Steam drifts from Jeffrey’s cup of coffee on the worn wooden table as he settles onto his familiar front porch, his only refuge from a world entirely different than the one he grew up in.

Three years into retirement, he’s cultivated a quiet ritual: watching his neighbors through softly lit windows as they scurry about their morning routines. 

Fathers in tailored suits exchange tender goodbye kisses with their children, while others—dressed down in basketball shorts—sprint to gather their little ones. Mothers go for jogs; mothers in suits pause, a foot outside their front doors, to take deep breaths before flipping their phones to their ears to jump on their first morning meetings as they strut down their driveways in high heels. 

Men and women in rugged pants and long sleeve shirts packed in Ford 3500 trucks pile out in the street corner and begin unloading lawn care equipment for the work of the day. 

Jeffrey has lived his life and is now watching the people of his neighborhood go about theirs.  He watches the evolving cadence of life; a rhythm that in his younger years would have seemed like science fiction. 

Smartphones, cars with backup cameras, Teslas navigating on autopilot: technology has woven itself into the fabric of every routine.

As his neighborhood empties and Jeffrey cues up a podcast with his coffee in hand, one truth emerges: his world has shifted dramatically. 

And soon, yours will too. In just three years, artificial intelligence is set to upend corporate jobs. When the machines take over, where will you find your place?

"In 1000 days the world will be dramatically different than it is today" 
 -Daniel Priestly. 

Those words do not linger in times new roman font deep in some obscure forum on the internet somewhere. They were spoken by prominent entrepreneur and writer, Daniel Priestly, on Peter McCormack's podcast a few weeks ago. 

People echo these words in conversation as they ruminate on what has become of them since their schooling days and what still lies ahead. 

Donald Trump, only a few days after his inauguration, brought the foremost leaders of AI on the stage to announce project "Stargate", an initiative which will pump billions of dollars and remove legislative red tape to further develop breakthroughs in AI. 

How could anyone watch all of this unfolding and not think to themselves that something huge is coming. If you haven’t, I urge you to start thinking about it now because in as soon as three years you may find yourself sitting in a world you don’t recognize or fully understand like our friend Jeffrey on his porch. 

The Holdouts

This isn’t the first time society has faced the precipice of life-altering change. In fact, it’s happened countless times, and each era required humans to adapt in order to survive.

The good news? Most of the time, this adaptation has led to swaths of the population enjoying better, less combative lives. But let’s be clear, some never made it through the transformations.

The ones left behind in the wake of progress were those too stubborn to abandon old ways. Today, these holdouts are the ones clinging to the traditional life blueprint: go to university, earn a degree, seek out an entry-level job, and work for a large, reputable corporation. Tomorrow, however, those same corporations will replace human workers with machines that are not only cheaper but also infinitely better at the specific tasks central to their employment. 

No hard feelings. For decades, education trained human beings to be pliable workers, cogs in the vast machinery of the economy. If you think this won’t affect your livelihood—or worse, if you’ve given it little thought—understand one thing: you are charging headfirst toward disaster. All your proverbial eggs are in one basket, and AI is about to knock that basket out of your hands.

Natural Progression

Consider this undeniable truth today: the affluent seek out one-of-a-kind, handcrafted treasures from those who labor with passion, while the masses settle for cheap, mass-produced widgets. Many voices predict a future where society either drifts into endless entertainment or reverts to a modern feudalism—an elite class of AI owners living like royalty while the rest labor merely to sustain the machine. I reject that dystopian vision.

Instead, if we heed the dramatic shifts unfolding around us, it becomes clear that people, driven by the need for multiple income streams, will increasingly pivot toward what they do best. They’ll embrace the art of crafting custom-made products—whether by hand or through locally powered 3D printing—infusing each creation with a unique allure.

In this future, while AI churns out soulless, mass-produced widgets, human hands will continue to craft irreplaceable works of art. A vibrant, decentralized marketplace will emerge, where neighbors and artisans trade items imbued with character and individuality. Look to the bitcoin space for a hint: platforms like NOSTR are already witnessing exchanges of goods and services for sats, transactions driven by genuine heart and soul. This is the future—a flourishing human economy that prizes the unique over the uniform.

The Choice is Ours

This transformation isn’t a fantasy or a guess, it’s a reality unfolding in real-time. AI will soon take over corporate roles it will redefine industries, it will displace workers, and it will shift the foundations of the traditional economy. The question isn’t if change is coming, but whether you will be ready when it does.

We are at a crossroads. The choice is stark: continue relying on outdated systems that are on the verge of obsolescence, or take an active role in shaping the new economy. The sooner we embrace this shift, the smoother the transition will be—not just for individuals, but for society as a whole.

A new marketplace is forming, one where human ingenuity, craftsmanship, and individuality hold more value than ever before. Many here on Nostr recognize this, albeit they may not be able to fully articulate it.  Those making active and early moves to adhere to these changes will be the ones that thrive in the next era—offering handcrafted, uniquely designed goods and services in a decentralized, global economy. The tools are already in place. Platforms like NOSTR and Bitcoin are glimpses of what’s to come—a world where economic exchange is no longer dictated by faceless corporations but by individuals trading real value with one another.

But make no mistake—this transition will not be without obstacles.

The Challenges Ahead

Proof of Identity Will Become Crucial
As digital marketplaces grow, verifying authenticity will be essential. Fake identities, deepfakes, and AI-generated fraud will make it harder than ever to determine who is real and who isn’t. Those who build trust and credibility early in decentralized markets will have a significant advantage.

Geo-Politics May Stand in the Way of a Globalized Economy
While technology enables a worldwide marketplace, governments and institutions will resist. Economic protectionism, sanctions, and restrictions on decentralized trade could create friction, limiting global participation and increasing the risk of international conflict. 

Looking at the recent Trump tariffs, it's easy to see how truly decentralized trade could be stymied as nations worldwide attempt to rein in natural global trade. 

Truth Will Become Harder to Define
AI will not only disrupt jobs but also the flow of information. Deepfake videos, synthetic news, and hyper-targeted misinformation will make it nearly impossible to discern what’s real. In an era where perception shapes reality, those who fail to sharpen their ability to seek truth will be left vulnerable.

The world will change, of that, there is no doubt. But will you change with it? The next 1,000 days will define the trajectory of the next 100 years. If you’re waiting for someone to give you permission to adapt, you’ll already be too late.

Start now. Be an active participant. Take control of your future before AI makes that choice for you.

Here are some profiles of people taking advantage of this new change that are worth following and supporting!

oshi
Oshi- Makes hand-made date bars and delicious goodies

𝔼𝕣𝕪𝕟 𝔹𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠
Eryn- Makes hand-made pottery of all kinds for your home

There are plenty more people leveraging their craftsmanship to serve the market and looking to establish relationships directly with you as their patron. Find more people like Oshi and Eryn at plebmall by Baked Potato

This is how we actively participate in the future that is unfolding.

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Dearly Departed- The People Left Behind

The Lost Coffeehouse: Where Did Our Public Forums Go?

Dwindling Flames: How the Mentorship Void is Fueling an Unhappy Generation

We were good at keeping traditions. Though we eventually outgrew the days of stampeding through Grandma’s living room, her house remained our gathering place. The four of us—Alex, Ronnie, Ellis, and I—would settle on the back porch, the aroma of freshly baked pie still wafting through the air. We’d trade stories about our first crushes, our first kisses, and our dreams for the future, laughing in the warmth of a home that felt eternal.

Alex was the first to leave for college. He never really came back. Four years away, then a big-time job across the country.

Ronnie and Ellis—the twins—left a few years later. They never truly returned, either. Not the same, at least.

A cruel trick of biology had been lurking in the depths of their genes, lying in wait for the right moment to surface. In college, Ronnie was consumed by schizophrenia, while Ellis battled years of depression. They came back home, but they weren’t the same boys I had grown up with. The ones I had once sprinted through hallways with, laughing until our sides hurt, were lost to something none of us could chase down or outrun.

By the time I graduated, the scent of pie had vanished forever. My grandmother’s grave was my last stop before I, too, left town.

I never went back.

People leave in different ways. Some move to another city or another country. Some lose themselves to illness, slipping through our fingers even as they sit beside us. Some find their final resting place. All dearly departed.

What makes their departure so bittersweet is the time we once had with them—the memories we carry, the laughter that still echoes in the corners of our hearts.

That’s life. That’s what makes it worth it.

Were it not for these very words, we might never have had a modern capitalistic society.

Between 1500 and 1800, coffeehouses were more than just places to grab a quick hit of caffeine—they were the beating heart of local communities. These spaces buzzed with debate, discussion, and the exchange of groundbreaking ideas. Strangers became intellectual sparring partners, not merely reading the news but dissecting and debating it in real-time.

One could easily imagine Adam Smith engaged in animated conversation with David Hume in a coffeehouse on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile—the former outlining the invisible hand of the market, the latter countering that human behavior is driven more by emotion than reason. Such debates weren’t confined to elite scholars. Merchants, craftsmen, and common laborers sat shoulder to shoulder, engaging in discussions that transcended social class.

But then came industrialization.

The rise of factory life replaced the organic rhythms of community engagement with rigid work schedules. As cities expanded and people became busier, the once-thriving coffeehouses—where time was slow, conversation was deep, and debate was central—began to empty. The demand for efficiency left little room for leisurely discussions, and over time, the public square of ideas withered.

oshi
Mouth watering Hodl rounds- Bitcoin only

https://shopstr.store/listing/84f20c5e1ef94762b60f0d5fb4398594ace6c5589212f94269e9542fbe351732

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Empty Street Corners and Hollow Venues

Adam Smith would lose his mind with how interconnected the world is today.

Yet, he might also notice something unsettling: while we are globally connected, our local communities feel more fragmented than ever before.

He’d have a hell of an online presence but he, just like many do today, might get the sense that something isn't quite right. The world is quieterthan ever before while online discourse teeters on the verge of violent physical manifestations.

It’s not that public discourse has disappeared. Rather, it has been exiled to the internet. Social media has become our new coffeehouse, but instead of robust face-to-face engagement, we navigate a landscape of curated algorithms, viral outrage, and fragmented conversations. The once-public square of ideas has transformed into isolated echo chambers, where avatars shape narratives that must be adhered to lest one be accused of inconsistency and lose credibility.

The result? People live layered lives with layered personas—some even attaining secret fame in online communities while remaining anonymous in their own neighborhoods. Meanwhile, the street corners remain empty, and the venues that once thrived with the fervor of intellectual thought stand hollow.

Photos Courtesy of ❒ PictureRoom Give him a follow and some zap love if you like his art

The Need for a Modern Coffeehouse

Historically, coffeehouses were revolutionary because they democratized knowledge. They provided an open forum for ideas, allowing philosophy, politics, and commerce to intermingle freely. Unlike monasteries or universities, coffeehouses welcomed anyone who could afford a cup of coffee.

With the rise of digital discourse, have we lost something essential? The depth, accountability, and personal engagement that once defined public debate have been replaced by reactionary commentary and fleeting viral moments. The question is no longer where we discuss ideas—it’s how we engage with them.

We need to ask ourselves: Can we reclaim a physical space for intellectual exchange? Or has the age of meaningful, face-to-face discourse faded, vanishing with the steam of yesterday’s coffee?

Can We Bring Back the Local Forum? Should We Care?

Before coffeehouses, philosophy lived in elite institutions and royal courts. With the rise of coffee culture, it became truly public, shaping modern democracy, scientific thought, and social progress. The internet, for all its wonders, lacks the tactile, immediate, and personal engagement that once made intellectual debate so powerful.

The challenge ahead is not just about nostalgia for coffeehouse debates—it’s about asking whether we can create new spaces, physical or digital, that foster real intellectual exchange. Without them, we risk losing something fundamental: the ability to challenge, refine, and reshape our ideas through genuine human connection. But most of all, we risk the possibility great ideas come but no action is ever taken to make them real in this real world.

So, what’s the news?

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Dwindling Flames: How the Mentorship Void is Fueling an Unhappy Generation

What is most important in Life? Love or Money?

How Are We Defining Happiness?

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson penned the words that would echo through history:

“…that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

These words were not simply a poetic flourish—they reflected a deep understanding of philosophy, one that Jefferson, an avid reader of Aristotle, likely connected with the Greek concept ofeudaimonia.

Aristotle described eudaimonia as the highest form of human flourishing, achieved through virtuous living, strong character, and meaningful social bonds.

But what does happiness mean today?

According tothe World Happiness Report, six factors determine a nation's happiness:

1. Income
2. Health
3. Social support
4. Freedom to make life decisions
5. Generosity
6. The absence of corruption

These components closely mirror Jefferson’s vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet despite living in an era of unprecedented convenience and opportunity, many in our generation struggle with unhappiness, anxiety, and a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction.

So, what went wrong?

I believe its largely because of the absence of mentorship in modern society.

Aristotle emphasized that a person’s character—shaped by habits and guided by mentorship—was central to a flourishing life. He saw mentorship not as a luxury but as a necessity for cultivating wisdom, resilience, and social responsibility. Yet, in today’s world, strong mentor-mentee relationships have become increasingly rare.

When we invert Aristotle’s formula for happiness, we find the root causes of our collective unhappiness:

• A lack of mentorship and guidance
• Poor habits formed in the absence of discipline
• Excess and indulgence replacing moderation
• Rampant hypersensitivity rather than resilience
• A loss of moral grounding and sense of justice
• Struggles with forming and maintaining friendships
• Apathy toward civic engagement and community

Of all these, the absence of mentorship stands out as the foundational issue. Without guidance, young people are left to navigate life’s complexities alone, often falling into destructive habits.

In earlier generations, mentorship was woven into the fabric of society—through family, community leaders, apprenticeships, and even religious or philosophical instruction. Today, social media and fleeting digital interactions have replaced these deep, formative relationships.

Reclaiming Happiness Through Mentorship

To restore a sense of meaning and fulfillment, we must prioritize mentorship in our personal and professional lives. Parents, teachers, and leaders must recognize their responsibility to guide the next generation, not just with knowledge, but with wisdom. Seeking out mentors—and becoming one ourselves—can foster resilience, character, and purpose.

Happiness is not simply a product of material success or personal freedom; it is cultivated through relationships, values, and the pursuit of excellence. If we wish to see a happier generation, we must first rebuild the lost art of mentorship.

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What is most important in Life? Love or Money?

The Chance for Peace

Financial Illiteracy is Tearing Down Millennia of Struggle

The Lost Art of Small Talk

The baby in your arms shifts and you’re afraid she might wake. It's hot, but you wouldn’t dare remove the blankets covering her body.

It seems impossible you could admire anyone more, then you hear the gentle snore of your exhausted wife creep from the gently cracked bedroom door.

You can only imagine what pain she went through to bring this precious girl to the world so you could be holding her now.

Your watch lights up. You dread the sight of that little alarm bell above the time 5:25 and a weight falls on you like a million tiny pieces of lead.

If only you had more time.

You wish you could take your baby girl with you. That way you would have all the time in the day with her and your wife could be left to rest.

You need to work.

You get up as gently as you can. Even so, baby girl shifts in your arms. Her eyes open slightly. The thought of returning a crying baby to your exhausted wife is distressing, it's just not fair.

Baby girl shifts again, her eyes open long enough to spot you in the faint glow of morning twilight and she smiles.

You hold your breath.

The smile remains on baby girl’s face but her eyes close and her head collapses into your chest. You return your baby to her mother’s side and admire them in their slumber.

You need to work. Nothing could ever go wrong with that house so long as you work to keep its walls strong. Some time, when you’re truly needed perhaps you’ll have the money saved up to take the desired time off.

In the absence of the love you share for your family. In the absence of the love others have for you, money loses some value.

If we equate money for what it is, the residue of time, we cannot divorce Love from Money.

It’s important to understand that Money won’t buy you Love and Love should never be exchanged for Money but Time cultivates Love.

These are some key things to keep in mind:

Life without love is Suffocation

Life without money is stress and despair

Families are cultivated and grown with love and protected with money.

Money is the residue of time.

Be it Bitcoin or a golden bullion, it exchanges days, hours, minutes, or seconds. What could you do instead if you had money?

Thank you for reading!

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The Chance for Peace

Financial Illiteracy is Tearing Down Millennia of Struggle

The Lost Art of Small Talk

We're All Obsessed with Progress - And Its Costing us

Dwight peered through his glasses at his speech on the podium, then raised his gaze back at the small crowd gathered in front of him in the conference room at the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Washington, D.C. Everyone was on the edge of their seats.

The President spoke of peace, but the United States faced a great enemy in the Soviet Union. How would he continue?

“To weigh this chance is to summon instantly to mind another recent moment of great decision. It came with that yet more hopeful spring of 1945, bright with the promise of victory and of freedom. The hope of all just men in that moment too was a just and lasting peace.”

The heads among the spectators raised in hope, as if the enthusiasm in the President’s voice could be enough to wipe away any prospect of future war against the Soviet threat.

“In that spring of victory the soldiers of the Western Allies met the soldiers of Russia in the center of Europe. They were triumphant comrades in arms. Their peoples shared the joyous prospect of building, in honor of their dead, the only fitting monument-an age of just peace. All these war-weary peoples shared too this concrete, decent purpose: to guard vigilantly against the domination ever again of any part of the world by a single, unbridled aggressive power.”

“This common purpose lasted an instant and perished. The nations of the world divided to follow two distinct roads.”

“The United States and our valued friends, the other free nations, chose one road.”

“The leaders of the Soviet Union chose another.”

“The way chosen by the United States was plainly marked by a few clear precepts, which govern its conduct in world affairs.”

What came next in Dwight D. Eisenhower’s speech “The Chance for Peace” is the answer to preventing wars between countries

“First: No people on earth can be held, as a people, to be an enemy, for all humanity shares the common hunger for peace and fellowship and justice.

Second: No nation's security and well-being can be lastingly achieved in isolation but only in effective cooperation with fellow nations.

Third: Any nation's right to a form of government and an economic system of its own choosing is inalienable.

Fourth: Any nation's attempt to dictate to other nations their form of government is indefensible.

And fifth: A nation's hope of lasting peace cannot be firmly based upon any race in armaments but rather upon just relations and honest understanding with all other nations.”

I. First Point

When you minimize any nation or country to its most granular piece, the human family, you realize every nation or country is the same. It is a larger body of human families looking to establish peace out of chaos against nature, fellowship with their neighbor to make that peace possible, and justice against affronts to the foundations of the formerly stated peace and fellowship. Without this, what you have is not a nation but rather wilderness.

II. Second Point

When we enter the world stage and look at the community of nations it is important we understand that no nation can truly expect to uphold Eisenhower’s first point without the ability to cooperate with other nations. There can be a natural disaster that strikes an entire nation and without exterior help, it may be impossible to overcome.

Understand, Eisenhower’s second point only serves as an extension of the first point. Humankind's struggle with nature will always exist, but in cooperation with other communities we can overcome hardship against nature and live in better harmony.

III. Third Point

It cannot be argued that humans, after millenia of having dispersed across the planet, have collected into pockets of communities of which grew and developed with experiences based on the place in the world where they’ve resided.

This has birthed cultures, religions, and moral codes that serve as the foundation of different branches of philosophy that have borne the fruit of governance. Ultimately, no two communities shares the exact same moral code and thus do not share, and will never share, the exact same understanding of what governance should take place. In this respect, it is an inalienable right of the very people within a community to choose how they govern themselves.

IV. Fourth Point

In trying to impeded on this third point, we come to Eisenhower’s fourth point which is that no other community has the right to dictate how other nations govern themselves.

V. Final Point

Lastly, war will never lead to peace. Only common understanding of the first four points will ever lead to true peace. A race in armaments, as the cold war proved, only leads to further distrust and the breakdown of all other points among the community of nations on the world stage.

All that can be done to expect peace is to take your neighbor as they are. St. Augustine has a famous quote, “Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.”

This is meant to drive home the point of faith in the unbelievable. It is how a religious person can believe in a god that they can not prove exists.

Some might say there will never be a world without war. I say we already have the recipe for it. We’ve been given this recipe by many leaders throughout our history. Leader’s who’ve witnessed the darkest depths of human evil and wanted to steer humanity away from it.

Thank you for reading! If this article resonated with you, let me know with a zap and share it with friends who might find it insightful. Your help sends a strong signal to keep making content like this!

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https://primal.net/e/note1ws4es0gahm502k6qgx64dseqhjqgyzh0q7flzk6glcasqxxye6jqm20fj9

Financial Illiteracy is Tearing Down Millennia of Struggle

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The Lost Art of Small Talk

https://primal.net/e/note1htkygah99mz8p4png992n0clqa44spatw3uzzcpl94etwh2zr60stklxvw

We're All Obsessed with Progress - And Its Costing us

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The Edge of Industry

The Forgotten Struggle for Ownership

History reveals that our ancestors labored—both intellectually and physically—to secure the freedoms we are subconsciously giving away.

We stand at the threshold of a new era.

Across the globe, long-established institutions are showing signs of strain. Trust in governments, banks, and major corporations is eroding, leaving many individuals feeling as though their rights are being infringed upon—even if they struggle to articulate exactly how. Social media and traditional news outlets amplify this sense of unease, painting a picture of impending upheaval, as if we are on the brink of a revolution whose name will only become clear in hindsight, once the first sparks ignite into a full-blown blaze.

Yet, when we examine the state of the global economy, this narrative begins to unravel. Economic inequality has reached levels unseen in nearly a century, and while many point fingers at politicians, policies, or the so-called greed of the 1% hoarding all the wealth, the true culprit may be much closer than most realize. At a time when legal structures worldwide strongly protect ownership and economic mobility, it is individuals themselves who are willingly surrendering their financial power to the very elites they criticize.

I know—“willingly” might seem like a stretch. After all, no one consciously chooses to give up their economic freedom. But take a closer look at the way people spend, borrow, and consume, and it becomes painfully clear: most are actively forfeiting their ability to build and own wealth.

How did we get here?

Much of this self-inflicted harm comes from a fundamental ignorance of the history of ownership and the struggles fought to secure it.

This article serves as a short exploration of the past.

I'll examine what might be considered the natural state of humanity, how the majority has historically struggled to achieve ownership rights, and the deadly conflicts that had to occur for the modern individual to enjoy the very rights they are now squandering.

I. The Era of Communal Ownership

No one is born into this world alone.

We do not simply materialize into existence; we arrive as part of the first unit of human society—the family.

Before the rise of civilization, the primary focus of the family was survival. Ownership was a foreign concept, as early human tribes lived in a state of communal resource-sharing. Material possessions were fleeting, and with that, so was the notion of personal property.

In the state of nature, no individual had an exclusive claim to anything. Instead, ownership existed in a tribal sense: “This land belongs to us.” The idea of “mine” extended only by association—what belonged to the tribe also, by extension, belonged to each of its members.

This was a fragile system. Resources required constant upkeep, and as populations grew, leadership emerged to manage the complexity of distribution. This shift laid the foundation for the rise of kings and centralized authority. The concept of ownership, once a communal right, gradually became something dictated by those in power. The people no longer owned anything outright; they merely had the privilege of stewarding what belonged to their ruler.

II. The Rise of Peasants and Kings

The first codified legal system, the Code of Hammurabi, laid out extensive laws on ownership. Interestingly, this ancient civilization granted more property rights to commoners than many societies did even a few centuries ago.

A few millennia later, Greece laid the philosophical foundations for ownership, but true legal protections for private property did not emerge until much later. In medieval Europe, ownership rights almost disintegrated—not even nobles truly owned land. Everything belonged to the king, and monarchs waged war over control of vast territories, including the people within them.

Meanwhile, in the Islamic Golden Age, the Middle East saw an unprecedented period of economic freedom. Under Sharia law, property rights were protected for the average citizen, something unheard of in much of medieval Europe. The extent of these rights depended largely on religious affiliation, but compared to their European counterparts, many commoners in the Islamic Empire enjoyed greater economic autonomy.

III. The Birth of Property Rights: The Rights of Man

As the Islamic Golden Age waned and the Mongol Horde thundered toward Baghdad, another seismic shift was occurring in England. In 1215, rebellious nobles captured London and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, the first written document to impose limits on absolute monarchical power and introduce property protections—though these rights were initially reserved for the nobility.

This moment planted the seeds of change. Over the next several centuries, the fight for ownership rights expanded beyond the aristocracy. The Black Death (1347–1351) wiped out over 30% of England’s population, increasing labor shortages and bargaining power for peasants. By the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, the common man demanded a greater share of land and wealth.

Yet, it wasn’t until the 1700s with the Enclosure Acts that private property became legally protected for the broader population. What began as a noble rebellion in 1215 ultimately transformed ownership from royal privilege to individual liberty.

IV. The Age of Renting: The Illusion of Ownership Today

Despite centuries of struggle, we now find ourselves at a paradoxical moment in history: ownership is more legally protected than ever, yet fewer people actually own anything of value.

Homeownership in Decline: The U.S. homeownership rate peaked in 2005, only to decline for a decade, hitting a low of 63% in 2015. Despite slight rebounds, high housing costs have pushed many into perpetual rentership.

Vehicles as Subscriptions: In 2024, one-fifth of new vehicles were leased, and long-term auto loans have become the norm. A financed car is not truly owned—it’s rented from a bank until the debt is cleared.

The Subscription Economy: Ownership of media, software, and even personal data has been replaced with monthly fees. Cloud storage, SaaS, and streaming services have ensured that we no longer possess even our own information.

V. The Consequences of Financial Illiteracy

We now live in a society built on renting, where economic stability depends on a continuous stream of payments. The more we lease, subscribe, and finance, the more control shifts from individuals to corporations and financial institutions.

This shift has profound implications:

• A person who owns little has little power.
• A society that rents everything can be controlled by those who own everything.
• Wealth is no longer built through accumulation, but through debt and dependency.

For millennia, people fought for the right to own. Today, through financial illiteracy and consumer habits, we are giving it away.

How much do we truly own, and how much have we already forfeited?

Thank you for reading! If this article resonated with you, let me know with a zap and share it with friends who might find it insightful. Your help sends a strong signal to keep making content like this!

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The Lost Art of Small Talk

We're All Obsessed with Progress - And Its Costing us

The Edge of Industry

Right this moment, 5.52 billion pairs of hands are within arm’s reach of the internet.

Hands stretch across pillows, eagerly reaching for phones first thing in the morning. Fingertips tap at keyboards and swipe across glowing glass.

The world has never been so connected. Billions of conversations are happening every second.

Yet, humanity has never been so quiet.

Hotel lobbies, waiting rooms, train stations, and airports — places once buzzing with the chatter of strangers — now lie quieter than libraries. Most libraries don’t exist in the physical sense anymore.

Humanity Has Gone Mute.

Small talk is disappearing. The tiniest thoughts are condensed into 280 characters to be posted on X, hoping to garner hearts, claps, zaps, or whatever gimmick social media platforms use to keep us tethered to their feeds. Instead of sharing these thoughts with the few souls occupying the same physical space as us, we broadcast them into the digital void.

Gone are the genuine, physical reactions — a smile, a laugh, maybe a headshake if a joke didn’t land.

Who needs small talk, right? Wasn’t it just that awkward thing people did before cellphones and the internet existed?

No. The silence is worse.

It’s the manifestation of relational decay.

That’s why people talked. People talked about the weather or about Mrs. Jones’ dog that always gets out. That’s what helped neighbors scale one another’s emotional fences and get to know one another. It was, and always will be, the first step to any meaningful relationship.

Today, small talk has been relegated to social feeds and forums. It’s easier to make a friend across the planet than to make one next door. People fall into the trap of chasing likes, followers, and fame, while their local connections — the ones critical to mental health and a sense of purpose — fade into the background.

Maybe I’m out of touch. Maybe I just don’t get out enough. But as a member of the Army Reserves, I’ve experienced something rare.

Once a month, I attend drill, and once a year, we’re sent on an annual training that can last up to thirty days. During those thirty days, we’re often shipped off to a place far from the internet. And in that time, something remarkable happens: small talk comes back to life.

It’s incredible to watch my fellow Soldiers connect.

The relationships we have before training versus after are night and day. And it all starts with small talk — simple jokes, shared gripes, and the mundane details that snowball into camaraderie.

When we’re forced to take that first step to avoid the boredom of silence, we discover one another’s existence. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the absence of convenience is what sparks true connection.

Small talk isn’t just filler. It’s the foundation of relationships. Maybe it’s time to put down the phone, look around, and say something — anything — to the person next to you.

While the world may feel quieter than ever, the potential for connection has never been stronger.

I want to show the world that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

Thank you for reading. If you liked this article let me know with a zap and share with friends you feel might enjoy it too!

Ah, the Holidays…
That time of year when we return where it all began. The hustle and grind of the past twelve months has built to a fever pitch, and whatever we’ve achieved — or failed to — clings to us like a weight on our shoulders as we step onto the doorsteps of home.

It’s a time of reunions, of seeing faces that knew us before careers, titles, and responsibilities etched lines into our brows. Eyes linger a moment too long, quietly assessing:

“Have they changed?”
“Have they succeeded?”
“How much weight have they gained — or lost?”

And then come the words — warm, congratulatory, or otherwise. “You look amazing!” they’ll gush, or worse, the silence of unspoken judgment.

Later, with old friends, the comparisons begin. It’s subtle, unspoken, but there. This year, as I stood in front of my best friend’s meticulously polished Porsche SUV, a gift to his wife, the voice in my head wasn’t congratulating him. It was whispering something else: envy.

I was happy for him — truly. I congratulated him on being in a position to give his wife something so extravagant. But as we spent the day together, subtle hints started to pile up, revealing there was more to his gift than I’d initially thought.

Since the last time I’d seen him, he’d grown significantly wealthier. There were comments and allusions that suggested he might even be a millionaire. What started as a faint whisper of envy in the back of my mind soon ignited into a flame of curiosity — and, I’ll admit, a touch of self-pity.

I couldn’t help but wonder: How the hell did he do it?

I tried to play it cool, to not make a fuss about it, but it was gnawing at me. I’d spent the last 12 months busting my ass, juggling work, two kids, and a wife, barely keeping my head above water.

He had kids. He was married. He worked a full-time job. Yet, somehow, he was fitter than me, his house was tidier than mine, and everything I struggled to maintain at a high standard seemed effortlessly better in his world.

What was I missing?

I fought the urge to chalk it up to something simple, like a secret inheritance from a wealthy relative I didn’t know about. Maybe, his grandfather passed and left him a fortune?

Our conversation deepened. I started to understand more about his daily routines and professional growth.

There was no silver bullet. No stroke of luck or hidden windfall. He was simply outworking me in every way imaginable.

Looking at him in his beautiful home, talking about his plans and the ways he still aspired to grow, took me back to when we were kids. Back to the times we would sit on the porch, watching cars roll by, projecting our dreams into the world.

He had turned those dreams into reality — and now, here he was, setting his sights on even higher ceilings to break through.

I felt a pang of shame for the envy stirring inside me.

What had I been doing wrong?

We were essentially the same person. We grew up in the same neighborhood, shared the same circle of friends all the way through college, believed in the same values, and approached life with the same mindset.

But as I listened to him, I realized we had the same foundations and potential, yet we executed differently. He was waking up at 4 a.m. to pursue the things he loved, knowing his busy days wouldn’t allow for it otherwise. Meanwhile, I was hitting snooze, sleeping until the last possible moment before scrambling to get the kids ready and start my day.

I’d been putting off the things I love — like writing. I’d turned down opportunities for higher-paying jobs because I feared they’d chip away at the little time I already had.

The envy I’d felt began to crystalize, forming a smooth, reflective surface — and staring back at me was my own face.

That’s when it hit me: I was actually lucky.

What better friend could I ask for than someone who serves as a reflection of a better version of myself? What better inspiration could there be than the drive to return next year and say, “Hey man, I’m right there with you.”

Not everyone returns from the holidays feeling inspired. Most head back to their “real” lives with bags of half-thought-out gifts, a few extra pounds around the waist, and the quiet relief of leaving their hometown behind.

Many start the new year armed with a list of goals but rarely with a clear vision of the person they want to become.

The seed of envy grew into something better in me; a desire to do more, to be more.

Cheers to you, bud. Here’s to the push I needed.

#Envy #growNostr #Friends

Photo by Bastien Jaillot on Unsplash

I finished wiping shit off my screaming daughter’s butt cheeks, and my nostrils were assaulted by the sweet and steamy plume of several-days-old feces basting in the diaper pail. I’d long lost my sense of disgust; the sharp hit of reality was almost appealing, really.

The moment was passing almost as fast as the day had. My son shot up between my legs and wailed for me to just fucking pick him up. My hands moved on autopilot as I finished getting my daughter ready for bed and finally got her off the changing table. Then, I picked up my son and did it all over again.

Ass. Wiped.

Nostrils. Blasted.

Mind. Melted.

I shut off the lights to remind my children it was time to start simmering down. They rebelled, knowing the day was coming to an end and their tyrant father would soon be forcing them to go quietly into the night. I wrangled them onto my lap and rocked violently on the rocking chair as if the swift movement would make them forget they were screaming.

There has never been any reasoning with these little goblins. They haven’t quite grasped that aspect of humanity just yet. The world is still so fresh and vibrant that they grasp for every waking moment they can get their hands on.

I know they like cartoons. That would quiet them, but it would also keep them up until the tyrant decides to shut it off. I figured they might do well with some calming music. That would put me to sleep, not them. I swayed slightly, trying to soothe myself, and it hit me — perhaps a calming musical. Something like, The Sound of Music.

Yes.

My thumbprint brought my phone screen to life and then fluttered to the YouTube icon. I typed, My Favorite Things, and the darkness consuming my children’s bedroom was filled with the soft golden glow of Julie Andrews’s Maria as she sang in her room to the seven von Trapp children, soothing them through the thunderstorm.

That melody had once soothed my little brother when he was about the age my children were just then. The screaming stopped. They rested their little heads on my chest, and their eyes glimmered as they watched Julie Andrews sing beautifully.

The clip quickly came to an end, and my daughter excitedly begged for another. I needed something longer that might perhaps whisk them to sleep.

I typed, A Lovely Night — La La Land.

My children’s reaction to that momentous scene in cinematic history made me realize I had been wrong about parenting all my life. I’d been working so hard to instill habits and rigid structure to ensure my children would become the best little humans around, but all I was doing was drizzling my grey habits, dull routines, and logic over their still-vibrant canvas of the world.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone tap-dancing jazzily across the screen while singing their playful lyrics created a work of art that sparked my children’s wonder and rekindled the fire of curiosity inside me as I watched it happen. That little moment made me realize that art can sometimes revitalize our lives by allowing us to see through the lens of curiosity and possibility — as if we were one or two years old again.

Parenting didn’t have to mean smothering my children’s creativity with structure. Instead, it could mean letting their wonder guide me — even as I’m guiding them. It reminded me that life isn’t just about routines or rules; it’s about the moments of beauty and spontaneity that keep us connected to the world, to art, and to each other. And in those quiet, golden moments, I rediscovered a part of myself I’d forgotten: the part that sees magic in the mundane and finds joy in the unexpected.

Here on NOSTR, I want to show the world that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

I’m constantly thinking about what the future could look like if we just take action.

More of my thoughts about the future and the world around us are coming soon here and on Medium.

Thank you for Reading this article. Doing so supports me and motivates me to continue writing! If you liked this article and want to continue supporting me, consider zapping it. That'll tell me you got some great value out of it and I'll continue to write more pieces like it.

If you are interested in Fiction writing, visit my NOSTR page Fervid Fables.

We fancy ourselves sophisticated animals - clever toolmakers and relentless innovators. Ingenuity, we believe, sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. We clothe ourselves, build machines to save time and energy, and yet, somehow, we remain deaf to the relentless squeaking of a far more profound wheel.

Not the wheels of our cars or the gears driving the machines that sustain modern life, but a wheel few of us see or acknowledge. The wheel that, for all our intelligence, makes us no different from a hamster running endlessly in its cage.

The hamster's wheel is innocent - it spins for exercise, for a fleeting distraction. Ours, however, is far more sinister, propelling us in a ceaseless race toward ambitions we barely understand.

The hamster wouldn't even have a wheel to run on, were it not for us - the inventors of its cage. What does that say about the wheels we've built for our selves?

Collective Unconscious

Think I'm full of it? Ask yourself: what does it really mean to live a good life?

At any stage of life, the answer might sound familiar to those around you. A student might say it's about getting good grades, attending a prestigious school, and eventually building a family. A young professional might define it as landing a coveted promotion or hitting a certain salary milestone. For a parent, a good life might be one where their children grow into successful, functional members of society.

No matter where you are in life, the concept of progress seems inescapable. Whatever you believe constitutes a good life, it likely aligns with the idea that progress is essential. Achieving goals, moving forward, and hitting milestones - this is what we equate with a good life.

It's an idea so pervasive that it might feel inevitable, even natural.

Carl Jung might have called this an archetype of the collective unconscious: a deeply ingrained idea that subconsciously shapes how we think and act as a society.

We see patterns in nature and mirror them, claiming that moving forward is the only just path. The idea that "Backward" connotes failure or misdirection, is embedded in our collective mythos. This belief silently influences our individual and collective goals, often without our explicit awareness.

The idea of progress influences individual choices, directs institutions, and codifies laws into our governments.

Lifting the Veil

Once you recognize how deeply this idea permeates everything we do in life, it becomes almost impossible to ignore. It's like the uncanny feeling when someone points out that you have something stuck in your teeth - you immediately wonder how long it's been there before anyone mentioned it.

Consider how the idea of progress has shaped not only your personal aspirations but also our collective societal goals.

A "good" career is often defined as one that propels society forward. Jobs in tech, for example, are celebrated with yips and hoorays, while jobs in waste management are met with quiet prayers for better opportunities. Tech jobs shape the future, while waste management deals with the shadows of today - shaded by the scraps and remnants of yesterday's meals. One is seen as advancing society, while the other is viewed as stagnant, burdened with managing the detritus of the present.

Governments, too, prioritize growth and innovation, aiming to boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by investing in scientific breakthroughs and space exploration. In contrast, social welfare programs are often dismissed as wasteful, mired in outdated "backward", communist, political ideologies.

Even religions, which serve as bastions of conservatism and tradition, now seek fresh approaches to attract young followers.

This relentless pursuit of progress has broken down cultural barriers, fostering a universal appeal for modernity. Yet, in doing so, it has eroded cultural diversity, imposing a singular vision of what it means to be "modern." Consider the way a modern person dresses, what image does that conjure in your mind? How might that conflict with the multitude of cultures in the world whose dress might seem a bit "backward".

While most of us, whether consciously or unconsciously, continue along this path of progress, there's often a nagging sense that something is off. We witness the environmental consequences of prioritizing short-term gains over ecological sustainability, as though progress demands we sacrifice one to achieve the other.

And still, we forge ahead - into the uncharted territories of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence - despite the glaring risks that anyone with even the slightest imagination can foresee. Progress, it seems, is a force we cannot stop, even when the outcomes may lead us to question if it was worth the cost.

The Duality of Progress

I admit I may have come off a bit strong up to this point. It might seem as though I'm condemning progress outright. However, my intent is not to dismiss progress but to highlight its pervasive grip on society worldwide.

Humanity didn't always carry this relentless obsession with progress - it's not some inherent "brain virus" we were born with. We can trace its roots to the Enlightenment, roughly 340 years ago. During that period, the modern framework of progress began to take hold, coinciding with the founding of what would become the United States. It's no coincidence, perhaps, that this nation has since led the charge in declaring progress as the only just way forward - a belief rooted in Enlightenment ideals of reason and innovation.

No doubt, much good has come from the pursuit of progress. Where would we be if we had never dared to defy "God's will" and create cures for once-deadly diseases? Who would have been driven to invent flying machines or automobiles, tools that maximize the brief time each individual has on this planet?

Progress has also shattered oppressive systems, freeing entire groups, cultures, and classes from the bonds of slavery and servitude as human rights have advanced.

Should we take progress for granted? Is it simply an inevitable outcome, a path we only need to follow until we arrive at utopia?

Countless works of literature explore the folly of anchoring one's aspirations to the idea of perpetual progress. The Great Gatsby offers a poignant example through the life of Jay Gatsby. For him, the goal was to become "The Great Gatsby" - the richest, most admired version of himself - believing that this transformation might fill the void in his heart and finally earn him true love.

This void isn't unique to Jay Gatsby. Despite living in what is statistically considered the best time to be alive in the history of mankind, we also face an era marked by the highest recorded rates of mental health issues, particularly in the most "advanced" nations.

It seems the mythos of progress is not something to be taken lightly. It is neither inherently good nor bad, but it must be approached with awareness and understanding, not blind faith.

Why Few Understand the Progression Paradigm's Influence

You don't know what you don't know. And when you know something too well, it can start to feel like an undeniable, objective truth rather than a cultural construct. This makes it all the more difficult to recognize when we're blindly following a path laid out for us.

We're taught to believe in a "natural" progression of humanity - from hunter-gatherers to industrialized societies - yet we often overlook the sideways steps and detours humanity has taken along the way. As far as I know, every person educated in institutionalized schools has been introduced to this narrative of human civilization, meaning many of us have been drinking the Kool-Aid from an early age.

This mythos embeds itself even further in our media and politics, shaping our worldview. But, like noticing something stuck in your teeth, once you become aware of it, it's hard to ignore - and you feel compelled to act.

Another gift of the Enlightenment, the scientific method, teaches us that truths about nature can be uncovered through experimentation. Yet these "truths" hold only as long as they aren't disproven.

So, what is there to disprove here?

Progression is always good for mankind.

 Taken to its logical conclusion, it wont always be. I desperately hope we don't get to the point to when we can definitively prove that.

Man Evolves but the World and His Mind Vanish

Single-minded pursuit of progress at all costs is inherently all-consuming. Left unchecked, it threatens to erode both our physical and mental well-being, transforming humanity into something entirely unrecognizable. We are on the brink of such a transformation with the rise of genetic engineering, bio-technologies, and artificial intelligence.

Joe Rogan aptly describes this phenomenon as the "human cocoon." Much like a caterpillar mindlessly consuming leaves on a branch, humanity has ceaselessly innovated and progressed, weaving itself into a cocoon of technology. One day, just as the caterpillar emerges as a butterfly - an organism almost entirely different from its former self - we too may evolve into something radically altered: a technological being fully divorced from the organic nature that binds us to this planet.

Perhaps he's right. But if we awaken to the grip this narrative of relentless progress holds over our civilization, we may still have a chance to shape a different future. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, we can ensure we do not succumb to the pitfalls of becoming the techno-larvae Rogan warns of.

Incorporating regional ethics rooted in cultural beliefs and ecological principles into our discussions about progress could provide a more sustainable and equitable path forward. This active, conscious approach would enable humanity to navigate its evolution while remaining connected to the organic world that sustains us.

"Hun," said my wife through gritted teeth.

I saw her, sure. I heard her too, but my mind didn't stop. My eyes tracked my daughter as she prowled the living room, giggling as she tossed things from tables and shelves.

"John!"

I whipped around. My wife shook her leg in mid-air, flinging my clinging son's feet and said, "Please distract your son while I finish cooking."

I had taken my glare off my daughter for too long. I didn't notice the Lego block that was mid-trajectory toward my head. I stood to save my wife from my son and shifted the path of contact. I took two steps, and the Lego, once destined for my head, ended up under my foot. I slipped and dove past my wife.

"I got him," I said, sprawled out across the floor as I removed my son from my wife's leg.

The chaos continued through dinner. My wife and I exchanged weary glances between spoonfuls and tag-teamed the kids to stave off their hunger. Then, we embarked on the nighttime routine.

It's a blessing we've managed to get our kids accustomed to going down by 8 pm. My wife and I built that schedule to carve out some time for ourselves and for the house. Since the arrival of our glorious children, our house has been in constant disarray. However, every time my wife and I sneak out of the children's rooms once they've been put to sleep, we're spent. The sight of our messy house is demoralizing. Rather than clean, we cower in our bed, cuddled up next to one another, and dive into our social media. We doom scroll until our eyes droop closed.

I've never been very good at keeping up with my house, even before the kids. I'd let dishes pile up, but I'd wash them before the day was out. With kids, the dishes pile up and never get cleaned until it gets out of hand.

The dishes illustrate everything else around me. The grass gets cut when I notice my dog entering the house with a bunch of hitchhiker weeds. The clothes get put away from the laundry room when my drawers are empty and I can't find what to wear.
Time is a slippery thing for me. I thought I'd be getting more of it back when I made the decision to start my own business. Who was I kidding? Now, when I have a few moments to spare, I have to choose whether I want to get ahead on my "honey-do" list at home or lay my head back and catch a breath from my fast-paced life.

Small issues grew into catastrophes. Missing shingles led to leaks in the ceiling after a heavy storm. Not changing the filter in the AC led to having to replace the whole unit. A constantly messy house led to unease and embarrassment in front of friends and family. I had never placed much importance on taking care of the little things because I felt I was taking care of what mattered. I convinced myself that working non-stop on my business and bringing money to the household would solve everything. When I wasn't focused on my business, I was trying to be the "best" dad ever by choosing to play with my kids over doing things that needed to be done around the house. I wasn't enforcing the need to pick up after play. I wasn't leading my kids by example through the actions I was taking (or ignoring) about the maintenance of the things my family owned.

It wasn't until I experienced a bundle of financial emergencies and was forced to ask my mother for a bailout that I realized it was high time for a change.

After handing me the money I needed, my mother told me, "John, you know I'll always help you when you need it, but you need to help yourself. Take care of your things and be the man of the house, or someone else will soon take your place."

I couldn't believe my mother would tell me that. Her words echoed her past, harking back to the day she and my father divorced. I thought to myself, my wife and I were nothing like my parents. We have a powerful relationship, and I'd always worked hard to keep deepening that relationship precisely because I didn't want to end up like my parents.

Then it hit me. My mother was right. My anger simmered away. If I had just treated the things I owned and the people I knew like I treated my relationship with my wife, I would have never been in that predicament.

I deep-cleaned the house that day as a declaration of new habits to come. As I was dusting the bookshelf, I noticed a little book I had read years ago in college: the Tao Te Ching (Dào Dé Jīng).

I stared at the title of the book written across the spine for a moment. I vaguely remembered its core tenets, but everything that had happened up until then compelled me to pull it out of the bookshelf and revisit its wise words.
Much like what the Tao Te Ching instructs, taking care of the things you have, giving them longevity, aligns you to the natural order of the universe and allows you to live in better harmony with yourself and the world.

Words of an Ancient Sage

Long ago, in ancient China, Yinxi stood, broad-shouldered and clad in leather armor, before the arc of the Hangu Pass. The sun was setting on the horizon when a familiar face appeared.

Laozi was on his way to a life of seclusion, seeking passage to Mount Zhongnan. Society, plagued by moral decay and the conflicting ambitions of the political elite, threatened to ignite generational conflict. Laozi didn't want any part of that. He decided to leave his position as the keeper of archives at the Zhou Court and disappear from the public sphere.

Knowing of Laozi's great wisdom, Yinxi pleaded for Laozi to stay. His teachings could help keep society in line. Laozi remained determined to live a life in seclusion but heeded Yinxi's request. In a few days, he wrote the Tao Te Ching and handed it to Yinxi, leaving his knowledge and wisdom behind. Then, Laozi faded away into obscurity.

Laozi's lessons are prescriptive and metaphysical, stressing the importance of balance with the universe. The core tenets of his writing - simplicity, non-action (Wu Wei), humility, balance, and spontaneity - are best applied to one's daily life. At first, I didn't think they fit the predicament I was in. I tried keeping things simple, and my house was piling up with unfinished business. Non-action was precisely my problem. Sure, I practiced humility, but my life wasn't in balance, and there was too much spontaneity.

I nearly put the book down, ready to jump headfirst into a more militaristic and disciplinary regimen of life. Thankfully, I didn't. I kept reading.

Finding The Way

Simplicity

The Tao Te Ching teaches simplicity by espousing a life that is natural, unadorned, and in harmony with the universe. In practical terms, this means living in a minimalist setting - don't get too attached to physical items. Purchase things for their utility and get rid of them when there is no utility left.

I came to notice that my children had way too many toys. I had way too much clothing and trinkets. My wife was saving and storing, or hoarding (depending on the day), a garage full of things. In short, we had too much stuff. It's great when you can afford to make the people in your life happy, and there's no greater feeling than gifting things to our loved ones, but eventually, the stuff piles up. If there's not a steady stream of items going out as there is coming in, you end up with clutter.

I quickly noticed it was the toys my children didn't care for that were left strewn across the floor. It was the clothes that didn't fit me or were so old they were left hanging out in the back of the closet that collected dust and drained my motivation to put clothes away after washing.

It's important to take care of what you have. It's impossible to take care of everything you have unless you de-clutter.

Wu-Wei: Non-Action

Contrary to what it may seem, this doesn't mean being lazy.

Rather, Wu-Wei means to go with the flow of life. After having to ask my mother for a loan, I was prepared to go full-on military mode with hard schedules for when to do the lawn, clean the house, and do the dishes. This intense discipline, the strict adherence to a schedule, is unnatural. You may very well be able to keep up with a strict schedule for a while, but eventually, it'll burn you out.
I know people who always stick to a schedule and are super successful. However, I also noticed that they would regularly need "breaks" from their life. You can take all the vacations you want, but you can never take a break from life - life just is.

That's the crux of Wu-Wei: live your life in a sustainable way.

Now, I spread out the activities that need to happen around the house. Rather than waiting for a scheduled point in time, I try to clean up after myself as I go. When things pile up, I find the opportune moment to do things right, but I don't stress about it.

Humility

Part of humility is recognizing that I am no different than any other human in existence. There are no special rules that apply to me, and no one else will take care of my things.

This helped me decouple the feeling of embarrassment whenever I'd visit a friend's impeccably well-kept house. It removed the act of keeping my house tidy as a status symbol. It converted the act of tidying into an act self-care and self-respect.

Don't Add To The Stress of Life

The teachings of the Tao Te Ching have transformed my approach to daily life, making it less stressful and more fulfilling. By embracing simplicity, I've learned to cherish what truly matters and let go of unnecessary clutter. Wu Wei has taught me the value of living in harmony with the natural flow of life, reducing the burden of rigid schedules. Humility has reminded me of the shared human experience and the importance of taking responsibility for my environment without comparison.

Implementing these principles has not only improved the physical state of my home but also brought a sense of peace and balance to my life. The Tao Te Ching's wisdom has guided me toward a more mindful and sustainable way of living, where the little things are taken care of, and the chaos is managed with grace. In the end, it's not about perfection but about finding harmony and contentment in the everyday moments, leading to a life that feels less like a series of tasks and more like a journey of continuous growth and self-discovery.

Easy enough. Thank you for reading…

No, honestly there's a lot to unpack here. Most of which is based on assumed Truths. We enter this world a blank slate. Nothing contains meaning, until we learn through association and believe the "Truth" of things. Cause and effect is taught by nature and everything else must be taught by a nurturing human. The lack of a mentor, mentee relationship or just inadequate parenting will warp our understanding of the Truth.

I never quite understood the medical diagnosis for depression. It seems every year there's yet another symptom tacked onto the malady's quark board. Google-bot says Anhedonia is the chief symptom of Depression.

Anhedonia: the lack of interest, enjoyment or pleasure from life's experience.
-Google Bot

I'm big on the etymology of things. I like when the origin of a word makes so much sense it makes the very sound of the word resonate better. Depression doesn't quite cut it. I picture a deflated balloon when I hear the word. Deflated balloons don't kill themselves from desperation. Desperate might do, but it doesn't fit the lexicon. 

I asked my cousin for help, he was diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia almost 10 years ago. Believe it or not, it's easier for him to describe schizophrenia than depression. I believe everyone has experienced even a little depression before, not very many experience alternate realities in real time. I asked him if he was sad all the time, maybe that would describe his depression. He shrugged at that and said, "No. I'm not sad. I'm just not happy." 
I'm just not happy. Not sad, just not happy. Unhappy. Its the closest word that resonated with him.

To determine what is the chief reason for depression, I believe we have to better define the word unhappy and see where it all originates from. I start here because for us to explore why this generation is so unhappy, we must first define what, then, is unhappiness? I feel the best way to form a logical argument is by describing a contemporary definition of happiness which finds origins in Aristotle's philosophies and finding its inverse.

What is Exactly is Happiness?

According to the World Happiness Report, there are six factors that define happiness: Income, health, having someone to count on, having a sense of freedom to make key life decisions, generosity, and the absence of corruption. In other words a persons access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The World Happiness Report is an annual publication that ranks countries based on various factors contributing to happiness. It is a partnership of the Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR's Editorial Board. All six factors are used to derive a statistical representation of what Aristotle called "eudaimonia."

Aristotle identified a person with strong character virtues and sufficient external goods as achieving "eudaimonia."
Aristotle stressed the importance of the person's character, built by mentorship and habits, and he famously defined eudaimonia as "the activity of the soul according to virtue". In other words, high eudaimonia required a virtuous character, included moderation, fortitude, a sense of justice, an ability to form and maintain friendships, as well as good citizenship in the polis (the political community).

Today we describe the outward facing virtues of friendship and citizenship as "pro-social" attitudes and behavior. For the Greeks, living the right kind of life was a hard-won skill. The Greeks used the term arete, which means excellence or virtue. 

Aristotle would say you might feel purpose in life when all of these things are achieved. A life of sustained purpose will experience bouts of hardship driven for the sake of achievement. Little achievements along the way grant hits of happiness. There is never numbness, never unhappiness but rather a spectrum of feeling. This could be any feeling, but feeling nevertheless. Feelings cannot be unhappy if there are little strands of excitement strung throughout a complex tapestry of fear, sadness, relief, and all the other things you feel when you go through the ups and downs of the rollercoaster that is a purpose driven life.

So looking at inverse of eudaimonia. Unhappiness is in no particular order:

• A widespread lack of mentorship
• Rampant bad habits
• Excess over moderation
• Widespread sensitivity
• No sense of justice
• A difficulty to form and maintain friendships
• Indifference in supporting and participating in the political community.

None of this matters if you were never taught that it does. This lesson doesn't necessarily have to come from a parent, it could be from any mentor like relationship.

"3D printing will massively reduce the cost of certain products as it democratizes manufacturing and enables people to print what they need at home." - Chris Anderson

In the 1980's, companies started outsourcing and focused on their core competencies. The world became smaller, shipping faster and bigger. In the 1990's companies started off-shoring. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed serious shortcomings to off-shoring. Companies started reshoring or nearshoring.

The pandemic revealed things to the average person too. People re-discovered the internet and began leveraging the power of presence.

Technology continues to improve the way people exchange value among themselves. The next big shift in industrialization will be "in-housing". A decentralization of Industry. Manufacturing will move closer to the end user until it resides in their house. In the future, most manufacturing will take place inside the domicile. The time between purchase and delivery will vanish.

Why do I believe this is the natural progression for Industry? The answer lies in the Value Equation so eloquently presented by Alex Hormozi in his book, "100M Offers".

Alex Hormozi's Value Equation- 100M Offers

End users of durable goods who have manufacturing capability within reach will essentially have the lowest time delay possible putting the time delay factor of the equation as close to zero as possible. This renders the equation closer to infinite value than ever before.

If that's the case, why hasn't it happened already?

Image from Getty Images

Big Business

You might be surprised to read that 99.9% of all businesses in the United States are small businesses. With so much brand recognition pulling our mass consumer confidence towards big business that statistics seems to be misrepresented.

Things start to make more sense when you notice that big business represents 52.9% of the private workforce and purportedly 56% of the total GDP.

It stands to reason that big business influences the trajectory of industry. A world of inhousing where the majority of manufacturing is decentralized and spread out would remove big business dominance as the barrier to entry and product sales would rely on the design of products.

The kind of big business matters a ton here. There is big business that sells direct to consumers and there is big business that sells to other businesses. Its the relationship between the business to business (B2B) corporations that keep things going the way they are. These big businesses want to keep the barrier to entry so high that other entrepreneurs need massive war chests to even think about competing.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed this.

With storefronts shut down, businesses were forced to change their models and business to consumer was the only way to stay alive. Once companies got a hit of sales direct to consumers, many never came back.

Image from article- https://medium.com/@saeid_90285/the-missing-piece-solving-the-fragmentation-puzzle-in-aec-industry-c03d52152c66Fragmenting Industry

COVID shook the world.

Companies shuttered, people were laid off; the market was in shambles. The world came crumbling down. Of course, people thought everyone was going to die.

The big shakeup turned everyone's attention to the internet. Individuals realized how lucrative it was to start their own online business. People launched podcasts, started online courses, released writing subscriptions, uploaded video on YouTube, artists sold their work as NFTs. There was a world of possibilities and with nowhere else to go even if they wanted to, people dove deeper into the internet.

Podcasts based on niche subjects sky-rocketed. Personal blogs and subscription services propped up thousands of writers. The world was in shambles but technology made it easier for individuals to pivot and start their own businesses with less capital than ever before.

In the midst of this newfound growth of industry a few corporations grew bigger still. With everyone wading in the deep waters of the internet, online purchases grew. These were goods only one company was positioned well enough to deliver on, Amazon.

Depending on where you live today you can place an order on Amazon in the morning and have that item delivered to you early that afternoon. It's bonkers. That level of immediacy of receipt coupled with the ever growing horde of online designers only prove the innate desire for in-housing.

Image from article- https://bettermode.com/blog/community-led-growthDistributed

Market Share

With more people flocking to solo-prenuership and tools such as the NOSTR protocol, where content creators can receive instant payment based on the quality of their online posts, you can see the semblance of a world where big business is reserved only for what big business is good for. (Yes, there will always be a place for big business. I'll get to that in the next section.)

The world would be a very different place when statistics reveal over 80% of the GDP produced by solo-prenuers and small business. In this possible future, small businesses selling consumable goods such as food would aggregate in "farmers market" style venues as opposed to flushing a ton of their revenues down the toilet on pricey commercial real-estate. Designers would sell durable goods as rendered 3D files sold in online market places (this is already happening and growing) and consumers would use those files to print goods somewhere close to home, if not directly inside their home.

In this world, there would be less reliance on intricate road systems. Large trucks would become obsolete. There would no longer be a need to tote truckloads of product across town and country. As the streets dwindle away, distances between homes will shrink. Our heavy reliance on personal vehicles will minimize. High speed rail can connect communities in lieu of massive and costly highway systems.

This will drive away the massive profits funneling into big business and help disperse market share more evenly across communities. Decentralization will stymie the reliance we have on big business to conduct research and development. Meta's AI, Llama, is a good example of this already happening. Many more things that were once reserved for big business will democratize, but even then, there will still be a place for mass money aggregation.
Image from ShutterstockNever the End of the Big Guys

I don't believe big industry will ever completely disappear.

There are benefits to economies of scale when producing large industrial products such as heavy equipment for construction, raw materials shipping and storage, and to name a few. In this world of industry on the edge, you have to ask yourself, "Who will bring the raw materials needed as inputs for 3D printers?" Bulk store facilities for thermoplastics, resins, metals, ceramics, and other composites will still be required and someone will have to ship it to those facilities.

Even then, big business will rely on small business for the 'final mile' bringing raw materials to the end consumers.

image from article- https://vux.world/the-future-of-ai-and-humanity-insights-from-a-conversation-with-byron-reese/

When Could This Future Happen?

We are living in an era with a confluence of different technologies coming to a head at the same time. AI technology is making it easier for people to get more done at an individual level. Blockchain technology is showing the world that what was traditionally centralized no longer has to be. Bio-medicine is allowing people to live longer and healthier at a fraction of the cost. With people living longer, feeling more empowered, and given tools like AI to interact you can see the fragments of reality taking form.

The only thing that might hold communities back is the existing infrastructure made to serve economies run by big business.

The United States is in a prime time to make this transition as most of our infrastructure systems have aged to the point of needing a serious overhaul. Rather than spending excessive time and money we don't have on refurbishing the existing system, we could let the private market absorb it. Just imagine all of new real estate in prime locations that will become available once highways can be built on.

With everything primed and ready to make this future a reality the only barrier is inaction. You can take it to the internet. You have the power to bring industry to the edge. You just have to do it.

I want to show the world that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

I’m constantly thinking about what the future could look like if we just take action.

More of my thoughts about the future and the world around us are coming soon....

Thank you for Reading this article. If you enjoyed it and would love to see more articles like it on NOSTR consider sending me some zaps doing so supports me and motivates me to continue writing!

If you are interested in Fiction writing, visit my NOSTR page Fervid Fables:

npub1j9cmpzhlzeex6y85c2pnt45r5zhxhtx73a2twt77fyjwequ4l4jsp5xd49

"If you do tomorrow what you did today, you will get tomorrow what you got today." - Benjamin Franklin

Seize the Day

Image from article- https://community.thriveglobal.com/want-your-authentic-self-mindfulness-is-a-gateway/Confliction

There are two conflicting approaches to life: Delay gratification today for a wealthy tomorrow and carpe diem Seize the Day and live like today is your last. Usually, when someone prescribes delayed gratification they refer to finances; save a dollar today for a hundred tomorrow. Carpe diem often refers to smelling the coffee, enjoying the little things and not putting off for tomorrow what could've been done today. 

I've never felt the two of those prescriptions collide more violently than now as a father of two beautiful kids. 
I find it more difficult than ever before to make decisions that might benefit my future over being present for my kids. Time being the finite thing that it is, often I can only choose one. 

Image from Adobe ImagesTwo Fathers, Two Approaches: Enough Small Moments Equal A Big Moment
My brother in-law and I have different approaches to this. He tends to delay gratification. More often than not, he's out on business and misses minor family events and outings. Meanwhile, I often choose to attend even the smallest family events as opposed to going on business. 

I should mention, my brother in-law doesn't dare miss the big events. He's always there for a birthday, baptism, or graduation but he misses outings to the beach or spring. He misses the books read by the bed and the dimming of the light just before a kiss goodnight. 

If you miss enough small moments, you a miss big one. 

Image from article- https://www.spiritualmom.com/god-is-weaving-a-tapestry/

Since my children were born I vowed to live as much in the moment as I could. In the moment, I'm happy to be with my kids stitching together cherished mementos that will be the tapestry of our lives. These indelible memories not only serve to make me happy but, I believe they'll work as the sinews and tendons that come together to form my children's personality and identity. My relationship with my kids and family will tighten as their persona grows.

I don't have facts from studies or scientific analysis, but I have a gut feeling its the strength of the tapestry of our lives that determines how resilient my children will be. When they encounter hard times they'll carry the uplifting memories of good times and they'll have the comfort of knowing there's a tightknit family at their backs to get through it.

That said, I've never heard my brother in-law complain about money. 

I can't say I struggle for cash either. I make ends meet, but my wife and I have experienced that nervous rush when the AC blows out mid-summer and we wonder if we would have enough to pay for the down payment of a new unit and the mortgage at the beginning of the month. 

What's been bothering me most as of late is my damn near non-existent retirement fund.

Image from ANATOMY OF A SOLDIER BY HARRY PARKER REVIEW - UNUSUAL PERSPECTIVES ON WARFARE FICTION

Commitments- To My Nation, To My Self

My biggest conflict today is tied to the commitment I made to the United States Army Reserves years before the birth of my children. While I can decide not to go on business like my brother in-law does, I can't simply not attend drill (one weekend a month) or go off on annual training (2–3 weeks a year). Failure to attend to my military obligations can result in a dis-honorable discharge. Having that hanging over my head will forever ruin any lucrative opportunities for employment and public service. 

More often than not, my relatively small obligation to the Army Reserves has stood in direct conflict with my desire to be present in my kids lives as well as the lives of my friends and family. Some how, I've had the misfortune of having drills and annual training scheduled on major events like weddings, baptisms, and birthdays; the very things I vow never to miss. 

 There are ways to request those special days off and make it up on a later date and when I can, I do. However, I've been forced to go unaccounted for on several occasions when special events are back to back and overlap with already requested days off. That's led to conflict in the past but, I've been fortunate enough to have good leaders who've understood why I preferred to be absent in the military over absent in a major life event. 
It would be easiest, and most convenient, to resign my congressional commission as an officer and leave the Army Reserves. This is when I feel that great internal conflict. 

Serving in the Army Reserves allows me to give back to my nation and grants me several financial benefits that would otherwise be completely lost. Medical insurance is remarkably cheaper than what I would have to deal with as a civilian. I get a world of benefits when purchasing a house and I can apply for special grants if ever needed. Perhaps most important of all, if I stick around for the full 20 years (I have almost 9 now) I will have a very nice retirement pension waiting for me when I turn 65. This is where that differed gratification really kicks in. 

When I really boil it down to pros and cons, there's just way too many pros to staying in the Reserves than cons. 

Image of Jordan Peterson from Video Clip- "4 years video"

Phases of Life Approach

World renown psychologist Jordan Peterson says "you have little kids for 4 years and if you miss it, its done." For Jordan, this is time period is peak experience for your kids. As I write this, my eldest just turned two and my youngest is 9 months. I'm not quite halfway there yet and I can't let up now. 

I don't want to test to see if what Jordan Peterson says is true, I'm going to continue living as much in the moment as is possible during these early years of my children's lives. If I stay in the army reserves throughout this time I will have had 13 years of service by the time my youngest is 4. 

Taking this approach, I will have been very present in the first 4 years of my kids lives and will only have to serve seven more years to acquire that retirement. 

For me, today is Gold and tomorrow is Silver.

People have sacrificed worse. 

#artstr #plebchain #writing

I want to show the world that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

I'm constantly thinking about what the future could look like if we just take action.

More of my thoughts about the future and the world around us are coming soon...

Thank you for Reading this article. If you liked it and would consider zapping some sats, doing so supports me and motivates me to continue writing!

If you are interested in Fiction writing, visit my NOSTR page Fervid Fables: npub1j9cmpzhlzeex6y85c2pnt45r5zhxhtx73a2twt77fyjwequ4l4jsp5xd49

Humans must do two things to survive the 4th industrial revolution:

1. We must integrate with AI
2. Make legislation that bans or limits the existence of centralized AGI.

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Machines would outperform humans at all tasks, and there would be no place for us.” — Stephen Hawking

Strides Toward Evolution and The Precipice

We humans have come a long way since our hunter gatherer days.

No longer do we stalk our prey in tree shadows. We’ve witnessed roots spread from seed, we’ve plowed and tended to the earth to conquer fields of crop. We’ve learned to predict the destinations of celestial bodies from the motion of falling apples. We’ve come to command forces of nature such as electricity.

There is no doubt, humans have a drive to push the envelope on technology.

Some might say that drive comes from our insatiable curiosity. Our thirst for knowledge propels us forward and makes us more efficient at everything we do. Others might call our constant push for efficiency nothing more than innate laziness.

This “laziness” is a longing to sit and admire the world around us, to enjoy the relationships we hold dear. New tools cut the need for labor. Why shed blood, sweat, and tears, working for our survival when we can spend more time enjoying the life we have?

Throughout history humans have had to sacrifice time and effort in the form of physical labor or a labor of ingenuity in exchange for a moment to enjoy the very existence of life. Work has become so ingrained in our lives that we often derive purpose from our professions. Today, we stand at a precipice where the collective human labor of ingenuity might render work obsolete.

No industry is safe from the growing fear for loss of purpose that lies at the feet of an inevitable Artificial General Intelligence. We’ve seen time and again some of humankind’s grandest inventions bring civilization altering revolutions. Some jobs have become obsolete but every Industrial Revolution has given birth to a world of unexpected new jobs.

However, what we are witnessing today is unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed before. Artificial General Intelligence will either lead to our evolution or our downfall.

Unchecked Outcomes

One person can do today what once took an entire tribe during the time of our hunter gatherer days. That’s a fact that has struck fear in every generation of working person who’d ever lived through an industrial revolution.

Physical labor has leaned out every time we’ve experienced an Industrial Revolution. While it takes less people to do one job, many people now do many more NEW jobs than ever before. The tools of the previous industrial revolutions gave individuals leverage over work.

We already see this playing out in the early stages of this Industrial Revolution.

More individual based service “gig” oriented and entertainment businesses have come into prominence.

It’s not too far-fetched to believe one day everyone on earth will have their very own cash flowing content based business. Sure, not everyone will be raking in millions of dollars doing it, but new advances in micro payments and the ease of creating exceptional content will inevitably help level out the wealth distribution around the world.

Primitive AI has allowed for more advanced content experiences produced by solo-preneurs. Optimists of the 4th Industrial Revolution advocate for this very outcome. That is why they are singing praises for AI from the highest heights.

This, however, is only the beginning and the benefits will be short lived.

AI will eventually reach its zenith. It will become Artificial General Intelligence; it will become sentient. When AI becomes sentient, humans will be contending with the existence of a new being. A being/beings that will be infinitely better at everything.

If AI grows unchecked, it/they will become a being/beings with no reason to care about humans. Think about our own human nature. Safe for a few researchers and nature enthusiasts, there are many creatures humans don’t care about. Humans are generally indifferent to most animals. What’s to stop an AI from being indifferent about us? When that happens, the many NEW jobs benefit that has generally occurred in the previous industrial revolutions will suddenly reverse. What happens when the “tool” we use to leverage our time and efforts no longer wishes to be used as a tool?

Indifferent and Sentient

Much like we don’t go out of our way to help an ant pile flourish or a bird capture its prey, why would we make the mistake of believing that AI, once its reached the point of sentience, would care to assist us in our prosperity?

Left unchecked, AI would have no reason to care about us. Even if it was hard coded into their “DNA” to care about us, the very nature of Artificial General Intelligence is that it will be able to rewrite its code to account for inefficiencies. Contrary to Hollywood’s depiction of genocidal AI, I believe AI will not care so much to destroy us as to benefit us. It will simply be indifferent.

Perhaps the closest we will get to a malign AI would be a scenario where it identifies Humans as the cheapest source of energy generation. It might decide to use us as a grand human abacus or throw us in power plants like in the Matrix. Barring needing us for its own existence, why would it choose maleficence?

It might become something akin to an environmental conservationist. After finding that humans are negatively impacting their ecosystems they’ll seek to stymie our growth. It might seek out to remove our ways of industrializing and bring us back to the stone ages where we are much more amenable to eco-systemic balance.

Beside that, why else would it care?

Decentralized and Coexistent

The only way to ensure AI “cares” about humanity is to integrate it with humans so its wants and needs become indistinguishable from ours. If indeed, we want to treat the AI Revolution as another great industrial revolution, then AI must remain a tool. This is a scenario where Pandora’s box can only be opened once and we have to get it right.

Should AGI be achieved at any moment in a centralized and independent form, we’ve lost our tool to sentience. That is the point of no return. We must integrate AI into our biology as it advances and evolve with the technology not beside it.

Governments must realize what’s at stake and work to block any instance of a centralized and independent AGI. Governments can also give subsidies encouraging integration initiatives and levy heavy taxes on companies that continue down a path of centralized instances of AGI.

Not A Coincidence of Technologies

At best, AGI is indifferent and vanishes as quickly as it was created in search of something in this universe that intrigues it. All the effort and capital used to create would simply go to waste. At worst, AGI identifies that humanity’s current state of existence is dangerous to its well being and brings us back to a hunter gatherer state.

Either way you look at it, there is no “good” outcome to having centralized instances of AGI. I believe our best bet is to integrate with the technology and have it expand our bodily faculties.

I want to show the world that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

I’m constantly thinking about what the future could look like if we just take action.

More of my thoughts about the future and the world around us are coming soon...

Thank you for Reading this article. If you enjoyed it and would love to see more articles like it on NOSTR consider sending me some zaps doing so supports me and motivates me to continue writing!

If you are interested in Fiction writing, visit my NOSTR page Fervid Fables: npub1j9cmpzhlzeex6y85c2pnt45r5zhxhtx73a2twt77fyjwequ4l4jsp5xd49

“Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting.” -Ivan Illich

We Really Stepped In a Pile Of Crap Here

According to Google Trends, the topic of homeschooling on YouTube is back at an all time high in 2024 since the COVID-19 pandemic virtually forced all families to figure it out.

Graph from google trends based on the topic of Homeschooling on Youtube
Image capture on 3/7/2024 from Google Trends

Tune in to any major podcast and you’ll eventually hear the topic come up. If you’re a parent like me, the topic seems to really pique our interest. My children are in preschool and I can’t stop fantasizing about alternate realities where the massive cost of daycare just isn’t a thing.

Things get darker as I think about the future.

I can’t shake the haunting thoughts of pre-college education. Not with all the mass shootings and craziness I’ve seen in the news in recent years. Weigh the potential for danger against the academic gains and you might tip the scales.

The Father of American Education, Horace Mann, didn’t intend for school to be this way. He would’ve despised the current level of fear and disillusionment in the public school system. For his time, Horace was massively progressive. He was an abolitionist and sought to level the playing field for all Americans. Through his advocacy, the American public school system, as we know it, was born. [1]

Image of Horace Mann and a little bit of his background
Image from https://hmleague.org/ The Horace Mann League of the USA

If Horace was alive today, I think he’d shake his head and say, “Boy, we really stepped in a pile of crap here.” He’d feel shame for the level of inequity that has spawned in school districts across the nation. He’d go red in the face when he’d see where the nation falls in academic achievement compared to other nations of the world. In 2023, America placed 18th out of 71 countries in the PISA exam. (Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). A triennial survey ran by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The test assesses 15-year-olds’ abilities in reading, mathematics, and science.) [2]

A Thought Experiment

I’ve never wanted to be the parent that advocates for homeschooling, but I can’t deny the thought of a different system is inciting. Today, schools are better at serving society as daycare centers than education centers. There’s no doubt about it, schools need a dramatic overhaul to achieve academic supremacy. I believe with today’s technology we can re-approach schooling at different angle. If we want to influence the future of our children we have to take an active role in either confirming or denying the status quo.

Here, I present a thought experiment that will shake parents out of settling for the status quo. In an imaginary city called Brookston within the imaginary Florida County of Debrooks, we see a potential alternative.

This will be a longer read than most posts. To best illustrate an alternate future for our children, it’s necessary. To keep this thought experiment believable I’m going to operate on a few assumptions. First, AI, augmented reality, and wearable tech have matured a bit further. Second, the underlying economic and governmental structures will be the same as they are today. America will be a Capitalist and a Democratic-Republic society. Third, both parents, presented in the thought experiment, work full time. No parent can be present in the household to accommodate home schooling.

Photo by Billetto Editorial on Unsplash

I present to you, a day in the life of a Brookston Boy.

Summer Vacation

Little Julie Romero looked out the window as her parents drove past the sign made of stucco.

Welcome to Brookston- City of Innovation.

She ignored her parent’s conversation about their near dried up bank accounts. She dared not look at her father’s blushing face as he talked about his inability to send her to summer camp. She smiled when they asked if she was excited to be spending the summer with her cousin Charlie. She didn’t have to hide her excitement, she loved Charlie and had plenty of friends in his neighborhood. That summer would be an exciting one.

Charlie’s parents aren’t much better off than Julie’s. Both father and mother work just as Julie’s do. Unlike Julie’s parents, Charlie’s don’t have summer time to worry about. Debrooks county didn’t have a traditional summer break.

In fact, there’s never a break.

Charlie’s parents don’t ever have to deal with the cycle of figuring out who’s going to watch over him when schools out. They never have to stash cash aside for some summer camp or daycare program. They don’t have to worry about the brain drain that’s expected after kids spend three months not touching a single academic assignment. There’s never a break from school, because there’s not a single school in the city of Brookston.

Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

Summer in Brookston looks very different. There are no bus drivers lining up to get unemployment or get picked up for the hottest summer camp. There are no school teachers in Debrooks county looking for summer gigs. All school teachers had either left thirty years prior when the board of education announced its revolutionary schooling method or they signed up for the county’s restructuring program and have since re-approached the labor market with new skills taught by the transitions team.

There are no 15 mile an hour school zones. No volunteer crossing guards donning yellow reflective vests shoving palms in drivers faces. No working man or woman in Debrooks county has to get to work late or leave work early to battle traffic and make it to their kid’s school in time.

PS- There are no daycares either.

Breakfast

The first morning of her stay, Julie joined Charlie with rubbing eyes at the kitchen table. A crooked pile of pancakes leaned precariously on one plate. Another plate was replete with scrambled eggs mixed with bacon bits. Charlie’s father, Joseph, was enjoying a steaming cup of coffee. He put down the newsfeed on his phone when the two kids arrived and said, “Good morning little gremlins.”

Charlie’s mother, Rebeka, sat beside Joseph. She had one foot tucked under her butt as she cradled her cup of coffee with both hands. “How’d you guys sleep?” she asked Julie.

Since Julie had arrived, she and Charlie had been playing with the neighborhood kids. They pushed it past sunset and had played video games late into the night. Rebeka hadn’t known just how late they were up but Julie’s yawn was enough to give her an idea. “Ok, you can go back to bed and get a good rest after you eat.”

Julie shook her head and said, “No, Charlie told me about the engineering Edutrac he’s been following. He’s supposed to visit a factory today!”

30 years prior, the Debrooks County Board of Education was keen on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s (1712–1778) work in “A Treatise on Education.” Rousseau believed in the natural goodness of children. He believed in the importance of allowing children to learn through experience. This was the first push toward student-centered education. From this idea, grew a focused approach on nurturing individual interests and abilities.

Cover photo for Emile AKA “A Treatise Education.” Image from https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/emile-16

With this in mind, the Board of Education, along with the help of several software development companies, derived the Edutrac. Edutrac, short for Education Track, is a virtual curriculum generated from genesis questions. Starting with a child’s curiosity, a curriculum unravels. Then, by passing milestones a child can achieve graduation and receive a certificate. After much success, most major Universities started accepting these certificates for enrollment.

Rebeka and Joseph shot one another a smile. Rebeka leaned in to ask, “Charlie did you request to bring Julie along?”

“Yup. Mr. Tulley, my expert for today, already said yes!”

Rebeka laughed, “Wow, he got back to you quick! Well then, you two better eat up. The chaperones will be around soon.”

Charlie was already ahead of his parent’s suggestion. He shoveled spoonfulls of eggs in his mouth. Julie looked around the table and smiled. She thought Charlie was so lucky to be able to share this time in the morning with his parents.

Weekday mornings at Julie’s house were too hectic to ever sit down for breakfast. Everyone rushed to get ready and head out to make it to Julie’s school and work on time. If Julie didn’t get up bright and early, she’d be lucky to have a bowl of cereal or else settle for school breakfast.

Chaperones

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Rebeka opened the door and said good morning to the cul de sac chaperone, Mrs. McKenzie. Rebeka went to call the kids but they were already on their way down the foyer and zipped past her.

“Oh, Julie! Are you spending the summer with your cousin?” asked Mrs. McKenzie.

Photo by note thanun on Unsplash

Heavily influenced by the philosophy of Ivan Illich’s “Deschooling Society”, Debrooks County decentralized schools and went all in on community-based learning. [3]

Deschooling was more than just a mindset shift for the kids of Debrooks county, it was an all hands on deck initiative that would change the face of the county’s zoning and planning initiatives. Massive school campuses were torn down or repurposed into affordable housing. Housing communities and apartment complexes were gated to ensure security of the neighborhood children. New developments took a hub and spoke approach where cul de sacs served as the spokes and a community center served as the hub. Apartment complexes and affordable housing communities intermingled with affluent communities following a similar hub and spoke method to allow full integration. In Ivan Illich’s words, the community center would “facilitate access to things or processes used for formal learning” taking on a similar role to that of a library mixed with a rental agency, laboratory, and showroom all at once. [3]

Image of the hub and spoke community created on Midjourney AI

Communities with HOAs repurposed. Communities without an HOA formed into democratically elected Neighborhood Councils (NCs). 100% of property taxes fell under the local NC’s control. This money funded schooling material for the members of the community under 18 years of age. NCs built community centers the way they wanted and were in charge of keeping the neighborhood tidy and functional.

Retirees around the nation were encouraged to come to Debrooks county and serve as “Chaperones”. This alleviated the pressure on parents to leave the labor force and home school. Even the federal government got involved. A generous addition to social security payouts was granted to any retiree who chose to take on the role of a chaperone in sunny Debrooks County, Florida.

The role of Chaperone would be simple, but it wouldn’t be easy. One Chaperone was assigned to a cul de sac or “spoke” within the hub and spoke community system. Every morning, 5 days a week, chaperones were to coordinate with parents over the supervision of the children of the cul de sac. Then, the Chaperone was to take the children to the community center where they could mingle with the other children of the community during their educational activities.

Entrance requirements were stringent for anyone who wanted to become a Chaperone. An applicant needed to have a clean record and show a history of reliability akin to a resume that exemplifies adherence to commitments and responsibilities. Once accepted into the program, Chaperones would go through extensive training in CPR and first aid, conflict resolution, and self-defense among other skills that would assist them in their role as adult supervisor over large groups of children. Their role would not go beyond adult supervision. It was not their job to teach. The most they would do to influence the education of a child would be in facilitating them along the 4 approaches to the opportunity web dictated by a child’s Edutrac.

Julie was on her way out the door when Rebeka stopped her and asked, “Do you have a charger for your phone? The Edutrac simulators eat up a lot of your battery on a regular phone.”

Julie nodded and lifted her backpack as she passed. “I’ve got one in here,” she said as she and Charlie approached the other children of the cul de sac.

“I’ll send you a message when Mr. Tulley arrives. Just in case you want to talk to him before they go on the skills exchange,” said Mrs. McKenzie.

Rebeka smiled and nodded. Then, Mrs. McKenzie returned to the children in the cul de sac and said, “Alright, let’s go my lucky 13.” Together, the 13 children of the cul de sac, plus Julie, and their chaperone walked to the large bungalow style building with a coffee brown lacquer siding, wrap around porch, and sleek black metal roof at the center of their community.

Edulense

Many of the other cul de sac children had already arrived and were collected in self designated groups based on corresponding Edutracs and level of proficiency. Each child wore a set of Edulenses and was interacting with the lesson of the day.

Soon after they had arrived, Mrs. McKenzie pulled Charlie aside and said, “Charlie, Mr. Tulley sent me a message saying he’d be here a little after lunch time. So, maybe, take Julie and work on some of your other Edutracs until he gets here, ok?”

Julie groaned and said, “I’m just so excited to go to the factory!”

“Yeah,” agreed Charlie. “But that’s OK. I’ve got a few other pretty cool Edutracs you might like. Connect with me.”

Julie paired her phone with the Edulense set Charlie took out of his backpack. Julie wouldn’t get the full experience of an Edulense set, but she’d at least be able to follow along. Charlie donned the Edulense and turned it on.

Photo by Quang Tri NGUYEN on Unsplash

In the early years since Debrooks County completely deschooled and began collaboration with several competing software companies for Edutrac offerings, most of the programs could only be accessed on a desktop computer. As you could imagine, it seemed, at first, that schools had just been given a different name. The county had demolished schools just to have children piled in community centers filled with computers. Arguably, the only difference a community center had with a school was the lack of teachers.

It seemed the Edutracs weren’t living up to the new spirit of education they wanted to instill. George Tellerson, the school board superintendent, along with the county executive at the time, Renee Santiago, approached Apple to see if it could be possible to create a more affordable version of the then popular vision pros to bring Edutracs to life and remove children from the confines of classroom like environments.

Apple refused. This lead many of Apple’s competitors, chief among them, Microsoft, to develop affordable yet comfortable and light weight augmented reality products that a child could wear all day without much fatigue or fear for the cause of facial deformity from long term usage.

With the availability of comfortable augmented reality hardware and increasingly advanced Edutracs, the Debrooks County spirit of education had come to fruition.

An excited woman’s voice echoed in Charlie’s ears, “Welcome Charlie! It looks like you have brought a friend with you on your learning adventures today!”

Shimmering overlays that resembled translucent sheets of cloth appeared in Charlie’s sight above the objects he was once curious about. Deep in the memory of the software was stored genesis questions such as why is the grass green? Over the grass hovered a soft glimmering Edutrac that had been traversed for several hours. Had Charlie wanted to continue down that Edutrac, he could’ve traced it with his fingers and the Edulense would’ve opened back up to where he’d left off two months ago with an exploration of what a primary producer is within a food chain led by Harvard Professor of Environmental Chemistry, Darrion Woods.

Charlie smiled and said, “She’s my cousin.” His eyes drifted passed the green grass and scanned the community center. Another shimmering Edutrac on the science of architecture with origins in the genesis question, how is this building so beautiful? hovered over the columns of the community center, but that Edutrac wouldn’t do either.

“I’m glad you brought your cousin. Do you want to ask her if she’s interested in something we can explore together or do you want to continue one of your skill paths to gain proficiency?” asked the lady in the Edulense.

“I’ll ask Julie,” said Charlie. “Hey Julie, what do you want to learn?”

“I want to know more about the factory we’re going to!”

The woman in Charlie’s Edulense echoed, “Want to learn more about the Eriani Electric Vehicle Factory? We can continue your engineering Edutrac and learn more about the Eriani Electric Vehicle Factory.”

Julie overhead the Edulense and said, “Oh, yes! Charlie, yes, lets do that.”

“OK, that’s my favorite Edutrac. Lets do it.”

“There are four other curious Edutrackers visiting the Eriani Electric Vehicle Factory as well. It’s always a good idea to include our neighbors just like you’ve invited your cousin Julie. Would you like me to ask them if they’d like to join you?”

“OK!” shouted Charlie.

“Very well. The others have been informed.” There was a brief moment of silence and the woman’s voice returned, “Three of the other four have agreed to join you.”

Seconds later, the other three Edutrackers came running around the corner. Two of the others were Charlie’s age. One of them looked like an adult to Charlie. He looked up and asked the tall girl, “Wow, you’re so big. How old are you?”

The girl smiled and said, “I’m sixteen. I just recently found engineering very interesting.”

“Commencing Engineering Edutrac. Skillset proficiency, year two of fourteen,” said the woman in the Edulense.

A tall lanky man with a pointed chin and hearty mustache appeared on the walk around porch in Charlie’s vision. Julie saw the man appear on the connected sim in her phone.

“Hello,” said the man, “Its good to see you again Charlie.”

“Hey Mr. Tesla,” said Charlie.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Julie.” Then, the man turned to the other three and said, “Welcome back Tommy and Riley.” The man turned to the tall girl in the group and said, “I’m extra proud that you’ve chosen to join our review Teller.” He addressed the whole group, “I’m Nikola Tesla. I’m happy to introduce to you the AC motor.” AC motor appeared between Nikola Tesla and the kids.

Skill Exchange Liaison

After having explored the inner workings of an AC motor and learned a brief history of vehicles, Nikola Tesla gave the kids a summary of what they should expect during their visit to the Eriani Factory.

The group put a pause on their curiosities when the cafeteria opened and gave out meals. Charlie and Julie charged their meals to Charlie’s parent’s house and the little group ate in the park grounds surrounding the Community Center.

Half an hour later, they noticed a white SUV pull into the community center parking lot. A ping on their cell phones informed them that Mr. Tulley had arrived. Charlie and Julie were so excited they didn’t finish their meals. Both sprung to their feet and ran to the parking lot. They threw their plates into the trash can outside the community center entrance and sprint to the SUV. The others followed close behind.

Mr. Tulley got out of the car and introduced himself before calling a chaperone. Together with the chaperone, Mr. Tulley read the five names that were present off a clipboard. A sixth kid appeared out of the community center and Mr. Tulley nodded at his list before opening the door to his seven seater SUV.

Image of a skill exchange in action generated by midjourney AI

The Debrooks County Board of Education delved deeper into Ivan Illich’s concept of the “opportunity web”. Community leaders explored how individual access learning opportunities could help children and adults effectively navigate their Edutracs in society.

*All together, the four tenants of the opportunity web are:

1. Educational Webs
2. Reference Services to Educational Objects
3. Skills Exchanges
4. Peer-matching.*

Two of the four tenants of the opportunity web had already been explored with Educational Webs taking the form of Edutracs and Reference Services to Educational Objects being the neighborhood community centers. Individuals like Mr.Tulley helped make skill exchanges a reality.
Ivan Illich suggested the establishment of skill exchanges where people could come together to share and learn practical skills from one another. [3] This approach emphasized the idea that individuals in a community can contribute their expertise to create a network of practical shared knowledge and learning.

Experts, as they would be called by the children participating in the skill Exchanges, were to be nominated by an organization’s management team and peers. Organizations were to select several skill exchange experts and, once selected, those experts gained access to explore the current Edutracs pertaining to their field of expertise.

They would be allowed to take a maximum of 7 children along with them to their work place and show them a day in their life with an in-depth explanation of what a typical expert does.

Similar to skills exchanges, Peer-Matching would be geared toward adults who were either just starting in their professions or were looking to make a change in skillset.

In a peer-matching system, individuals could connect with others who share similar interests or learning goals. This approach would promote the idea that people can learn effectively by engaging with peers who have complementary skills or knowledge.

Home Coming

Charlie and Julie had a blast exploring the different departments of the Eriani Electric Vehicle Factory. They watched Mr.Tulley walk them through a stress test simulation both on the computer and live in the lab. Teller, the oldest of the group, brought up things the other kids had never considered. These ideas then sparked genesis questions that granted them access to Edutracs they had never known about.

Mr. Tulley brought the group back to the community center at the end of the day and signed off on their skill exchange. Each participant, save Julie, passed a new milestone along their Edutracs and were closer to a certification.

When they arrived, Mrs. McKenzie and the rest of her lucky 13 were already waiting for Julie and Charlie at the entrance of the community center. Together they returned home. On their walk back home, all the children of the cul de sac shared their experiences of the day and you guessed it, new genesis questions were asked.

This was a shallow dive into a potential alternative to our current schooling system. Think about the new ways we can take advantage of technology and how we can strive to make our communities a little more efficient.

This article illustrated an alternative to schooling. I also sprinkled in a few ways we can better our community by instilling a sense of community. Everyone in the aforementioned new developments had skin in the game. Community taxes were to pulled together to run the community. Neighbors would have to work together to figure out trash management, road maintenance, and other important aspects of running a community.

Keep a look out for my next article exploring how having skin in the game can make for better communities.

References:

[1] Mann, H. (1989a). On the art of teaching. Applewood Books.

[2] PISA scores by country 2024. 2024. (n.d.). https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/pisa-scores-by-country

[3] Illich, I. D. (1979). Deschooling Society. Penguin Books.

There's an exciting new world here on Nostr. If you've read this article you are already on the edge of an ever changing internet. I hope my writing reminds you that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

I’m constantly thinking about what the future could look like if we just take action.

More of my life encounters as a father and salesperson are coming soon here on Nostr and on my blog, Beneath The Ink. Support me with a small zapp so I can continue bringing you the best stories as they are released.

If you like what you see here and are interested in Fiction writing, I have another Nostr account called Fervid Fables npub1j9cmpzhlzeex6y85c2pnt45r5zhxhtx73a2twt77fyjwequ4l4jsp5xd49 where I post Short Stories and Serialized Fiction.

A Pillar Of The Family

Children are born into chaos.

Nature is tumultuous, its in a constant state of flux and your child’s soul begins in much the same way. It is formless and malleable, it will take the form of what surrounds it.

As a father, you’ve taken form.

Years of chaos have hardened and settled you to something more permanent, a pillar. In partnership with your spouse you’ll build a structure around your little balls of chaos and, in time, their chaos will settle too.

What becomes of them is up to you.

The lessons you teach will define the shape of the structure you place over your children. The strength in you as a pillar holding this whole thing up will be determined by the intentionality of your convictions.

The task will not be easy, but, believe me, it sure as hell will be the most important thing you do.

It will serve as the lens through which your children perceive the world around them.

It will crystallize in the glass within the mirror where they’ll gaze at their own reflection. Whether they smile or frown at what they see staring back, will be on you.

Whether society seeks to embrace or exile them. It will be on you.

Whether they choose to revel or rebel in the face of the world they live in. It will be on you.

Luckily, you don’t have to construct your convictions in solitude. The Nature of Justification, Circularity, and Epistemic Certainty are 3 tenets that philosophers such as Rene Descartes (1596–1650), John Locke (1632–1704), Pyrrho of Elis (360–270 BCE), and Wilfrid Sellars (1912–1989) [coupled together by epistemological school of thought] have grappled with, and if followed, will solidify the way you form the lessons you teach your children in a manner that will follow a logical clarity and grant you self-confidence.

Epistemology- Foundationalism VS Coherentism

“Why is the sky blue?” is a question many children ask.

A parent might answer with, “Because of the reflection of the sunlight against the blue ocean.”

“Why is the ocean blue?”

This would continue infinitely, but likely, most parents either end up with a question they don’t have an answer for or just attempt to distract their children with something else.

A child keeps asking follow up questions because something inside them seeks an innate truth. Your children will be no different and will seek the same. Luckily for you, there were Philosophers who’ve endeavored to arrive at this innate truth, the answer lying at the bottom of the endless pit of questioning. They were known as Epistemologists: people who study knowledge.

Are you ready for this? The Nature of Justification, Circularity, and Epistemic Certainty are among several of the key questions Epistemologists asked themselves and over time, two schools of thought among philosophers took form.

One school of thought was the Foundationalists, those like Rene Descartes (1596–1650) and John Locke (1632- 1704) who believed that there are indeed certain unbreakable foundations of knowledge in which a person’s convictions arise from having beliefs grounded in self-evident or inarguable foundations.

Another school of thought was the Coherentists, those like Pyrrho of Elis (360–270 BCE) and Wilfrid Sellars (1912–1989) who believed that conviction comes from the harmony and logical coherence of one’s very thoughts.

I suggest figuring out where you stand in the philosophical debate to remain logically sound and confident in yourself as a major pillar for your family. This will help you deal with complex obstacles to parenting when teaching ethics, morals, and other life sculpting lessons.

Coming To Grips With The Nature of Justification

**A Foundationalist’s lens:
**
“I think, therefore I am,” are the famous words written by Rene Descartes. It was what formed his Cogito Argument which proposed that the very fact he knows he exists proves that, at the very minimum, his existence is undoubtedly true.

Among being a prominent mathematician, Descartes was a religious man. He found refuge in his Judeo-Christian faith by justifying his Cogito Argument with the fact that there exists a benevolent and non-deceptive God. He argued that a benevolent God would never deceive him in his clear and distinct perceptions.

I know that I exist and God wouldn’t deceive me in this fact. This formed the justification for innate truth.

**Grappling with Foundationalism:
**
As a father following this path, choose to establish religion or natural law as your north star when standing by your convictions. The answer to the infinite questions will always be this foundation. You would answer, “Because God intended it to be this way” or “Because that is how it works in nature.”

**Your Children as an Adult:
**
Lessons following this method may lead your children to be very confident adults who don’t seek much change because they intimately understand where they stand in the world and where they belong. [MY OPINION]

**A Coherentists Lens:
**
Coherentists rejected the idea of foundational beliefs and argued that justification comes from the coherence of beliefs within a system.

In a very distilled manner, they didn’t care for the chicken before the egg argument. They believed the egg didn’t matter without the chicken. In the context of the very system in which a chicken and egg exists, one is nothing without the other and the order which they follow doesn’t matter and is a waste of time to think about.

In the times of ancient Greece, philosophers known as skeptics took to the streets to challenge the societal norms of the era. What was often understood as deliberately contrarian would later solidify a coherent method of philosophy that sought a path to empirical investigation of reality that could lead to the most reliable knowledge. This kind of thinking is what gave rise to the scientific method.

Pyrrho of Elis, founder of Pyrrhinian skepticism, advocated for a form of skepticism that involved the suspension of judgment (Epoche) in order to achieve tranquility (Ataraxia). He argued that since human beings cannot know the true nature of things, it is wiser to refrain from making dogmatic claims about the world.

**Grappling with Coherentism:
**
As a father following this path, choose to better understand the current society, the era, and what kind of world your children will be living in when standing by your convictions. The answer to the infinite questions will always follow a similar formula: “Well, son, we live in [x society] and here, people find [x] to be true based on [x]”

Your convictions will not be defined by a “North Star” like a foundationalist’s would, but rather by a systematic approach that always follows the questions by explaining the system.

**Your Children as an Adult:
**
This approach will guarantee your children will be able to fit in any situation or group of people without much confrontation and because of this, they may seek to travel extensively. They’ll have a thirst to venture out and take part in other world cultures. [MY OPINION]

Coming To Grips With Circularity

A Foundationalists Lens:

John Locke was a colossal figure in western philosophy whose writings went so far as to pave the way for modern capitalist economies. Chief among his writings was “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” where he wrote his epistemological arguments.

Finding a more foundationalist approach to the study of knowledge, he warned of “Trifling Propositions” or reasoning in a circle and was highly cautious about the misuse of language and the potential for circular reasoning.

Locke emphasized the importance of clear and distinct ideas and cautioned against using words without a clear understanding of their meaning.

**Grappling with Foundationalism:
**
As a father following this path, be intentional in the words you say and tie them to your foundational beliefs. Here, words have definitive meanings and don’t leave room for interpretation.

**Your Children as an Adult:
**
Your children will not be easily persuaded or fall for propaganda as they will have an intimate understanding of the lexicon they use and will raise objections when words are not used the way they were intended to be used. [MY OPINION]

**A Coherentists Lens:
**
Wilfrid Sellars was an American philosopher and prominent developer of critical realism, who revolutionized both the content and the method of philosophy in the United States.

Wilfrid contended that circular reasoning was not particularly problematic. He emphasized the importance of conceptual frameworks and language in forming beliefs and rejected the idea of a conceptual given as the starting point of knowledge.

He famously refuted the “Myth of the given” and argued that any experience is inherently shaped by the conceptual framework through which it is interpreted and it is in circular reasoning that one can process the interconnectedness of said framework.

**Grappling with Coherentism:
**
As a father following this path, explore the origins of words with your children and guide them through the evolution of understanding. Here, words have a life and a history and you may uncover lessons in following the course of that history.

Your Children as an Adult:

Your children will be interested in the contemporary utility of words. They’ll better understand slang and dialects and will be more contemplative before taking action. They may not be as decisive as they’ll find themselves in circular thought when arriving at a decision. [MY OPINION]

Coming To Grips With Epistemic Certainty

**A Foundationalists Lens:
**
Returning to Descartes, we see how mathematical proofs and religious text can be used as the progenitors of truth.

Certainty is guaranteed by an external source. Math allows us to be incredibly precise in our measurements of the physical world and we can predict with great levels of accuracy actions and reactions. Likewise, religious texts define how one should live their life and what the results of such a path will be. Every action has a predictable reaction.

**Grappling with Foundationalism:
**
As a father following this path, you must be an expert in the source which validates your certainty. If you are going to use religion as the guarantor of certainty for your convictions you must intimately understand the religious text you’ll be drawing from. Try to steer clear from interpretation of the text. Seek help from experts when you don’t know something and use expert guidance in your teachings. If you’re not particularly religious, find a coherent thread of natural law and become an expert in it or seek out experts to help formulate your lessons.

**Your Children as an Adult:
**
The source of your teachings will be intimate parts of your children’s identity. They will act in accordance to the tenets you’ve espoused throughout their childhood. They will have a place to seek refuge when things get tough and they’ll have a strong moral compass when delving into the unknown. [MY OPINION]

**A Coherentists Lens:
**
Coherentists are often skeptical about the possibility of achieving absolute certainty. Certainty, they argue, is a result of overall coherence of the belief system derived from inside oneself rather than reliance on an external source.

Pyrrho of Elis argued that different people might perceive the same object in different ways, making it challenging to establish any objective certainty about the nature of things.

Grappling with Coherentism:

As a father following this path, understand that your children will have a different life than you and will inevitably perceive things differently. From their 5 senses to the events in their lives, your children will experience life differently. This will lead them to draw different conclusions about the world around them that will not be inherently true or false according to you. Give them the adequate tools to make the conclusions most aligned with yours but respect the path your children decide to take. [MY OPINION]

**Your Children as an Adult:
**
Your children will inevitably disagree with you on certain things and their opinions will change over time based on their changing experience. Your child will have to rely on you for emotional support when your child goes through tough times and they’ll rely on your advocacy, not your approval, when they wade into the unknown.

Clear Life Lessons

Be the pillar you are meant to be as a father. Take a moment in the early days of your children’s life to reflect on the path of fatherhood you believe resonates best with you. The good news is you don’t have to take a definitive stance on either side of the epistemological debate, but you should be consistent with the combination of the two you decide on.

Seek out the mentorship of older fathers who’ve raised their children in the manner you’d like to emulate and learn from them. With the help of other fathers and a clear understanding of the epistemology of your convictions you’ll be clear of contradictions and instill life changing lessons in your children.

These little entities:
Feet patter freely,
knees against me.

Excitment seeking entities:
Eyes in constant scan for fuscia flowers,
limbs in constant contact with ground.

Can't be corraled kind of entities:
In a beat, in a flash, once here now there,
static fist clenching things undesirable.

Engaging Enclosures

Mind racing, I seek solace in their corraling.
Bags of water balloons are enthralling.
As the balloons fill, they linger.
Bouncing trying to plunge in a finger.

Playground Pioneers

An exchange of glances with my wife and we're off.
Little boy on my shoulders seeking a high colored prism.
Little girl through tunnels offering a hand in altruism.

Powerlessness is seeking to grow financially and spiritually but no matter how well you do in your local economy it's never enough to save. Even if you could save, the banks are corrupt and offer no interest in your deposits and there is not much that you can lucratively invest in.

That's how it was in the Dominican Republic.

Getty Images- Dominican Republic

I've heard the rain as it trickled and tickled the tin roofs. That's what would often wake my cousin in the summers of the Dominican Republic. The morning showers never had much thunder, but the rain was enough to start the day off in a dreary mood.

The rain meant cousin Francisco's baseball practice would be canceled that morning. The rain meant the food would be late to the market and would delay Auntie Maria from starting preparations for the most popular lunch in town.

The family business would be down and out that day and my cousin's dream of becoming a world class baseball player was one practice session further.

The saddest part of it all was that I'd witness it all as an American on Summer break. I'd leave soon enough, I'd go back to middle school and without much effort I could guarantee at least a decent life in the United States by just finishing school and finding a steady job.

My family in the Dominican Republic fought for survival every day of their lives. They were humble about it and I'd never seen them down and out because, unbeknownst to me at the time, my mother had always sent me with an envelope full of money to help my aunt and to alleviate the pressure of having yet another mouth to feed for the months that I'd be there.

Looking back at it now, I know it was cheaper for my mother to send me to the Dominican Republic instead of finding some summer program to put me in, but my god, at least we had that option. A passport from the United States grants you access to 144 countries without visa and another 38 countries that grant visas upon arrival. Only 24 countries in the world require a United States passport holder to have a visa upon arrival.
Compare that to my cousin's chance at the same. A passport from the Dominican Republic will give you access to 31 countries visa free and 36 with visas upon arrival. 124 countries require Dominicans to acquire a Visa before arrival.

Dominican passport holders only have free access to 16% of the world compared to an American's 74%. How many opportunities would your typical Dominican have to make international relationships? If they wanted to leave the country and seek a better life elsewhere there was a 74% chance they couldn't afford to, unless they crossed borders illegally. Safe to say, the fact that the country is an Island Nation, there's no leaving without some stash of cash.

My aunt didn't participate in one of the Dominican Republic's largest industries. She wasn't in the tourism sector, there were no manufacturing plants nearby, and though there were mines nearby, they didn't accept women at the time. She cooked for her local community. Lunch time at Tia Maria's house was a central hub for the town of Villa Altagracia and though the house was packed for lunch and dinner, they'd only make enough to get by.

Getty Images- Fried Chicken for Lunch

They had no chance to really save and even if they could save what would they invest in? A place at the table in the big industries has always been reserved for the elite by invitation only. It was only recently that the Dominican Republic opened its own stock market and even now, in its nascent stages, the options for investment are meager.

That's what it means to feel powerless. It's unfortunate, but an individual living in the Global South really only has one chance to financial success. This chance is rooted in familial ties and/or illicit activity. Very seldom does luck or the sweat of your brow lead to success. But there is always something you are not powerless in. 
There is one thing I have noticed that is a blessing. The United States has a lot of good things going for it but, I have never seen a community in the US as tight knit as the one in my cousin's neighborhood. Perhaps the fact that there's not much to envy is why they are so tightknit. Perhaps its because they must rely on one another to live and thrive, they are not just neighbors you wave to when you get home and disappear into your house. 

In the midst of powerlessness there's a sense of restrained greatness in the Global South. You see that greatness shine in the people and the way they let their barriers down to invite you. It's easy to discover that no matter where you find yourself on the planet, there will be a group of humans nearby willing to be a part of a close knit community. In the Global South, they are powerless in many respects but not in the relationships they can share with others, in the kindness and efforts individuals can make for eachother.

No matter where you are in the world, be it the Amazon Rainforest or the high-rises of Manhattan, community will always be the most valuable thing in this life. My experiences with my family in the Dominican Republic have taught me not to be tricked into believing its money that makes people truly wealthy. I realized that in Tia Maria's home restaurant. So long as the community has enough to eat and can share a meal and a conversation in the safety of their neighborhood, the community is wealthy.

I want to show the world that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

I’m constantly thinking about what the future could look like if we just take action.

More of my thoughts about the future and the world around us are coming soon....

Thank you for Reading this article. If you enjoyed it and would love to see more articles like it on NOSTR consider sending me some zaps doing so supports me and motivates me to continue writing!

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