Enriching Exposure
March 29, 2023
Current location: Milwaukee, WI, USA
Reading: Reap3r by Eliot Peper
Listening: That Girl by Emei(if you have a moment, reply with your own 3-item status via email or in the comments)
Enriching Exposure
One of my grand ambitions when I was younger was to build a lifestyle that would allow me to just sit around and read all day, if I wanted to do so.
I still experience a small thrill when I realize, today, I can generally set things aside and hunker down with a book until I'm ready to reascend to the surface of life.
There are tradeoffs associated with re-delegating hours to that sort of undertaking—engaging with someone else's words, thoughts, stories, and ideas for extended periods of time—but it's worth nudging work aside to become truly absorbed, sometimes, even if that nudged work will still need to be done later (and perhaps at a less convenient moment).
For me, soaking up a book—or anything else, really: longform articles, short stories, narrative-heavy video games, blogs about random passions—is like stepping into someone else's mind for a moment, seeing the world through their eyes and relearning the shape of familiar things as translated through their experiences, knowledge, and biases.
That's a gift, a treasure.
Like meandering around a place or thing or concept to take it in from different angles, seeing gaps and shadows and density and imperfections I wouldn't have otherwise noticed (or been in the position to see) from the point-of-view I was born (and have grown) into.
My future standpoint is enriched by this exposure; you can't unsee what you've perceived in this way, and that means simply becoming aware that other people see things differently nudges us toward a more expansive, three-dimensionalized awareness over time.
That doesn't mean we like what we see or believe what we see or even value what we see, but we're aware of it, integrating its possibilities into our heuristics and larger, holistic sense of the world. We’re more conscious of the fact that though we're living as if things are one way, other people view the world from another angle—that's valuable, actionable, empathy-inducing context.
Travel, for me, serves a similar purpose as books. As does conversation, and even just hearing from folks I don't know or barely know: strangers from the internet who are out there somewhere, living their own full lives, generously offering me a few moments of their time and a window into their world.
I encourage the people who engage with my work to write me, to tell me something about themselves, because that helps me broaden my range and sense of things the same as a good book or trip to an unfamiliar country.
I also try to stipple my life with novelty, randomness, and opportunity, while setting aside enough time and energy and resources that I can pursue the things that catch my attention, jump out at me, surprise me, or prove to be jarring enough that I suspect exploring them further would be beneficial to my long-term growth.
We all have different desires, tolerances, and capacities for these sorts of undertakings, but I tend to think this type of exposure is similar to the stresses and strains that break down our muscle tissue when we work out, setting the anatomical scene for stronger, tougher, more resilient regrowth.
Just as difficulty can stoke fortitude and grit and (importantly) an appreciation of previously overlooked and non-difficult everyday circumstances, subjecting ourselves to perspectives, ideas, and realities that jostle and stress and challenge our own can leave us at times a bit exhausted, but in the same way a challenging conversation that strengthens a friendship, exploring a city where we don't speak the language, or reading a book that's just a hair beyond our current capacity will tend to exhaust us.
I’m trying something new: my Patreon supporters receive an additional essay each month as a small thank you, and in a few days I’ll start sending the same bonus essay to people who become supporters on here—my newsletter—as well.
So if you’re in the position to do so and can commit to essentially buying me a cup of fancy coffee each month to support my work (there’s also a yearly option that makes supporting me even cheaper), 1. I’d very much appreciate it, and 2. you’ll receive that little bonus (and others I think of in the coming months).
A huge thanks to everyone who’s already supporting my work in some fashion, and even if you’re not in the position to do so right now: thank you for being here. I’m glad to have you on the other end of these missives and am grateful for your attention and enthusiasm :)
(If you’re interested in becoming a paid supporter you can log into your Substack account, click the little button below, or if all else fails shoot me an email and I’ll help get you on board.)
My Work, Elsewhere
Aspiring Generalist / Brain Lenses (podcast) / Climate Happenings / Let’s Know Things (podcast) / Never Not Curious / Notes On the News / One Sentence News (podcast) / You Probably Don’t Need
Might I suggest reading:
Interesting & Useful
A beautiful, mind-bending work of science fiction that holds up remarkably well, despite having been published in 2005. Published under a Creative Commons license, so you can read it for free (though consider picking up a copy if you really dig it).
Information is Beautiful Awards
“After a two-year pause in the Information is Beautiful Awards, the Data Visualization Society (DVS) has been delighted to work with the Information is Beautiful team to continue the spirit of celebrating excellence across the field of data visualization.”
“Hindsight 2030 is a quick and lighthearted game for exploring possible futures. Each player or team will pick one target headline for the year 2030 and then create a timeline, also made up of headlines, that shows how the world gets from today to that headline in 2030. Then, they will create one final headline, set after 2030, that serves as an epilogue.”
Outro
Last week’s “Say Hello Day” experiment was a resounding success; I received maybe five or six times as many email responses as usual, from folks in nearly 30 different countries.
These emails, with just a quick hello, a 3-item status, or a meandering missive about your life, what you’re thinking/anticipating/planning/doing, and/or a photo of your pet mean the world to me—they’re the best part of the work I do.
A massive thanks to everyone who’s sent an email (or physical piece of mail) this past week, or over the years (it’s always wild to hear from folks who’ve been reading my work for over a decade): I appreciate and truly love hearing from you :)
All that said, if you’re keen to drop me a quick email, you can response to this newsletter, draft a new letter to colin@exilelifestyle.com, or feel free to leave a comment if you’re keen to share something with the whole community.
You can also send me a letter, postcard, or some other physical communication at this address:
Colin Wright
PO Box 11442
Milwaukee, WI 53211
Of course, you can also communicate via the usual methods: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or collection of 81x33 pixel early web buttons.