It was some friend's birthdays and as a group we decided to go out and support another of our friend's new business ventures - which is a vegan pizza bar. And while none of us are vegan - it was pretty damn good! Though, for me who was raised vegetarian anyway, it wasn't really anything out of the ordinary to have a vegetarian pizza. What is surprising though is, how many options there are for vegan cheeses these days.
We had a couple pre-drinks looking over the city first.
I was driving.
Considering the time of year, the weather has been really warm and there is barely any snow visible around the city. It has still been hovering around freezing temperatures, but it has meant for me I am quite comfortable taking short walks in a t-shirt, much to the shock of friends, who are rugged up as if it is still mid-winter. As I said to them,
once the warm weather arrives for real, it will be a proper summer for me.
As I have often written, it is okay to be a bit uncomfortable from time to time if it helps lead to better conditions in the future. Too many people are looking to always be comfortable without realising it leads them into a situation of decreasing quality of experience, as the bar keeps lowering. Comfort is a progression downward, which seems counterintuitive to many perhaps.
For instance, the friend who opened up the small restaurant is a serial entrepreneur, even though he hasn't made much from any of his ventures. He just has this enviable ability to dive into things, even if it is in an area that he has very little experience prior. The vast majority of us just wouldn't have the balls to take these kinds of risks, but he just doesn't care enough about failure, to hold him back from trying.
And I think he values his quality of life.
There is a difference between comfort of life and quality of life I believe, but what most of us are looking for is comfort. We want things to be easier, even if under investigation, easier doesn't equate to better. I think this is why a lot of people spend their time scrolling through various "social" feeds, because it is easier than actually building a social life, or doing anything for oneself. They can sit and scroll, rather than have to make decisions about how to spend their time, or what to learn.
Even the ability to search has taken out a lot of the chance of learning lessons, because we live far less "random" content lives, and instead are directed to what we should consume via algorithm. They are content safe spaces, designed to keep us engaged in what keeps us coming back because it makes it feel like it is interesting to us, even if there is nothing there that helps us at all. Again, I don't think most people take a step back and reflect long enough on this to actually understand what is happening to them.
Everything thinks they are smarter than the apps.
Have you noticed that?
Everyone seems to think that when they are scrolling Instagram or Twitter, that they are somehow immune to the effects of it, that they can see behind the matrix and avoid all of the pitfalls. They keep scrolling saying "I'm not addicted, I know what I am doing here, I can extract value" when in actual fact, that is how the platforms have been designed to make them feel. They think they have beaten the system, like a gambler who has already lost their house.
And family.
I think that while there are many influences that have degraded the family unit, I think that smartphones and social media usage are a big part of what destroys families from the inside out. It is an external force, but it is applied internally, where kids are on phones instead of engaging with parents, and parents are on phones instead of engaging with kids. And of course, the couple themselves are on phones or in front of screens, instead of talking about what each finds important, or fulfilling the needs of the other.
Relationships take work.
And discomfort.
Each relationship is an investment opportunity and while the return isn't guaranteed, if people aren't willing to be uncomfortable with each other, the outcome is like a business venture that gets neglected - The relationship never gets off the ground, or collapses under the weight of mismanagement. And while the relationships degrade further and further, people turn more and more to the alternatives, the pseudo-relationships that they have built with the platform. A place where they can act automatically, on habit, without feeling self-conscious. A space that makes them feel comfortable and at home.
The irony.
As they scroll for another slice that is designed never to fill their needs.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]