore your outreach. Keep one foot inside your stable, organized core and one foot in chaos and the unknown.
This will keep you stable while also allowing you to grow.
This is, in my opinion, the best way to learn and build up your mind.
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