u/DJPrimary

Almost 20 years ago, I stepped onto my front porch late in the evening. The sun was setting behind the row of houses across the street. The wooden frame of the screened in porch looked like a giant rib cage and the sunlight shone through it like some distorted x-ray.

As the light rays passed through these temporary ribs, they created near tangible shafts of light in which I could see countless dust particles crashing madly about like new galaxies being born.

In that moment, I thought about the beauty in the transient nature of things.

I also thought about how easily I might be able to open myself up to these experiences if I were to slow myself down to stop and really look.

In Japanese, the word shibui describes subtle and understated beauty that becomes more profound with time and observation and is embodied in things objects, art, experiences that are not flashy but possess quiet elegance and harmony.

Can you, reader, think of something you’ve observed or experienced that shares a sentiment with shibui?

Instead of one master post, we’ll be making weekly posts for everyone to recommend music, books, movies, etc. Or maybe an inspirational quote or two.

Drop your suggestions, links, etc here in the comments.

For the inaugural post, I recommend this track:

Devlin and the Harm - No Havana

https://youtu.be/JMx4aEUrkF0?is=iwrRbRiPWTwvu0b2

The concept of Navina Atman is defined as “an evolution within oneself, where an individual undergoes a process of inner transformation, leading to a renewed sense of identity and purpose.”

Searching for the origin of the phrase lead me to conclude that its origins might be in both ancient Sanskrit and old Hindu.

But let me ask you, dear readers, does the origin matter that much to you when addressing a concept with such gravitas?

Throughout history, we see powerful echoes of this spirit in those who have walked through the fire of deep adversity and emerged entirely remade:

*Rebuilding After Devastating Loss:* Consider Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist who survived the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, losing his parents, brother, and pregnant wife. Out of the ashes of incomprehensible agony and loss, he discovered that human beings can endure any "how" if they have a "why." He used this profound inner awakening to pioneer logotherapy and write Man’s Search for Meaning, dedicating the rest of his life to helping others find purpose through suffering.

*The Metamorphosis of Faith:* Consider the 11th-century polymath Al-Ghazali, one of the most celebrated scholars of the Islamic Golden Age. At the peak of his prestige in Baghdad, he suffered a profound existential breakdown—a crisis of doubt so severe it physically paralyzed him, rendering him unable to speak or teach. Abandoning his wealth, title, and public status, he spent eleven years wandering as a solitary ascetic. Through this intense period of self-examination, he emerged with an illumined perspective on truth and inner peace, detailing his rebirth in his masterpiece, Deliverance from Error. 

*The Awakening After Near-Death:* Or look to the story of Anita Moorjani, who slipped into a coma during the final stages of terminal cancer and experienced a profound near-death state. Upon her unexpected awakening and subsequent physical recovery, she described shedding years of fear and self-doubt, stepping into a renewed faith in her inner essence and dedicating her life to teaching others about unconditional self-love and healing.

We could all use a renewed sense of identity and purpose on occasion.

Have any of you underwent inner transformation? Did it lead to a renewed sense of identify or purpose?

Do tell, dear readers.

Cacoethes refers to an insatiable, often compulsive or harmful urge. Rooted in Greek, this “bad itch” is a malignant habit or harmful compulsion that’s hard to resist even when we know it’s destructive.

I knew a specific word had to linked to this phenomenon, because far too many people I know struggle with overcoming this temptation.
Here are 5 examples:

1. Cacoethes scribendi — the compulsive urge to write (the classic literary one). A writer who stays up until 4 a.m. every night drafting stories, even when exhausted and behind on real-life responsibilities.

2. Cacoethes loquendi — an uncontrollable urge to talk or gossip. Someone who can’t resist inserting themselves into every conversation or spilling secrets, even when it damages relationships.

3. Cacoethes edendi — an insatiable urge to eat (emotional or binge eating). Reaching for junk food late at night despite knowing it’s harming health, driven by stress or habit rather than hunger.

4. Cacoethes ludendi — compulsive gambling or gaming. The person who keeps placing “just one more” bet or playing another round, chasing the high even as it drains their bank account and time.

5. Cacoethes vindicandi — an overwhelming urge for revenge or one-upmanship. Someone who can’t let a slight go and spends disproportionate energy plotting payback, long after the original offense is forgotten by everyone else.

The word carries a sense of self-aware futility; we often know the behavior is harmful, but the itch is too strong to ignore.

So, readers, I won’t ask if you ever have this feeling; I know you have this feeling. How often does this feeling hit, and how often are you able to resist the urge to act on it?

“Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.” - Sir Isaac Newton

I don’t think Sir Newton could have possibly imagined Reddit when he uttered these words. After all, if no one is bleeding or crying or seething, have we really made our point?

I jest, of course, dear readers. But perhaps not as much as I’d like. We seem to live in such savage times. Who hasn’t felt the draw, the allure, the delicious sin of delivering a point with the point of a blade?

And might we make a friend with one half of the face of Janus only to hear the other half of his face delivering the instructions for our assassins?

Online is only a fraction of real life, but it is still much realer than we might like some days.

What say you, readers? On the quote and some of these other ideas that have spilled loose. Please weigh in, and save me from mixing any more references and metaphors.

Hello, readers. This week’s topic comes by way of Roman philosopher Seneca, who posited, “To be happy you must eliminate two things: the fear of a bad future and the memory of a bad past.”

I’m inclined to agree. Fearing a bad future is typically just anxiety in disguise or dressed up as preparation.
One can end up trapped in a “what if” spiral.

We can waste time and energy when trying to prepare for every possible disaster our minds might conjure up. Evolution wired us this way, as it’s better to over prepare than get eaten by the saber-tooth tiger. But in modern life, the results are chronic stress, decision paralysis, or self-sabotage.

Our memories of bad past events can become a rumination cycle of losses, betrayals, shame, or pain. They can often loop without resolution (often under the delusion that we’re learning lessons from our past follies or we’re “honoring” the past in this way.)

Neither of these is true. They stay as a way of beating ourselves up and fueling self-blame, bitterness, or hypervigilance.

What do you think, reader? Do you agree with the premise? Do you find that negative experiences or the continued replay of those memories can prevent your finding happiness?
Have you found ways and means of evading the spiral?

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this topic.

“Adversity introduces a man to himself.” This quote from Albert Einstein is our topic of conversation for this day, this week. We take it to mean that one learns who they really are when faced with troubles and problems. Will they rise to the challenge? Or will it run them over and leave them broken?

What do you think, reader? Do you agree with this assessment? Or do you think that Einstein had something else in mind? Or perhaps a more nuanced take?

Do you have a story you might share about what this quote means to you? Or perhaps you can share a story of a time that epitomizes this thought?

We thank you for your time and your words.

Topic for the week:

The Korean concept of In-Yun, sometimes spelled Inyeon, refers to fate or destiny, specifically regarding the invisible ties that connect two people across past lifetimes. It suggests that every human encounter is never accidental, but rather a profound result of interconnected karma.

Readers, writers, arithmeticker…have you ever experienced anything akin to Inyeon? Has some coincidence felt a little too coincidental? Have you ever felt like Providence extended a hand to manipulate the frame around you or nudge people or actions into your path?

We would love to hear about your experiences, and we hope you’ll share them here.