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The Observe and Rapport Newsletter
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A weekly guide of my favorite books, articles, products, and lifestyle habits.
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August 23rd, 2024 | by Kyle Brennan
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Thought of the Week
The hosts posed the question, "What is the meaning of life?"
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After taking some time to think, Peterson responded: "It's the meaning that reveals itself when you take the pathway of maximal responsibility."
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We often presume that the value of life is how we can maximize pleasure and minimize pain, but Peterson claims that's a terrible way to measure life.
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What does it even mean to be "happy"? The answer is completely subjective based on the person, the day, the situation, or the others involved.
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When we self-evaluate our moral conscience, wondering whether we're worthwhile in the eyes of whoever placed us here, we don't reflect on how often we were "happy." That's pointless, Peterson argues.
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Instead, we think about those times when, even under duress, we pushed the boulder successfully up the hill. Without the difficulty, those recollections wouldn't have the same impact. Peterson says there's a much more profound way of evaluating life's utility beyond "happiness" in the hedonic sense of the word.
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Most difficult things cause suffering but are worth doing - marriage, raising children, or any worthwhile career. You can't evaluate those endeavors based on how "happy" they made you - whatever that means.
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Almost all of the positive emotions you’ll experience in your life will be a consequence of the pursuit of valuable goals.
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We only learn when we give our whole being to something.
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What I'm Reading
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Remember how WILD the crypto wave was back in 2020-21?
This book did a great job reminding and educating me on all the craziness of NFTs, Dogecoin, and the many millionaires created out of thin air based purely on speculation (and a fair amount of scams).
Nat Eliason @nat_eliason is a guy I’ve been following for a while. His blog, Twitter, and Instagram are vast with educational resources about books, finance, lifestyle, and many other topics.
This book is Nat’s account of his experience diving head first into the crypto craze, from learning how to code, to losing $35,000 on his first speculative bet, all the way to helping a team launch their very own cryptocurrency in the gaming sphere.
It’s a stressful ride! But his writing is just as much thrilling as it is educational. If you’re not familiar with Bitcoin, blockchain technology, or smart contracts, Nat puts it all in layman’s terms throughout mini-chapters interlaced between the exciting and nerve-wracking narrative.
I loved this book because it was super unique. It wasn’t a boring book explaining what Bitcoin is. It’s an autobiographical account of someone navigating the need to support his young family, fascinated with this new form of money-making and business creation. As a reader, it’s impossible not to be fully invested in following along in Nat’s journey as he gets scammed, makes millions, and learns all the wild truths about this modern-day gold rush.
Rating: 4.5 / 5 ⭐️⭐⭐⭐️️️
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Podcast I'm Listening To
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This was one of the best podcast discussions I've listened to all year.
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Whistleblowers (and siblings) Calley and Casey Means expose how Big Pharma co-opted government agencies and the food industry to poison America and keep us sick.
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The craziest fact I learned was that, in the 1980s, the biggest cigarette companies (Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds) bought out the major food companies Kraft, General Foods, and Nabisco. This allowed tobacco firms to dominate America's food supply and reap billions in sales from popular (and addictive) brands like Oreos, Kraft Mac & Cheese, and Lunchables—all foods that are literally poisoning us and causing a cycle of chronic disease and over-reliance on pharmaceutical remedies, rather than addressing the root cause... FOOD.
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Hoodie I'm Loving
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The weather in New York this past week brought a welcome fall vibe. I was so excited to put on my favorite hoodie and walk briskly in the 60º weather.
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Find the Good Brand is a super cool clothing brand that reinforces good habits in both mental health and well-being, with the simple phrase of "Finding the Good."
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Use promo code OBSERVE for 10% off your first order.
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Quote I'm Pondering
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“If you haven’t the strength to impose your own terms upon life, then you must accept the terms it offers you” --T.S. Eliot
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Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss cryptocurrency, the brutality of Japanese imperialism during WW2, and the deeply philosophical inferences conveyed in the film “The Matrix”
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Books discussed in this episode:
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Check Out My Amazon Favorites Bookstore
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Browse my favorite book selections hand-curated by me. I also earn commissions so if you buy anything, those earnings get reinvested right back into this fancy newsletter ;)
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33 Life Lessons on My 33rd Birthday
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Thirty-three was a big one. Mostly because I became a dad. Our daughter was born on New Year’s Eve — a fitting arrival for a kid destined to reset everything. It’s been a beautiful, if slightly sleep-deprived blur ever since. I’ve only been “Dad” for less than ten months, but if I’m being honest, I’ve been preparing for the role for over …
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Depth Over Downloads: Why Spending Time with Books Still Matters
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Everyone wants faster information. But no one asks if faster information leads to better understanding — or a better life. In the age of AI and tweet-sized wisdom, we’ve confused information with transformation. But there’s a massive difference between knowing what a book says and being changed by it. The Delusion of Instant Learning In a recent interview, political journalist Ezra Klein admitted he once believed …
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The Jack Reacher Approach to Never Being Caught Off Guard
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There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.’ Either way, nothing happens.” —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia I don’t read much fiction, but I’ve always been hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. He’s not your typical …
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