tales of the golden state

escaping the real world for another hour, but am i? #westworld is such a great show! like many good shows it can be enjoyed on so many levels, whether you're into action, thrills and good stories or into pondering the debate about free will vs. determinism and the hard and easy problem of consciousness. if you let it, this show can take you right down the rabbit hole of philosophical questions about the meaning of life and the meaning of meaning, it tackles existentialism, nihilism and absurdism in such an entertaining way. brilliant!

Jordan Peterson & John Vervaeke discuss the Meaning of Life <3

this was wonderful and just what i needed. you know, my master thesis about materialism, self-enhancing values and extrinsic aspirations as today’s main opponent of the (individual and societal) pursuit of wellbeing and meaning and the pursuit of sustainability (which both seem to be propelled by intrinsic motivation/aspirations, self-direction and self-trancendence, taking responsibility and overcoming of ego like in mindfulness or flow theory) sends my urge to seek more information all over the place and lets my pattern recognition go haywire - it drove me through all schools of psychology and from philosophy to happiness research, ethics, neuroscience, humanistic and organismic theories, history, sociology, economics, ecology and system theory to quantum physics, mindfulness, meditation, zen and taoism, don’t even ask.

and sometimes this (regained) urge to make sense is very exhausting and feels like going crazy, especially because the many theories and empirical evidence i found paint a very different picture of what makes humans happy and lets them thrive than what our (consumer) culture makes us believe. this challenges my world view and puts my synapses on rewire-fire and also (naturally) brings up themes of existential significance - from eureka moments to nihilism to faith as a leap into the abyss of absurdity (not a leap of faith per definitionem though cause science, rational criticism and empirical evidence are still my best buddies). 

so, all in all there’s no need to worry cause being a baby mama is at all times enough fulfillment and pure “meaning of life” to keep me from getting lost in these philosophical games, BUT being a baby mama also lets me question why i`m so driven to explore this topic in such depth and became so heavy headed/contemplative/meditative lately, instead of living the easy, carefree life of a properconsumption-lovin´ lifestyle mama. d'oh! in short, the last months have been very exhausting.

and then this little treasure of a youtube clip comes along, picks up so many of the topics i (sometimes aimlessly) brooded over, ponders these and many more theories and ideas with lightness and charm and strings them together eloquently, while gently patting me on the back and telling me that i’m doing just fine walking down this road of questioning the status quo and construeing meaning to live and propagate ideas of a more intentional, fulfilled and meaningful life life <3 booya!

life is what you make of it, it is what all of us make of it in one magnificent orchestra, and this is, despite and probably also because of all the dark sides, sublimely beautiful.

the internet turns 25 today. now can we just stop for a minute and marvel at this amazing tool in the palm of our hands? 3,5 billion people, almost half of this earth`s population, have access to this net that connects us, that stores and makes available a major part of humanity´s collected wisdom, brilliant thoughts and inspirations of history´s sages, great thinkers, scientists, philosophers, artists, experts in every field. 

the internet brings forth swarm intelligence, it enables everyone to stand on the shoulders of giants. there is scientific research and empirical data available for free if you want to dig deep into any topic of interest, but there are also short and sweet videoclips that explain even the most complicated topics in a simple and entertaining way, so you can approach whatever you’re interested in  - even as an absolute beginner. you can try out and learn about all activities that ever tickled your fancy - from experts! but you can also just kick back and enjoy music, radio plays, movies, art, made by people who devote their life to this.

but the internet does not only enable us to receive data, information and entertainment, we can also use it as a mouthpiece and send whatever we want into the world. our thoughts, our art, our truth. we can connect with likeminded people, collaborate, support causes we believe in.

we can use this democratization of media to enhance communication, empathy and fairness, to stay in touch with family and friends all around the world and to make new aquaintances that probably never would’ve crossed our way without this technology. 

but the internet and the mobile technologies can also divide us if we use them in the wrong way. if we let them trivialize and dismember our communication into sms-lenghs pieces, if we prefer to dive into virtual realities instead of connecting with the people we’re with. if we use it to show off and not to connect, inform, entertain or inspire. if we engage in a rat race of superficial beauty and hyper consumption. if we spread hate. if we misuse data transparency to supress and not to enhance fairness and justice. the internet is in the palm of your hands. what will you use it for?