MW #11 | The Spice of Future Life
A veritable variety pack on data privacy, actually saving the world, thinking in seven generations, sitting on chairs, and a moment in life and death
Welcome to Mind Whoosh! A newsletter bread-crumb trail of thoughts, learnings, and speculations following my spelunking journey through minds, metaverse, and this messy human meat-space we call ‘reality.’
In this Issue:
To Create More, Try Typing Less
Is Data Privacy Paranoia Justified? Unfortunately, Yes.
Building Acumen and How to (Actually) Change the World
The 7th Generation Principle
A Global History of Sitting Down
A Monk Praying for a Man Who Died at a Train Station
To Create More, Try Typing Less
I recently had an article published in the Medium curated Creator’s Hub. If you are a quirky life-hacking productivity-obsessed techno-human like I often feel, then this might be an enjoyable rant for you. Give it a quick read, and liberate yourself from the perceived judgment of your nearest ‘success’ guru.
Is Data Privacy Paranoia Justified? Unfortunately, Yes.
Sometimes, it feels like we’re all dancing to the tune of a broken record. Concerns around data privacy with the technologies we use every day keep making their way back in the headlines. I know; it’s tempting to tune it out completely.
That’s precisely why we need to pay attention. It’s the only way to ensure a non-dystopian future that leaves us with some speck of ownership over our lives, data, and privacy. Real people feared the COVID vaccine could be used to inject them with tracking devices. The concern is genuine, for some. Meanwhile, the ground truth of the matter is undeniable. We give away mountains of data through devices we carry on our bodies every day. The direction of outrage is often misguided, while the general concern for privacy is wholly warranted. We could align that enthusiasm towards more productive targets.
We can address some of this misalignment between perception and reality. There‘s a wealth of valuable research mapping out these kinds of vulnerabilities.
What Your Gaze Might Reveal About You
The surface area for gathering private data on a person continues to expand in proportion to the breadth of technologies we interact with. This particular study highlights the insights possible through analyzing eye-tracking data. It’s highly relevant to anyone using VR headsets or phone cameras. They also link to some additional studies on other sensor data common in phones, like motion tracking from accelerometers or recorded voice.
WTF Do We Do Now?
It’s tempting to feel paranoid, especially when you realize how much can be inferred from powerful devices like your phone. Personally, it leaves me with an itching desire to drive to the nearest seaside cliff, set all of my devices ablaze in a bonfire effigy, scoop the ashes into a bag, and sling them out into the ravenous surf below. Take that, bookface!
Once the destructive fit of paranoia subsided, I’d realize I just threw another bag of garbage into the ocean to steep like microplastic tea back into our water and food. I’d regret the whole episode. Then I’d have to contact T-Mobile to claim a phone replacement as well.
“Can you please describe how your phone was damaged?”
“‘Accidental’ incineration. And no, I won’t be able to send it back.”
We are already committed to this reality and the technology we depend on for this distributed lifestyle. Its mark is in our bodies, whether trace radiation from nuclear testing of the first atom bombs or the hydrocarbons and plastics we eat in our food. The best we can do is to be aware of the dangers of our particular era’s innovations. In ages past, it was the fires that scolded our hands and warmed us at night, or printed books spread stories, knowledge, and propaganda alike.
Now, computers and networks connect us abroad and leave us vulnerable to threats we cannot see. Our laws and regulations should reflect the protection we need, a perforated surface that’s constantly evolving. If there is an exploit, people will always find ways to use and abuse it. That’s the inexorable demon’s curse and creative genius of humans.
Building Acumen and How to (Actually) Change the World
Modern culture worships ‘success.’ Media hype and professional dogma coagulate around the meteoric ascension stories of successful billion-dollar startups and larger-than-life figures. The stories of complete and utter failure in between often get left behind in light of all the achievements.
This conversation from the Tim Ferris Show is a refreshing switch on that misleading narrative. Jacqueline spends a lot of time laying out the life-crushing failures and struggles she grappled with on her path. It’s all the more inspiring because she has created accessible ways for others to dream up responsible ways of contributing to the greater good.
Acumen Academy
If you are fortunate enough to have extra resources for philanthropy, you might feel inspired to rethink how you donate or redistribute some of those assets. The Acumen Academy has a ton of guidance and many courses available for eager philanthropists, whether through donation, volunteering, or starting your own organization or company seeking positive impact.
The 7th Generation Principle
I’m completely perplexed as to how we don’t practice this kind of reflection more often.
The idea is simple but incredibly powerful:
Every time you make a decision that affects a lot of people, take a moment to visualize those it will affect seven generations from now.
You might have a similar thought at first glance: How in the hell can we imagine seven generations from now? Everything changes so fast these days! It’s no wonder that we have lost sight of this kind of thinking. It feels far more overwhelming to any individual than our ancestors would have imagined. Our world transforms beyond recognition for every new generation now.
That’s why it’s now more critical than ever before. We can take this kind of principle and repurpose it for the collective engine we have built to introspect. We’ll become a better, more sustainable society for the extra effort.
A Global History of Sitting Down
Through a serendipitous conversation a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired to figure out why people collectively decided we all needed chairs for sitting. On occasion, Americans will forgo the seated platform to sit on the ground while camping or having a picnic. It’s a bit of a novelty for us. For many other cultures, it is the norm. Visiting a traditional Japanese restaurant, you’ll often find a section with low tables and seat pads for sitting cross-legged on the floor for those that are accustomed to it. The history of this whole cultural movement makes for a surprising reflection on our diverse origin stories. It even affects the development of our bodies differently depending on where we grew up; I would argue, it also strongly influences our perception of our place in the surrounding world.
A Buddhist Monk Praying for a Man Who Died at a Train Station
We’ll finish off with a captured moment of profound humanity. For many of us, the global pandemic reminds us of our inevitable mortality more than we were accustomed to before. Perhaps, by holding this common experience out in the open, together, we can remember what connects us in the end.
If you appreciate any of the things I’ve gathered or written about here, please consider sharing Mind Whoosh with other like-minded humanauts in your circles. Right now, the best thing you can do is help find a larger community of people who can benefit.