"Carpe diem . Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." The famous quote Carpe diem from the film the dead poet's society 1989, makes the 95th famous movie quote of all times. There are few great movies made into top 100 quotes including Titanic (1997) at the 100ths place. However above quote is so inspiring for anyone who have watched the movie. Even for someone who is not having any artistic talent it invites to become creative as we all inherit the creative abilities, although our current education systems, hinders and hides them. Directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman, main role of the film was played by famous actor Robin Williams (1951-2014), renowned actor who gives the life to the teacher 'John Keating'. As the plot of the story unravels, about Mr. Keating, who is so inspiring and novel, leaving behind all traditional classroom methods of teaching to bring out the rhythm of hearts of young group of lads, to synchronize with the beats of the nature. He asked the students to rip off their poetry books, instead to listen to the nature and follow their hearts, not be in fear to take paths less often taken by everyone else. In the heart of this group, equally inspired, few young boys restart a 'Dead poet's society', where they get together to recite, poems and find company in a novel adventure. Neil who is one of the main characters in the story, is taken the inspiration, into heights no one else have done, becomes an actor, instead of following dreams of his father laid upon him. It is tragic that the life of this young handsome boy with a bright future was ceased at the end by taking his own life, that he felt that there was no way out, and he could not seize the day anymore, as his teacher taught him. So, what is the moral of the story? Is it "trying to seize the day would end up killing some of us? ". Is it irrational to go against the norms of the society how much we are inspired by nature. After all, there is no conclusion, no argument, given at the end of the film. We are left with a void of feelings, and thoughts even after years since I have watched that film, I wonder what a wonderful life that boy could have lived if his life was spared. Of course, after all it is a drama. But dramas of this kind can happen from time to time in our lives. Leaving us in emptiness, in shock. Luckily for most of us, we are so much in fear of taking the radical route, we just follow everyone else, without thinking like in a national geographic documentary of Africa! Are you? What does your heart demand you should be doing? Write it down, draw it now, or sing it before you forget the words. It doesn't matter as, death is the only bad thing that can happen of it, and it will happen anyway for all of us. But I wonder whether doing that will bring happiness to hearts after all.

About Cockroaches Cockroaches are considered one of the most ancient species of insects which survived on the planet earth. They have ideal body size to survive catastrophes the animal kingdom has to face. Not only they survived in the great extinction in Cretaceous period, but they will also definitely hold their poise against the next generation of man-made updates to the Earth 1.2. If you watched the WALLE (the movie) the tiny cockroach is the only one who lived on the earth with WALLE(a robot) when we inhabit the Space while the earth is given time to recover. Even the trees would not survive. Cockroach ethics Friedrich Nietzsche "If you kill a cockroach, you are a hero, if you kill a butterfly, you are evil. Morals have aesthetic criteria." These words thrown at us by Nietzsche, clearly laugh of our moral standards, plenty of sarcasm for our generations. Yet it is important when someone points out true facts which will change us for the better. Like my friend says, "there is more space for anyone to be more kind." Russel's Viper and Dictators When I was a kid, I had encounters with snakes. One such occasion, in an evening I was going to the living room from the kitchen. I heard a hiss. A clear hiss which gave me goosebumps. I shouted and jumped on to a chair. My father was nearby and came running with a Neighbour. The hiss continued sounded like a man dying with a labored breathing. Most scary thing I have heard. It was a Russel's Viper. A full grown one under the staircase. Luckily, I did not step on the snake in the first place and if I did, I wouldn't have survived. But obviously that was the end of the snake. I don't want to describe the sad story of killing the snake. After half an hour struggle the snake was dead, as it had a remarkable ability to withstand attacks by two strong men. There is a saying "You are a fool if you let a venomous snake live". If we apply Nietzsche's ethics to above scenario, even without his famous quote, everyone will agree we should have let the snake go away. Nowadays there are plenty of people who catch snakes. There was no such help available those days. Yet, it is unethical to kill an animal. Even when it is venomous, even when it is small, even when it is scary like a cockroach. Most of us will agree with me. Now, let's look at dictators in history. Imagine a dictator is like a Russel viper. (I know it is an incomplete comparison, as dictators are far beyond evil than a viper) It has the potential to destroy your life. If you let, he will too. You wouldn't kill him if he was a non-venomous snake. But you will kill him and will be not punished, will be considered as a hero. We know such heroes from our past. Any solider comes home victorious is such a hero. But where is the line which can rationalize any killing is ethical? How can you weight a life of a butterfly from a cockroach? A viper's bite and a dictatorship? That is how Nietzsche knew there is something beyond good and evil. Examples of cockroach ethics from human history. There are enough examples from brutal history of humankind, about cockroaches and butterflies. We do not have to go far. Let's keep a blind eye to the today's world and go back to the era of Nietzsche himself. He lived 1844-1900, in Germany at a time of Slavery still was a thing around the world. I am sure he did notice how so-called Masters, treat their Slaves and cockroaches alike. And few decades later upon his death, ironically the greatest dictator would be born in his own country. And Holocaust is a ghost where walls of Auschwitz still cry with innocent screams of withering lives of cockroaches, in Nazi eyes. We just passed a crazy era, where for the red army, black would be a Russel viper and for the black army, the red would be one. And for any army a one without a gun, would be a cockroach, a thing to be crushed and killed. In modern world, I would say the aesthetic criteria on ethics is not prominent like the past. Yet it prevails and that may be the reason "Black lives matter" Became a slogan, instead of "all lives matter". I could see this in an airport of an affluent country, I am sure, thousands of black and white men did feel like cockroaches there. I am not blaming the security for that matter any governing country. These are universal problems, and Only a Universal ruler can truly put an end to so called cockroach Ethics happening around the world, with truly universal laws. Until then we just have to remind ourselves of these simple truths, whenever we look for equal rights. And earth is not our home. Thank you for reading: Cockroach Ethics and Dictators - Friedrich Nietzsche More philosophical insights. Life in the zoo, animal ethics There are two tragedies in life - George Bernard Shaw. What you see is not what it is but who you are. Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens -Carl Jung Have you lost your keys? eternal search for happiness

Thing 1 and thing 2. - The cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss Remember the Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss? I can still remember when I read Dr Seuss, through this wonderful children's story. I enjoyed it as an adult more than a child. I am not sure how he came up with "Thing 1 and thing 2". However, it fascinated me the underlying philosophy of things. Do you know why the story is not comparable to any other, children's story? I believe it is because, he started to address things, in his book at its basic form. Just as "Things" Let's look at the philosophy of "The cat in the Hat" Photo by @WFozStories -X Summary of the plot- The Cat in the Hat. In Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat," two children, Sally and her brother, are stuck inside on a rainy day with nothing to do. Their boredom is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the mischievous Cat in the Hat, who brings chaos and fun to their home. Accompanied by his playful friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2, the Cat turns the house upside down with his antics. Despite the mayhem, they manage to clean everything up just in time before their mother returns, leaving the children to ponder whether they should tell her about their wild day. How did Dr Seuss come up with Thing 1 and Thing 2? I wondered how he managed to pull up thing 1 and thing 2 into the story. It is magical when these things cannot be named. Thing 1 can be a kitten, a rabbit or anything. But when he took out the name tag, it is fundamentally a thing. A moving thing, a mischievous thing, which played havoc together with Thing 2, Which is same kind of thing 1. Did Dr Seuss suggest that it is the deed that matters not the name of the thing? I like to wonder, Dr. Seuss himself, on an armchair with his notebook at hand trying to figure out the "Thing" That the Cat in the hat going to pull out from his box. And, his mind went blank, and he could not think farther than "Thing". And smiled to himself, when he knew that is the name he should be giving to the things in the box. It's perfect. Thing 1 and Thing 2. It could be anything, and there is plenty of space for imagination of a child. Image @WFozStories -X Dr Seuss Philosophy of things. When we were kids, we used to be familiar with "Things". Now we do not as the things are shadowed by information we have received. Imagine a child, who see a cat for the first time. He would see only a "Thing". He may even call it "Thing 1". But after learning his parents call this "Thing" a cat, many times, The Thing 1 will be registered in his brain as a cat. Similarly, he would label Thing 2 and Thing 3 in different names. More knowledgeable a person is, he would have more and more Things which are recognized by names. What our brain has essentially done is, developed a layer of information, on top of the fundamental "Things" in the world. I think this is a major difference between us and a child. A child's world is still filled with unknown "Things" which hides mysteries. However, in our world we have, learnt about so many things, we no longer recognize, things as things. Imagine a picture or a video of Chiribiquete Emerald is shown to you. It is a bird which lives in Amazon rainforest. If this is shown to a child who has only seen a Crow once in his entire life, it would be just a "Thing 11" which moves and chirps. However, you would recognize this as a bird, in a flash, without you even realizing it, and you would even be able to guess its weight, if asked. You would see its similarity with a hummingbird. The disadvantage is we would never be able to see the "Thing" in the bird. As our consciousness is always be shadowed by information. https://unsplash.com/@picsbyjameslee Mindfulness, as a tool to recognize things. Mindfulness is a tool, in my opinion the only tool which can recognize things as things. You may ask why should we understand about these fundamental things? What is the point? If you have followed my previous articles, understanding the consciousness , is a possible solution to all our problems, as root cause of all our problems is none other than ourselves. What better way to do it than, understanding "Things" in our world. In a previous article, I have discussed some of the characteristics in these " Things ". Here, in this article, I would not go into details, of these "Things" which are recognized by our mind (more precisely their reflections ). It is just to emphasize and be amazed by the wisdom of Dr. Seuss who was able to recognize this fact, and even introduce some philosophy into a children's book, written Decades ago! Philosophy of things -Thing 1 and thing 2

Unexamined life not worth living Blog summary In the canvas of mind, he started drawing a life. A life full of dreams, and aspirations, expectations. It started with milk, baloons and bubblegums. Shifted to Grades, and clasroom love stories soon enough. As the seconds went by, the complicated chaos unravels. What a pity, now its gritty, that canvas looks horrific. Dreams over dreams over dreams, no space left! Maybe, just white would do, Maybe that is enough. https://unsplash.com/@kajhinkson An unexamined life is not worth living. This is one of my favourite quotes from Socrates. What why and how "an unexamined life is not worth living" are the questions we should be asking from ourselves after reading the quote. And that is exactly what I am going to do in this article. Compare this quote with the following slogan from ancient eastern philosophers. Appasuthayan puriso, baliwaddowa jirathi. Mansanithass waddanthi panna thassana waddathi. Above was an old quote, from ancient teachers of estern philosophy. It means, "the one who is not examining (life) will grow in muscle mass, just like a buffalo. But will never gain true wisdom." I can't ignore the sarcasm, put forward by eastern philosophers, comparing one who do not think about life to a Buffalo instead telling such a life is "Not worth living". I am sure Socrates did not mean to pass such sarcasam towards his fellow deciples who did not follow his advice. More importantly we should attend to why we should examine our life before we are labeled as Buffalos. Why should we examine life? Reason 1 For a fact, we are not buffaloes. We know that life starts with birth and end in death. And neither of these events are in our control. Circumstances of our birth is a million dollar question which is still unanswered, and nobody knows what happens after death. On top of that in between these random events we are taught to belive we have a free will. If a banana is rotten on either sides, why do you expect the middle is delicious? Does it not smell fishy? For me it does. Reason 2 Even if the either side is rotten, if the banna is lengthy enough we can assume there is good bit in the middle. If the life is lengthy enough, mabe 500 years atleast, I can put aside the task of examining life until I reach 250 years. Average life expectancy of human on earth linger around 72 years world wide. So at this scale I assume atleast 36 would be a good place to gain some wisdom as you have enough experience about the world at this point. More importantly, when the diseases, and the old age start to hit you, you would not be a strong buffalo even if you are superman . Reason 3. For a rational person above two reasons should be enough. There is no reason 3. However, inherent randomnoess of life would be a good candidate. Mind seems to be like a flag in the wind . It moves, whenever there is a wind. When there is rain, mind thinks about rain, when there is trouble mind thinks about trouble. When there is happiness, it starts to smile and dream. Nothing seems to be completely under control of the "Self". Hence mind is just a ball bounce between duality of the nature, in the wind provided by extremely interconnected chaos of reasons. Which can suddenly end, in a dumb way. That concludes my reasons for supporting that unexamined life is not worth living. https://unsplash.com/@denisi_z How are we going to examine life? Mindfulness is the way. Mindfulness is the tool we use to examine our life. Imagine a scientist is doing an experiment . He would initially make a hypothesis from avialable evidence (after a litereture review) and then conduct an experiment on the hypothesis. He would collect data from control and the experiment cohorts and prove or disprove the hypothesis. He may have to repeat the experiment. However, in matters with mind or self, we cannot use this objective apporach. As we own are the subjects of the experiment. Hence we have to use a different method. Mindfulness is the only way. Mindfulness is basically being aware of our awareness, and objective of this experiment is to understand truth of life . I have empasized on this objective in a previous article, as to why mindfulness is not about "living a healthy life" or "making optimal experience". As above reason 1 and reason 2 will cancel out any value in other objectives, and put them in the dust bin. I am sure atleast some of us are fully aware of the seriousness of the issues associated with life. If you are not, I suggest you to visit an elderly home, or a cancer hospital in your spare time, as real meaning is hidden if you are not living in a femine prone third world country. With this objective in mind, with a little bit of wisdom provided by numerous teachers of the past and present, you can take a "journey" to understand the " journey ". You will take wrong paths, and when we do we should not hesitate to turn back and start again from the beginning or as I call it repeat the experiment. Countless times. And I am sure you will come to a destination one day. And do not be surprised if you find this destination is an empty one. As it is the same Socrates who uttered " Only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing ".

False information. What is true is not defined. If you look at truth value of any statement, it appears there is just a dilemma about what amounts to a 100% truth. But, when we consider the collection of information that we have made over the years, this is vast. If we consider total number of books written, total number of articles published, pictures taken and drawings painted. Human civilization has achieved a pinnacle of information. Fact that no single person can go through everything and master even a single subject is evidence to this rapid expansion of information. As an example, few centuries ago, a doctor could master all the information necessary to treat any disease in a human being. Nowadays, there are doctors, specialized in Prostate cancer, or Rheumatoid arthritis, or dementia. As the information about prostate cancer, is as vast as all the medical information available about all the diseases in the body, few centuries back. Information But, with this rapid expansion of information, there is a problem. As, speculations and false information also expanding at a rapid rate. Here I do not mean scientific information as truth. Science also uses speculation, as a method of finding new knowledge. As it doesn't look for 100% truth, but consensus by a significant margin, scientific truths also carry some margin of error. This is inevitable. But the problem is, they are more and more closer to the truth that, one can get entangled in this haystack of scientific, fictional and religious information and would not find a real truth about life during a lifetime. As the information sphere is already large, and truth is a rare phenomenon, what is proliferating rapidly is not always truth. And there will be a point, that humans are totally unable to navigate meaning of life in their own time. Somebody might say AI, is the solution to the problem. As, AI can judge and screen through a lot of information. But the problem with AI, is that it also has the ability to create new knowledge. Yet, as the information fed to these AI machines are not all true, they will proliferate this false information. This is a real danger to human knowledge. Contemplating Shadows. I was taking a walk in my garden and noticed my shadow. It was there as the sun was shining and my body was in the way. There was earth to hold my shadow. If one of these factors were not there, there would be no shadow. Can I consider Shadow as an independent entity? Or part of extension of this body? It seems I cannot do much with the shadow. I cannot feel it. Then again, I can move it where I want and if necessary, use to shade a thousand ants. When I think about it, I can see there are a lot of false information about shadows, that I have learned over the years. Shadows What is true for my shadow, is true for my fingers. With few differences. It appears fingers are there when there is no sun, or moon. But when I deep dive into chasms of reasons, I realize, Sun still is a reason for my fingers. Several steps away. If no sun there would be no life on earth, if no moon there would be no life on earth. I can easily connect sun and Moon as a reason for existence of my fingers. Then why there is a difference in perception about my shadow and my fingers? Shouldn't I consider fingers as my shadows? It seems, we are drowned in shitload of false information, approved by science and religion, and mathematics etc. Good luck for anyone who is trying to understand any truth in word, without being mindful.

Imagine you try to describe taste of orange to someone else. You would first start describing the fruit. Which is the size of a Golf ball, orange color fruit of citrus family. It is round than a Lemon, but taste less sour, and bit sweet than other fruits of this class. Once you finish the obvious you will start to describe it more. If your friend has tasted apple, pineapple and lemon, you can say it is Not like apple, not like pineapple, but a mixture of pineapple and lemon. This is an example of the two faces of wisdom. mask Two faces of wisdom. First is to recognize and enumerate what is obvious and established. Second is to know what is not there. If you go to a doctor for some illness, he/she will first ask you questions. Generally, they would listen to what you have to say about your symptoms. After that you will be bombarded with a list of questions which seems very irrelevant to the current disease you are having. Obviously, you cannot see the connection. But these are important negatives if you do not have them. They have much significance as the positives. If an artist stared at a blank canvass, he would see a painting. A painting which is not there. While all of us the general people can see is just a white board. Similarly, an artist with a white marble will see a Sculpture. Once he starts to chip out pieces of unnecessary marble, the Statue will appear Like it had been there all the time. Imagine a Scientist, trying to do research. He starts with obvious, possible and evident. Then he will hypothesize about the results. About his observations, possible reasons. If he guessed right the results will show, and even if he guessed wrong, this would add to the knowledge base so next time he can narrow down reason. How to tap into unknown wisdom? For anyone curious, this should be the next question. As, how can we know the unknown. The answer is simple. It is magical. Nobody knows, how artist bring out the sculpture hidden inside a marble. It is not replicable, not even by him or herself. Nobody knows how we speculate about unknown future. Nobody knows how a child can guess answer to a simple mathematical question 1+1 =2. But there are factors that we can manipulate to get more closer to illusion of control in this creative process. Following are few. Basic human needs are met. Observation is a powerful tool. Better information about current status. Rest, calm and peaceful environment. A blind belief that there is a process. Starting to juggle with obvious (Play- according to Einstein)

Peculiar careers It is time to discuss careers, not for a particular reason. But for the amusement, of how many are there, generated over the years by capitalism and industry? If you glanced at LinkedIn career opportunities, there are just names, which I have never heard of. Following is a pragmatic list. But the reality is it is not limited to legitimate sounding ones like these. You can actually become a professional sleeper, a snake Milker, or a golf ball diver if you'd chose to become just that. It is a blessing that we are not confined ourselves to become chimney sweepers like it happened in the times of William Blake. Bullet Train Operator 1. Actuary Analyzes risk using math and statistics—commonly in insurance and finance. The work is highly technical and surprisingly abstract. 2. Forensic Accountant Investigates financial crimes like fraud and money laundering. It’s basically detective work, but with spreadsheets. 3. Hydrologist Studies water systems—rivers, rainfall, groundwater. Important for climate research, agriculture, and disaster prevention. 4. Clinical Informaticist Bridges medicine and data—optimizing how hospitals use digital records and health data systems. 5. Food Technologist Works on developing, preserving, and testing food products. This includes everything from shelf life to flavor chemistry. 6. Urban Planner Designs how cities grow—balancing housing, transport, environment, and infrastructure. 7. Ethical Hacker (Penetration Tester) Legally hacks systems to find vulnerabilities before criminals do. Sounds edgy, but it’s a structured cybersecurity job. 8. Audiologist Specializes in hearing and balance disorders, working closely with patients using advanced diagnostic equipment. 9. Cartographer Creates maps—but modern cartographers work with satellite data, GIS systems, and digital modeling. 10. Conservation Scientist Manages natural resources like forests and wildlife, combining fieldwork with environmental policy. Piano players Imagine you had opportunity to get your hands on a piano, early in your life. And you had a passion and natural skill in playing this. I'm not saying to a level of an impeccable Beethoven but good enough, so we can listen uninterrupted. In that case nobody is stopping you from making a career out of your hobby. There are people who will actually hire you for playing in their arena if you'd do a satisfactory job. Imagine all the people who were born before the piano had been invented. Not only they had no way of building that career, but they had died without ever knowing the Beethoven in them. Such a waste of human talent. You will ask me 🤔 how can I be a professional in anything I like? Like you had no choice but to follow the dreams set for you by others. Haven't You watched any Hollywood film about success? It all starts with agreeing to the shitty state you're currently in and taking necessary actions after writing them down on paper. Ticking them day after day, while quitting some of your favorite hedonistic routines. Saying no to mediocrity and by attracting energetic people who supports your course. It doesn't come naturally on a plate, but I can assure you it is far easier than a Chimney sweepers routine in Victorian Era. Chimney Sweepers Chimney sweepers by William Blake. When my mother died I was very young, And my father sold me while yet my tongue Could scarcely cry 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! 'weep! So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep. There's little Tom Dacre, who cried when his head That curl'd like a lamb's back, was shav'd: so I said, 'Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head's bare, You know that the soot cannot spoil your white hair.' And so he was quiet, & that very night, As Tom was a-sleeping, he had such a sight!— That thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned & Jack, Were all of them lock'd up in coffins of black; And by came an Angel who had a bright key, And he open'd the coffins & set them all free; Then down a green plain, leaping, laughing, they run, And wash in a river and shine in the Sun. Then naked & white, all their bags left behind, They rise upon clouds, and sport in the wind; And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy, He'd have God for his father & never want joy. And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark, And got with our bags & our brushes to work. Tho' the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm; So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm. Chimney sweepers version 2 - the harsh reality A little black thing among the snow, Crying "'weep! 'weep!" in notes of woe! "Where are thy father & mother? say?" "They are both gone up to the church to pray. "Because I was happy upon the heath, And smil'd among the winter's snow, They clothed me in the clothes of death, And taught me to sing the notes of woe. "And because I am happy & dance & sing, They think they have done me no injury, And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King, Who make up a heaven of our misery."

Casino Example of handling the risk. Imagine three guys walk into a casino. Three friends. One tall, one medium one small. They are different in character. The tall guy keeps his hands in his pocket. He takes them out only when he is offered free beer. He doesn't engage in play. He doesn't even change his money for chips. He is just on a sight-seeing tour. We can say because of his preserved mentality he has the lowest risk of the three guys, and lowest chance of getting bankrupt tonight, or any other night. He is a hedger. Now consider the small guy. He is the opposite of the tall. He has come up with large sum of money, and according to him he wouldn't mind what happens on the table. He would keep on playing until he wins. Actually, for a couple of rounds he will win, Maybe double his money. But winning streak is always ending, always followed by a losing streak. Hence before the night ends and he will end up in empty pockets, hands sweaty, drunken and minus dollars. He is a speculator - or a gambler. Who tries to win by speculating the future. Arbitrager, speculator and a Hedger The third guy just walks. Inspect tables and learn the play. He sees how the house always wins by gaining marginal benefits from each play round. After each play round the house will grow positive dollars. And they do by exploiting wrong doings of speculators. Although speculators win short term, their addiction on the game doesn't keep them from enjoying their win. House takes minimal risk. But it is still part of the play. He learns the system, not how to play a game. He opens his phone and buys some stocks of the casino. Why shouldn't he? He thinks the business is booming, and he place a long-term bet on its success over ten years. Not about the profits tonight! He is the Arbitrager. How to play the game of life? The casino example although show three different identities, when it comes to game of life, these are not separate. They can be present in same individuals, in different aspects of play. One day we might play the speculator, another day a hedger, when we feel insecure. Only if we are aware of what we are doing and why we can take the role of an arbitrager. I am not saying speculation and taking a bet is a bad thing. If you are 100% sure of a win, why not take a chance. This only applies to situation, when you have a choice, and when the data is not very clear on what will happen in the future. Now imagine starting any new long term or short-term project. Without being a hedger and avoiding anything threatens your tactics, or without being a speculator and blindly be positive on everything, we can play the role of an arbitrager. By analyzing the situation, considering both positives and negatives. Choosing a career, choosing a partner, taking a course. It is not about what you do once you have made the choice. But spending enough time on the choice while still you have time to decide otherwise. In other words, we can play the game of life safe, if we choose to do what is important and not urgent, and by prioritizing this over hedonistic pleasure, or greedy hedging. Of course, the improvement will be slow at first, until it breaks the ceiling with massive growth. (See, I am just speculating :) ->LOL)

Luxury harbors evil at its core. Modern man has to struggle with choices. Not one Not two but thousands of them, day in and out. If you wondered on the street in a Sunday morning, in chilling cold of November, and thought about a hot coffee. You are not wrong. That was a feeling even the cavemen would have had. Compared to him you have the luxury of buying one for few pounds, without wasting valuable calories. But there is a choice. There are seven or eight varieties at the shop, even more. And one of them can be favorite of yours. There are ten coffee shops along the way. And some even sell buns. And you might calculate what better use you can put that money into, as a coffee is not a necessity of every man, but a luxury of modern life. This might put you through a form of paralysis called analysis. Even if you have no paralysis on your morning coffee, I am sure throughout a routine day, you will feel the uncomfortableness of making a choice. As luxury offers many choices, at a wide range of prices, never letting you be satisfied and free from its evil grip. RR Evils of Luxury at work Even the ordinary man spends a luxurious life, compared to then a farmer who lived in Babylonia. There is no way you can escape the evil grip of luxury. Even if you are a beggar, you might receive a burger for lunch and free healthcare. Evil of the luxury does sicken your brain. It pushes you into a race of chasing numbers. Number of doors to your car, one with a sunroof? Number of feet of your yacht measures, or number of sails it has. Number of people who came to your party. Number of birds you photographed on your vacation, and the percentage of exotics in it. I would rather miserably fail in counting. Like Mark Manson once wrote, it seems "not giving a Fu*k" is not a subtle art but a philosophy of handling the evil. So, do not come up to me with your numbers. Give me your problems, failures, sorrow, sadness, the trampled heart by the skyrocketing expectations powered by advertisements of capitalists. I might be able to listen. Agree that you are consumed by the system and formulate a plan for us to heal. The liberation Let us heal from inside out. Let our bodies relax, eat when hungry, not when there is free promotion lunch. Eat one burger, when two is given on Thursday. Sleep when eyes are tired of a hard-working day, not when you they are Screaming from staring at the Netflix screen. Donate some money not when we are rich but, when we have enough, and let it enjoy the happiness of someone else. Let us share with others what we are willing to share with only our family. Maybe that if repeated will drive away the evil nature of our soul, implanted by the luxury life. When or if you try to do that, the system will resist. It will bombard you with stories. Like there is one more experience you have to have before you become a content person. And that one more is just a mirage. You are liberated now or never. If you are not liberated now, you are just a prisoner. Freedom is a choice, not to have any choices.

Daisy world. Imagine a world with only black and white daisies. Black absorbs heat and cool down atmosphere, and White emit heat and makes it hot. And if only these conditions govern the temperature of the earth, the daisies will regulate the atmospheric temperature like a warm-blooded animal regulate their body heat with similar feedback loops. Can we apply this principle to the biosphere of our world and see it regulate the condition of the earth by maintaining its atmospheric and ground conditions? Does earth's biosphere act like a gigantic warm-blooded organism? This fundamentally is the "strong Gaia" hypothesis. "Weak Gaia" hypotheses merely agree to the fact that there are negative feedback loops in biosphere to regulate earth's condition. Not necessarily considered as a single organism. daisies Gaia hypothesis definition The Gaia hypothesis, proposed by James Lovelock (with contributions from Lynn Margulis), suggests: The Earth behaves like a self-regulating system Living organisms (plants, microbes, animals) interact with the atmosphere, oceans, and soil These interactions help maintain stable conditions (temperature, oxygen levels, pH) suitable for life Example: Plants absorb CO₂ and release O₂, helping regulate atmospheric composition. The hypothesis attracts different Individuals for different reasons. For mindfulness enthusiasts like me it shows some interconnectedness of animals and elements of earth. Similarly, the concept itself changes the thinking pattern of biologists, chemists and environmentalists. It seems like although we tend to separate individually or as a species, yet at a much bigger scale we are connected to other plants and animals and what happens to them. Imagine a world with only either black or white daisies. The planet would inevitably become too hot to live or be frozen in an ice age. Significance of Gaia hypothesis and Daisy world. Yet I can agree that one with a strong scientific background cannot reconcile to the fact the biosphere functioning as a single organism as Gaia hypothesis and daisy world example suggest. It seems too mystical in scientific eyes. It might sound like merging science with fiction. My own mind is divided between these two views as well. When we consider mass extinctions and ice ages, which had happened, against the biosphere's resistance mechanisms, the earth seems holding a harsh grudge against all of us living. More like there is no particular control command system. But the hypothesis itself doesn't ask for intention or free will. It merely talks about these feedback loops which keep the earth atmosphere constant and stable for life (Weak Gaia). As long as possible, as long as it is. Until it is disturbed by Alien forces like gigantic asteroids from outer space. Maybe it is time for me to plant some trees, spare some animals and quit burning fossil fuel, and let the trees do the work before they are too exhausted from too much toxicity I created. Some daisies in my garden perhaps recycle the CO2 I made during all winter by the end of this spring.

This article covers some philosophical aspects and mindfulness practices. I cannot forecast which at the beginning, as it just flows. Consider a leaf floating on water. Can you predict exact position in an exact time duration? Even with Modern scientific wisdom and calculus you can only approximate its position. (take a limit) If you measure the position it is going to be different with your prediction every time with a margin of error, how much small this margin, there will always be a margin. This is very significant phenomenon, as we can only approximate any truth but never reach it with science. But mind seems to be remarkable organ, as it doesn't follow science in its thinking. It can, just jump from a state of unknowing to knowing, with no elapsed time in between. Things Everything is a concept. I listened to a podcast by Kapil Gupta who spoke about everything being a concept. And I couldn't agree more. If you follow your mind, a day in and out you might see different things appear and disappear. Like on a TV screen. And every one of these mental objects have same characteristics. They seem appear without intention. They disappear on their own. And every mental object is a result of what came before it. This last character, we can summaries as everything is a concept. Concepts are built upon one over the other. If you learn the concept of Photosynthesis - which is an object which can arise in a mind, (so is the concept of Marriage) It is build upon knowledge of a "Leaf" "chemistry" "energy" "catalyst" "water" "chloroplast" "Alphabet" etc. However, that each and every component which build a concept themselves are concepts. You can trace back any one of these things and end up in nothingness. (Which again is another concept :)) So, what are concepts you know? Following is a list of concepts. Apple, Mountain, Whisper, Ocean, Lantern, Harmony, Run, Crystal, Shadow, Breeze, Thunder, Velvet, Horizon, Jump, Candle, Forest, Mirror, Galaxy, Silence, Feather, Write, Meadow, Flame, Pebble, Think, River, Storm, Canvas, Clock, Dream, Build, Iceberg, Compass, Sand, Coral, Echo, Window, Valley, Speak, Path, Desert, Glow, Thread, Rain, Climb, Leaf, Fog, Pearl, Castle, Night, Draw, Hill, Wave, Spark, Branch, Star, Garden, Cloud, Read, Snow, Light, Stone, Shell, Sun, Bridge, Drive, Flame, Road, Bird, Glass, Sky, Swim, Field, Tower, Lake, Sound, Paper, Wind, Sing, Key, Firefly, Dust, Book, Tree, Water, Laugh, Moon, Chair, Table, Rope, Island, Walk, Flower, Door, Carpet, Roadside, Basket, Plate, Riverbank, Listen As you can see, this is a ChatGPT generated random list of words, which is tangible from your mind. I am sure when you go through each of these words you will understand different things according to your prior knowledge. I am sure it is going to be different from my concepts. But fact that it is so, is fascinating. So, where do we learn these concepts from? Our teachers, parents, books dictionaries, even our own minds connect ideas and create them. We can trace back origins of these concepts into far as minds of ancestors. It seems our connection to the evolutionary monkey is more mental than physical. What is the importance of knowing everything is mental? For me it reduces the burden. If everything is "real" the pain and suffering of to gain something would be inevitable, more would be the pain and suffering of holding to it, and the pain and suffering when I see that getting destroyed. But, when I see everything is mental it forms a hydrophobic layer on my leaf of life, so pain and suffering cannot penetrate into it. Try that. Try reminding yourself everything which comes to your mind is just a concept, throughout the day. It would be a good mindful practice.

I can see a lot of confusion about value. But here in my article I am trying to unravel the mystery for you, so you never get confused. As there is a lot of confusion, we should take a stepwise approach. Trust me, If I had to teach someone one thing from my whole life experience I would tell them " Value is a belief which is confined to a consciousness, it is neither real nor inherently valuable. " But, that claim does require a lengthy explanation. We can start examining dictionary meaning of values. Then what we understand generally by values. Lastly about the claim I made. values Dictionary meaning of Value. The word value refers to the worth, importance, or usefulness of something. It can describe how much something is considered beneficial, meaningful, or desirable, whether in terms of money, quality, or personal significance. Value can also relate to principles or standards that guide behavior, such as honesty or kindness. In everyday use, it often reflects how much someone appreciates or prioritizes something in their life. As you can see value governs everything we do, as it is the fundamental tool for our prioritization. Now let's be more practical and think about our own lives. And formulate what we mean when we use the word value. I have heard this term in following occasions, see you can name a few more. Where do we learn about values? Whenever there is a transaction, we think about monetary value. We judge our friends and give them values, some are best friends, some are just buddies, some are just work colleagues, some are enemies. In a company or organization there are a set of values. We value our own life more than anything or anyone, generally. We have moral values that we adhere to. Some people have opposite values to the general public; they often commit crimes and end up in jail. Olympic Gold medal is valuable more than silver, Silver is more valuable than Bronze. Olympic Gold medal is more valuable than the monetary value of the Gold it contains. The monetary value of Gold is fluctuating each and every second according to supply and demand. gold Brainstorming about values After all this discussion of value, my question is, in all of these wide variety of situations where the word value is used are we talking about the same thing? Or are they different. If it is the same thing, if the meaning of value is universal phenomena, how are they interconnected in these heterogenous situations where we encounter the word in life. In fact, everything you did today is according to your internal scale of values. So, the main driver of modern world is not liquid Gold. It is just the inherent value system of one's own mind. Even the price of the actual Gold. Let's go again the last example in the above list to understand these phenomena better. What is monetary value of Gold? If you look at any auction market - Gold/ stock/ Forex etc., the price fluctuates moment to moment. It looks random process, but it is not at all random. The reason behind these fluctuations is the discrepancy between supply and demand. At any given time these differences are small, hence there are only slow fluctuations. However, once in a while there will be big fluctuations due to various reasons. Maybe buyers don't want to buy anymore. Maybe sellers do not want to sell anymore. However, as you can see, the market price represents how a collection of involved people is thinking about the buying and selling. What their predictions on value. The actual value is just a label. But individually each and every participant has a value in their own mind. So, for the seller, the value is less, for the buyer the value is more. The market price is just where they meet to make a trade. You would see this heaped up values if you looked at the market depth. There are many asking prices and There are many bidding prices. At any given time, Gold can reach any of these prices (technically from zero to unlimited number) As that is only determined by the peoples' thoughts. What is value? Answer Value is a belief (a thought) which is confined to a consciousness, it is neither real nor inherently valuable. And this fact is not only true for market values, of monetary assets, but anything. Even a plastic bottle has a value, but only determined at the time of a trade, between two humans. So, it is not the bottle which carries the value it is the human mind. Company values, friendship values, moral values, monetary values. Although they seem markedly different from each other fundamentally they are connected as a brief belief arise within human mind. As thoughts are not permanent things, in mind, but fluctuating all day these values are also, not permanent, and inherently not valuable. This is the fact I summarized in the sentence "Value is a belief which is confined to a consciousness, it is neither real nor inherently valuable.". Use cases At this stage, you should ask me, So, what MML? What is the practical value of your point? For that I would reply, knowing your values deeply is the only way you can be rich, either materialistically or philosophically. You will be the smartest guy in a room full of people who are unaware to the fact that their minds creating a valuable reality while you see their mistake and weakness. You will be able to remain wise while they kill each other for thoughts, which aroused in their minds, without them even knowing. Maybe the following poem will be meaningful now. Game of life. Three men played a game, on the canvas of time. Rules were set; the audience was there to witness it all. Good and evil were winning. While wisdom played in silence. For a long time, until it becomes a duet. And they shot at each other, stabbed at each other While the audience shook in horror The wisdom disappeared with the prize Into the thin air.