Ahri's unqualified thoughts #28

Random articles, quotes, videos, musings. Easy to consume content: 1 quote, 1 tweet/storm and 1 article/video.

Hey there! It's been a while since we last caught up. I took a nice long break from this space and used the time to go on holidays, dive into my day job, enjoy some gaming, and indulge in reading manga, among other things.

I apologize for the radio silence but trust me, it was truly necessary :).

In today's update, I have a tweetstorm to share. It's a discussion about Brian Armstrong's latest video where he shares the 10 most exciting ideas on his mind. Additionally, there's an essay from

Massimo Pigliucci

I've previously featured here. It delves into the topic of Anger in Stoicism, focusing on the insights of Seneca.

1 quote

"Some things are in our control and others not.

Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and in a word: whatever are our own actions.

Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and in one word: whatever are not our actions" Epictetus

1 tweet/storm

It’s not word for word what Brian said, but rather the analysis of Ryan Selkis (founder of Messari Crypto).

The 10 ideas that Brian listed are:

• Flat coin

• Onchain Reputation

• Onchain Ads

• Onchain capital formation

• Job marketplace

• Privacy for L2s

• P2P Exchange fully on-chain

• Onchain games

• RWAs

• Tools for network states

Ryan does a good job of explaining each trend/idea and gives examples. On my end, I’m interested in on-chain games and RWAs (Real World Assets tokenized).

1 article/video

In his piece “How to keep cool with Seneca”, the ever excellent

Massimo Pigliucci

describes Seneca’s thoughts on Anger, and how to handle it.

The whole essay draws inspiration from How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management, by Seneca, translated by James S. Romm.

Allow me to share a personal experience: about 12y ago, I was playing poker on a semi-professional level. Back then, I had a tendency to get angry quite easily, and strangely, I almost took pride in wearing my short temper as a sort of badge of honor. However, looking back, I realize that this wasn't as admirable as it seemed. Letting anger get the best of me hindered my progress more than I realized. Rather than being a source of strength, it was more of a hindrance.

When I started working at my first job 10y+ ago, whenever I got upset—whether due to an email or something else—it clouded my thoughts and decision-making abilities.

While it might appear that anger could be motivating, I can confidently state that it's actually counterproductive. Not only is it physically draining, it is mentally draining but it also has a way of obscuring long-term perspectives despite achieving certain goals.

Having now successfully dealt with these anger-related issues, I can better appreciate why this particular article deeply resonates with me.

I'll do my best to offer a concise summary, I genuinely encourage you to read the full article to fully grasp its valuable insights.

• While some individuals advocate for the merits of anger, the author aligns with Seneca's perspective that it is consistently negative and warrants attention.

• The interplay of emotions and reason challenges the views of both Plato and Freud, suggesting a more intricate connection than commonly acknowledged.

• Scrutinizing our inclination to respond with anger upon facing insults exposes the active choices we make in our reactions. It becomes apparent that justifiable anger, far from being beneficial, actually overrides rationality and nurtures a sense of vengeance, which is detrimental to both individuals and society.

• It's essential to recognize that emotional reactions aren't automatic; there exists the possibility to cultivate different responses through intentional effort. In this context, it's noteworthy that refraining from reacting to provocations should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness; societal perceptions often muddle this comprehension.

• It's worth dispelling the notion that venting anger precludes future outbursts. Contrary to Freud's assertion, emotions don't resemble gases necessitating release to maintain equilibrium. This notion, once again, fails to accurately capture the complexities of emotional dynamics.

And here's an interesting tidbit to wrap things up: Seneca's perspectives on identifying and handling anger surprisingly mirror contemporary anger management guidance.

Equally noteworthy is the fact that many present-day “experts” and “gurus” draw substantial inspiration from Stoic philosophy.