“Attachment is the root of human suffering” has become a familiar maxim, borrowed from Eastern spiritual philosophy and adopted by Western wellness circles. But what does attachment really mean? It is not limited to material possessions, such as money, gadgets, and luxury items. We attach ourselves to intangibles like power, emotions, beliefs, and relationships. The original Buddhist precept of dukkha – that all life involves suffering— stems from our attachment to not only the physical but also the emotional and mental turmoil we experience, such as anger, frustration, disappointment, and heartbreak.

Increasingly, we are addicted to external forces in our “pursuit of happiness.” Our dependence on seeking pleasure, diversions, or comfort, and avoidance of pain — a desire to grasp, secure, and hold what feels good or comforting — ultimately leads to suffering. We grasp desperately onto everything we cherish with dear life, worried we’ll lose it, without realizing everything is impermanent. We’re afraid to let go, of giving up control.

But nothing remains static. Our reality is constantly in a state of flux. The world around us is transient, and loss is inevitable. Nothing is permanent. Our bodies change continually, as cells die and renew. Relationships evolve or fade. Mountains erode, glaciers vanish, the world remakes itself. This constant change poses a challenge: how do we find a sense of “peace” amongst uncertainty?

This recognition can feel overwhelming. Some interpret spiritual advice on detachment as a call to renounce the world entirely — abstaining from all worldly engagement, pleasures, and ambitions through some ascetic practice. But this is the common misconception. True detachment is not a form of escapism: non-participation in the external world or eliminating your ego. Instead, it means being fully engaged in the here and now, letting go of the need to control outcomes and dependencies. The result is allowing ourselves to have a deeper and more present experience of life without being consumed by the past or future.

Consider the monks who commit their lives to spiritual practice — seeking release from the bonds of reincarnation. Their existence reveals that existence is a “game” of sorts — one we can choose to play differently or to opt out entirely, i.e., to undergo a particular practice to achieve enlightenment. So, unless you are ready to stop playing the game and join the monastery on the mountaintop, you’re still in play! There is nothing wrong with playing the game as long as you realize it is just a game — not to be taken too seriously.

So what can we do to stay sane while still playing the “game?” Rather than forcing ourselves to detach from our surroundings, reinforcing a “dualist” view of internal and external, we can practice holistic presence. This means acknowledging our ignorance and desires and while learning how to let go without abandoning life itself — to be simultaneously fully present while being detached. Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness become valuable tools, not for withdrawal, but for deeper engagement with life, being present, and helping us find peace and sanity when we stop running away from ourselves. In this way, we can feel ourselves as playing a part in a continuum of existence itself.

The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself —
Yea, all which it inherit — shall dissolve,
And like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

- Shakespeare (The Tempest 4.1)

The Compass: Moving With Life’s Current

The Taoist concept of 'Wu Wei' (無爲) offers insight to navigating a constantly changing world. Often translated as 'no-action,' Wu Wei is better understood as 'effortless action' — harmony within change — rather than futile resistance. While the mainstream idiom "go with the flow" or "swim with the current" echoes a similar sentiment, it can be mistakenly oversimplified and misrepresent the concept. What if the current is taking us somewhere undesirable? A better way of framing this way of being is to "Get into the flow of things" — skillfully working with circumstances rather than mindlessly drifting.

Although we must accept the inevitability of change, just as bamboo bends against a strong wind without breaking, we can develop flexibility to respond accordingly. Consider a sailboat: instead of fighting directly against the wind, sailors tack at an angle, harnessing the wind's power through strategic maneuvering. They chart a zig-zag course, skillfully adapting to the conditions to reach their desired destination. Similarly, we can find an effective path forward by discerning when to adjust our approach and when to harness existing forces— "tacking into the wind".

The conceptualization of nature in Chinese "Zi Ran" (自然), meaning "that which comes upon itself" or simply as "spontaneity," reflects how nature operates. An acorn inherently "knows" to grow into an oak tree, guided by its genetic blueprint (a natural destiny of sorts). As a part of nature, we too have inherent tendencies and potentials shaped by our biology. Still, our human potential unfolds with greater complexity, influenced by genetics, environment, and our own choices. We have developed cultures and civilizations – unique products of our evolutionary journey – providing powerful tools for adaptation.

Although the values, beliefs, and structures within a society profoundly shape how we navigate the world, it's easy to forget that human systems are a recent layer upon the enduring laws of nature. Modern society's overemphasis on culture and politics can disconnect us from natural rhythms while fostering dangerous illusions of control. This hubris prevents us from recognizing the spontaneous nature of our existence. Our collective inability to accept uncertainty and impermanence becomes a primary source of helplessness in the face of a chaotic world.

Nevertheless, within our constraints, we still find our freedom through our choices and actions (or inactions). Jean-Paul Sartre's philosophy highlights our fundamental responsibility for our existence: "Man is nothing else than his plan; he exists only to the extent that he fulfills himself; he is, therefore, nothing else than the ensemble of his acts, nothing else than his life." Yet, like all beings in nature, we are bound by the rules of life. We live, and we die within the specific parameters of our unique existence; however, it's precisely within these parameters that our freedom emerges.

Start Here: Embracing What Is

We often fantasize about a different life, thinking, "If only I had this or that, my life would be so much better". We wish to escape from who or where we are in the present. This escapist tendency now increasingly takes the form of virtual worlds and social media. Moreover, with emerging technologies such as Neuralink and advanced AR/VR, we may be able to relive memories or inhabit hyperealistic fantasies — a Black Mirror episode come true.

On a less extreme level, it's about moving somewhere exotic, traveling the world, having the perfect career, the ideal relationship, or retiring somewhere in the sun. We often focus on the grass being greener on the other side – always somewhere else. Most people discover the hard way that achieving these dreams rarely brings lasting satisfaction. Upon reaching their desired destination, they may feel satisfied for a brief period; however, unable to ground themselves in the present, they soon feel restless and lost again — never able to fully enjoy the moment.

Consider this thought experiment from quantum mechanics' multiverse theory: imagine an infinite number of universes, similar to ours. In some universes, humans never came to be; in others, our Solar System doesn't even exist. However, in some of these parallel universes, you, or some versions of you, exist. Each version will have diverged in your (their) life choices. Some married your (their) high school sweetheart, others may have chosen a different career path—some more content than others. Anything we think of could be happening or has potentially happened in a parallel universe. If you could control your destiny completely and live any life you wanted, what would happen? We can rewrite all our perceived "mistakes" and "what-if" moments. We can have anything we want, achieve everything we have ever dreamed of in our professional life, and enjoy all the pleasures in our personal lives.

Furthermore, imagine we could experience life an infinite number of times in this multiverse, and each time, we could live any life we wish and do anything we want. We start by playing out all the larger-than-life plans and dreams we have now, always in control. We would do this repeatedly, playing out new and more unique encounters. Over and over again. Eventually, we would experience everything we wanted — the sum of all our dreams and desires. However, we start to realize that, having complete control, we feel that something is missing…

We arrive at the point where we want a surprise. Always being in control becomes dull – everything is too predictable. We experiment with "letting go" to see what will happen and experience the thrill of not knowing what will happen next. Those feelings of accomplishment and fleeting moments of pleasure were great, but there was no real excitement as we knew we could have it. There was no risk, no real struggle for any of those achievements. We realize that struggle and hardship are part of life: being able to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off when we fail to get what we want, and not always being able to have our way. When we have all the power and control, life lacks spontaneity.

After exhausting all possibilities, we'd eventually choose to relinquish control completely, embracing the thrill of not knowing what comes next. And where would that lead? We find ourselves right back to where we are. Out of the infinite possibilities of versions of ourselves, we return to who we are in the here and now. Why? Because it is only here that we do not know what will happen next. It isn't fulfilling our desires that makes life worth living; there is something meaningful about our mortality, of a future yet to be determined, not knowing if tomorrow will be our last, facing the unknown.

We spend so much time thinking of something else or mentally "being" somewhere else that we don't take the time to recognize this "very moment" is where we were meant to be, attuning ourselves to whatever we are doing in the present moment. The Latin phrase "Amor Fati" – "Love of one's Fate" – suggests that accepting what life brings, including its challenges, is the first step toward a more profound sense of fulfillment. Recognizing that there is something – destiny, the universe, whatever we want to call it — has led us to this point is a powerful realization. Like any good navigator, we need to know where we are first to see where we are going. We are not lost. We are found.

Tip: One crucial step to start on the path is to distinguish between the root problems and their symptoms, both internally and externally (and often, it’s the same thing!). Why do we feel disconnected from the world? Why do we feel so firmly attached to certain opinions or material things? Are we projecting our internal problems outward?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”- Charles Dickens.

Understanding Duality: Living in the Harmony of Opposites

Are people good or bad? Is this right or wrong? We often confine ourselves to binary thinking, perceiving the world as a series of opposites—good versus evil, right versus wrong, success versus failure. Although we find comfort in viewing the world through a black-and-white lens, how could we understand one without the other? If we only had darkness, we could not comprehend it without the contrast of light.

Contrasts don't undermine each other; they define each other. If you took away one, the other would lose all meaning. How would we know we were happy if we only ever experienced happiness? It would be like taking a “happy pill” in a dystopian sci-fi novel. We cannot experience and enjoy real happiness without knowing pain and suffering. Grappling with these opposing forces is part of the human condition.

Similarly, right and wrong are two components of a duality — heads and tails of the same coin. A driver runs a red light, causing a minor accident. The traffic violation is undeniably 'wrong' from one perspective, but perhaps 'right' if they were rushing their dying parent to the hospital, highlighting how our perspective and context can shift our judgment.

We aren't implying that there's no such thing as right or wrong, nor should every event be misconstrued as a “grey” area —“ill-defined or morally-ambiguous.” Instead, duality means that both sides are necessary in any circumstance. The ancient Taoist symbol of Yin and Yang embodies this concept — two halves delineated by a curved spiral. One half is black, representing the yin (dark or negative); the other is white for the yang (bright or positive). The curvature signifies no absolute separations between the two opposites.

Dualities are fundamental to the universe, whether at the atomic level, where electrons and protons coexist, or in the cycles of life and death that all living beings experience. How can we experience life without death? Death implies life. Duality isn’t about opposition, but rather about harmony.

The Wisdom of Sai Weng: When "Bad" Becomes "Good"

The parable of Sai Weng (塞翁失馬) reveals the unpredictability of life and the dangers of hasty judgments:

Sai Weng lived on the frontier by the Great Wall and raised horses for a living. One day, he lost one of his prized horses. After hearing of his misfortune, his neighbors felt sorry for him and came to comfort him. But Sai Weng replied, “Maybe losing a horse is good for me. How can I know it is not a good thing for me?”

Not long after, the lost horse returned with another beautiful horse. The neighbor came over again and congratulated Sai Weng on his good fortune. But the farmer simply replied, “This is not necessarily a good thing. Maybe it’s something bad.” One day, his son went out for a ride with the new horse. All of a sudden, he was thrown from the horse and broke his leg. The neighbors once again expressed condolences to Sai Weng, but Sai Weng said, “Maybe this will bring good fortune to me.”

One year later, a war started, and the Emperor’s army arrived at the village to recruit all able-bodied men to fight. Because of his crippled leg, Sai Weng’s son could not go off to war and was spared, while many of the villagers’ sons were killed in battle.

The parable of Sai Weng serves as a reminder that a single event is never the whole story. Adverse events can evolve into positive developments, and good fortune can unexpectedly turn into misfortune. Past and present events affect the future, but the exact impact is unpredictable.

Every event stems from countless actions and events that unfold over time, projecting into uncertainty. The parable also teaches us that our perceptions influence our reactions. Not everything is as serious as it may seem at first, and believing that we are constantly right or that others are always wrong is a form of hubris.

Any potential catastrophe or “miraculous breakthrough,” whether human-made or not, does not guarantee that a bleak or prosperous future will ensue, nor will it continue indefinitely. A contemporary example would be the rapid development and advancements in AI technologies. Although many tech giants tout AI as a positive development for human flourishing, automating the mundane and allowing us to focus on what matters, others are pessimistic about the future of humankind in an AI-dominated world. However, no one can know with 100% certainty what lies ahead.

While we shouldn't become indifferent or passive spectators in the world, we must recognize that it's unpredictable and understand how our subjective perspectives shape our experiences. Moreover, we shouldn’t hold onto our past decisions and judgements too tightly, knowing our actions rest on incomplete information about an unpredictable world.

Emotions, Actions, and Reactions

For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Newton’s third law predicts outcomes in the physical world, but when it comes to human beings, our actions and reactions become unpredictable due to emotions that lead us to irrational actions or judgments.

Emotions are triggered by what happens around us, but aren’t experienced the same by everyone. They’re intricate and personal experiences that invite us to continually explore our inner selves. At its core, basic emotions are an evolutionary biological response, serving as forms of physiological arousal that drive us to perform specific actions.

Our mind converts our sensations of the external world into predictions based on past experiences and beliefs. How our mind appraises a situation highly depends on the individual and their previous experiences. When someone criticizes our work, our mind instantly connects it to past experiences—perhaps times when parents, teachers, or others made us feel inadequate or threatened. Yet, these predictions are often inaccurate. The person in question may simply be trying to help, or they may be under stress themselves. What you feel, however intense or real, is not always the best lens for understanding reality.

Emotions are far more complex than we can fully grasp with our limited language and vary significantly across cultures and throughout time. In Germany, the word "Schadenfreude," from "Schaden" (meaning "damage/harm") and "Freude" (meaning "joy"), refers to the pleasure one experiences in another's misfortune or failure. Another example, Xingfu 幸福 in Chinese, is a blend of “blessed,” “fortunate,” and “long-lasting happiness” in relations with others. Recognizing that many linguistic expressions of emotions have no direct translation in other cultures shows the vast dimensionality emotions can take on.

However, emotions are part of being a functional member of society. They separate us from the psychopaths. Although essential to our existence, just as we can consciously hold false beliefs stemming from inaccurate or incomplete information, we can experience emotions based on a faulty subconscious appraisal of a situation. Ever had a breakup? Remember, your life wasn’t over, even though it may have felt like that in the moment.

Since we may not fully “feel” the situation correctly, this problem is distorted when we process and decide what to do with our emotions. When dealing with an emotion in the “anger category”, sometimes our initial instinct is to lash out or suppress our feelings entirely. However, neither approach is truly effective. Reacting impulsively, based on inaccurate appraisals of the situation, often worsens the problem, creating negative feedback loops. This pattern can play out on both individual and societal levels. When we are unable to accurately understand our emotions, we may resort to maladaptive actions.

Many destructive acts stem from misaligned emotions – unchecked anger, fear, or a distorted sense of threat. Suppressing emotions also backfires. Bottled-up anger in a relationship can turn into passive-aggressive behavior or seemingly random outbursts over trivial matters.

The Art of The Mindful Response

What underlies emotions is neither inherently positive nor inherently negative. Instead, they are merely a combination of our body’s sensory and physiological systems signaling to us, alerting us to our surroundings, needs, and potential threats or opportunities. How we interpret and act on these signals is up to us.

Due to the complexity of emotions, people often try to appeal to reason during contentious situations. Unfortunately, facts alone don’t change people’s minds. Reasoning with unreasonable people is a futile effort. We seek confirmation, not opposing ideas. We often cannot detach our beliefs and emotions from who we are, leading to a precarious situation. If presented facts contradict your worldview about a given situation, you might see it as a direct attack on yourself, the essence of your existence. Hence, we feel hostility toward others and the world around us when faced with opposing viewpoints. We often react based on insecurity in our identity or belief system.

The tendency to praise taking immediate action and demeaning “inaction” has compounded the fast, reactionary nature of our human interactions. We have misconstrued careful, considered responses with a penchant for apathy. The prevailing sentiment is “We must take action now!” without fully considering the inevitable reactionary forces or a thorough understanding of our emotions, which hinders the formulation of the “correct” response. “Why do I feel this way?” “Why do I feel forced to act or think a certain way?” “Why don’t others agree with me?” “Why do my actions never seem to improve things?” Answering the “Why” gives perspective to our feelings and actions, as well as those of others, and their reactions. Moreover, it is vital to have the self-awareness to recognize when our desired reactions are disproportionate and the skills to reframe our thoughts and process our feelings in healthier ways.

Agency lies in mindful, considered responses, not knee-jerk reactions. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking Fast and Slow, maps a way to help better understand two different modes of thinking: Type 1, which is fast and automatic, and Type 2, which is more deliberate and requires effort (Note: there is potential overlap or a continuum between Type 1 and Type 2 due to the complexity of cognitive processes). By taking the time to consider different options and engaging more in Type 2 thinking, we can allow for better avenues for action.

We won’t always be "right" when we are more deliberate, but when we make decisions impulsively or based on emotion, we often either fail in the moment or never achieve the desired outcome in the long run. This is where the difference between a reaction and a response comes in. While a reaction is an automatic or "lazy" Type 1 follow-up to any directed action, a response considers the nuances and intricacies of the situation and future potentialities before deciding how to act (or not).

A response requires a certain detachment from the seemingly constricted set of automatic reactions. This pause allows for a broader set of potential actions. It facilitates a more critical and "strategic" approach to decision-making, which helps prevent misunderstandings and potentially has a more impactful "connection" with people. Mindfulness, or being present in the moment, is a crucial tool to break free from our reactionary autopilot. By being fully aware of the current situation, we can engage more in Type 2 thinking and view our actions and the actions of others through a critical lens.

Conclusion: Embracing Duality

Traditionally, in the Far East, the concept of heart and mind differs from that in the West. In Western cultures, when someone asks us where our heart is, we point to the left side of our chest, and when questioned about the mind, we point to the brain inside our heads. The concept of 'heart-mind' is unified as 心, “xing” or “kokoro”, reminding us that the separation of heart and mind is artificial. We should approach life with both heart and mind. Just as we shouldn’t rely on passionate reactions, we shouldn’t use reason and logic devoid of consideration for the emotions of those around us. This interplay combines compassion with critical thinking and empathy with strategic action, ultimately leading to wiser choices.

Embracing duality acknowledges that life is simultaneously beautiful and challenging, meaningful and absurd, ordered and chaotic, individual and interconnected. We control some things, but much remains beyond our reach. We are not victims of fate, nor masters of our destiny — we are conscious participants in a dynamic, ongoing interaction between opposites, each giving the other its meaning.. The next time we notice ourselves sliding into either/or thinking, pause and search for the nuance. That’s where the most compelling stories emerge—and where genuine growth begins. After all, it really is the best of times and the worst of times. And that's exactly as it should be.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

- Lao Tzu

Beyond Doomscrolling: Rethinking Your Response to Uncertainty

We scroll through a constant stream of manufactured crises on our phones like passive spectators to humanity’s eventual demise. Escalating regional conflicts, constant economic crises, accelerating social inequality, the AI revolution, and the impending ecological catastrophe are all screaming from the headlines. Despite our human freedoms, material wealth, medical breakthroughs, and technological marvels, fear and uncertainty gnaw at us in a disorienting world.

The answer is not to resign to the status quo, nor try to solve complex global problems single-handedly, but equip ourselves to navigate a turbulent world with greater clarity. By understanding the underlying forces that shape our external and internal worlds, we can see through the illusions that cloud our perception, reorient ourselves on our path, and make more informed decisions.

This is an invitation to open our minds and discover what resonates with us. We will examine ancient wisdom, natural laws, and human biology to uncover a “not-so-new” foundation for thinking (and living). These writings are not a prescription for life or a claim to absolute truth. Instead, they are a support for your journey of self-discovery, encouraging you to explore and question.

Perspective is everything.

The Big Picture: From the Big Bang to Your Everyday Life

We feel like passengers on a runaway train, watching humanity hurtle toward some undefined dystopia. Still, this sensation of helplessness reveals more about our perception than it does about our reality. The anxiety we feel is not triggered by external events but by our disconnection from a larger perspective that puts these events in context. Overwhelmed by information and stuck in the daily grind, we have developed a limited view of ourselves and the world around us. Are we just cosmic accidents destined to burn out in a meaningless universe?

Throughout history, “myths” have provided collective “larger than life” explanations for how we came to be: An all-mighty god creates the world in seven days and humans in his image; or in Vedic traditions, a golden egg (Hiranyagarbha) emerges from nothingness, containing the seed of creation. While these fantastical stories are outdated, they tap into a primal need to understand our origins and find meaning in our lives.

While myths provide comforting narratives, the rise of modern scientific thought, postmodernism, and atheistic belief systems challenges these traditional stories. As a result, we are left with a sterile, rational view of the universe and our existence. The reductionist narrative? We’re merely biological machines — sacks of meat — the result of a cosmic accident, programmed to pass down our genes, then die. It's not wrong, but that’s not the only story we can tell ourselves.

Your existence began with the Big Bang, the moment the universe was formed 13.8 billion years ago. As space expanded and cooled, atoms scattered into the far reaches of space and time. Over billions of years, these atoms formed galaxies, which in turn formed solar systems with suns – stars – at their center and orbiting planets.

One of these planets became the Earth as we know it today. Here, single-cell organisms developed on this planet, followed by more complex organisms. Finally, around 200,000 years ago, the first Homo sapiens – our direct ancestors – evolved from their primate predecessors.

Here is the profound truth of human existence: Billions of years ago, you were a Big Bang, and now you are “you,” composed of atoms, molecules, and cells from a specific country and living in a particular city. You are still those particles – that “stardust.” We may have considered this at some point in our lives, especially during our youth, when life filled us with awe, but we often forget this fundamental truth as we face more immediate worldly concerns.

However, this isn't mere poetic musing. We actively choose to view ourselves as insignificant, a cosmic “accident” in an indifferent universe. We can also look up at the stars and feel a sense of interconnectedness with the infinity of space and time. Recognizing that we are not random events but part of the universe's intricate unfolding, our perspective shifts on what truly matters, inspiring us to see the world in a new light.

We are an expression of the universe itself. We’re still the Big Bang.

The Illusion of Perception: Not Everyone Shares Your View

The cosmic perspective reveals a crucial aspect of human perception itself. We've evolved to be biased towards visual perception. We believe what we see is what there is, but our perception of the “real” world is incomplete. Humans perceive only a sliver of the electromagnetic spectrum – what we call “visible light.” Our animal brethren experience reality differently: owls see infrared heat, while bees perceive ultraviolet patterns on flowers invisible to us. We only see a fraction of reality through a keyhole and assume that’s all there is.

Although we receive the same raw data from the world through our eyes, our brains actively filter and construct our reality based on our individual experiences, incorporating biases and assumptions, which results in a subjective interpretation—a narrative—that fits our worldview. Two people staring at the same painting can have completely different interpretations based on their upbringing, cultural background, and previous exposure to art.

In our fast-paced urban lives, we encounter hundreds of people daily, on public transit, at crowded intersections, and in giant office complexes. Meanwhile, our ancestors who lived in small villages may have come across only hundreds of people throughout their lifetimes. Unlike our ancestors, who lived in these small communities, we encounter vastly diverse groups of people. Expecting everyone to share our perspectives is unrealistic, leading to constant frustration.

We can not expect everyone to have the same ability to distinguish right from wrong, share similar values, or hold the same worldview. Not everyone will behave the way we want them to. People are not always kind and compassionate. What they do wrong only hurts their character, not yours (unless they pose a genuine existential threat), as Marcus Aurelius writes: “Tolerant with others and strict with yourself. Remember, nothing belongs to you but your flesh and blood– and nothing else is under your control.”

Recognizing that we live in our own subjective realities can help us release the exhausting need to control how others behave. Furthermore, when we surround ourselves with diverse viewpoints and actively engage with these perspectives, we challenge our preconceived notions and gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our shared humanity.

The Modern Uncertainty: Why Disorder is a Feature, Not a Flaw

The fear of the unknown is natural, stemming from our survival wiring. Physiologically, this is a part of how our mind and body have evolved to function. If we didn’t fear the unknown, we’d probably be eaten by a saber-tooth tiger, or crack our skulls from falling into a deadly ravine, like the now-extinct bloodlines of our curious yet foolhardy distant relatives.

While most physical threats have been nullified by modern civilization, our brains still anticipate danger in the unknown. This extends beyond physical threats – a feeling of dread before an important client presentation or the anxiety of meeting new people stems from this ancient wiring. The exact mechanism that once protected us now creates suffering when we encounter the inherent unpredictability of modern life.

We see disorder everywhere—in global events, economic fluctuations, even in our daily lives—and our nervous systems react as if we're facing existential threats. The bombardment of perceived threats has made our default perspective of the world one of hostility. Maybe we are warped by the attention-seeking, alarmist headlines or populist political rhetoric. Whatever has led us to develop a pessimistic worldview reinforces a sense of helplessness, which in turn leads to less optimal life choices.

However, the world is always in a constant state of change. As you read this, your coffee is cooling, dust is settling on your table, and countless processes are moving from order toward disorder. On a grander scale, the events unfolding around us — regional conflicts, economic crises, and even unpredictable weather patterns — appear chaotic to the naked eye. The unpredictable nature of the world fills us with anxiety. But here's where science offers profound wisdom: "chaos" or "disorder" is actually the default setting for the universe — a feature, not a bug.

Everything tends towards chaos and disorder, known as entropy, as per the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy always increases as particles, which make up everything around us, accelerate through time and space. Instinctively, we see disorder as something negative and to be avoided at all costs. Hence, most people take pride in organizing space and time – having a tidy room or a rigorous schedule – even though everything tends to become a mess again.

Chaos theory teaches us that seemingly insignificant actions or events can have unpredictable consequences. A butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon could contribute to a tornado in Texas. History is shaped not only by significant events, but also by countless small choices and seemingly insignificant 'what-ifs' that accumulate over time.

This interconnectedness means we can never fully predict the future, regardless of how much we attempt to control it. While the trajectory of events appears unpredictable, time is an arrow shooting in one direction. We know the future is inevitable, but its form is not entirely knowable – what will occur is a mystery.

Uncertainty can be paralyzing. To avoid anxiety, we often think about every possible variable, becoming obsessed with weather forecasts, stock market predictions, and economic projections. In the end, we get stuck as to what to do about any situation because we’re afraid we’ll make a mistake or unforeseen consequences will arrive at our doorsteps. What may have been the outcome if this had happened or that had happened? We can’t know.

However, what appears as chaos on one level can reveal complex systems and a form of order on another level. Our bodies’ survival exemplifies this dependency between disorder and order. On the surface, we appear as an “orderly” solid being; however, under a microscope, white blood cells in our bloodstream constantly fight off foreign invaders. If our cells did not fight off infections, we would get sick. The body continually strives to maintain balance within its internal system through homeostasis, a process essential to human survival.

While the overarching tendency of the universe is towards disorder, functional and ordered systems can still exist and thrive within this broader chaos. Who is to say the seemingly chaotic forces around you aren't part of a larger functional, ordered pattern — a part of social evolution or the unfolding of cosmic events — we simply can't fully perceive?

What we can do is choose a different lens. Instead of viewing external events as neither inherently negative nor positive, we can see them as a stream of experiences through which we learn and grow. More importantly, we learn to let go if it’s out of our control. In doing so, we will start to see every day as an opportunity to actualize, to focus our efforts on what we can actually control.

Embracing the Natural Order

Entropy gives direction to time. As Stephen Hawking puts it: “The increase of disorder or entropy distinguishes the past from the future, giving a direction to time.” Entropy allows for both decay and growth. Without entropy, everything would remain the same, stuck in time. If everything were stagnant, flowers wouldn’t bloom, and butterflies wouldn’t emerge from their cocoons. Only over time, understanding that things are impermanent, can we derive meaning from them. Knowing that everything will fall apart and dissipate, entropy drives us to create and express ourselves.

We are neither victims of random events nor masters of our destiny, but conscious participants in the ongoing creative process of the universe.

This perspective doesn't eliminate life's challenges, but fundamentally changes how we relate to them. Instead of feeling trapped rats in a cage, we recognize ourselves as conscious expressions of the same forces that created stars, galaxies, and the capacity for wonder itself.

We are not separate from the cosmic forces around us. We are their latest expression, their newest way of experiencing themselves. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Including us. Including this moment. Including whatever comes next.

When we try to fight and control everything, we cause a great deal of frustration, anxiety, and suffering for not just ourselves but the people around us. When we learn to ebb and flow with uncertainty, moving with the natural timing of events, we discover what Lao Tzu knew: there is a rhythm to existence that accomplishes everything in its proper time. Our task is not to force this rhythm but to attune ourselves to it, to find our unique part in the cosmic symphony.

After all, aren’t we the universe becoming conscious of itself? If so, that is far from an accident.

Three Practical Principles

1. Accept What You Cannot Control: Focus your energy on your responses, choices, and actions rather than external outcomes.

2. Find Order in Your Personal Sphere: While you may not be able to control global chaos, you can create islands of calm and purpose in your immediate surroundings.

3. Embrace Impermanence: Knowing that both difficulties and pleasures are temporary helps you remain balanced through life's inevitable ups and downs.

“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own.”

— Bruce Lee.

The untold, fundamental axiom of “self-improvement” is to understand the essential truth of our existence as simultaneously part and whole of a cosmic play — the universe actualizing itself through all living beings.

We can start living fully now only when we see and reconcile our inner “self” with our external reality.

Once we reach this realization, we begin to liberate ourselves. We begin to free our minds of worrying thoughts. Things finally fall into place.

No one can do this for us; only we can fully know ourselves. Neither is there a step-by-step guide or checklist of incremental improvements to follow.

Often, we encounter this “enlightenment” multiple times in our lives, yet we are forgetful and default to distractions and indulging in base pleasures.

Besides, what is there to improve anyway? We are everything in the present moment—sentient beings with our own unique experiences and paths.

Here are just our two cents…

Collective Illusions of Desire

"Man is the creature who does not know what to desire, and he turns to others in order to make up his mind. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires.”

- Rene Girard.

We live in a world with insatiable wants, overpowering what we really need.

We covet what people have — distilled and filtered by social media.

We seek “success” or “our best life” without understanding our real motivations.

We crave external validation and ignore the beauty of our internal world.

We are always on the chase. Desiring the newest tech gadgets, hottest fashion trends, increasing monetary wealth, and obtaining higher social standing.

Society has distorted our perceptions of what it means to live a fulfilling life. Much of what we yearn for is superfluous social constructions. Desperately trying to climb the social or professional (or spiritual) ladder, we fail to stop and think – Why?

We’ll create a vision board of our goals, dreams, and aspirations without a clear rationale as to why we want any of these caricature representations of reality.

We never take the time to examine the reasoning behind it. Why?

Because we’ve subconsciously outsourced our “purpose” — a construct of social norms rather than from true selves.

Historically, we would adhere to a set of religious doctrines laid down by a supreme authority — so-called God(s) — through prophets and spiritual leaders to achieve everlasting life in the afterlife. We would follow strict social expectations, such as those found in Confucian or Christian traditions.

In modern times, we have witnessed a significant shift. Marked by a decline in conservative values, an increase in individualistic behavior — driven by the rise of capitalism and consumerism — has become the new religion.

Yet, we still live in collective illusions about our “life purpose.”

Our new individualized purpose is often superficial — we conflate it with our whimsical desires or social and familial responsibilities.

What we desire is often not sourced from ourselves.

Instead, our desires are socially constructed by others. As French scholar René Girard describes in his mimetic theory of desire, beyond biological functions, we perceive what is pleasing to acquire from others.

By modeling our desires and ideal lifestyles after those of others, we often compete over resources and harbor envy toward them.

This subconscious mirroring of desires is partially why we feel empty after fulfilling particular desires – they never really came from us.

As a society, we’ve amplified the illusionary aspects with the advent of the internet and, more notably, social media. With overexposure to various mimetic desires, our wants have become increasingly unrealistic and hollow.

Self-Help Industrial Complex

We are what we give our attention to. Unfortunately, it’s all over the place. With the decline in organized religion, people have turned to “self-help” or “spirituality” to fill the void left by a modern atheist society.

Seeking to improve ourselves, we are overwhelmed by the constant content machine of spiritual gurus, self-improvement podcasters, and wellness specialists.

More content equates to more potential revenue. There is too much noise and conflicting advice.

Many self-help books on the bestseller list on Amazon are released to rave reviews about how they will change your life and make you successful. “Uncover the secrets of top performers,” “Learn to believe in yourself,” “Positive affirmations for success,” and “Manifest what you want out of life” (these are not actual book titles). But hold on...

How many people buy self-help books yearly yet see minimal improvement? If what they said worked, we would all be "successful," right? We would all have the luxuries we wanted, the lovely house, and the partner of our dreams if we only followed these rules.

The reality paints a much different picture. Of course, part of the problem is potentially non-retention or non-compliance. Still, the hard truth is we are born with different capabilities and potential paths in life. However, as we will explore in future writings, the concept of "success" is deeply flawed, and money has a limited correlation with happiness.

There is a burning problem in the self-help and self-improvement community, where "successful" people, usually entrepreneurs turned gurus, provide a sales pitch: "Do you have big goals or dreams… But can't achieve success? Do you feel you were meant for something greater? We have 10 steps or tricks to transform your life, overcoming self-doubt and barriers to achieving your dream life.”

Most self-help advice: Follow these rules to financial freedom, build these life-changing habits, or "hack" your day to "improve" your daily life, as if it were a "How to Lose 10lbs in a Month" workout program. Not to say they never work or have some value.

However, err on the side of caution. Without the proper perspective on life, we don’t stick with these hacks or habits in the long run. There's no shortcut.

If what they propagate were so easy to achieve, they wouldn't need to spend time and effort trying to sell us a course. They would practice what they preach and ride off into the sunset.

Play Different Games

Maybe we’re not here to "hack" our productivity. Nor do we need to go from 0 to 100 and become a high-performing overnight success story.

Maybe we don’t need to take ice baths or optimize our nootropic stack to boost our performance.

Perhaps we aren't all meant to become successful billionaire entrepreneurs, have a supermodel-looking partner, or possess a 0.01% physique, and that's completely okay.

In fact, that's more than okay. After all, our efforts should not focus on external validation.

When we look at spiritual people, there's almost an automatic sense of admiration – that there are people out there who can forgo the luxuries of modern society.

I remember taking the subway in Taipei and noticing a Buddhist monk standing near the train doors. Around her were throngs of people glued to their precious portable screens. Dressed in a long, plain robe made of coarse fabric and wearing simple sandals, she was in a deep state of meditation.

A Buddhist monk renounces their family and worldly possessions and devotes themselves to a life of service and simplicity inside a monastery.

The juxtaposition of ancient ascetic tradition and the modern condition allows us to realize that spiritual practitioners and their ascetic lifestyle serve as a reminder that life is just a game or a theatrical play.

The game is to experience life in our unique ways.

The Way: Start with How

In the ways of the Buddha: Find the middle way. Stop seeking the max-min of pleasure and pain.

Our current world is full of easy-to-access dopamine hits and pleasures. To compound this problem, there is nothing to restrain them. We are invited to partake in more and more.

We often don't realize how privileged we are in terms of material wealth and health. Let's take a "zoomed-out" perspective, considering historical medical advancements, modern marvels of science, and the enlightenment of the human condition, including the advancement of human rights and freedoms. We can begin to appreciate what we already have.

As someone who wanted to chase "success" or at least fit into the norms laid out by our society, I was also stuck in terms of what kind of life I wanted to live.

I realized I had created a false vision of what I wanted out of my life. It was not about what or even the why. It was the how. Although a "why" is essential, how we live our lives daily is more important than the "why" or the "what," as it informs both.

From an evolutionary biological standpoint, our "why" is to survive and pass down our genes, which informs the overarching basics of living.

Still, more is needed to guide our everyday lives meaningfully, especially for those who do not clearly subscribe to a faith-based perspective of the world.

Too often, we mistakenly believe we must aspire to a particular lifestyle or achieve certain feats to make our lives extraordinary.

On one hand, we easily get caught on the hedonistic treadwheel – wanting more and more pleasure out of life – an unsustainable lifestyle.

On the other hand, we must "win" in a zero-sum game by acquiring more resources and power, unlocking achievements, and reaching milestones to prove to ourselves and others that we are successful.

We must realize that no matter how much social media and society shove these ideas down our throats, our very existence is already extraordinary in its unique ways.

Our primary task is to appreciate our existence and be fully present in our daily lives. How do we live in accordance with our true selves? And that is enough. Striving to achieve this is always enough.

Most people know how they want to live their lives, doing the things they want to do, yet, weighed down by social expectations, they put it off.

We all have something to offer the external world, no matter how small our circle of influence may be. There is only the present.

But what is valuable and good? There is an inherent subjective interpretation here. Unlike the laws of thermodynamics, there are no hard and fast rules or laws for living, just guidelines that one can choose to follow if desired.

We can start by narrowing our focus to what we do in our everyday lives and the impact we have on our immediate world.

About The New Ronin Project

"Usually when we hear or read something new, we just compare it to our own ideas. If it is the same, we accept it and say it is correct. If it is not, we say it is incorrect. In either case, we learn nothing."

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Overall, I believe our writings would benefit those seeking to discover their true selves and live a more meaningful life. There is no silver bullet, revolutionary life hack, or secret that will solve our problems – that doesn't exist.

Welcome to reality.

Our authentic life is found through our own suffering and trials while leveraging the knowledge of wiser people who have come before us.

When n = 1, what works for others might not work for you, take what is useful and throw away what isn't.

This blog serves as a repository of notes — a compilation of what we have learned from wiser people before us, as well as our own introspection. Our purpose is to guide people to live the (extra)ordinary in their day-to-day lives.

Our discourses pertain to the human condition. There is no such thing as an ordinary life, and we are all meant to have unique, worthwhile experiences that make us extraordinary.

Remember, no other human being in the history of humankind has or will have the same experiences.

We’re not trying to sell you a way of life or convince you that anything is right or wrong. We don't expect you to take our word for it; rather, we hope to open your mind to the possibility of a different way.

We can only start this process by understanding and seeing through the bullsh*t that has been conditioned into us.

Let’s separate ourselves from society's expectations and live without regret. Think moderation, not balance. Think temperance, not abstinence.

This is the Way… The Way of the New Ronin.

The grass is not greener on the other side. The fundamental problems within us will persist, regardless.

This is a good place to practice, as any. Start with How.

We are all (extra)ordinary.