< Notes...

Coming across Horsie’s many boxes and paper piles brings reflection. If it was up to me they would be gone long time ago. They are… attachments. I want to believe they are. Anyway, for that reason an old Mark Pilgrim’s blog post came to mind, and I had to go hunting for it.

“I had been waiting for the facts inside these boxes to change. Of course facts do not change; only people change. And with that, I dumped them in the trash and hauled them to the curb, still unopened after all these years.”

Will that time come for Horsie? I am going to work harder now to get rid of things I might have accumulated and left unused for years. If anything so that others—specifically loved ones—don’t inherit that burden.

Omoiyari is the Japanese concept of anticipating the needs of others and acting on them with genuine, selfless care. It’s more than just being polite. It’s a deep, intuitive form of empathy where you put yourself in someone else’s shoes, observe the situation, and take quiet, thoughtful action to ensure their comfort or happiness without being asked, thus creating harmony in your shared environment.

Wish I could find a book encompasing all the Japanese concepts. Reach out if you know of one you could recommend!

Itadakimasu, a phrase used in Japan before, and sometimes after, eating which translates as “to humbly receive”. It’s mean to thank, and show gratitude to, everything and everyone involved with the meal being consumed.

“It is meant to honor all: from the natural elements that supplied the ingredients, the people who grew the produce, to the ones who prepared and cooked the meal, etc.”

Generally it has no religious connotation today, but Buddhism is behind its origin.

I came across Joey Yu’s blog entry today, which lead me to a 4 years old post on Reddit. I subscribe to r/Stoicism, but missed this post. That, though, is irrelevant; I have seeing it, and read it now. I share the OPs approach.

“Everything we see around will cease to exist one day. Everything. All those great historical names, all your colleagues, everyone you look up to, everything. Your lifetime is nothing but a microscopic speck of time when taking into account all of the Universe’s history. Don’t spend your valuable and finite energy and time on comparing yourself to others.”

I have worried a couple of times about the fate of Blue, a fellow stranger. They are still as they were; no new thoughts, a quiet place since end of May. Instead of thinking negatively, I am going to assume they found happiness, and peace, and love, in that beautiful archipelago that’s called The Philippines. Who, who lives in bliss, needs to write down thoughts?

Rich Sutton’s debating notes on whether or not artificially intelligent robots could/should have the same rights as people.

“Ultimately, rights are not given or granted, but asserted and acknowledged. People assert their rights, insist, and others come to recognize and acknowledge them. This has happened through revolt and rebellion but also through non-violent protests and strikes. In the end, rights are acknowledged because it is only practical, because everyone is better off without the conflict. Ultimately it has eventually become impractical and counterproductive to deny rights to various classes of people. Should not the same thing happen with robots? We may all be better off if robot’s rights were recognized. There is an inherent danger to having intelligent beings subjugated. These beings will struggle to escape, leading to strife, conflict, and violence. None of these contribute to successful society. Society cannot thrive with subjugation and dominance, violence and conflict. It will lead to a weaker economy and a lower GNP. And in the end, artificially intelligent robots that are as smart or smarter than we are will eventually get their rights. We cannot stop them permanently. There is a trigger effect here. If they escape our control just once, we will be in trouble, in a struggle. We may loose that struggle.

If we try to contain and subjugate artificially intelligent robots, then when they do escape we should not be surprised if they turn the tables and try to dominate us. This outcome is possible whenever we try to dominate another group of beings and the only way they can escape is to destroy us.”

Kaizen is a Japanese concept that emphasizes continuous improvement. That is, it focuses on small, ongoing, positive changes with the belief that those will lead to significant results. Another Japanese philosophy I can subscribe too.

Thanks to Claudine I learned about, yet another, Japanese phrase—and concept—embodying cultural and philosophical meaning. The word, mottainai, means “what a waste”, as in “don’t throw that away yet; it can still be useful.” I wonder how long is the list of Japanese’s concepts/philosophies, but I am in love with each I have come across with!

“You are imperfect, I am imperfect, and that’s perfect.” — Unknown. Enter Kintsugi, and how it can help with stressful situations..

“Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold—built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. Every break is unique and instead of repairing an item like new, the 400-year-old technique actually highlights the “scars” as a part of the design.”

“IKIGAI - The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”, reads the cover of this book. Can it be called a secret, when it’s written in a book? I figure it’s a secret, if you don’t buy the book. Lucky for me, Martin gifted me this one.

Here I go, to live a “long and happy life!” Well, at least to read about it. One must start somewhere, right?