[TT 013] Non-narrative life, medical libraries, sexy lamp movies, banana art
Hi there,
Does anyone else feel rusty or out of practice being around people? This past week I visited with multiple friends and family and found it both delightful and draining (in ways I rarely felt pre-COVID). I look forward to getting back in the practice of more in-person connection more frequently. I am also eager to learn how to sustain my newfound rituals and routines even when I am visiting or being visited by others.
That, or I can routinely break my routines. I’ve practiced my way to mastery in that tradition.
This week is particularly thrive-y, in part because my dearest friend gifted me the board game Thrive. I have a deep appreciation for well-designed tabletop games, and so far I am enjoying this flavor of emergent abstract reasoning.
On to this week’s Thriving Thursday
On telling the story of non-stories
🧑🏻🏫 🙅🏻 In TT 010 I wrote about limiting narratives and the stories we tell ourselves that hold us back.
In response, a thoughtful reader (and fellow tea lover) Dan shared this piece on non-narratives by Ava. It is a compelling take on whether stories must be at the center of meaning (spoiler: no).
I enjoyed the thought experiment of what it would look or feel like for me to release my own stories from which I derive meaning and purpose in life. I resonate with William James’ idea of “pure experience” as being distinct from mental or physical phenomena.
the immediate flux of life which furnishes the material to our later reflection
Living in the “flux of life” sounds a lot like the non-attachment and non-judgment that points to full, pristine presence in the moment.
Where I’ve often struggled with this line of inquiry is: where does this leave room for healthy ambition and drive? To achieve my aspirations, I have to think of a future state I want to materialize as my immediate flux. By diligently reaching for and working toward that desired future, it feels like I’m telling a story about who I am today and how I want to be tomorrow. Without a story of diligent practice, wouldn’t I revert to what feels right in the moment at the expense of longer-term priorities?
I can pursue that desired future state with an open palm (read: non-judgment and non-attachment), but I’m not sure how an open palm maps to a non-narrative.
I do like Ava’s point that living in a non-narrative frame doesn’t mean we are incapable of or do not enjoy telling well-crafted stories. It just means we don’t have to define ourselves by our stories. Not just the stories we tell, but by telling stories at all.
On (pseudo) accessible evidence-based medicine
🥼 📚 Dan also sent along some wonderful repositories for evidence-based medicine.
The Cochrane library is devoted to consolidating reputable medicine articles and making them slightly more accessible. I especially liked the Clinical Answers and how they are framed as questions.
The NNT also collects and curates medical articles in other domains.
I absolutely adore that this exists for the medical community but both sites can still be overwhelming and intimidating for non-medically trained individuals. Also, both sites focus on sub-baseline to baseline health, but it’s not their role or function to address baseline to above baseline health.
I would love to see a rigorous, expansive library of simple questions and answers, grounded in science, all focused on the question of Thriving for typically “healthy normal” individuals. That approach will be a conceptual underpinning of GIFT.
On sexy lamps and Existential Movie Nights
🎥 🎙 My dear visiting friend hosts and facilitates movie nights that are dedicated to watching a film then discussing what we saw and experienced. The discussion often trends toward the experience of narrative elements, core messages, artistic mastery, and other topics of interest that are prompted by the movie.
This time we watched Sorry to Bother You - a tongue-in-cheek dark comedy with plenty of social commentary.
So often, watching movies or TV is intended to shut down and veg out. I cherish that Existential Movie Nights (EMN) tend to inspire thoughtful connection and conversation, often in directions that stretch my concept of art and self. They are magical and a worthwhile way to explore new terrain with others.
One thing that came up this go around is the Bechdel test for fiction. Apparently, for movies there is a more root (curiously framed) concept known as the sexy lamp test. And to round it out, a less pointed approach to understanding gender equality in film is the Mako Mori test. So grateful to learn about these simple guidelines for inquiring how women are portrayed in movies.
If you end up watching Sorry to Bother you, let me know and I’d like to ask you a question about your experience of the lead female character.
On bruised banana art
Artist Anna Chojnicka has been bruising a banana a day and creating exceptional art. Here is one example to show the caliber.
My oh my that’s a random and nifty expression of human creativity.
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Until next week!
~Henry