Philosophy

Yesterday, I took a walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, a notorious tourist trap but also a beautiful and marvelous feat of engineering. I wanted to photograph it (a cliché, I know) so I can make a print for someone as a gift. Hours passed in what felt like minutes. This experience, this immersion in creation for its own sake, is what makes me call myself an artist. So when a friend of mine–who reads this blog–made an off-hand comment critical of the fact that I call myself an artist, I wasn’t offended, but it did get me thinking about: who is an artist? What makes someone an artist? Is it enough to just make art? Do you have to show it? Sell it? Call yourself an artist on your LinkedIn profile?

I have a saying, or perhaps a mantra, that guides my approach to life: “High hopes, low expectations.” This perspective has become something of a personal philosophy for me. It’s fascinating how our relationship with expectations shapes our experience of the world. Many people navigate life feeling frequently disappointed simply because their expectations exceed what reality can reasonably deliver. In relationships, careers, and personal endeavors, setting excessively high expectations often creates a cycle of unnecessary dissatisfaction.

To be present is to fully engage with the moment unfolding around us—to experience life with awareness and attention undistracted by ruminations about the past or anxieties about the future. This state of conscious awareness forms a cornerstone of many wisdom traditions, including Buddhism, mindfulness practices, and Stoicism. It’s also a foundational concept in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps us redirect attention to the present moment rather than becoming entangled in unproductive thought patterns.

Within the diverse landscape of psychological approaches, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) stands out for its practical, evidence-based methodology focused on modifying thought patterns and behaviors. What’s particularly fascinating about CBT is how its core principles echo philosophical insights articulated thousands of years ago. Historical Context and Evolution # The development of talk therapy owes much to Freud’s pioneering work in bringing psychological treatment into broader cultural awareness. While his contributions created important foundations for psychological dialogue, many of his specific theoretical frameworks have not withstood empirical scrutiny. Contemporary approaches like CBT represent a significant evolution toward more scientifically validated therapeutic methodologies.

Our evolutionary heritage presents a fascinating paradox. The human brain—an exquisitely calibrated survival instrument refined across countless generations—evolved within environments of scarcity and perpetual threat. This remarkable organ, optimized for detecting danger and navigating scarcity, now operates in contexts radically different from those that shaped it. We’ve engineered a world of unprecedented material abundance where many of us, particularly in developed economies, enjoy comforts unimaginable to our ancestors or even to recent generations. Consider that widespread indoor plumbing—a convenience we now consider fundamental—became standard in American homes only during the late 1800s, a mere eyeblink in our evolutionary timeline.

Life offers two fundamental orientations toward experience: we can approach it passively, primarily responding to circumstances as they unfold, or actively, deliberately shaping our circumstances through intentional choice and action. Two Approaches to Living # I’ve found that cultivating an active orientation yields the most fulfilling results in my own experience. This approach centers on taking initiative rather than waiting for external prompts or direction. The active mindset recognizes that meaningful outcomes typically require deliberate action rather than passive anticipation.

We’re taught from an early age that hard work leads to rewards and success. This wisdom has merit, but what if I told you that laziness—yes, laziness—might be equally virtuous? When most of us think about laziness, we picture someone sprawled on the couch binge-watching Netflix, lost in video games, or perhaps hurkle-durkling in bed well past a reasonable hour. We’ve been conditioned to view laziness as productivity’s enemy—the antithesis of work, responsibilities, and self-improvement.

The Collective Fabric: Our Mutual Interdependence # The phrase “we live in a society” has become something of an internet meme, but beneath this casual observation lies a profound truth about human existence. We fundamentally exist within intricate networks of mutual interdependence—communities where our individual choices ripple outward, affecting countless others in ways both visible and invisible. This interconnectedness suggests an implicit responsibility: as participants in these collective systems, our contributions shape the shared environment we all inhabit.

Fluidity represents the capacity to flow—a property found in gases and liquids that allows them to change form in response to their environment. Some fascinating substances exhibit complex behaviors that blend properties of both solids and liquids. Consider non-Newtonian fluids like a mixture of water with corn starch, which demonstrates remarkable properties—becoming more solid-like when subjected to sudden force, then returning to liquid-like behavior when at rest. Conversely, substances like ketchup remain solid until disturbed, after which they flow freely—explaining why a gentle tap on an upturned bottle transforms it from stationary to flowing.

I find myself drawn to the concept of “discovery” rather than “invention” when considering human innovation. This framing suggests we uncover possibilities inherent in the universe rather than creating something entirely new—with some individuals finding ways to translate these discoveries into economic value. The Challenge of Originality # Moments of apparent insight often invite a humbling recognition: many seemingly novel ideas have precedents in earlier thought. The vast expanse of human intellectual history means few concepts emerge without antecedents or parallel development.