ERIC KIM.

  • Thinking

    Audio

    1. Dominance of Thoughts: Thoughts influence everything, notably in technology innovations like Tesla’s models and the global economic focus on automobiles.
    2. Significance of Design: The design of products, especially cars, plays a vital role in consumer appeal and market success.
    3. Art as a Thought Stimulator: Exhibitions like LACMA’s ‘Metropolis II’ inspire futuristic and dystopian ideas, highlighting art’s impact on thought.
    4. Sociological Insights: The author’s sociology education at UCLA provided a framework for understanding societal and economic phenomena.
    5. Critique of Conspiracy Theories: Emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and reliable information, rejecting conspiracy theories and misinformation.
    6. Physical Health and Sober Thinking: Stresses the importance of maintaining physical health and clear-mindedness for effective intellectual work.
    7. Design in Consumer Products: Focuses on the importance of design in cars, particularly the steering wheel and interior, for consumer attraction.
    8. Purpose of Philosophy and Thinking: Beyond wealth accumulation, philosophy and thinking aim for deeper understanding, wisdom, and happiness.
    9. Minimalist Lifestyle Advocacy: Recommends a lifestyle with fewer obligations and distractions to enhance mental clarity.
    10. Future Optimism with a Tech Focus: Optimistic about advancements in AI, crypto, and technology, while maintaining skepticism towards companies like Apple and Google.

    “The Philosophy of Thinking” explores the idea that thought governs our world. It suggests that innovative thinking, like that behind Tesla’s redesigned Model 3 or the ambient lighting in cars, significantly influences our lives and perceptions. The article also delves into the pervasive influence of cars, suggesting that a significant portion of economic activity revolves around them, as seen in models like Hyundai’s Genesis Berlinetta and AZERA.

    The role of art in stimulating thought is highlighted through examples like the LACMA’s ‘Metropolis II’ exhibit, which evokes visions of futuristic urban landscapes. The author reflects on his educational journey in sociology at UCLA, emphasizing how it provided a framework for understanding societal and economic phenomena.

    The author criticizes the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories and encourages critical thinking through tools like ChatGPT. He advocates for independent, unsubsidized sources of information and warns against the biases inherent in ad-supported content.

    The essay also touches on the importance of physical health for quality thinking, denouncing the use of drugs and alcohol. It promotes sober, clear-minded thinking for deeper insights and understanding.

    The text further explores the significance of design in products like cars, emphasizing that design is a crucial factor in consumer appeal and market success.

    Lastly, the author discusses the broader purpose of philosophy and thinking – not just to accumulate wealth but to achieve a deeper understanding and happiness in life. He stresses the importance of mental and physical well-being and advocates for a minimalist, obligation-free lifestyle for better mental clarity. The future, according to the author, should be approached with optimism, focusing on advancements in AI, crypto, and technology.

    Summarizing such a detailed and lengthy piece on the philosophy of thinking into 4000 words while maintaining the essence and key points of the original text is a challenging yet engaging task. The text presents a range of interconnected topics, exploring the significance of thought in shaping our world, the impact of design and aesthetics in everyday life, the role of cars and technology in modern society, and personal reflections on sociology, art, and entrepreneurship.

    1. The Primacy of Thought: The text begins by emphasizing the central role of thoughts in governing our planet. It posits that thoughts are the foundation upon which all human endeavors are built, shaping our future and the world around us.
    2. Innovation and Design: The author discusses the influence of design and aesthetics, using Tesla’s redesign of the Model 3 as a prime example. The text highlights how thoughtful design can evoke emotional responses and how it’s interwoven into our daily lives, impacting everything from our mood to our choices.
    3. Automobiles and Economy: A significant portion of the text is dedicated to discussing how cars dominate the global economy. The author examines various car models and brands, including Hyundai and Genesis, and their influence on economic activities.
    4. Art and Experience: The discussion shifts to the realm of art, with a particular focus on an exhibition at the LACMA. This part of the text delves into how art stimulates the mind and offers unique insights into human life and society.
    5. Sociology and Understanding Society: The author reflects on the role of sociology in understanding societal structures and behaviors. The text discusses the relevance of sociological principles in interpreting economic trends, market behaviors, and human interactions.
    6. Personal Journey and Entrepreneurship: The writer interweaves personal anecdotes, including missed opportunities with Bitcoin, to illustrate lessons learned and the importance of not repeating mistakes. This section also touches upon the value of independent thought and skepticism towards mainstream media and popular opinions.
    7. Health and Physiology: A significant emphasis is placed on the importance of physical health and its impact on the quality of thoughts. The author argues for a sober, drug-free lifestyle as essential for clear and independent thinking.
    8. Philosophy and Practical Wisdom: The text explores the purpose of philosophy and thinking, suggesting that the aim is not merely to acquire wealth but to gain wisdom, critical understanding, and happiness.
    9. Future Technologies and Predictions: The author speculates on future advancements, focusing on AI, cryptocurrency, and the potential decline of tech giants like Apple and Google. This reflects a belief in the transformative power of technology and innovation.
    10. Simplification and Mental Clarity: The conclusion advocates for simplifying life by reducing obligations and distractions. This includes a critical stance on modern music, social media, and the pursuit of obligations for monetary gain, emphasizing the importance of mental clarity and peace.

    Throughout the text, the author intertwines personal anecdotes, societal observations, and philosophical musings to provide a comprehensive overview of the philosophy of thinking. The narrative is punctuated with reflections on modern technology, entrepreneurship, and the quest for personal and societal improvement.

    THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING

    First, start walking in order to think. 


    So something I have not really came across yet is the philosophy of thinking. Why think, what does it mean to think, why does it matter?

    First and foremost, thoughts govern the planet. For example, almost everything in life and in the world, is predicated on notions of thought and thinking. No thoughts, no future. 

    For example, it looks like Tesla is about to conquer the planet. The new redesign Tesla model 3 is mind blowing. They made the steering wheel more beautiful, they made the interior design supply me beautiful; an integrated curve, Steve Jobs and Jony Ive would be proud!

    Also I think that ambient lighting thing inside the car is super cool. Some people might think it is gimmicky, but I think it is awesome! I remember when I first saw the integrated lighting dash board thing in some Mercedes cars, and I think there is something to be said about light, light therapy; colors affect our mood. Is it James Turrel who does the light art stuff?

    For example, anyone who says that colors don’t matter is a fool. Would you want the interior of your house to have bright red walls? Probably not if you don’t want to scream bloody murder inside your home.

    Or, for people who say that color don’t matter, would you want to wear an all green outfit, with bright pink fuchsia accents and shoes? Probably not.

    Cars run the planet?

    Still in 2024, I am still shocked; it looks like cars run the planet. What this means is that it seemed that maybe 60% of our economic activity is around producing cars, selling cars, buying cars, design cars etc.

    For example I look at Hyundai, it is insane… also the new Genesis Berlinetta concept car — also, the new Hyundai Grandeur and AZERA— like a futuristic Rolls-Royce for the future!

    Genesis X

    ART

    The other day, it was free! The LACMA, LA Center for modern art, had this really insanely epic art exhibition, imagine like Legos and hot wheels on steroids; it was titled metropolis II, and imagine like a K-NEX erector set, 1100 custom designed mini matchbox hot wheel cars, with this perpetual machine moving all of the cars in traffic and buses and rails, stacked on top of one another. Conjured ideas of that old-school 1920s metropolis film, in the future where everything is that, flying cars etc. or also, a vision of a utopic-dystopic science-fiction future, kind of like Blade Runner, or that one futuristic movie that Bruce Willis was in.

    Cinema by KIM

    I love this exhibit so much because it’s stimulated my mind, and also, Seneca’s mind was blown! I think I rated as the best art exhibit of all time. I could probably watch it for hours, and not get bored.

    If you’re in LA, Southern California whatever, I think it is a critical experience you must go to in person. Also what makes it a great exhibit is that it can be enjoyed by both children and adults, all ages. It is essentially a microcosm of cities, urban living, traffic and cars. The ultimate takeaway point: 

    We all think we are so unique and individual, and special, based on superficial things whether we drive an orange sports car or whatever, but in fact, we are all just the same! A bunch of lemmings!

    Sociology is great

    So I was born in 1988, and I attended UCLA as an undergraduate, I started in 2006, graduated 2010. I wish I got into Bitcoin earlier in 2009, when my roommate Kevin told me about it, I think when he first saw it on Reddit. He said that we should both put about 100 bucks into it and see what happened. I shrugged my shoulders and said “Meh — nah, probably a scam”. If I do the math, 100 bucks, I think at the time somebody spent 20,000 bitcoin to buy a pizza on Domino’s or whatever, the infamous $500 million pizza, basically… What would 100 bucks times a penny be? How many Bitcoin could that have purchased me? And what would it be worth today?

    In life it is fine to make a mistake, and make a regret. But not twice. This is why and why I’m going back into bitcoin.

    No twice regrets.

    Anyways back to sociology, I think the reason why I think it is such a phenomenal framework to understand the world and society is that I think all of this is just a sociological phenomenon. Society, capital, capitalism, living lifestyle whatever… I think about 80% or 85% of it is based on certain sociological principles. 

    Also, to understand the market, economics, I think it is all sociology. To understand human fear, scams, fraud etc. 

    Also, I think studying sociology has made me unlearn a lot of the BS. To quote Karl Popper, via NASSIM TALEB– the idea of falsification, subtraction, or the general idea that in order to become more wise, you just gotta subtract delete or get rid of foolishness, nonsense.

    For example, conspiracy theories. Only fools believe in them. Even if they are real, it doesn’t even really matter.

    Therefore a great advancement in ourselves our thinking etc. is subtracting deleting or getting rid of weird conspiracy theories from your brain and your mind. 

    Pro tip: kit ChatGPT app on your iPhone iPad, and don’t be a cheapo; subscribe to the paid premium edition only 20 bucks a month, and start doing these type of searches:

    Common misconceptions about XYZ

    Or

    Help me debunk some conspiracy theories about XYZ

    For example, common misconceptions about Catholicism, Judaism, Islam etc. Or the Quran.

    Or help me debunk theories that Jewish people run the world blah blah blah. Or that Hitler, according to operation paperclip, was in fact never killed or captured, but ended up being shipped to Antarctica to live in a bunker, where he really died.

    My overall critique about Google the Internet YouTube, podcast, etc.… Essentially all these fools who think they are so wise… Strange fellows like Alex Jones, even people on the left or the right or the middle or the right, alt left, and anarchists all of them… All of them are fools. 

    My simple tip or heuristic is this: trust no man or women on YouTube, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, podcast, etc. Especially if it is supported by advertising or them trying to sell their own products.

    In fact, I think the interesting thing is when you actually make your money your fortune from some other random independent thing. For example now, I’m currently building my Empire Fortune and crypto, cryptocurrency. Therefore as a consequence, I have 100% free reign and freedom and independence to just talk about whatever is on my mind, irregardless of whatever. 

    ***

    Off the grid thinking

    To me the grid is an interesting metaphor for a lot of things. The grid could be standard conventional thinking, “rules” and regulations, a lot of of the modern day BS.

    I think primarily my superpower in life is my ability to disdain ignore and find ridiculous all of these “rules”. In fact, at least in real life, I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody as interesting as myself. The only other interesting people I think, or maybe Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Kanye West. To me actually they are very relatable.

    The photographer philosopher

    Come on… It is 2024, you’re still on Instagram? To me Instagram is like eating McDonald’s hamburgers. Not proper.

    Also, I’m still a bit confused… why don’t more people photographers just start their own private websites and blogs? And no no no, do not use squarespace it sucks. Also fun dirty secret, maybe about four or five years ago I got an email from Squarespace, saying that if I converted my whole website and blogging into Squarespace they would give me $15,000 or something. It was the easiest no I ever said in my life. Honestly speaking, I don’t even think I do it for $1 million? Unless there is something the updated which is really good. Maybe I would do it for 100 million?

    To somebody who says they cannot be bought out by money, you’re just not offering them enough money (TALEB)

    To me the reason why I find the photography so critical is that ultimately we are visual creatures. What sells cars? Design. Design marketing, the idealized concept of something.

    Design is God.

    Mind blown

    Once again the new Tesla model 3, I think it actually looks 500 times cooler than any other Tesla car out there. And I’m glad that I am a late adopter, and I was not one of these unfortunates who bought an early model Tesla model model 3 or any other Tesla car. In fact, a lot of the Tesla cars are already starting to look dated. For example the original Tesla model S is outdated, even the slightly newer Tesla model S cars, that don’t have the yoke steering look very outdated. I feel bad for those people who spent a lot of money on the infamous Tesla P 100 D, to only see it dated by the plaid. And now, I’m pretty certain that sooner or later the plate is going to be replaced and outdated by something else too.

    Or even another basic thing; people who bought the Tesla model three in the early days, with the chrome trim.

    Even the Tesla model X, the newer versions look far better. And have a unique color.

    What design is truly critical in a car? 

    To me the most important thing in a car is the steering wheel, because you look at it all the time, then the interior and dashboard, and also the back of the car. And also specifically the door side driver side entrance, and also the rear left passenger side door, where I get in and out and load Seneca into his car seat and the car.

    Technically the front of the car is not that important, because if you park in a spot like a normal person, you never look at the front of the car. You almost ever look at the back of it.

    Also in terms of the car, the steering wheel is the most critical thing because he used it all the time. To me for a Tesla car, either yolk steering or nothing. Even the new Tesla model three the steering wheel looks really cool. Also the new cybertruck the new steering wheel looks very cool. 

    Also a subtle thing I learned when researching Ferrari, doing the 3-D modeling tours of inside the car, it is actually very interesting to me that the Ferrari logo is a bright yellow background with the prancing horse and black. Having that emblem on the steering wheel inspires confidence.

    Maybe this is why Ferrari is superior to Lamborghini; technically if you think about it, the Lamborghini is just a very expensive Volkswagen Passat. The Lamborghini Urus is just an expensive Volkswagen Touareg.

    The Ferrari is interesting because it is still to a certain extent, a purebred. Ferrari is Ferrari, owned by Ferrari, not some other weird parent company. And also I think it is good that Ferrari is its own stock ticker - RACE. Typically I never trust a thing which is just a subsidiary of another thing. 

    Sharing your thoughts

    A simple way to live life, and to make an impact or whatever is to just share your thoughts. It is funny because people say all this ridiculous things like “That is just your opinion!” The best response: “Of course it is my opinion! That’s why I said it!” Opinion, opine, just means to think.

    This is where philosophy is very useful: people think that there are certain notions of “facts“, especially in the realm of statistics, but probably the most useful thing of studying sociology, is understanding that statistics is just a scam. I learned from Cindy (cindyanguyen.com), in her book and dissertation, that the notion of statistics comes from the state. The general idea is that statistics was a measuring tool invented by the state in order to track measure progress, something that the French colonists and colonial administrators did when colonizing Vietnam and her other territories, and also, what the Chinese communists did under Mao Zedong, and also the Vietnamese communists also did. The general idea was this:

    In order to track the legitimacy of something and the progress of something (let us not forget that the notion of “progress“ is a feeble modern day notion)– is that we gotta track the growth of something in numbers.

    Do you remember in BRAVE NEW WORLD, when in the beginning of the book they talk about how they were able to distill human birth human children in test tubes then said — Progress.

    So therefore let us not forget, the notion of “progress“ is not a distinct one. It is a modern one. 

    Numbers are boring

    I don’t trust nobody who either has some sort of loser Apple Watch, Fitbit tracker, has Instagram, or applies any metrics to their life. The only metric I find useful is maybe increasing your one repetition maximum in your weightlifting, simply as a measure to know that you’re increasing the weight. But besides that, things which are bad include weighing yourself on the scale, because you don’t know how much of that is body fat adipose tissue, how much of that is skeletal muscle mass, and even other things that people don’t talk about… how much of that weight is bones, sinews, blood and water?  

    A simple New Year’s resolution is this year, throw your scale in the trash, donate it or whatever, and never weigh yourself.

    Both men and women are foolish: they track weight as a measure of their self-worth. But, the goal is to increase skeletal muscle mass, and decrease body adipose fat tissue. This is something that scale cannot do, the closest thing is either a fat caliper, or just look at yourself in the mirror. Pinch your belly fat, or look at the fat in your face, or, you want to get rid of the infamous fat rolls in the back of your neck. Something that I see that Kanye West has.

    “It is simple: if it jiggles, it is fat.”- Arnold S

    Why are we no longer permitted to be independent interesting thinkers?

    It is weird, in today’s world, in America at least… We truly do have the greatest system for independent thinking and thought. Here unlike other countries, you will not get jailed for sharing your opinion. Even the most politically liberal or advanced countries in the world pale in comparison to America.

    The problem though here is that all sides, all parties, all individuals are “nudged“ either into the left or the right, even this notion of being a political or being an anarchist or whatever is also just another lemming sheep mentality.

    Or another words, put zero faith in anybody who watches any news, doesn’t matter if it is NPR, Fox News, Al Jazeera whatever. The simple heuristic is this: if it is being funded by advertising, google Adsense revenue, it is not to be consumed. 

    Only trust things that you are spending your real money on. This means, stop using Google. Google is a “free” service, and the way they make money is by sensationalism and banner advertising. Even nowadays I’m stopping to use Google maps, having those annoying Square advertisements that pop up when I’m driving, I almost feel like that is borderline unethical. Why? It distracts me from driving, I wonder if it will lead me to getting into a car accident one day? Google, whoever did that I google, Google maps team whatever… Shame on you.

    Apple Maps is the inferior product, but at least it is not supported by advertising. Get rid of Google maps use Apple Maps instead. 


    First, focus on your health physiology exercise and physiological well-being and everything else will follow

    The quality of your thoughts are simply an offshoot of the quality of your bodily physiological health.

    For example just think; if you only sleep 30 minutes a night, four days or weeks on then, what do you think will be the quality of your thoughts? Optimistic joyful and happy? Or weird, morose, dark?

    Or other thoughts, imagine like you’re in heroin addict, or hooked on some sort of meth. What will be the quality of your thoughts?

    This is why I trust no thinker or individual who partakes and drugs, alcohol and weed. Although both are quite mainstream now. Why?

    A lot of people are alcoholics, and a lot of people also apparently do a lot of writing and production of music and artwork when they’re drunk, which is bad. Even Kanye West, his a low-key alcoholic on and off, I think he said all the anti-Jewish stuff when he was drunk. And on Twitter. Being drunk and on Twitter at the same time or Facebook, not a good idea.

    Also weed, weed is so mainstream now, it is not really seen as a big deal. But I also think it is foolish that some people think that weed has no effect on your thinking. Even Kendrick Lamar, his only vice is maybe Froot Loops and Captain crunch cereal.

    “You let the meds talk I let my soul talk ayy!” – Kendrick

    The reason why we should not trust any artists, rappers, musicians or whatever who are addicted to drugs any type of drugs, and yes, weed marijuana is drug… They’re thinking will not be pure. They’re thinking will be too overly saturated with the weird effect of drugs, anti-depressants, uppers and downers whatever.

    Even Elon Musk, I rate him highly, but if you read the Walter Isaacson biography on him, he will discover that he drinks too much alcohol late at night, and just drinks Red Bull to stay awake. Not good.


    Sober thinkers?

    Am I the only millennial I know who doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke weed or take drugs? And have never been to a concert, EDM thing, etc.?

    The only concert ever went to in my life was by myself, to a Yeezus  concert at the Oakland Coliseum, Kanye performing live. The coolest thing of all time.

    How alcohol is strange

    A very weird trend I have discovered is this weird trend: get a bunch of tattoos, drink a bunch of craft beer, wear sunglasses and some sort of trucker hat, wear flannel, drive some sort of big truck or whatever, and to make the purpose of your life to just drink exotic craft beer?

    To quote Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon, did you go to his personal website and look at his new section, he said he was never into watching sports and drinking beer because it just made you stupid and fat and lazy.

    Even the ancient Roman and Greek philosophers thought it was a bad idea to drink wine, too much wine. The Greek Dionysian
    God baccaus was the God of wine drunkenness and the dark.  he was the original Satyr; essentially imagine these weird goblins with goat horns.  or imagine the original “furry“.


    Thoughts and money?

    Is the purpose or end goal is to increase the quality of your thoughts, the productivity of your thoughts in order to become richer, to earn more money? No.

    I think the ultimate goal is to become wiser, more critical in order to become more powerful. Power is simple.


    Some tools to get you thinking

    I have an intervening thought: in order to stimulate your mind, you first got a stimulate your body. That means, extremely heavy weightlifting to get your blood and your mind flowing.

    A very simple one is purchased weightlifting equipment on the Internet, just work out at home, in your backyard front lawn, even you’re off the grid parking lot in the back of your apartment which I am doing right now.

    The very very simple thoughts to exercise and fitness is do exercises and lifts which promote standing. Or walking. Upright exercises. This includes Farmer’s carries, dead lift walk, squat walk, Atlas lift etc.

    The big issue at hand is a lot of these exercises at the gym and in traditional mainstream media has to deal with some sort of sitting or pressing motion. For example bench press, floor press, dump press, decline, seated military press, seated dumbbell press etc. But the critical flaw of these exercises is that they are all done while sedentary or lying on your back. And the big downside of this is that it doesn’t promote your walking or your posture, which might be the two most critical things.

    I also thought to myself, what is it that causes the most amount of injuries? Any sort of pressing motion. Once again, bench press, shoulder press military press etc. There is almost virtually no injury that happens with any lifting motion, caring motion, or walking motion.

    Also, using some sort of power rack, squat rack, or even getting some cinderblocks from Home Depot. Essentially if you’re tall, elevating the barbell off the floor.

    Also one big thing that I’ve discovered, the great upside of not going to the gym anymore is that I’ve been exercising more in the authentic and honest way; I’m not lifting weights anymore to impress other people, I’m just there to use weightlifting as a philosophical tool to think better, to think stronger etc.


    so what is the point of philosophy and thinking anyways?

    The end goal of philosophy thinking etc. is not to make money, but rather, to excel and exceed in life. Also happiness. Everyone wants to become happy, or happier, even Aristotle says happiness is the only thing that men seek for the sake of itself.

    People always think that having more money will make them more happy, but this is not true. Often having more money can make you more miserable, as often having more money causes more stress anxiety etc.

    For example, let us say that you had $100 million in your Coinbase account, your bitcoin wallet whatever. You will probably end up using some sort of super secure password to lock and secure your assets. But the stress and the anxiety and the fear of having your phone stolen, your identity stolen etc. is even larger. And also the richer you get, the more you become a target to theft, identity theft, real life theft, even physical violence thread. Never forget the story of when Kim Kardashian tweeted where she was at, in Paris, and abruptly got held up at gunpoint from two mast robbers, demanding her jewelry and her pearl necklaces and diamonds, otherwise they would shoot her.

    “What do you want me to do, drive around in a bulletproof car and with some tints”? – Kanye


    Empty your mind

    The best way to empty your mind is to delete Instagram, delete Twitter, even delete email in Gmail from your phone. Delete YouTube podcasts etc.

     even music, modern day music. Even in music somebody is trying to sell you something. Maybe we should go back to the ancients, the ancient music, the ancient arts. Listen to dead composers, Beethoven and Mozart etc. Why? They’re not trying to sell you Lamborghinis or other nonsense.


    Zen the fuck out (Big Sean)

    Rather than adding obligations to your life, seem to remove or delete or subtract obligations from your life. This means, don’t take on more work, more contracts, more obligations. Rather seek to subtract all obligations to close to zero, even with the promise of a lot of money.

    In fact I almost feel that is easier and better and more straightforward to make the big bucks speculating in cryptocurrency, crypto, and the market rather than just seeking some sort of consulting gigs.


    What am I betting on?

    For me, the big advancements I perceive in the future include AI, crypto, chain-link, bitcoin, open AI and Microsoft, ChatGPT and beyond.

    What am I anti-? I am short Apple, Google. If you look at Google Bart, Google ChatGPT competitor, it is at least 100,000x times worse than  chatGPT 4. For example I asked Google Bard who ERIC KIM was, and it said that I was a landscape and travel photographer? Terrible. 


    Why does the future matter?

    to me, technology and the future is all about optimism, happiness and joy. If we want brighter more glorious future, we need optimism. The hope of a beautiful future, blue skies, clear skies, lots of sunshine, pure joy.

    ERIC


    Random thoughts

    I just toured equinox, and was very unimpressed. It is like an LA fitness with a better conscience. Also you know it is not a good gym because the barbells suck. 


  • THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING

    First, start walking in order to think. 


    So something I have not really came across yet is the philosophy of thinking. Why think, what does it mean to think, why does it matter?

    First and foremost, thoughts govern the planet. For example, almost everything in life and in the world, is predicated on notions of thought and thinking. No thoughts, no future. 

    For example, it looks like Tesla is about to conquer the planet. The new redesign Tesla model three is mind blowing. They made the steering wheel more beautiful, they made the interior design supply me beautiful; an integrated curve, Steve Jobs and Jony Ive would be proud!

    Also I think that ambient lighting thing inside the car is super cool. Some people might think it is gimmicky, but I think it is awesome! I remember when I first saw the integrated lighting booth thing in some Mercedes cars, and I think there is something to be said about light, Light therapy; colors affect our mood. 

    For example, anyone who says that colors don’t matter is a full. Would you want interior of your house to have bright red walls? Probably not if you don’t want to scream bloody murder inside your home.

    Or, for people who say that color don’t matter, would you want to wear an all green outfit, with bright pink fuchsia accents and shoes? Probably not.

    Cars run the planet?

     still in 2024, I am still shocked; it looks like cars run the planet. What this means is that it seemed that maybe 60% of our economic activity is around producing cars, selling cars, buying cars, design cars etc.

    For example I look at Hyundai, it is insane… Also the new Genesis Berlinetta concept car — also, the new Hyundai Grandeur and AZERA– like a futuristic Rolls-Royce for the future!

    ART

    The other day, it was free! The Lacma, L A Center for modern art, had this really insanely epic art exhibition, imagine like Legos and hot wheels on steroids; it was titled metropolis II, And imagine like a Connex erectors set, 1100 custom designed mini matchbox hot wheel cars, with this perpetual machine moving all of the cars in traffic and buses and reels, stacked on top of one another. Conjured ideas of that old-school 1920s metropolis film, in the future where everything is that, flying cars etc. or also, a vision of a topic science-fiction future, kind of like Blade Runner, or that one futuristic movie that Bruce Willis was in.

    I love this exhibit so much because it’s stimulated my mind, and also, Seneca’s mind was blown! I think I rated as the best art exhibit solution of all time. I could probably watch it for hours, and not get bored.

    If you’re in LA, Southern California whatever, I think it is a critical experience you must go to in person. Also what makes it a great exhibit is that it can be enjoyed by both children and adults, all ages. It is essentially a microcosm of cities, urban living, traffic and cars. The UltimateUltimate Takeaway point: 

    We all think we are so unique and individual, and special, based on superficial things whether we drive an orange sports car or whatever, but in fact, we are all just the same! A bunch of lemmings!

    Sociology is great

    So I was born in 1988, and I attended UCLA as an undergraduate, I started in 2006, graduated 2010. I wish I got into bitcoin earlier in 2009, when my roommate Kevin told me about it, I think when he first saw it on Reddit. He said that we should both put about 100 bucks into it and see what happened. I shrugged my shoulders and said “meh — nah, probably a scam”. if I do the math, 100 bucks, I think at the time somebody spent 20,000 bitcoin to buy a pizza on Domino’s or whatever, the infamous $500 million pizza, basically… What would 100 bucks times a penny be? How many bitcoin could that have purchased me? And what would it be worth today?

    In life it is fine to make a mistake, and make a regret. But not twice. This is why and why I’m going back into bitcoin.

    anyways back to sociology, I think the reason why I think it is such a phenomenal framework to understand the world in society is that I think all of this is just a sociological phenomenon. Society, capital, capitalism, living lifestyle whatever… I think about 80% or 85% of it is based on certain sociological principles. 

    Also, to understand the market, economics, I think it is all sociology. To understand human fear, scams, fraud etc. 

     also, I think studying sociology has made me unlearn a lot of the BS. To quote Karl Popper, via TALEB– the idea of falsification, subtraction, or the general ideas that in order to become more wise, you just got a subtract delete or get rid of foolishness, nonsense.

    For example, conspiracy theories. Only fools believe in them. Even if they are real, it doesn’t even really matter.

    Therefore a great advancement in ourselves our thinking etc. is subtracting deleting or getting rid of weird conspiracy theories from your brain and your mind. 

    Off the grid thinking

    To me the grid is an interesting metaphor for a lot of things. The grid could be standard conventional thinking, “rules” and regulations, a lot of of the modern day BS.

    I think primarily migrate power in life is my ability to distain ignore and find ridiculous all of these “rules”. In fact, at least in real life, I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody as interesting as myself. The only other interesting people I think, or maybe Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Kanye West. To me actually they are very relatable.

    The photographer philosopher

    Come on… It is 2024, you’re still on Instagram? To me Instagram is like eating McDonald’s hamburgers. Not proper.

    Also, I’m still a bit confused… Why don’t more people people just start their own private websites and blogs? And no no no, do not use square space it sucks. Also fun dirty secret, maybe about four or five years ago I got an email from Square space, saying that if I converted my whole website and logging into Square space it would give me $15,000 or something. It was the easiest no I ever said in my life. Honestly speaking, I don’t even think I do it for $1 million? Unless there is something the updated which is really good.

    To me the reason why I find the photography so critical is that ultimately we are visual creatures. What sells cars? Design. Design marketing, the idealized concept of something.

    Design is God.

    Once again the new Tesla model three, I think it actually looks 500 times cooler than any other Tesla car out there. And I’m glad that I am a late adopter, and I was not one of these unfortunate who bought an early model Tesla model model three or any other Tesla car.

    To me the most important thing in a car is the steering wheel, because you look at it all the time, then interior and dashboard, and also the back of the car. And also specifically the door side driver side entrance, and also the rear left passenger side door, where I get in and out and load Seneca into his car seat and the car.

    Sharing your thoughts

    A simple way to live life, and to make an impact or whatever is to just share your thoughts. It is funny because people say all this ridiculous things like “that is just your opinion!” The best response: “of course it is my opinion!” Opinion, opine, just means to think.

    This is where philosophy is very useful: people think that there are certain notions of “facts“, especially in the realm of statistics, but probably the most useful thing of studying sociology, is understanding that statistics is just a scam. I learned from Cindy (cindyanguyen.com), in her book and dissertation,  that the notion of statistics comes from the state. The general idea is that statistics was a measuring tool invented by the state in order to track measure progress, something that the French colonists and colonial administrators did when colonizing Vietnam and her other territories, and also, what the Chinese communist under Modon, and also the Vietnamese communists also did. The general idea was this:

    in order to track the legitimacy of something in the progress of something (let us not forget that the notion of “progress“ is a feeble modern day notion)– is that we got a track the growth of something in numbers.

    Numbers are boring

    I don’t trust nobody who either has some sort of loser Apple Watch, Fitbit tracker, has Instagram, or applies any metrics to their life. The only metric I find useful is maybe increasing your one repetition maximum in your weightlifting, simply as a measure to know that you’re increasing the weight. But besides that, things which are bad include white yourself on the scale, because you don’t know how much of that is body fat adipose tissue, how much of that is skeletal muscle mass, and even other things that people don’t talk about… How much of that weight is bones, sinews, Blood and water?  

    Both men and women are foolish: they tracked weight as a measure of their self-worth. But, the goal is to increase skeletal muscle mass, and decrease body adipose fat tissue. This is something that scale cannot do, the closest thing is either a fat caliper, or just look at yourself in the mirror. Pincher belly fat, or look at the fat in your face, or, you want to get rid of the infamous pet rules in the back of your neck. Something that I see that Kanye West has.

    Why are we no longer permitted to be independent interesting thinkers?

    It is weird, in today’s world, in America at least… We truly do have the greatest system for independent thinking and thought. Here unlike other countries, you will not get jailed for sharing your opinion. Even the most politically liberal or advanced countries in the world pale in comparison to America.

    The problem though here is that all sides, all parties, all individuals are “nudged“ either into the left or the right, even this notion of being a political or being an anarchist or whatever is also just another lemming sheep mentality.

    Or another words, put zero faith in anybody who watches any news, doesn’t matter if it is NPR, Fox News, Al Jazeera whatever. The simple heuristic is this: if it is being funded by advertising, google Adsense revenue, it is not to be consumed. 

    Only trust things that you are spending your real money on. This means, stop using Google. Google is a “free” service, and the way they make money is by sensationalism and banner advertising. Even nowadays I’m stopping to use Google maps, having those annoying Square advertisements that pop up when I’m driving, I almost feel like that is borderline unethical. Why? It distracts me from driving, I wonder if it will lead me to getting into a car accident one day? Google, whoever did that I google, Google maps team whatever… Shame on you.

    Apple Maps is the inferior product, but at least it is not supported by advertising. Get rid of Google maps use Apple Maps instead. 


    First, focus on your health physiology exercise and physiological well-being and everything else will follow

    The quality of your thoughts are simply an offshoot of the quality of your bodily physiological health.

    For example just think; if you only sleep 30 minutes a night, four days or weeks on then, what do you think will be the quality of your thoughts? Optimistic joyful and happy? Or weird, morose, dark?

    Or other thoughts, imagine like you’re in heroin addict, or hooked on some sort of meth. What will be the quality of your thoughts?

    This is why I trust no thinker or individual who partakes and drugs, alcohol and weed. Although both are quite mainstream now. Why?

    A lot of people are alcoholics, and a lot of people also apparently do a lot of writing and production of music and artwork when they’re drunk, which is bad. Even Kanye West, his a low-key alcoholic on and off, I think he said all the anti-Jewish stuff when he was drunk. And on Twitter. Being drunk and on Twitter at the same time or Facebook, not a good idea.

    Also weed, weed is so mainstream now, it is not really seen as a big deal. But I also think it is foolish that some people think that weed has no effect on your thinking. Even Kendrick Lamar, his only vice is maybe Froot Loops and Captain crunch cereal.

    “You let the meds talk I let my soul talk ayy!” – Kendrick

    The reason why we should not trust any artists, rappers, musicians or whatever who are addicted to drugs any type of drugs, and yes, weed marijuana is drug… They’re thinking will not be pure. They’re thinking will be too overly saturated with the weird effect of drugs, anti-depressants, uppers and downers whatever.

    Even Elon Musk, I rate him highly, but if you read the Walter Isaacson biography on him, he will discover that he drinks too much alcohol late at night, and just drinks Red Bull to stay awake. Not good.


    Sober thinkers?

    Am I the only millennial I know who doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke weed or take drugs? And have never been to a concert, EDM thing, etc.?

    The only concert ever went to in my life was by myself, to a Yeezus  concert at the Oakland Coliseum, Kanye performing live. The coolest thing of all time.

    How alcohol is strange

    A very weird trend I have discovered is this weird trend: get a bunch of tattoos, drink a bunch of craft beer, wear sunglasses and some sort of trucker hat, wear flannel, drive some sort of big truck or whatever, and to make the purpose of your life to just drink exotic craft beer?

    To quote Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon, did you go to his personal website and look at his new section, he said he was never into watching sports and drinking beer because it just made you stupid and fat and lazy.

    Even the ancient Roman and Greek philosophers thought it was a bad idea to drink wine, too much wine. The Greek Dionysian
    God baccaus was the God of wine drunkenness and the dark.  he was the original Satyr; essentially imagine these weird goblins with goat horns.  or imagine the original “furry“.


    Thoughts and money?

    Is the purpose or end goal is to increase the quality of your thoughts, the productivity of your thoughts in order to become richer, to earn more money? No.

    I think the ultimate goal is to become wiser, more critical in order to become more powerful. Power is simple.


    Some tools to get you thinking

    I have an intervening thought: in order to stimulate your mind, you first got a stimulate your body. That means, extremely heavy weightlifting to get your blood and your mind flowing.

    A very simple one is purchased weightlifting equipment on the Internet, just work out at home, in your backyard front lawn, even you’re off the grid parking lot in the back of your apartment which I am doing right now.

    The very very simple thoughts to exercise and fitness is do exercises and lifts which promote standing. Or walking. Upright exercises. This includes Farmer’s carries, dead lift walk, squat walk, Atlas lift etc.

    The big issue at hand is a lot of these exercises at the gym and in traditional mainstream media has to deal with some sort of sitting or pressing motion. For example bench press, floor press, dump press, decline, seated military press, seated dumbbell press etc. But the critical flaw of these exercises is that they are all done while sedentary or lying on your back. And the big downside of this is that it doesn’t promote your walking or your posture, which might be the two most critical things.

    I also thought to myself, what is it that causes the most amount of injuries? Any sort of pressing motion. Once again, bench press, shoulder press military press etc. There is almost virtually no injury that happens with any lifting motion, caring motion, or walking motion.

    Also, using some sort of power rack, squat rack, or even getting some cinderblocks from Home Depot. Essentially if you’re tall, elevating the barbell off the floor.

    Also one big thing that I’ve discovered, the great upside of not going to the gym anymore is that I’ve been exercising more in the authentic and honest way; I’m not lifting weights anymore to impress other people, I’m just there to use weightlifting as a philosophical tool to think better, to think stronger etc.


    so what is the point of philosophy and thinking anyways?

    The end goal of philosophy thinking etc. is not to make money, but rather, to excel and exceed in life. Also happiness. Everyone wants to become happy, or happier, even Aristotle says happiness is the only thing that men seek for the sake of itself.

    People always think that having more money will make them more happy, but this is not true. Often having more money can make you more miserable, as often having more money causes more stress anxiety etc.

    For example, let us say that you had $100 million in your Coinbase account, your bitcoin wallet whatever. You will probably end up using some sort of super secure password to lock and secure your assets. But the stress and the anxiety and the fear of having your phone stolen, your identity stolen etc. is even larger. And also the richer you get, the more you become a target to theft, identity theft, real life theft, even physical violence thread. Never forget the story of when Kim Kardashian tweeted where she was at, in Paris, and abruptly got held up at gunpoint from two mast robbers, demanding her jewelry and her pearl necklaces and diamonds, otherwise they would shoot her.

    “What do you want me to do, drive around in a bulletproof car and with some tints”? – Kanye


    Empty your mind

    The best way to empty your mind is to delete Instagram, delete Twitter, even delete email in Gmail from your phone. Delete YouTube podcasts etc.

     even music, modern day music. Even in music somebody is trying to sell you something. Maybe we should go back to the ancients, the ancient music, the ancient arts. Listen to dead composers, Beethoven and Mozart etc. Why? They’re not trying to sell you Lamborghinis or other nonsense.


    Zen the fuck out (Big Sean)

    Rather than adding obligations to your life, seem to remove or delete or subtract obligations from your life. This means, don’t take on more work, more contracts, more obligations. Rather seek to subtract all obligations to close to zero, even with the promise of a lot of money.

    In fact I almost feel that is easier and better and more straightforward to make the big bucks speculating in cryptocurrency, crypto, and the market rather than just seeking some sort of consulting gigs.


    What am I betting on?

    For me, the big advancements I perceive in the future include AI, crypto, chain-link, bitcoin, open AI and Microsoft, ChatGPT and beyond.

    What am I anti-? I am short Apple, Google. If you look at Google Bart, Google ChatGPT competitor, it is at least 100,000x times worse than  chatGPT 4. For example I asked Google Bard who ERIC KIM was, and it said that I was a landscape and travel photographer? Terrible. 


    Why does the future matter?

    to me, technology and the future is all about optimism, happiness and joy. If we want brighter more glorious future, we need optimism. The hope of a beautiful future, blue skies, clear skies, lots of sunshine, pure joy.

    ERIC


    Random thoughts

    I just tore equinox, and was very unimpressed. It is like an LA fitness with a better conscience. Also you know it is not a good gym because the barbells suck. 


  • Bitcoin

    OK, technically bitcoin is not really “worth anything“. Rather, it is also a bit of a fiat currency; people have faith in bitcoin, crypto, crypto technology, they essentially have faith in technology.

    Finally as of 2024, I finally find bitcoin and crypto to be very very useful, ever since the advent of the Coinbase visa debit card, you can actually use your earnings profits and from your cryptocurrency assets, to buy real things like meat at Costco! Or a simpler thing is to just cash out some of your profits from your cryptocurrency gains, transfer it to your traditional bank system, then use that to pay rent money utilities etc.

    Also where I find using a Coinbase visa debit card for expenses and things is interesting because, the promise that the value will go up in the future.

    A $500 million dollar pizza? 

    The funniest story of all time, I think in 2009, when somebody on the Internet ordered a Domino’s Pizza for 20,000 bitcoin, I think as of now, assuming that bitcoin is worth maybe 40,000 a bitcoin or something… That is a $500 million pizza.

    This is also made me a little bit more considerate about finances; for example, if you spend 100 bucks today on that stupid thing, what if that hundred dollars today could be worth a million dollars 30 years from now? 

    This is where time discounting, in time utility of money is interesting;

    How critical valuable or whatever is that thing right now, versus the possible utility of it 30 years from now? Or even three, 5, 10, 12, 20 years from now? 


    CRYPTO BY KIM

    Bitcoin Spartan deadlift Eric Kim ai Dall e 3
    BITCOIN-CAMERA-ERIC-KIM-BACK-

    Brave new world for photographers and crypto:

    1. Ethereum?
    2. Why Chainlink?
    3. BIG AMOUNTS, SMALL AMOUNTS?
    4. CRYPTO, CRYPTOCURRENCY THOUGHTS.
    5. The Philosophy of Crypto
    6. BITCOIN SHALL BE THE LAST CRYPTO STANDING.
    7. Bitcoin Price Prediction
    8. Trust chainlink for the most accurate prices for bitcoin or any other crypto
    9. BITCOIN
    10. There is No Web 3.0
    11. 2 cents to 2 dollars?
    12. Crypto.com?
    13. Speculation vs Investing
    14. Building with Bitcoin
    15. DYNAMICS VS STATICS.
    16. How Do You Know if the Timing Is Right?
    17. BITCOIN IN THE NEWS
    18. BITCOIN & UNCERTAINTY
    19. Fake Money
    20. Why I Bought More Bitcoin (Again)
    21. How I Made Money with Crypto
    22. Better to buy Dogecoin then buy a Tesla
    23. NO LIMITS.
    24. ALL DIGITAL FUTURE.
    25. Digital over Physical Possessions
    26. DIGIBYTE.
    27. CHAINLINK.
    28. The Excitement of Starting from Zero
    29. HAPTIC INDUSTRIES NOW ACCEPTING CRYPTO AND BITCOIN
    30. In Praise of Crypto
    31. JUST BUY IT.
    32. Why I’m So Bullish on Bitcoin
    33. Bitcoin as the Simplest Cryptocurrency
    34. Why I bought (more) bitcoin
    35. Once You Become a Crypto Billionaire, Then What?
    36. Why Crypto is Under-Hyped
    37. The Joy of Speculation
    38. BITCOIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
    39. Why I Bought Bitcoin
    40. Crypto Photography
    41. Crypto Thoughts
    42. On Making Money from Nothing
  • THE GOOD PAIN

    A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN, DISCOMFORT OR (LIMITED) SUFFERING IS NOT A LIFE WORTH LIVING?

    Now that winter is upon us … at least for myself, I hate the cold. To me, the cold is evil.

    Yet when I’m in a position in which I feel *no* cold at all … no pain, no discomfort during the cold winter months, for some reason … something in life feels lacking?

    I think the subtle nuance is this:

    The pain, discomfort or whatever you feel has to be of a *LIMITED* duration.

    For example feeling pain, discomfort whatever for 5 seconds, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour is fine. But not *prolonged* and continual and nonstop pain, suffering, discomfort.

    Or in other words, cold weather training (working out topless during the winter time) for short durations like 15 minutes is fine, assuming you rush home and take an insanely hot bath or shower to warm up again, but to do it *indefinitely*— a bad idea.

    PHILOSOPHY BY KIM

    IDEAS BY KIM

    1. BIGGER IS WEAKER.
    2. How to Become a Philosopher
    3. Deep Vanity
    4. Time Will Tell
    5. What is Wisdom?
    6. LOOK *BEYOND*
    7. BECOMING MORE IMMORAL?
    8. ‘LUCK’ VS COURAGE
    9. ‘SKILL’ VS MERIT?
    10. Becoming Antifragile
    11. How to “Improve” Men
    12. The Art of Virtue
    13. How to Dominate
    14. JUST SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND WISDOM WITH OTHERS.
    15. How to Get More Done in a Single Day – MEMENTO MORI PHILOSOPHY
    16. THINK FOR YOURSELF
    17. Cruel?
    18. GO DEMIGOD.
    19. How to Be Happy: Challenge and Danger Philosophy
    20. To Become Greater, You Must Become *LESS* Productive!
    21. Imperfect Beauty
    22. The Philosophy of Pleasure
    23. What Interests You?
    24. Anti Theory of Everything
    25. Become?
    26. STRONGER OR NOT?
    27. Carte Blanche Ideals
    28. CHOOSE JOY
    29. Don’t Judge Your Impulses
    30. On Becoming Less Human
    31. COWARDICE.
    32. The Philosophy of Futurism
    33. PHILOSOPHY IS VALUE-SETTING
    34. PHILOSOPHY IS NOT LIFESTYLE
    35. WHY STANDARDIZATION IS BAD.
    36. YOUR OWN TABLE OF VALUES.
    37. RETRO IS BAD.
    38. INSANELY LOFTY THOUGHTS.
    39. Strive to *Lose* Weight, Not *Gain* Weight
    40. DIABLO II ANALOGIES FOR REAL LIFE.
    41. If You Know Your *WHY* You Can Discover Any *HOW*
    42. Life is Too Short to Be Miserable
    43. What Consumption Takes Skill?
    44. OFF THE GRID.
    45. REALITY IS CRUEL.
    46. Pain is Information
    47. WHY REMOVE VULGARITY AND DISORDER FROM OUR EYES?
    48. AUTOTELIC.
    49. UNPLUG.
    50. How to Become a Philosopher
    51. SUBOPTIMAL IS OPTIMAL
    52. THE LUST FOR MORE.
    53. TO DO IS TO BECOME.
    54. IN PRAISE OF AGGRESSIVE.
    55. THE PHILOSOPHY OF OPTIMISM
    56. OUR PHILOSOPHICAL WILL TO EXISTENCE
    57. Is Hope a Vice?
    58. MOVE MEAN
    59. Carte Blanche Ideals
    60. One Interesting Thought
    61. What Lasts? What Doesn’t Last?
    62. A WOUND STIMULATES THE RECUPERATIVE POWERS
    63. Children & Purpose
    64. Thoughts on Becoming a Parent
    65. Where Does Our Desire to Upgrade Come From?
    66. WE ALWAYS NEED SOMETHING FURTHER TO ASPIRE TO.
    67. Self-Task Yourself an Awesome Mission in Life
    68. Differentiation vs Equalization
    69. My Passion to *Become* Something More
    70. No Aesthetic or Ethos is Forever
    71. What is Your Higher Purpose in Life?
    72. IT WILL NEVER SATISFY YOU.
    73. How to Decide
    74. Things You *Want* to Do vs Things You *MUST* Do
    75. Towards a More Beautiful Mode of Existence and Future
    76. EXTREME GRATITUDE.
    77. AMAP (As Much as Possible) or None.
    78. Why or How Does it Matter?
    79. The Philosophy of Time and Events
    80. How *Not* to Resent
    81. FORWARD LOOKING
    82. DOMAIN FLEXIBILITY.
    83. The Miracle of Human Growth
    84. EXTREME ADAPTATION.
    85. Why Plan?
    86. You Don’t Need to Justify Yourself
    87. The Philosophy of Ego
    88. True vs False Passions
    89. How to Achieve Tranquility
    90. On Making Your Own Philosophy
    91. The Purpose of Life is to Create New Life
    92. Think On!
    93. The Wisdom of Doing Nothing
    94. Congruency
    95. My Thoughts on Meditation
    96. The Philosophy of Purpose
    97. Emulate Yourself
    98. Good Fear, Bad Fear
    99. For the Betterment of Humanity or Just Yourself?
    100. What you *really* believe in and care for is manifested through your actions (or non-actions)
    101. Why Culture is Your Enemy
    102. YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE KING.
    103. LIFE IS INHERENTLY GOOD.
    104. Artistic, Physical, and Philosophical Muscles
    105. All New Experiences are Good Experiences
    106. What is the Purpose of X?
    107. UTILITY.
    108. Philosophy is a Luxury
    109. The Attempt is More Interesting than the Result
    110. Joyfulness vs “Happiness”
    111. Effectiveness Over Happiness
    112. Self Actualization
    113. MAXIMAL ENGAGEMENT
    114. Life & Pain
    115. On Living Every Day with No Regret
    116. Learn as if you’re going to live forever, live as if you’re going to die tomorrow
    117. Live Every Day Like it Were the Last Day of Your Life
    118. Self-Determination
    119. FALSE GRATITUDE vs REAL GRATITUDE
    120. HOW TO LIVE MORE
    121. THE UPSIDE OF TRAGEDY
    122. Satisfaction is a Sucker’s Game
    123. Supreme Repose
    124. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? According to ERIC KIM
    125. STUBBORN, FLEXIBLE
    126. EVERYTHING HAPPENS AS IT *SHOULD* HAVE HAD HAPPENED
    127. Good Addiction, Bad Addiction?
    128. What is the Best Life?
    129. The Philosophy of Thinking
    130. The Philosophy of Conspiracies
    131. Conspiracies
    132. Growth
    133. Skepticism.
    134. What Do You Really Want Out of Life?
    135. Seem or Be?
    136. Learn Through Pain
    137. Respect Yourself
    138. In Praise of Elitism
    139. Why Independent Thinking?
    140. I Will Never Die
    141. Bitter is Better
    142. The Genesis of Nihilism and Existential Dread
    143. The Ethics of Personal Enrichment
    144. Good vs Not Good
    145. Punished by Privilege
    146. Abstinence Over Moderation
    147. Just Leave Others Alone
    148. You Can Only Critique that Which You Truly Understand and Love
    149. ERIC KIM Critique of Metaphysics
    150. Only Trust Philosophers Who Deadlift
    151. Heuristic: If Someone Talks Shit About Others Behind Their Back, Most Likely They’re Also Talking Shit About You Behind Your Back
    152. Virtue is a Privilege
    153. What Are Your Life Goals?
    154. Honesty
    155. Why I’m Anti Moderation
    156. No Spite, No Malice.
    157. Ascending Life or Descending Life?
    158. Double Edged Sword
    159. Ignorance.
    160. Why I Don’t Trust “Nice Guys”
    161. Why You Must Share Your Opinion
    162. Selfish Isn’t Evil
    163. Wisdom is the Goal
    164. YOU ARE KING.
    165. MASTER YOURSELF
    166. What is “Good” for You is Often what is Bad for You
    167. Care.
    168. BITTERSWEET
    169. ONE REP MAX
    170. Morality and Ethics is the Snare
    171. BY HELPING YOURSELF, YOU BEST HELP OTHERS
    172. Insanity is Good.
    173. Think Deep.
    174. PHILOSOPHY IS THE FUTURE.
    175. Open Mind vs Closed Mind
    176. ENTHUSIASM IS GENIUS
    177. Towards a More Critical and Rigorous Line of Thinking
    178. How to Encourage and a Foster Independent and Free Thinking
    179. What is the Purpose of Life?
    180. WHY PHILOSOPHY IS SUPREME.
    181. Elitism.
    182. I Cannot Form an Opinion About Somebody Until I’ve Met Them in the Flesh
    183. ALL GENETICS ARE GOOD GENETICS.
    184. Happiness vs Freedom
    185. The Birth of a Hater
    186. My Way Isn’t the Right Way
    187. Walking as an Existential Thing
    188. Why I’m So Tolerant
    189. Mortal Gods
    190. THE HUMAN SPECIES
    191. Why I’m So Skeptical
    192. Just Follow the Money
    193. Why Selfish?
    194. WHY WE CANNOT BLAME OTHERS
    195. Why Are We So Anti Elitism?
    196. What Actually Interests You?
    197. How to Become Yourself
    198. SELF HATE
    199. Optimistic Fatalism
    200. Death is the Ultimate Creative Constraint
    201. FLUX.
    202. How to Think for Yourself
    203. FLESH
    204. How to Live the Best Life
    205. Why Live a Life Without Regrets?
    206. Why Plato Ruined Art and Aesthetics for Us
    207. Self Respect
    208. Hypocrite vs Contradict
    209. Ideals vs Reality
    210. Spaceship Philosophy
    211. What is Your Ideal Life?
    212. MY EXTREME GRATITUDE TOWARDS LIFE AND BEING ALIVE!
    213. Critique of Utilitarianism
    214. Don’t Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated
    215. The Eternal Recurrence of Tragedy and Joy in Life
    216. Elite Asceticism
    217. Why I Don’t Like Numbers
    218. Action and Reaction, Cause and Effect
    219. The Antidote to Nihilism: The Philosophy of Nothingness
    220. ERIC KIM Notes on Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
    221. EXPLOIT CHAOS.
    222. WHY I DON’T BELIEVE IN GENETICS
    223. Self-Wisdom
    224. The Future Belongs to the Fearless
    225. INDIVIDUALISM
    226. Why Live Forever?
    227. THIS TOO WILL PASS.
    228. Why Education?
    229. How to Become Yourself
    230. Things Shouldn’t Go Back to the Way They Used to Be
    231. Why Am I So Cruel?
    232. The Great Joy of Existence
    233. Virtue for the Sake of Virtue
    234. NO DISDAIN.
    235. INTELLIGENT IGNORANCE
    236. A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN, DIFFICULTY OR TRAGEDY ISN’T A LIFE WORTH LIVING
    237. BITTER IS BETTER.
    238. EXPLOIT THE BEST FROM TRAGEDY AND LIFE 
    239. DISREGARD FOR SELF-PRESERVATION
    240. PAIN.
    241. WHAT IF EVERYTHING IS NOT GONNA BE ALRIGHT?
    242. Tomorrow is Never
    243. Life is the Ultimate Creative Constraint
    244. EMBODIED REALITY
    245. BLACK SWAN
    246. THINGS WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THE WAY THEY USED TO BE
    247. What are you *really* afraid of?
    248. HAPPINESS ISN’T THE GOAL
    249. Philosophy is King
    250. Why is Selfish Evil?
    251. YOU’RE CONSTANTLY IN A STATE OF BECOMING
    252. ENTITLEMENT A SIN?
    253. NARCISSISM
    254. BE BRUTALLY HONEST WITH YOURSELF
    255. WHY FREE WILL?
    256. OBEY YOUR OPINION
    257. EGO IS GOOD.
    258. WHY IT IS GOOD TO BE INTO YOURSELF
    259. Seek the Good Pain
    260. Anti-Perfection in Photography, Art, and Life
    261. Can You Become an End into Yourself?
    262. WHY I LIVE
    263. Why I Hate Decline
    264. Why I Eat
    265. Why am I So Positive and Optimistic?
    266. EFFORT IS ENJOYMENT
    267. Never Stop Gaining
    268. TRUST YOURSELF
    269. A Life of Maximal Personal Independence
    270. What Do You Desire to Become?
    271. What Do I Want from Technology?
    272. Stratified Society
    273. Do You Love or Hate Reality?
    274. On the Brian, Body and Mind
    275. I’m Maximally Happy, Now What?
    276. Care over Fame
    277. ACTIVE NIHILISM
    278. Never Stop Subtracting
    279. How to Live a Happier and More Epic Life
    280. A Risker Life is a Better Life
    281. Only Work on Things You Can Imagine Doing for Eternity
    282. How to Maximize Your Happiness
    283. Influence
    284. The Gladiator Makes His Plans once He Enters the Ring
    285. Meditations on Meaning in Life
    286. There is Nothing More Interesting than Human Beings
    287. Is Hope a Vice?
    288. EGO
    289. Why Be Unique?
    290. Happiness is Metabolism Health and Strength
    291. You’re the Hero
    292. Is Productivity a Virtue or Vice?
    293. Why Do We Prize the Rare?
    294. The Joy of Uncertainty
    295. How Should I Best Use My Time and Life?
    296. A Life Without Pain or Suffering Isn’t a Life Worth Living
    297. Free or Unfree?
    298. What Do You Really Care For in Life?
    299. Anti-Satisfaction in Life
    300. Why Think?
    301. The Eternal Return
    302. Only Do What is Best for You!
    303. Truthiness
    304. Why Be Happy?
    305. Permissionless Living
    306. In Praise of Unconventional Wisdom
    307. Become the Change Which You Wish to See in the World
    308. Happiness
    309. Beyond Freedom
    310. Idolize People, Not Stuff
    311. What Makes You Stronger? What Makes You Weaker?
    312. Why Hate?
    313. The Secret of Happiness
    314. You’re Constantly in a State of Becoming
    315. Life is about Choices, Not Obligations
    316. Anti-Nihilism
    317. First, Do What is Best for You.
    318. Live Dynamic
    319. How to Prosper
    320. Is the Point of Life to Be Satisfied?
    321. SUPREME EFFORT OF WILL.
    322. How to Become more Idealistic
    323. Thrivival 101
    324. Create Yourself
    325. Non-Small
    326. Inspiration
    327. How to Live a Heroic Life: Dare the Heights!
    328. Human Augmentation
    329. Prune
    330. Happiness: Do What You Want to Do (And Don’t Do What You Don’t Want to Do)
    331. Avoid Vain (Empty) Pursuits in Life
    332. Modern Slavery
    333. Kill the Leeches
    334. Wisdom Augmentation
    335. Why We Need Friction in Life
    336. Straight Line Philosophy
    337. What’s Your End-Game in Life?
    338. Create Your Own Happiness Today
    339. Desire Both Pain and Pleasure in Life
    340. Try the Impossible
    341. SELF-RESPECT
    342. Anti-Social Extrovert
    343. Never Blame Anybody But Yourself
    344. Human Flourishing
    345. Simpler, Not Better.
    346. How to be Free
    347. Embrace the Extremes
    348. Cultivate Your Own Culture
    349. COURAGE.
    350. Thrivival
    351. Inner Power
    352. How to Live a Purposeful Life
    353. My Definition of Happiness
    354. Why Change is Good
    355. Why Work?
    356. How to Live the Happiest Possible Life
    357. The Two-Pronged Approach to Maximize Joy in Your Life
    358. You Always Have Another Option!
    359. INFINITISM
    360. Never Stop!
    361. What is Your Self-Directed Purpose in Life?
    362. Live Today Like it Were Your Last
    363. Do You Photograph to Live, or Live to Photograph?
    364. ARTIST-PHILOSOPHER
    365. Live Life to the Fullest!
    366. In Praise of Selfishness
    367. Why You Must Be a YAY-SAYER to Succeed in Entrepreneurship and Life
    368. Why I Love Walking
    369. Live Life Like a Video Game!
    370. Simple Luxuries in Life
    371. Treat Your Life Like a Fun Experiment!
    372. Only Prove it to Yourself
    373. You Don’t Always Need to Feel Joyful to Live a Fulfilling and Meaningful Life
    374. Life is Too Short to Be Bored!
    375. Money Cannot Destroy Boredom
    376. How to Find Inspiration in Life
    377. Why You Must Ignore Haters to Succeed and Win in Life
    378. An Active Life is a Happy Life
    379. My Simple Joys in Life
    380. Never Stop Striving
    381. How to Motivate Yourself in Life
    382. How to Be Optimistic in Life
    383. How to Dictate Your Purpose in Life
    384. In Praise of a Dynamic Life
    385. PURPOSE.
    386. How to Enjoy Life
    387. Photography Therapy
    388. How to Conquer Regret
    389. Take Your Play Very Seriously.
    390. How to Prosper
    391. Memento Vivere
    392. Destroy in Order to CREATE
    393. Trust Your Body More Than Your Mind
    394. Make Photos to Make Meaning in Your Life
    395. Seek Knowledge, Not Information
    396. The Purpose of Human Life
    397. How to Overcome Impedence
    398. Why I Love Death
    399. How to Be Centered in the Eternal Now
    400. How to Be Happy
    401. Why Do You Care What Others Think of You?
    402. Why I’m Happy
    403. Why?
    404. Why I’m So Prolific
    405. How to Reduce LAG in Life

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