Edition #015 - 2022 Begins

2022 Is Here

We all hope that 2022 is better than 2021, but so far in lots of places it isn't looking like a good start. On a personal note, Christmas did not turn out as expected with some family visits cancelled because of virus related issues. However, Edition #015 is here and on time and I'd ask you to share it with someone who you think might be interested in "thinking about thinking."

The Way of the Tortoise

In Edition #014 I mentioned three books I had not read and hoped to get to over the winter break. In fact, I only managed to read this one:

The Way of the Tortoise: Why You Have to Take the Slow Lane to Get Ahead (with a foreword by Sir Andy Murray)

Matt Little is a Strength and Conditioning Coach in elite Tennis who notably worked for a long time with Andy Murray (who provides a forward to this book). In the light of that, it is maybe not surprising that there is less about thinking in this book than I had hoped. Sports coaching is quite focussed on actions and behaviours. I deal with those as well as thinking in my own business and life coaching. Thus, the book was a useful read for that, but there were also some parts that stimulated my thinking about thinking, which is what Mind Atelier is all about.

The title of the book is what first caught my attention - The Way of the Tortoise - it references the fable from Aesop - The Tortoise and the Hare. I think we live in a world that pays a lot of attention to Hares. We might think of how Mark Zuckerberg became very successful at a young age, or the way tennis itself (Little's specialist area) has often embraced prodigies. When it comes to the world of thinking, we similarly see a lot of emphasis on "natural talent" and on speed or "decisiveness." The book almost never directly talks about thinking but a few sections did catch my attention.

(Read More, 3 min read)

Podcasting

No, I have not started a podcast - but I really enjoyed being part of Eyal Shay's Deep Dive Pod. I e-interviewed Eyal in the last edition, he has a very interesting practice and view of thinking based on the philosophy of Dialectic. However, he was kind enough to ask me to choose the topic and so you can hear me talking about "Thinking about the Future" - taking in my previous role as a futurist and how it has formed how I view thinking and decision making now.

Deep Dive Episodes - eyalshay.org

eyalshay.org

More on Filing

Regular readers will remember that I have mentioned the technology of filing before, notably in Edition #003, and my piece A Paper Journey. I recently came across a piece by Austin Kleon on the filing practices of various creative people which seems worth adding to the list:

Indexing, filing systems, and the art of finding what you have - Austin Kleon

A writer has to have a system for going back through old work and finding ideas.

Austin Kleon

Interesting Events

• A lot of organisations are only just starting to run events after the winter break, but there are still a few interesting ones to be aware of:
• Saturday, 15th January, 1400 London Time (GMT) - Puzzled: How To Do Well in Education and in Life - Join Eyal Shay, dialectician and philosopher, and Plato to learn about learning how to do well in life. In this salon we will discuss learning, rationality, critical thinking, puzzles, and Plato’s work (no prior knowledge necessary), and try our hands at a hands-on exercise in learning. (interintellect, Online, $15)
• Monday, 17th January, 1830 GMT - Alan Moore and Brian Catling on Imagination - In Conversation With Robin Ince, the comics legend and Oxford sculptor turned literary novelist come together to explore humanity’s greatest superpower: imagination. (howto Academy, Online, £15)
• Tuesday, 18th January, 2300 GMT - From the Great Enrichment to Bettering Humanomics - Deirdre McCloskey – distinguished economist, historian and public intellectual – joins Alaka Halder, our community and friends for a very special SuperSalon on the history of human progress and the need for “humanomics.” (interintellect, Online, $30)
• Tuesday 25th January, 1900 GMT - Reality+: from the Matrix to the Metaverse - In the coming decades, the technology that enables virtual and augmented reality will improve beyond recognition. Can we live a meaningful life in a virtual reality? Join world-renowned philosopher David J Chalmers and discover why virtual worlds are not second-class worlds. (Royal Institution, Online, £10)
• And of course, Edition #016 of this newsletter will be out on Thursday 27th January in the afternoon London time - why not share this Edition with a friend before then? ;-)