(1/19/21) some burning questions
Here’s a list of burning questions I’ve been considering for a while. If you bring any of them up with me, there’s a high chance I’ll go into rant mode.
Accomplishment in the Era of Personal Branding: Why aren’t we doing more interesting things with our lives? We’ve never been more affluent as a civilization — where did our sense of adventure go? Why do we act so impoverished?
Chronic Health Conditions: Why are we medicating chronic illnesses rather than treating them as lifestyle issues?
Health & Wellness Doesn’t Work: Do our sessions with our therapists and personal coaches lead to lasting change? Or have we just created a new dependency?
Penny-Wise, Pound-Poor Urban Planning: Why do we think wearing a bicycle helmet is sufficient for keeping bicyclists safe? Why is the suggested alternative for people to simply not bike at all?
Your Number Is Not Your Phone: Why do carriers own our numbers? Why are our phone numbers so spammable?
A Syllabus Does Not an Education Make: Why do teachers orient courses around lectures and instruction? Why isn’t practice the central feature of school?
The Best Part About College Is the Campus: Why does adult life lack a campus? Why do big cities feel so lonely? Why are we nonetheless drawn to them?
Minimum Viable Home Ownership: Why is it so damn expensive and difficult to become a homeowner?
Localism & Civic Engagement 2.0: Why do we care more about political ideology than when the potholes on Flatbush get fixed?
Sock Puppets vs. Skin in the Game: Is fake news the problem? Or is it that spreading misinformation is all upside (nothing risked, nothing to lose)?
Petty Side Hustles vs. Careers at MegaCorp: Why is our mental model for financial freedom a dichotomy between “scraping by” and “selling out”?
Equity 2.0: Choice of employment is probably the highest ROI investment a person makes in one’s life. Why don’t compensation structures properly reflect this? Why don’t schools teach us this?
These are some of my burning questions. Super interested to hear what yours are.
Have a great week everyone!
Ammar