Last week, I have practiced taking an outside view of my own struggles, as guided by “A Handbook for New Stoics.” This week, the practice shifts its focus to taking an inside view of other people’s actions. By doing so, we aim to gain perspective, cultivate compassion and understanding within ourselves—recognizing why people’s actions may appear reasonable to them.
A fundamental principle of stoicism is that no one intentionally intends to do wrong, and everyone believes their actions are justified, and have valid reasons for their actions.
Pain takes on many forms, and we can grieve over various things, expressing our emotions in many ways. Yet, we can sense the pain of those around us if we are willing to see it. Because pain and suffering are inherently rooted in every being—a part of life itself—making pain a shared experience for all of us.
The dialogue in the film is beautifully authentic, with exceptional performances that convey deep pain and emotions.
I can’t say much about the story without giving away spoilers. If you’re interested in watching this film, I recommend going in blind—avoid trailers or any other information about it.
What I truly appreciate is the metaphorical exploration of relationship dynamic and modern technology presented in the film. It serves as both entertainment and social commentary simultaneously.
The screenplay is solid, and the performances by the main cast are great. All technical aspects effectively support the tone they aimed for.
Welcome to my personal analysis of my favorite movies from 2023, which I like to call My Own Oscar Awards. After watching most of the nominations and beyond, I couldn’t help but compare these films to each other. My personal picks focused not on the names, prestige, or past work of the filmmakers, but rather on the impact these films had on me in each category.
Each category features three nominations that truly sparked something within me.
I appreciated the cinematography and sound in this movie; they effectively set an atmosphere of suspense within a confined space with no way to escape. The premise also laid the groundwork for a compelling thriller. The performances of each cast member were good, given the script they had to work with.
However, the screenplay was very lacking. The materials were all there to explore the idea of three individuals, each with complicated backstories, trapped together on an airplane.
The story revolves around the notion that art has the power to heal the soul. Art is fundamentally human; it expresses the essence of our humanity and brings out the best in us.
It also beautifully illustrates the process of grappling with our traumas, mistakes, hopes, and dreams for the future. Sometimes, when we step outside ourselves, we enter a transient space that transcends individuality and connects us to our shared humanity.
This week's exercise from a handbook for new Stoics focuses on comforting ourselves by achieving equanimity through a shift in perspective regarding our own troubles.
At the core of this practice is the distinction between sympathy and empathy. The Stoics put forward the idea that we should lean more towards cultivating sympathy rather than empathy.
Empathy, sharing another person's feelings at an emotional level, often leads to overwhelming responses. Empathy is stronger towards known or visible people but weakens with anonymity.
"Babygirl" presents an intriguing premise, featuring a high-powered CEO engaging in a controversial sub-dom romance with her younger intern. However, the film struggles to deliver a cohesive and engaging narrative, as the power dynamics between the characters are ambiguously portrayed. The story is barely there and the intern is poorly developed, making it difficult to invest in the story. Instead of a deep exploration of their relationship, viewers are left with two confused individuals navigating a sub-dom dynamic that feels awkward, uncomfortable and at times, surprisingly dull.
This week, the exercise focuses on the concept of aversion, which can be seen as a type of desire, as in the desire to avoid misfortune. People have very different reactions to similar misfortunes, and the reason is that some people are better at redirecting the aversion away from things that they dislike but are not in our power, and transferring it to things that we can completely control. The true challenge is taking actions on something we can be guaranteed to achieve, instead of desiring something that is outside our control.
“Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards.”
Memoir of a Snail is a beautiful way to honor Søren Kierkegaard’s philosophy. Particularly in the opening scene where we wouldn’t understand the significance of things on the floor until we later learned about their history. Then the film’s progression to the final arc solidified the notion that life must be lived forward. It was a profound film that helped me grasp the meaning of life a bit better.
I purchased A Handbook for New Stoics by Massimo Pigliucci about four years ago, alongside The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday.
Start my day with The Daily Stoic, then end my day with A Handbook for New Stoics
For the past four years, I have read The Daily Stoic every morning. It has grounded me each day, allowing me to reflect on my life before diving into daily activities.
Who would have thought that a game as simple as Tetris could have such a wild and complicated origin story involving business deals and politics? I do think it could’ve leaned into the gaming elements a bit more—maybe with some visuals or nods to the actual gameplay—but it was still super entertaining. The characters are engaging, and the stakes feel (ridiculously) high, which keeps you invested the whole time. I wish I could have watched it on the big screen!
The film is visually appealing, but it misses the mark by failing to capitalize on the atmosphere of intense hunting, instead relying on generic chase scenes. It’s also puzzling how they cut scenes to avoid gruesome content, despite being an R-rated movie.
There’s an interesting moral dilemma at play, but it gets overshadowed by the bland execution of the plot and poor dialogue. I seriously doubt how they believed they succeeded in portraying Kraven as the villain of the story.
We want our lives to matter, but when we are among billions of billions of people, it’s challenging to feel like our existence truly matters.
I mean, whatever we think, do, or say would be just a speck of dust in the grand scheme of the universe, and even just an unrecognizable blip in the entire timeline of history.
So, why do we even care?
Well, we care because, despite being just one among countless others, we are still one nonetheless.
Weather is something we can never be absolutely certain about until we actually experience it. We can guess, predict, and forecast, but weather always moves to its own rhythm, whether we like it or not. Even our most accurate forecasts can't always pinpoint how the weather will unfold or identify all the factors causing sudden changes. There are simply too many variables.
This unpredictability often surprises us, but while we can’t prevent these surprises, we can prepare for them.
I’ve been wanting to write about my most used apps for so long but didn’t have enough motivation to do so, until I came across this directory of apps people commonly use. Inspired by this, I’ve decided to compile a list of my default apps.
Prioritize Native Apps, then Fantastic Updates for New OS Support in Apps For over ten years, I have enthusiastically tried thousands of apps. Throughout this time, I have learned that the best apps are the ones that withstand the test of time, receive frequent updates to support new operating system features, and, if necessary, offer excellent options for sharing and exporting.
I’ve realized that I never fully trust myself. It’s a feeling I’ve carried since childhood.
I often find myself uncertain and indecisive, thinking too much and doubting my choices even more. As a result, I tend to hold back and take very little action. I constantly worry that I’ll mess everything up if I make the wrong move, so I end up not moving at all.
Honestly, I feel like Chidi from The Good Place—always second-guessing myself!
I appreciate how this prequel reveals the depth of its characters, particularly the relationship between Mufasa and Taka. This adds complexity to the overall story and allows for greater empathy towards each character. While Mufasa is portrayed as a great leader, I found myself more drawn to Taka’s narrative, and I hope there will be another installment focusing on this character.
Visually, the film is spectacular, showcasing the advancements in technology within the film industry.
Why do we enjoy eating so much? I think it’s because it’s one of the few pleasures derived from engaging our senses in a way that requires intention. It’s the sensory that needs to be sought after.
While we see, hear, smell, and touch things involuntarily throughout the day, tasting is an experience that demands our conscious effort.
We must actively choose to put something in our mouths to truly savor its flavor.
When I'm lost in the abyss of life’s complexities, is it possible to use my own words as a vehicle for insight and write my way out on my own? Or, even better, can I harness my thoughts through writing to illuminate my path toward wisdom?
How can one write to light up their whole world?
I believe that words possess a unique power; they cannot only convey ideas but also unravel the threads of understanding that are tangled inside our own minds.
Writing is a journey of discovery, you won’t know what will emerge on the page until you put the words down. Writing is like digging into your mind; you only see what’s truly inside once you start to excavate and examine it for yourself.
No one—not even you—knows exactly how your current writing session will unfold until it’s complete. We can only perceive what’s in front of us, line by line.
Knowledge Flow Consulting Pratik reached out to discuss creating a logo for his new business, Knowledge Flow Consulting, which focuses on research consulting services for educational sectors and non-profits.
This project presents a series of intriguing challenges for me. Given that it's a research consulting business and operates on a Business-to-Business (B2B) model, I needed to set aside my playful approach to lettering, tapping instead into my branding and typography skills.
It’s incredible how quickly Aaron is launching new product lines for Strathmere Leather! Enter The Galileo—the premium passport case. What’s great about The Galileo is that it can hold not only a passport but also a pocket notebook and an international driving license, all in one case!
Conceptualizing
Now, back to our logo commission. Initially, Aaron provided direction for the design, referencing the classic looks of Trans World Airlines, Pan Am, and Frank Sinatra album covers.
The Jefferson logo
I thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Aaron on the logo designs. His entire brand identity resonates with me, and I loved it so much that I began drafting ideas as soon as I saw his new projects, even before he requested them!
This time, I've worked on the commissioned logo for The Jefferson Notebook case, his latest product for Strathmere Leather—one that I hope to get my hands on soon.
After the stress of designing business logos, I finally had the opportunity to create a fun lettering style, thanks to Lou Plummer who writes a blog specifically for app reviews!
The task was straightforward: a website header for his other blog linkage.lol.
I drafted several lettering styles and sent them to him for selection. As much as I love script styles—finding them much more enjoyable to design—he preferred the simple styles with all caps.
My grandmother lived for 94 years, experiencing wars and four reigns of Thailand.
Year after year, our entire family—over a dozen of us—gathered at Grandma's house to share meals during ceremonies, holidays, and birthdays. It was certainly more than a hundred gatherings that she graced us with.
She was always there with us from the moment we entered this world. You could even say that our earliest memories began with her presence.
Once again commissioned by Aaron, I was tasked with designing a logo to serve as a website header for his brand, "Strathmere Leather." This time, the goal was to create a logo that embodies the entire brand identity, moving beyond the product-specific design of the previous Ocean Front logo. The challenge lies in balancing simplicity with the luxurious feel of handmade leather craftsmanship.
Initial Concepts and Inspirations
Technically, it’s not a commission since I was the one who saw Aaron's post about his latest product line, "Ocean Front," and loved the name so much that I couldn't resist designing a lettering for it.
When I saw the words "Ocean Front," the image of waves immediately came to mind. The name should flow like the waves, so I used the typeface Aaron had already visualized, made it more fluid, and adjusted the slant to align with the waves.
I've offered this as a free wallpaper for iPhone, iPad, and PC. However, donating a little would mean a lot to me as I am saving up for a new iPad as my birthday present this month.
In a world where we are often taught to seek validation from others, most people believe they need someone to fulfill their lives, thinking they must find the missing piece of their heart to feel truly loved.
Vincent tried to help me get a new iPad (and you can help too!), so he gave me a tip that made me feel over the moon when I saw the amount. I wanted to show my gratitude with some lettering, but he didn’t give me any brief, so I had to wing it myself!
Then, I remembered he mentioned liking red before, so I used a deep red and brown color scheme.