Listening to: Fifteen (Taylor's version)
Things work before we can prove them to work. A thought on trusting my own ideas.
Welcome to Ideothetic Flow! A passion project where I share my reflections on being a better person and building a kinder world.
If this resonates, do subscribe so we can stay connected. New post every 2 weeks.
Hi!
The biggest highlight of the last 2 weeks was my birthday staycation at Sentosa. The primary motive of course is not for myself to rest, but to let Joy have some new experiences. She definitely had lots of fun at the beach (and not so much fun at USS). I am not an outdoors person, but I think it’s important for her to get in touch with nature and see firsthand how it works.
Things work before they are proven to work
Alot of the Woo-Woo Probably works
This blog post by Raptitude talks about how things work before we know they work. Even if something cannot be proven, it does not mean it is impossible. Germ theory is an example. It is proven knowledge to us now, but, at the time it was suggested, it was dismissed as being ridiculous.
I found this insightful for my own mental models on what to believe.
When the pandemic started, lots of information was flying around. We constantly had to evaluate what was worth believing - should we leave cut onions in the open? are masks necessary? is it safe to go to a place that was visited by a confirmed case? There were some who believed anything transmitted over a whatsapp group, and some who were skeptical and preferred not to do anything until hard science was shown. An extreme application of neither approach was correct. Some of these were rightfully dismissed as baseless hacks, yet some of them also later turned out to be accurate.
Proof takes time, and not all things can be proven conclusively. If we were always skeptical and expect hard proof, we would still be stuck with many ancient ideas. Yet, being too gullible is even more dangerous - such as drinking bleach as a cure.
I am neither fully skeptical nor gullible all the time, so how do I decide where to land on this spectrum. I definitely do not strike some perfect balance. In fact, I realise that I am inconsistent. I apply different amounts of skepticism to different things. I want more proof for things which make me feel uncomfortable or go against my self interest. Try telling me to sleep earlier. I am faster to believe things which fit into my world view or biases. I remember hating swimming lessons as a child, and on the slightest dark cloud I would be suggesting we stay home in case it rains.
I draw two lessons from this:
First, if I want to think better and make better decisions, then I must learn to be more aware of these inconsistencies and correct my course.
Second, I should have more conviction and confidence in my ideas. Be less concerned with objections or challenges for proof, because these might also come from a place of self-interest or inconsistency. I often think about how legal practice might be made better, but I worry about lacking credibility. Perhaps I should be more willing to try and put these into practice than waiting till I am more senior.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was coincidentally (or maybe intentionally?) released on my birthday, 13 years after the original album was released. I have been quite excited about this. Not only because the lawyer in me finds it interesting how this originated because of corporate transactions and IP rights, but also because I enjoyed listening to it so much back then, and get to relive that enjoyment again now.
It brought back memories of who I was 13 years ago. I remember being early to meet some friends and bought the original on an impulse when passing by HMV at Citilink Mall. It turned out to be a big part of my music consumption back then. The effects of repetition really shows, when all these songs seem so familiar despite their age. With the speed media and entertainment move now, I wonder how common it is to listen to a full album multiple times, or for singers to stay popular and get imprinted in the mind, before the next new trend appears. (see also: Is Culture Stuck? )
Still enjoying this album now makes me think about how I am the same person as 13 years ago, but also how many of my thoughts, beliefs, and priorities have changed since then, hopefully for the better. Most telling is that the emotions the songs invoke are very different. In particular this one, which I did not think so much about back then, but strikes a chord in me now as a parent:
Joy,
13 years from now, your Fifteen year old self won’t want to listen to what I have to say. When you inevitably struggle with the question of who you are, I leave this here so that maybe you can get the advice you need from someone else instead.
I've found time can heal most anything
And you just might find who you're supposed to be
I didn't know who I was supposed to be
At fifteenLa la la la la
Your very first day
Take a deep breath girl
And take a deep breath as you walk through the doors-Fifteen (Taylor’s Version)
Thanks for reading! I do hope to hear about your thoughts or ideas!
You can reply this email, leave a comment, or reach me at jameschanwz@hey.com.
Also pop by my site at www.jameschanwz.com to read more about me and what I am working on.