Mini-Paradigms
Current location: Columbia, MO, USA
Reading: Eating to Extinction by Dan Saladino
Listening: Unforgettable Summer of 20 Somethin' by Warm Brew
(if you have a moment, reply with your own 3-item status)
Mini-Paradigms
A paradigm is a state of being; a status quo for a given moment in time.
A paradigm shift is what happens when variables change in such a way that the status quo changes measurably or perceptually.
Post-WWII Europe was a very different place than pre-WWII Europe: the paradigm shifted because so many variables changed.
The same is true of the pre-smartphone and post-smartphone paradigms. It doesn't seem like the introduction of a consumer electronics product category would change much of anything, but the world (economics, relationships, governance, everything) shifted dramatically in mere years as a direct consequence of this device-type landing on the market.
This concept, though typically applied to macro-scale concerns, can also be applied on a personal level.
If you move from one city to another, you'll tend to experience a paradigm shift: everything has changed, from the keys in your pocket to the grocery store you typically visit to the people you see on a daily basis to how you get around and where you go.
Part of what makes a paradigm shift so meaningful is that all of these changes cause countless other changes, rippling forever outward from that initial change-droplet.
The arguably applies on a smaller scale, as well.
After hearing a song by an unfamiliar artist, I'm a different person than I was before I heard it: my exposure to new creative work changed me, even if only in minuscule ways.
Each of those tweaks—in how I'm feeling, how I think, what I consider normal and possible and good—can have multitudinous downstream effects. Those effects, in turn, can influence my next-step status quo; my new mini-paradigm.
Thinking in these terms helps me remember that I have the capacity, if I apply my efforts and attention intentionally over time, to produce significant and positive change in my own life and in society as a whole.
If you found some value in this essay, consider supporting my work by buying me a coffee :)
——
——
Projects
Select, recent works from across my project portfolio.
Aspiring Generalist: You Don't Need To Post Through a Crisis
Brain Lenses: Dread Risks
I Will Read To You: The End of the World
Let’s Know Things: International Law
Curiosity Weekly / Daily: March 8 / March 7
One Sentence News: March 8 (podcast version)
——
Interesting & Useful
The Weird and Wonderful Wheels of Jay Ohrberg
He has designed the “Ghostbusters” ambulance car, the “Knight Rider” car, the RoboCop car, the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle'” van, the Pink Panther mobile, and just about every impressive televised car worth a mention.
Arrange the historical timeline in the correct order.
Visualizing the State of Global Debt, by Country
Global debt reached $226T in 2020—the biggest one-year jump since WWII. This graphic compares the debt-to-GDP ratio of various countries.
——
——
Outro
I made the decision to stay in Milwaukee at least another year, this past week.
My original intention was to scope out the area to see if I might want to invest in a long-term home base hereabouts, but, well, the real estate market had other plans, didn't it? So I've been weighing my options and looking around at other possibilities, but ultimately decided to stick around for a while longer—I really like this city :)
And part of what I like about it is that although it's a bit removed from big city hubbub, it's also well-connected to those other hubs, and a lot of interesting smaller, more rural areas of interest, as well.
So while I'm doing some rearranging and further settling-in as a consequence of this decision (rearranging some things, hanging some art on the walls) I'm also mapping out near-future travel plans.
Fingers-crossed travel costs don't skyrocket alongside real estate costs (based on what's happening in the oil market, I'm not particularly optimistic my finger-crossing will do much good, though).
I've mentioned that I'm planning to do a little writing exercise using tarot cards as catalysts, and I meant to get started this week but decided to delay an additional week because, first, I'm driving down to Missouri to help my parents finish packing (they're in the process of moving to Seattle) and I'll be there for several days, and second, I had a handful of people email me saying they wanted to participate, but wouldn't be able to get their hands on some cards till a bit later. So this should allow me to be more fully present in Missouri, while also allowing those tarot cards to arrive before we get started.
Thus, I'll hold off on sharing more details on that for now, but next week we'll get going if you're keen to do a daily writing exercise alongside me :)
(If you'd like to participate, any tarot cards will do and there are a bunch of free digital, printable versions available.)
—
Where are you living and what are you up to, at the moment? How are things in your city/town/hamlet, and what's been on your mind?
Tell me what's up and/or just say hello by replying to this newsletter or writing to colin@exilelifestyle.com. I respond to every email I receive and would love to hear from you :)
You can also communicate via the usual methods: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or AI-generated horse that does not exist.
If you’re finding some value in what I’m doing here, consider supporting my work: Become an Understandary member / Buy me a coffee