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Chris Humphrey's avatar

This is certainly a different path and I’m very happy that you’re filling your well while filling others' in the process

I know exactly what you’re talking about and I think you’re on the better path than creating three or four different newsletters and trying to make a connection with all of them at the same time

I look forward to reading more. You’re a good writer with a good perspective and that’s the most important thing, in my opinion

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J. Forrest's avatar

I appreciate it, Chris. The one niche thing was killing me and I needed to live up the idea behind my newsletter name.

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Chris Humphrey's avatar

“This above all- to thine own self be true”

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Christine Whitmarsh's avatar

So much great stuff here.

I'll quote this though because it made me laugh because I've thought it since like 2000: "I can’t be the only one that thinks the current political polarization is engineered, and none of it matters once you realize both parties serve the same corporate interests." But yes, it has gotten much worse as the machine shovels coal into the furnaces of people's confirmation bias. I'm restraining myself from yet another psychological rant. ;)

(But as usual The Simpsons were ahead of all of us with their Bob Dole/Bill Clinton aliens episode!)

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J. Forrest's avatar

Good old algorithms pushing that hate and division!

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J.R. Warden's avatar

Loved your quantum physics section. The older I get the more I feel that there is wisdom to be found in every religion. Scientific study on quantum mechanics is just confirming we can't understand god/the world. Simulation theory makes me chuckle.

Four book recommendations: The Kybalion is a short read that introduces some new age thoughts on the universe. Meditations on the Tarot talks about magic use in the bible and what the tarot represents. The Emerald Tablet and The Way Of Hermes if you are interested in Hermeticism.

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J. Forrest's avatar

Thank you, I appreciate that. And I'm the same. Older I get, the more I like learning about new things. Keeps the mind sharp and, with experience, you start making more connections. Some might be nothing, but others might be everything.

I've read both The Kybalion and The Emerald Tablet. I'll have to check those other two out. Thanks for the recommendations.

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Terrence Porter's avatar

This shift is the move. Trying to "market" your curiosity kills the thing that makes the work interesting in the first place. Just document what actually fascinates you. I can see more people embracing this in the future. Solid post!

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J. Forrest's avatar

Honestly, I think the generic output that gets put out by the AI copy/paste crowd will force this to some extent. When everyone sounds exactly the same, you'll have no choice but to be different and unique. And I feel we're definitely reaching an over saturation point.

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Christina Piccoli's avatar

I love this new format! So many interesting things to think about. In the Quantum Physics section, you said there was a good video to watch, and I think you meant to put a link, but it's not there. And now I'm curious, so...

Thank you for the shout-out to my Substack!

Also, I love this point: "It really doesn’t matter if people agree with you or leave shitty comments on what you write. Why? You obviously didn’t write it for them."

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J. Forrest's avatar

Here's the link. I missed that on my edit. Derp! https://youtu.be/gxfpoKgKvGI

And no worries about that shout-out. I love getting your newsletter in my email!

I also promise more of my 5th grade psychological fortune cookie insights in every issue. 😂

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Christina Piccoli's avatar

Thanks for the link! Off to go put it on my Watch Later…

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Vince Mao's avatar

Glad I found you through Christina! There's probably a lot of overlap in what we've discovered and rediscovered as a species. Quantum physics definitely has its strange and charming properties (bad pun), and figuring out how to harness it is only just getting traction. I think I saw something earlier this week about a breakthrough on computing applications...

And yes, I'm beginning to see the irony of the industrial complex that we're immersed in regardless of it being in the real world and this one. 😜

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J. Forrest's avatar

Yeah, quantum physics effs with my brain any time I learn something new about it or theories about it. I think there’s a lot of potential to learn a lot of things about existence there, one way or another.

To your second point, yeah, I don’t begrudge anyone out here trying to make a dollar. It’s a rough planet and we do what we gotta do. But the clone army repeating the same thing over and over again and copying each other like infinite Xerox machines just makes my head hurt.

I just can’t do that anymore. Worse than all the damn meetings that could’ve been emails when I was a corporate goon.

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Matt Brady's avatar

Love a good book recommendation. Thanks!

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J. Forrest's avatar

Not sure how much I buy into it, but it is an interesting read.

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Matt Brady's avatar

Same here, but I’m a sucker for a good head scratcher either way.

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