As Aristotle writes in Ethics, “For, as we said, happiness requires not only perfect excellence or virtue, but also a full term of years for its exercise.”
Happiness, then, is less a state we arrive at and more a choice we repeatedly make, sustained over time through how we live, act, and practice virtue.
In ML there is the concept of reducing the iteration changes over time for reaching the optimal stage, do you think similar concept applies? Are there any methods to determine what should be the scope of change of each iteration?
Essentially, the tradeoff being that simple subsystems are easier to learn and provide better results in the long term, but the tradeoff could be the time taken to learn the complete system. Essentially you can break down a system into simpler subsystems and learn them then combine them together but it might take more time for the system as a whole. So you got to choose a balanced approach. Keeping in mind the tradeoffs.
You mention so much worthwhile effort! And to spiral up with curiosity is much more beneficial than resting on the rock “buckled” as you call it. Have you read of Seymour Benzer’s Fruit Flies and their spiraling?
Ton of worth-absorbing ideas 👌 have to read and read again to fully grasp the meaning as i am not fully confident on my intellectual skills 🙏 can you explain what is iteration in easy terms according to to this newsletter
Iteration is the process of repeating a system/action, but learning and applying new feedback to each time you act, so as to achieve the outcomes you want to achieve.
You should definitely watch this video (and his others)! He talks about characters spiraling upwards through their character arcs (like a helix) in the same way you reframed spiraling up hell. He's a media analyst, btw.
I love the cyclical experience of moving towards an aim because it's just so damn real & accurate to my direct experience. Constantly realizing I'm stuck in a similar pattern (for me usually involves friend groups) is simultaneously frustrating & beautiful, lol.
P.S. I appreciate the timeline cause it feels like i'm inbetween after 1 month & entering 2 months. It's been 5 days so far since I've been chipping away at your Self Education prompt. Currently what I focus on for my 1 hour deep work.
All I can say is... I've highly under valued & appreciated clarity & orientation.
Thanks Mia! The word count has me a bit worried, but I’ve been wanting to write this for a while now. Thank you for giving it your time, I hope you got something out of it :)
I found the word count perfect, not too long but still well detailed and explained. I was able to follow as if it was my own thoughts being perfectly sculptured into writing. I have now been left more thoughtful and motivated in following these steps, with a new perspective and purpose. Thank you and please keep writing
Truthfully, no intentional struggle is meaningless.
Back in my early colleague years, I was very clueless due to being a guy who (thankfully) pussy-ed out of login myself off life, and by some miracle passing the entrance test of a private university.
It was the Autumn of 2019, Vietnam, I have always been a pesstimic kid growing up cursed with many unfortunate events (still occurring till this day lol), living in an unstable family, the stupid lonely 18 years old has decided that he will not live to see his 19th birthday should life show any sign that it only get worse. My score was 18.5 to the minimum 18, in a blink, and I'm studying art.
That's how me- a clueless, hopeless, aimless half kid half man start dredging his way to the campus every days wondering what the hell do I do now because I've never expected this. And it was that when I started living my life more online than 'off -- you know, the internet is full of things and what's more classic than vulnerable lonly young man exposing themselves to right wing ehh.. neo-nazi propaganda. I was lucky, now that I'm looking back, I have adopted more hope, more fighting will than hatred, there is this common saying around the echo chamber: "eternal struggle is eternal growth".
God... this sentence moved me so much that I was going after people around me, college friends and online friends who seems to be having a bad day, just to yap about this concept haha. To the point some of them was very noticeably annoyed but few months later still seek out to me to vent about their struggle. I guess I was one of those early hustle bros without the scammy course selling, crypto rug pulling schemes. I made a few but very nice friends being like that in my colleagues years, pulled a valedictorian score with my thesis, graduational project (a short cgi movie about the use of coal to gather 'clean energy' named "Zdust", available on Youtube, posted by DUST).
As I mentioned about the nature of my academic life/now career, that was the top of the hill.
Satisfied with my achievement, but I'm not satisfied enough with my current skills. That has led me into resuming my wandering from 2019, I'm turning 25 now, still unemployed, because I haven't applied into a single place yet out of fear that I'm not good enough while studying many other unrelated things. Simultaneously, my family matters is falling into s**t (again).
I've been patient, and been kind to the world but I only get the worst of them hurled at me, man....
Just like that. I've found myself in the same place as I were in 2019 again, telling myself either I get my s**t together or end it before I see the first morning of 2030, while assuming that I won't.
This, your newsletter-- has found me like how I found those flashy 'hopeful' propaganda edits. Once again I remembered: like the boulder, life won't get easier, but only you get stronger. As long as I keep moving.
Thanks you for reminding me that we're still living in a time where people need hope the most.
As Aristotle writes in Ethics, “For, as we said, happiness requires not only perfect excellence or virtue, but also a full term of years for its exercise.”
Happiness, then, is less a state we arrive at and more a choice we repeatedly make, sustained over time through how we live, act, and practice virtue.
I like this!
I, without a doubt , loved reading every word in this piece. Thank you
Thank you Betsy :)
Well said, Craig! In today’s attention economy, thoughtful voices like yours truly stand out.
I can’t believe you’re 22 lmao this was an amazing read.
Thank you!! :)
In ML there is the concept of reducing the iteration changes over time for reaching the optimal stage, do you think similar concept applies? Are there any methods to determine what should be the scope of change of each iteration?
Maybe like simplifying across time? Like, simple systems get better results compared to complex ones? Very interesting!
Essentially, the tradeoff being that simple subsystems are easier to learn and provide better results in the long term, but the tradeoff could be the time taken to learn the complete system. Essentially you can break down a system into simpler subsystems and learn them then combine them together but it might take more time for the system as a whole. So you got to choose a balanced approach. Keeping in mind the tradeoffs.
You mention so much worthwhile effort! And to spiral up with curiosity is much more beneficial than resting on the rock “buckled” as you call it. Have you read of Seymour Benzer’s Fruit Flies and their spiraling?
Craig, you are legend! Keep learning and posting!
Ton of worth-absorbing ideas 👌 have to read and read again to fully grasp the meaning as i am not fully confident on my intellectual skills 🙏 can you explain what is iteration in easy terms according to to this newsletter
Iteration is the process of repeating a system/action, but learning and applying new feedback to each time you act, so as to achieve the outcomes you want to achieve.
Thankyou so much for making it free . Looking forward to your new profound ideas
Thanks Craig for it it's very helpful.🔥🙌
Legends.
Thank you Mehul❤️
You should definitely watch this video (and his others)! He talks about characters spiraling upwards through their character arcs (like a helix) in the same way you reframed spiraling up hell. He's a media analyst, btw.
https://youtu.be/OtMFxMMdvzU?si=zoyxuVFK2K872Kti
I love the cyclical experience of moving towards an aim because it's just so damn real & accurate to my direct experience. Constantly realizing I'm stuck in a similar pattern (for me usually involves friend groups) is simultaneously frustrating & beautiful, lol.
P.S. I appreciate the timeline cause it feels like i'm inbetween after 1 month & entering 2 months. It's been 5 days so far since I've been chipping away at your Self Education prompt. Currently what I focus on for my 1 hour deep work.
All I can say is... I've highly under valued & appreciated clarity & orientation.
Noted. I’ll give it a watch! Thanks for reading Jerrell, and I’m glad you’ve been finding the prompt useful!!
Thank you Craig for this, it is perfect
Thanks Mia! The word count has me a bit worried, but I’ve been wanting to write this for a while now. Thank you for giving it your time, I hope you got something out of it :)
I found the word count perfect, not too long but still well detailed and explained. I was able to follow as if it was my own thoughts being perfectly sculptured into writing. I have now been left more thoughtful and motivated in following these steps, with a new perspective and purpose. Thank you and please keep writing
Well written Craig!
Truthfully, no intentional struggle is meaningless.
Back in my early colleague years, I was very clueless due to being a guy who (thankfully) pussy-ed out of login myself off life, and by some miracle passing the entrance test of a private university.
It was the Autumn of 2019, Vietnam, I have always been a pesstimic kid growing up cursed with many unfortunate events (still occurring till this day lol), living in an unstable family, the stupid lonely 18 years old has decided that he will not live to see his 19th birthday should life show any sign that it only get worse. My score was 18.5 to the minimum 18, in a blink, and I'm studying art.
That's how me- a clueless, hopeless, aimless half kid half man start dredging his way to the campus every days wondering what the hell do I do now because I've never expected this. And it was that when I started living my life more online than 'off -- you know, the internet is full of things and what's more classic than vulnerable lonly young man exposing themselves to right wing ehh.. neo-nazi propaganda. I was lucky, now that I'm looking back, I have adopted more hope, more fighting will than hatred, there is this common saying around the echo chamber: "eternal struggle is eternal growth".
God... this sentence moved me so much that I was going after people around me, college friends and online friends who seems to be having a bad day, just to yap about this concept haha. To the point some of them was very noticeably annoyed but few months later still seek out to me to vent about their struggle. I guess I was one of those early hustle bros without the scammy course selling, crypto rug pulling schemes. I made a few but very nice friends being like that in my colleagues years, pulled a valedictorian score with my thesis, graduational project (a short cgi movie about the use of coal to gather 'clean energy' named "Zdust", available on Youtube, posted by DUST).
As I mentioned about the nature of my academic life/now career, that was the top of the hill.
Satisfied with my achievement, but I'm not satisfied enough with my current skills. That has led me into resuming my wandering from 2019, I'm turning 25 now, still unemployed, because I haven't applied into a single place yet out of fear that I'm not good enough while studying many other unrelated things. Simultaneously, my family matters is falling into s**t (again).
I've been patient, and been kind to the world but I only get the worst of them hurled at me, man....
Just like that. I've found myself in the same place as I were in 2019 again, telling myself either I get my s**t together or end it before I see the first morning of 2030, while assuming that I won't.
This, your newsletter-- has found me like how I found those flashy 'hopeful' propaganda edits. Once again I remembered: like the boulder, life won't get easier, but only you get stronger. As long as I keep moving.
Thanks you for reminding me that we're still living in a time where people need hope the most.