Be a Humanist

A student of the humanities learns to recognize general principles governing disparate fields of study. He searches for the telos, the end or purpose, of anything he studies, rather than getting caught up in the minutiae.

I had a friend who wrote a paper on the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (physics), Goedel’s Incompleteness Theorem (formal logic / mathematics), and Russian literature (lit). This paper is the quintessential example of the liberal arts.

Abstract, get to the idea driving forces you witness. If you adopt this view, much of the knowledge you thought was domain specific will suddenly seem applicable in new domains. You can apply things you learned playing tennis to the way you work in the office, you can apply principles of SEO to make it easier to find emails you send to friends, you can apply nearly any X to any Y.

I find myself in a philosophical mood today…

How to Measure a Good Day

Ask yourself, “Did I learn something new today?”

“Start-ups that are staffed with tinkerers, tweakers, tuners and trackers have the DNA required to experiment with these subtle changes. And are at such an advantage in this web-based world.”

Bryce Roberts

Nice alliteration from Bryce.  Trackers.

(via betaworks)

kortina’s bit: Tinker with everything you can get your hands on, play with new toys and technologies, try to use them in unintended ways. By using a new technology, bending it, and breaking it, you can gain insight on how to build something newer and better.

This is why I’m experimenting with everything from marketing iPhone apps to manufacturing physical goods, from playing with neuroscience toolkits to video blogging on youtube. Tumblring, twittering, facebooking, talking to coffeeshop / bar owners, hanging with musicians, talking to personal trainers, following the crossfit meme, getting green, researching diet/nutrition, exploring the city—it’s all research and I can’t get enough of all the learning to be done.

Anthony’s Letter to Grace from Bottle Rocket

Dear Grace, I enjoyed your letter.  I agree Camp Douglas isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  It never was.  But if you’re feeling lonely or homesick even I recommend that (1) You call me.  I’m staying at Bob Mapplethorpe’s and (2) that you keep extremely busy.  It’s working for me…

I’ve got a whole new program.  Bob and I get up at 5:30 every morning to run our paper route.  We’ve got three jobs.  The money isn’t much, and Bob in particular isn’t suited for this kind of work.  But we keep each other company, and we both feel much better about ourselves now that we’re working hard.

I’m also coaching a little league soccer team called the Hurricanes.  They’re mostly beginners, but they’ve got a lot of spirit, and they don’t let defeat get them down.  They remind me of Dignan in that way.  Say what you will about him, he’s no cynic and he’s no quitter.  I’m usually so exhausted now at the end of the days that I don’t have to time to think about blown opportunities or wasted time.  I do have one bit of advice for you, though Grace.  Take the time in school to learn a foreign language.  I myself never did , and I feel I’ve paid a price for it.  Well, so long Grace.  I miss you very much.  Don’t forget to write me back.  Anthony.

Keep extremely busy, it’s working for me.

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otsukare sama deshita, Vince. Good vids lately.

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.”

Jim Jarmusch (via afternoontea) (via buzzandersen) (via artistspaid)

Steal / “take inspiration from” — thin line here, is the point, I suppose. Attribution must not be forgotten, however!