I keep seeing these ads with AI language tutors in my Instagram feed. They even have a feature of customizing your AI tutor's appearance to create the vibe that you want.
These apps look cool and seem to be pretty effective for speaking practice. I haven't checked their pricing, but I suppose it must be way cheaper than lessons with a human😄
I can't help feeling just a tiny bit creeped out by these videos though... Not sure what exactly puts me off - maybe the fact that it's a potential substitute for what I do for a living😂 Or maybe it's all those movies and books where AI development went wrong.
What do you think about these apps? Has anybody here tried practicing a second language with AI?
PS, if you haven't seen the movies Her and Ex Machina - check them out :)
And here is a very weird and interesting book about artificial minds - partly written from an AI's perspective.
These apps look cool and seem to be pretty effective for speaking practice. I haven't checked their pricing, but I suppose it must be way cheaper than lessons with a human😄
I can't help feeling just a tiny bit creeped out by these videos though... Not sure what exactly puts me off - maybe the fact that it's a potential substitute for what I do for a living😂 Or maybe it's all those movies and books where AI development went wrong.
What do you think about these apps? Has anybody here tried practicing a second language with AI?
PS, if you haven't seen the movies Her and Ex Machina - check them out :)
And here is a very weird and interesting book about artificial minds - partly written from an AI's perspective.
Some time ago I wrote a post about a friend I made here and her secret to speaking authentic English.
At first I thought Lannah was great at small talk. Then I realized she's great at turning it into a meaningful conversation after a couple of exchanged lines.
She listens to what people are actually saying and pays attention to what's important to them. And she reacts.
Which is a rare virtue nowadays. So many conversations I've had or witnessed resemble exchanges between NPCs in a video game. People pretend they understand each other by using pre-learned patterns and socially approved reactions like:
- yeah
- totally
- I feel you
- ...
Instead of saying:
- Wait a second, what exactly do you mean by that? I don't think I understand. Why did you say that?
I have a feeling that participants of such 'scripted' exchanges are too scared of what's next to actually get curios. We stay isolated in such conversations and don't get any real feedback from each other.
It's not just about speaking the second language, of course. Happens all the time in our mother tongue too. But asking questions is a habit that can be developed. Acting it out will in time transform into genuine curiosity.
So here is a bit more wisdom from Lannah 🔮
When you meet a person - you ask them to tell you their story. You get curious about them. And you make sure you're there for them, otherwise why would they be there with you?
#Vietnam #reflections
At first I thought Lannah was great at small talk. Then I realized she's great at turning it into a meaningful conversation after a couple of exchanged lines.
She listens to what people are actually saying and pays attention to what's important to them. And she reacts.
Which is a rare virtue nowadays. So many conversations I've had or witnessed resemble exchanges between NPCs in a video game. People pretend they understand each other by using pre-learned patterns and socially approved reactions like:
- yeah
- totally
- I feel you
- ...
Instead of saying:
- Wait a second, what exactly do you mean by that? I don't think I understand. Why did you say that?
I have a feeling that participants of such 'scripted' exchanges are too scared of what's next to actually get curios. We stay isolated in such conversations and don't get any real feedback from each other.
It's not just about speaking the second language, of course. Happens all the time in our mother tongue too. But asking questions is a habit that can be developed. Acting it out will in time transform into genuine curiosity.
So here is a bit more wisdom from Lannah 🔮
When you meet a person - you ask them to tell you their story. You get curious about them. And you make sure you're there for them, otherwise why would they be there with you?
#Vietnam #reflections
❤11
Who is your English-speaking personality?
Does it ever feel like a different person, or is it the same you with another persona?
I've been using English as my second language for over 10 years now. My native language being Russian, I find it quite peculiar how I feel differently depending on which language I think and speak. I’ve been trying to track my preferences for using either of them in different contexts and also collecting similar reflections from other people.
I’ve been trying to figure out how thinking in different languages differentially shapes the way I express my feelings and thoughts, interact with others, perceive myself, and even sense my body.
Here are a few instances when I noticed I tend to switch to English in my thoughts / speech:
📌Structuring my thoughts and outlining an action plan;
📌Analyzing something and tracing cause-and-effect relationships;
📌Socializing with new people and making small talk (my friend pointed out that I appear much more open and extraverted in English);
📌Verbalizing my emotions, particularly those on the negative side of the spectrum;
📌Having to handle situations when I’m scared (ranging from social anxiety in a University hall to being in a physical danger);
📌Setting boundaries and expressing aggression verbally.
Speaking of the last point, one example of that can be giving negative feedback at work. This is the skill I often help my clients with. On the one hand, it is frequently perceived as a challenge for Russian-speaking people, since our language is much more direct. So there is this pitfall of coming across as a rude or aggressive person - especially for those who don't suffer from excessive agreeableness.
On the other hand though, some people report that they feel more comfortable and safe giving negative feedback in English, and it appears to be quite a handy tool for emotionally difficult conversations. They feel less awkward, less morally conflicted, more professional, "no hard feelings" vibe.
I shared these observations on LinkedIn a while ago, and wanted to share them here as well because I think it can be an interesting subject to discuss - or just to reflect on🙂
If any of what I mentioned sounds relatable, please share your experiences in comments!
How do you feel about your English-speaking personality?
Have you noticed any difference in how you feel when you communicate in your first VS second language?
Which one is preferable for work communication?
#reflections
Does it ever feel like a different person, or is it the same you with another persona?
I've been using English as my second language for over 10 years now. My native language being Russian, I find it quite peculiar how I feel differently depending on which language I think and speak. I’ve been trying to track my preferences for using either of them in different contexts and also collecting similar reflections from other people.
I’ve been trying to figure out how thinking in different languages differentially shapes the way I express my feelings and thoughts, interact with others, perceive myself, and even sense my body.
Here are a few instances when I noticed I tend to switch to English in my thoughts / speech:
📌Structuring my thoughts and outlining an action plan;
📌Analyzing something and tracing cause-and-effect relationships;
📌Socializing with new people and making small talk (my friend pointed out that I appear much more open and extraverted in English);
📌Verbalizing my emotions, particularly those on the negative side of the spectrum;
📌Having to handle situations when I’m scared (ranging from social anxiety in a University hall to being in a physical danger);
📌Setting boundaries and expressing aggression verbally.
Speaking of the last point, one example of that can be giving negative feedback at work. This is the skill I often help my clients with. On the one hand, it is frequently perceived as a challenge for Russian-speaking people, since our language is much more direct. So there is this pitfall of coming across as a rude or aggressive person - especially for those who don't suffer from excessive agreeableness.
On the other hand though, some people report that they feel more comfortable and safe giving negative feedback in English, and it appears to be quite a handy tool for emotionally difficult conversations. They feel less awkward, less morally conflicted, more professional, "no hard feelings" vibe.
I shared these observations on LinkedIn a while ago, and wanted to share them here as well because I think it can be an interesting subject to discuss - or just to reflect on🙂
If any of what I mentioned sounds relatable, please share your experiences in comments!
How do you feel about your English-speaking personality?
Have you noticed any difference in how you feel when you communicate in your first VS second language?
Which one is preferable for work communication?
#reflections
❤6
I've met 2 types of people: those who prefer expressing emotions in their mother tongue and don't find it satisfying enough doing it in English - because it doesn't feel real enough, precise enough, authentic enough. The intensity is not right, it doesn't hit home.
And the second type - who prefer talking about their feelings in English - for the very same reason. Expressing emotions in their full intensity is too scary and painful. The second language is like a comfortable cooling pillow.
I used to belong to the second camp. Even drew an associative representation of what my psyche feels like - red (my Russian speaking core) encapsulated with blue (the English speaking part).
What's the strongest emotion you've expressed in English?
And which camp do you belong to?
And the second type - who prefer talking about their feelings in English - for the very same reason. Expressing emotions in their full intensity is too scary and painful. The second language is like a comfortable cooling pillow.
I used to belong to the second camp. Even drew an associative representation of what my psyche feels like - red (my Russian speaking core) encapsulated with blue (the English speaking part).
What's the strongest emotion you've expressed in English?
And which camp do you belong to?
❤6
👍4
Emotions and therapy in a non-native language
Disclaimer: It's long and nerdy post with open questions🌱
I want to share an observation made by one psychotherapist I met here. Douglas is 70, from Michigan, has been living in Vietnam for 14 years. He even wrote a few books here.
He works with English speaking people, still has ~ 4 clients per day - including non-native speakers. So I asked him how effective he thinks a therapeutic process can be if a client can't use their mother tongue.
He said that, of course, there is a lot of cultural variation. But there is not always as much differentiation between people based on their country as there is based on their ‘bubbles’ - or sub cultures in which they were raised. E.g., a small town VS a big city.
That made a lot of sense to me - I feel like I might find much more in common with someone from a similar educational background and lifestyle - even if they are from the other side of the globe - than with a Russian person from a different background.
Another thing he pointed out - many people, perhaps even most people, struggle with understanding themselves and verbalizing what they feel, with shaping their emotions in words - in their mother tongue as well. So learning to do it in another language is taking it to the next level, but if you have to learn to do it 'from scratch', does it make that much difference which language is being used?
He also mentioned that some of his clients reported that there are no ways in their native language to express what they can express in English. And vice versa, I’d assume.
That’s a very interesting point, because psychoanalysis is a product of the Western culture, its theory was developed within the underlying presuppositions of that culture. It's based on the Western understanding of the world, with Christianity as the main underlying mythology representing our value hierarchy. German and English are pretty close. German and Russian - not so much, although we still have mythological narratives in common. German and Vietnamese aren't close at all. Of course, there are universal patterns and myths across cultures. I don't know nearly enough about it to say to what extent they overlap and how significant the variation is.
And so my question is - how well can a person understand their own psyche, soul, self - which was shaped within a specific culture with certain ways of interpreting self and the world and the rules of interaction between them, and using a certain language to describe all of that - if they use linguistic concepts from another culture which construes self and the world and the rules of interaction between them in a different way?
Maybe cross cultural differences aren't significant enough and the concept of 'sane' is universal for all humans. On the other hand, here is a description of 'sane' that I heard in a lecture by Dr Peterson: sanity is not something in us, is a participation in the ordered structuring of something that is hierarchical and aimed at unity. In other words, it's about how well we can function in the society we live in, occupying a certain place in its hierarchy. So being 'sane' should have different forms in different societies.
So far, in my personal experience in therapy, I can’t recall a situation when I’d use an expression in Russian and wouldn’t be able to find its alternative in English. BUT. If I were thinking in English in the process, it wouldn’t hit home. It would be hard for me to relate to my childhood experiences, because thinking in Russian and in English happens in parallel. So I’d identify my emotion in the present, be able to describe what’s happening to me in the present, but I’d struggle with connecting it to my past. It’s like the link is broken. And to me this link seems to be something essential for effective therapy. I’d be able to describe what’s happening now, but wouldn’t be able to realize that oh, so that’s the same thing that was happening then. And it's through that realization that I can go back to then and fix now.
Any thoughts and comments are welcome☘️
Disclaimer: It's long and nerdy post with open questions🌱
I want to share an observation made by one psychotherapist I met here. Douglas is 70, from Michigan, has been living in Vietnam for 14 years. He even wrote a few books here.
He works with English speaking people, still has ~ 4 clients per day - including non-native speakers. So I asked him how effective he thinks a therapeutic process can be if a client can't use their mother tongue.
He said that, of course, there is a lot of cultural variation. But there is not always as much differentiation between people based on their country as there is based on their ‘bubbles’ - or sub cultures in which they were raised. E.g., a small town VS a big city.
That made a lot of sense to me - I feel like I might find much more in common with someone from a similar educational background and lifestyle - even if they are from the other side of the globe - than with a Russian person from a different background.
Another thing he pointed out - many people, perhaps even most people, struggle with understanding themselves and verbalizing what they feel, with shaping their emotions in words - in their mother tongue as well. So learning to do it in another language is taking it to the next level, but if you have to learn to do it 'from scratch', does it make that much difference which language is being used?
He also mentioned that some of his clients reported that there are no ways in their native language to express what they can express in English. And vice versa, I’d assume.
That’s a very interesting point, because psychoanalysis is a product of the Western culture, its theory was developed within the underlying presuppositions of that culture. It's based on the Western understanding of the world, with Christianity as the main underlying mythology representing our value hierarchy. German and English are pretty close. German and Russian - not so much, although we still have mythological narratives in common. German and Vietnamese aren't close at all. Of course, there are universal patterns and myths across cultures. I don't know nearly enough about it to say to what extent they overlap and how significant the variation is.
And so my question is - how well can a person understand their own psyche, soul, self - which was shaped within a specific culture with certain ways of interpreting self and the world and the rules of interaction between them, and using a certain language to describe all of that - if they use linguistic concepts from another culture which construes self and the world and the rules of interaction between them in a different way?
Maybe cross cultural differences aren't significant enough and the concept of 'sane' is universal for all humans. On the other hand, here is a description of 'sane' that I heard in a lecture by Dr Peterson: sanity is not something in us, is a participation in the ordered structuring of something that is hierarchical and aimed at unity. In other words, it's about how well we can function in the society we live in, occupying a certain place in its hierarchy. So being 'sane' should have different forms in different societies.
So far, in my personal experience in therapy, I can’t recall a situation when I’d use an expression in Russian and wouldn’t be able to find its alternative in English. BUT. If I were thinking in English in the process, it wouldn’t hit home. It would be hard for me to relate to my childhood experiences, because thinking in Russian and in English happens in parallel. So I’d identify my emotion in the present, be able to describe what’s happening to me in the present, but I’d struggle with connecting it to my past. It’s like the link is broken. And to me this link seems to be something essential for effective therapy. I’d be able to describe what’s happening now, but wouldn’t be able to realize that oh, so that’s the same thing that was happening then. And it's through that realization that I can go back to then and fix now.
Any thoughts and comments are welcome☘️
❤9
Saw this on Instagram🙃
It brought to mind another cute and super common mistake that we (Russians) tend to make when talking about our feelings.
So, a gentle reminder: we're not feeling ourselves on work calls (that's what Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj are doing), we just feel - whatever / however we feel today🧡
What's the funniest mistake (or perhaps a Freudian slip😄) you've made / heard others make?
It brought to mind another cute and super common mistake that we (Russians) tend to make when talking about our feelings.
So, a gentle reminder: we're not feeling ourselves on work calls (that's what Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj are doing), we just feel - whatever / however we feel today🧡
What's the funniest mistake (or perhaps a Freudian slip😄) you've made / heard others make?
❤7
A couple of more things about emotions and personality🎭
Here is an idea to help you express yourself better in personal life: take psychological tests in English. They probably won't tell you anything new... Or maybe they will - the results might vary depending on which language you use to think about the questions.
The point of this exercise is to reflect on your behavioral and emotional patterns in English, which might help you create more associations and cause-effect links in this language.
And then read the description of your 'type' - to match what you already know about yourself with the vocabulary to describe it in English.
Here are some tests can try:
📍16 personalities
📍Big 5 personality traits
📍Personality Disorder Test (I'd say this one is more about personality organization, although I'm not sure at can produce very accurate results. But you can see how you score compared to the average web score.)
Also, here is a lecture course on personality that I enjoyed so much! It was illuminating in many ways, and a lot of fun too. And then it provided some glimpses into our history from the outside - that part was not very fun. But I'm grateful for hearing it.
Here is an idea to help you express yourself better in personal life: take psychological tests in English. They probably won't tell you anything new... Or maybe they will - the results might vary depending on which language you use to think about the questions.
The point of this exercise is to reflect on your behavioral and emotional patterns in English, which might help you create more associations and cause-effect links in this language.
And then read the description of your 'type' - to match what you already know about yourself with the vocabulary to describe it in English.
Here are some tests can try:
📍16 personalities
📍Big 5 personality traits
📍Personality Disorder Test (I'd say this one is more about personality organization, although I'm not sure at can produce very accurate results. But you can see how you score compared to the average web score.)
Also, here is a lecture course on personality that I enjoyed so much! It was illuminating in many ways, and a lot of fun too. And then it provided some glimpses into our history from the outside - that part was not very fun. But I'm grateful for hearing it.
16Personalities
Free personality test | 16Personalities
Take our free personality test and discover your personality type in 10 minutes. Get a ‘freakishly accurate’ description of who you are and why you do things the way you do.
❤5❤🔥1🔥1🤩1
I'm trying to figure out my work-life balance again. This time I'm also observing how life can be arranged alternatively.
I practically live in a village. A village with a river, a beach, and myriads of fancy cafes for white people. I wake up to chickens (they really make the 'KU-KA-RE-KU' sound), pass cows and other cattle and people in those Vietnamese hats harvesting crops every day.
Locals here often wake up before dawn - so most of their work is done in the morning - and seem to have something of a siesta in the hottest part of the day. Despite all the hard manual work they do, the vibe here is relaxed and slow-paced.
I also know many young women who's daily routines are basically about taking care of the house, cooking, taking care of kids (or 30-year-old white kids who are just as helpless in the kitchen). No full-time job, no career ambitions.
Sounds like everything a 'progressive' woman is not supposed to want. But they enjoy this nurturing, traditionally feminine way of life - something I'm learning to appreciate here as well. To be honest, I feel like finally I'm slowly connecting with what it feels like to be a woman.
One day I caught myself thinking that this is what I want my life to be like - to forget about productivity, efficiency, and someone's business goals and be in touch with my surroundings instead. Cook, share meals with others instead of stuffing myself with whatever was in the fridge in 10 min between the calls.
That was a beautiful realization. But the next day I decided that I needed more money😅 The funny thing is that it's technically not true. But apparently I can't handle not being overworked. Not yet, at least.
#Vietnam
I practically live in a village. A village with a river, a beach, and myriads of fancy cafes for white people. I wake up to chickens (they really make the 'KU-KA-RE-KU' sound), pass cows and other cattle and people in those Vietnamese hats harvesting crops every day.
Locals here often wake up before dawn - so most of their work is done in the morning - and seem to have something of a siesta in the hottest part of the day. Despite all the hard manual work they do, the vibe here is relaxed and slow-paced.
I also know many young women who's daily routines are basically about taking care of the house, cooking, taking care of kids (or 30-year-old white kids who are just as helpless in the kitchen). No full-time job, no career ambitions.
Sounds like everything a 'progressive' woman is not supposed to want. But they enjoy this nurturing, traditionally feminine way of life - something I'm learning to appreciate here as well. To be honest, I feel like finally I'm slowly connecting with what it feels like to be a woman.
One day I caught myself thinking that this is what I want my life to be like - to forget about productivity, efficiency, and someone's business goals and be in touch with my surroundings instead. Cook, share meals with others instead of stuffing myself with whatever was in the fridge in 10 min between the calls.
That was a beautiful realization. But the next day I decided that I needed more money😅 The funny thing is that it's technically not true. But apparently I can't handle not being overworked. Not yet, at least.
#Vietnam
❤17
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A glimpse of my daily surroundings here
❤5🔥3
About alternative lifestyles
To continue the previous post, a local friend of mine moved out of a comfortable apartment to an abandoned building across the street.
She's living there and renovating it with her other friend and that friend's son (the boy who taught me to count to 10).
The ladies don't have full time jobs. The boy's mother doesn't have any job, as far as I understood. My friend works as a PA (personal assistant) and finishes her laptop work until 8 am.
Then she walks around collecting wood to make fire and gathering food to cook breakfast. Then lunch, and then dinner. Could it ever occur to you to spend your time on gathering food instead of on making money to buy it?
Obviously, it can only work in a tropical climate, perhaps not in the long run, and then there is an available apartment next door just in case. But the fact that this life model works at all and is preferable to an office job fascinated to me.
My friend is my age, did her bachelor's degree in Business Administration, then worked in marketing-related role in Saigon. She also speaks great English. So she's not exactly your typical 'hippy material'.
And yet she's eager to spend her days making fire on the porch of their abandoned house, cooking whatever she can find and whatever neighbours share, going scavenging to find pieces of furniture and decor in trash dumps.
These ladies are beaming with happiness. And I think I can relate. I only allow myself such lifestyle once or twice a year when I go camping to a Karelia forest. Apparently, for some it can be their normal.
#Vietnam
To continue the previous post, a local friend of mine moved out of a comfortable apartment to an abandoned building across the street.
She's living there and renovating it with her other friend and that friend's son (the boy who taught me to count to 10).
The ladies don't have full time jobs. The boy's mother doesn't have any job, as far as I understood. My friend works as a PA (personal assistant) and finishes her laptop work until 8 am.
Then she walks around collecting wood to make fire and gathering food to cook breakfast. Then lunch, and then dinner. Could it ever occur to you to spend your time on gathering food instead of on making money to buy it?
Obviously, it can only work in a tropical climate, perhaps not in the long run, and then there is an available apartment next door just in case. But the fact that this life model works at all and is preferable to an office job fascinated to me.
My friend is my age, did her bachelor's degree in Business Administration, then worked in marketing-related role in Saigon. She also speaks great English. So she's not exactly your typical 'hippy material'.
And yet she's eager to spend her days making fire on the porch of their abandoned house, cooking whatever she can find and whatever neighbours share, going scavenging to find pieces of furniture and decor in trash dumps.
These ladies are beaming with happiness. And I think I can relate. I only allow myself such lifestyle once or twice a year when I go camping to a Karelia forest. Apparently, for some it can be their normal.
#Vietnam
❤10😍2
Lannah's wisdom: part 3 (here are parts 1 and 2)
One more thought I want to share about small talk... and conversations in general.
One peculiar thing my friend said to me - When I approach people, my filters are off. I can say something like: 'your lips look so yummy tonight'. And then see what happens.
I asked how she'd react if someone said that to her.
She answered - depends on how she feels with that person. She can react by deadpanning them with 'what the hell do you want from me?' - or she can get all flirty, smile, and say 'thank you'.
Now, the first reaction is basically a clarifying question, as well as setting a boundary that would likely cut off an unwelcome intruder. The second reaction - inviting a welcome intruder into further exploration.
Neither of those reactions are 'freeze' (or 'fight' or 'flight'). Which is what I would do if someone told me my lips looked yummy. And I have a hypothesis that this is the reason why I myself can't say something like that to another person.
The point I want to make is that I'm still learning to set my boundaries. And I subconsciously project my struggles onto other people. I assume they will struggle with setting their boundaries too. So I tend to perceive asking personal questions / making honest remarks as an act of aggression that another person won't be able to handle.
Lannah, on the other hand, is good at setting her boundaries. And she probably expects others to be well capable of that too. So she asks questions and she says what she feels like saying - she's not afraid that the other person will crumble at her words.
Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting you tell your colleagues their lips look yummy as a conversation starter in a Monday meeting🙂
But perhaps some questions or comments you deem inappropriate / too personal are in fact OK to voice and will signal that you want to connect.
#reflections
One more thought I want to share about small talk... and conversations in general.
One peculiar thing my friend said to me - When I approach people, my filters are off. I can say something like: 'your lips look so yummy tonight'. And then see what happens.
I asked how she'd react if someone said that to her.
She answered - depends on how she feels with that person. She can react by deadpanning them with 'what the hell do you want from me?' - or she can get all flirty, smile, and say 'thank you'.
Now, the first reaction is basically a clarifying question, as well as setting a boundary that would likely cut off an unwelcome intruder. The second reaction - inviting a welcome intruder into further exploration.
Neither of those reactions are 'freeze' (or 'fight' or 'flight'). Which is what I would do if someone told me my lips looked yummy. And I have a hypothesis that this is the reason why I myself can't say something like that to another person.
The point I want to make is that I'm still learning to set my boundaries. And I subconsciously project my struggles onto other people. I assume they will struggle with setting their boundaries too. So I tend to perceive asking personal questions / making honest remarks as an act of aggression that another person won't be able to handle.
Lannah, on the other hand, is good at setting her boundaries. And she probably expects others to be well capable of that too. So she asks questions and she says what she feels like saying - she's not afraid that the other person will crumble at her words.
Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting you tell your colleagues their lips look yummy as a conversation starter in a Monday meeting🙂
But perhaps some questions or comments you deem inappropriate / too personal are in fact OK to voice and will signal that you want to connect.
#reflections
❤5🔥2❤🔥1
One free Monday evening I went to a bar (that's a good way to start a week, by the way - highly recommend🙂). I was talking to someone I just met - originally from the UK, now living here, probably in his mid 40s. At some point I said it was time to call it a day - I had an 8 am call the next morning. So he looks at me with a sympathetic smile, sipping his wine and taking a drag on a joint... And then he goes:
- Oh wait a second... what day is it tomorrow? Is it Tuesday? Shit, I have a call at 8 am too... And today was the deadline for my report...
... then he laughs and takes another sip from his glass. And smokes some more weed.
Wish you more wonderful Monday evenings✨
- Oh wait a second... what day is it tomorrow? Is it Tuesday? Shit, I have a call at 8 am too... And today was the deadline for my report...
... then he laughs and takes another sip from his glass. And smokes some more weed.
Wish you more wonderful Monday evenings✨
🤣9❤🔥2🔥1
One of my clients shared an app with me - I want to share it with you 🙂
Basically it's a little bit of cognitive therapy everyday - in English. You can start and finish your day with it, takes 10-15 min. The purpose of the app is to help you track and structure your thoughts, avoid negative distortions, highlight positive aspects.
And another app I want to share - Gemeni (one of AI language models). This one self-installed itself on my new phone - it's kind of like an AI assistant. For the first 2 months I was cursing it every time a window with 'how can I help you' popped up - my phone was laggy enough without additional workload. But this weekend I finally figured out how to access extra RAM, and tried this app.
Turns out you can talk to it if you switch to live mode - like pick a voice you like and have an actual conversation - for free. You can use it as a language learning buddy or a life coach, which is so cool. I decided to use it to discuss my dreams with it when I wake up - just like GPT it provides a pretty decent analysis for an AI.
So here are a couple of pleasant routines in English to add to your day🔮
Basically it's a little bit of cognitive therapy everyday - in English. You can start and finish your day with it, takes 10-15 min. The purpose of the app is to help you track and structure your thoughts, avoid negative distortions, highlight positive aspects.
And another app I want to share - Gemeni (one of AI language models). This one self-installed itself on my new phone - it's kind of like an AI assistant. For the first 2 months I was cursing it every time a window with 'how can I help you' popped up - my phone was laggy enough without additional workload. But this weekend I finally figured out how to access extra RAM, and tried this app.
Turns out you can talk to it if you switch to live mode - like pick a voice you like and have an actual conversation - for free. You can use it as a language learning buddy or a life coach, which is so cool. I decided to use it to discuss my dreams with it when I wake up - just like GPT it provides a pretty decent analysis for an AI.
So here are a couple of pleasant routines in English to add to your day🔮
Getstoic
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I think I'm struggling with a philosophical question I should have figured out when I was 3:
My sleep schedule somehow got messed up, and my brain got into a nasty habit of waking up around 4 am and staying awake for a couple of hours. During this time it entertains me with all kinds of weird thoughts.
This morning something got me thinking about the etymology of our core archetypal concepts - Good and Evil. In Russian it's Добро и Зло.
We also have good and bad - хорошо и плохо. And there is another word wicked - as in 'a wicked witch' - something in between of bad and evil, I suppose.
So the meanings of these words overlap across the 2 languages, but they are not exactly the same.
It seems that good and bad are usually attributed to humanity - people, things made by people, life circumstances of people. Good and Evil are about something that transcends humanity. They are about archetypes like God and the devil.
So what gripped my attention is that in Russian the Good is apparently related to the concept of kindness. And the Evil - to anger. These are polar categories and represent 2 major forces of being.
One thing that came to mind here is how an infant sees a mother. It's also polar - either she's good - the Good (when she's a source of gratification, e.g., during breast feeding), or she's bad (when she's a cause of frustration / is upset with a baby). So when she's bad - does she represent the Evil in the eyes of a child?
That would sort of make sense - for a 'kind' mother to represent the Good, and for an 'angry' mother - the Evil (until a certain age). Because I'm not sure that for a child there is any distinction between a display of anger and malevolence.
Here is what Google AI helpfully provided on the origin of the words:
I suppose that a benevolent and merciful God is sort of a 'kind parent' figure, if simplified.
But someone 'useless and worthless' sounds lot different from 'angry and malevolent'. Or maybe these categories are not so different after all...
To sin means to miss the mark. Same in Russian - грех - погрешность. Which has something to do with being useless and worthless. Maybe the cultural narrative here is that if you fuck up consistently over a long enough period of time, you become the embodiment of Evil...
That's not a very pleasant thought, I probably got it wrong somewhere on the way😅
But if you guys know other languages, please share the words for Good and Evil in them - what are the origins of those words?
Крошка сын к отцу пришел,
и спросила кроха:
— Что такое хорошо
и что такое плохо?
My sleep schedule somehow got messed up, and my brain got into a nasty habit of waking up around 4 am and staying awake for a couple of hours. During this time it entertains me with all kinds of weird thoughts.
This morning something got me thinking about the etymology of our core archetypal concepts - Good and Evil. In Russian it's Добро и Зло.
We also have good and bad - хорошо и плохо. And there is another word wicked - as in 'a wicked witch' - something in between of bad and evil, I suppose.
So the meanings of these words overlap across the 2 languages, but they are not exactly the same.
It seems that good and bad are usually attributed to humanity - people, things made by people, life circumstances of people. Good and Evil are about something that transcends humanity. They are about archetypes like God and the devil.
So what gripped my attention is that in Russian the Good is apparently related to the concept of kindness. And the Evil - to anger. These are polar categories and represent 2 major forces of being.
One thing that came to mind here is how an infant sees a mother. It's also polar - either she's good - the Good (when she's a source of gratification, e.g., during breast feeding), or she's bad (when she's a cause of frustration / is upset with a baby). So when she's bad - does she represent the Evil in the eyes of a child?
That would sort of make sense - for a 'kind' mother to represent the Good, and for an 'angry' mother - the Evil (until a certain age). Because I'm not sure that for a child there is any distinction between a display of anger and malevolence.
Here is what Google AI helpfully provided on the origin of the words:
The word "good" comes from a combination of Old English, Old Germanic, Dutch, and Scandinavian. It was originally spelled "god" with a long "O" sound and meant "beneficial" or "righteous". The word's origins can be traced back to the Old English perception of God as benevolent and merciful.
The Latin word malus (if I'm not mistaken, in Spanish 'malo' means 'bad') is the closest Latin word to the English word "evil".
In the Gospel of Matthew, the Greek word poneros is used to translate the word "evil" or "wicked". The root concept of poneros is "being oppressed by toils (traps / struggles)" and it has a negative connotation that suggests being useless or worthless.
I suppose that a benevolent and merciful God is sort of a 'kind parent' figure, if simplified.
But someone 'useless and worthless' sounds lot different from 'angry and malevolent'. Or maybe these categories are not so different after all...
To sin means to miss the mark. Same in Russian - грех - погрешность. Which has something to do with being useless and worthless. Maybe the cultural narrative here is that if you fuck up consistently over a long enough period of time, you become the embodiment of Evil...
That's not a very pleasant thought, I probably got it wrong somewhere on the way😅
But if you guys know other languages, please share the words for Good and Evil in them - what are the origins of those words?
I'm not even close to figuring out the philosophical questions about Good and Evil, but I think I have figured out why the chickens outside of my homestay scream throughout the whole night and keep me awake at 4 am.
The fuckers wait for all the traffic to stop (around 11 PM), so that everyone can hear them loud and clear and there are no competing noises.
When traffic resumes in the morning (around 6.30 AM) - they shut up for the whole day.
The fuckers wait for all the traffic to stop (around 11 PM), so that everyone can hear them loud and clear and there are no competing noises.
When traffic resumes in the morning (around 6.30 AM) - they shut up for the whole day.
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How much do we understand about where we are?
It's a long post in 3 parts, with my reflections on traveling and relocation. You're very welcome to share your experience, if you feel like it🔮
I'm finally starting to ask myself where I am. To notice where I am. To notice that the land is strange. That it has history - a bloody one, because every history is that way. But I don't know their story.
I wonder if it's about being in a new place. If every person going through immigration discovers that they are in a strange land at some point. I'm not talking about stumbling upon inconveniences of shopping, dealing with unexpected bureaucracy or hearing a new language. I'm talking about this realization, deep in your bones, that you've no idea where you are. In which system, what your place in this system is, how deep and into what darkness its roots go.
I'm used to traveling alone. Since a relatively early age. I remember finding myself in an unfamiliar airport when I was 14, having to navigate my way without any idea of what my destination would be like. So my started creating a map with familiar patterns. Looking for sameness. Starbucks, KFC, McDonald's, Forever 21, Zara, H&M, music in my headphones, the logic of navigating another tangled metro. They are the same in Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Sao Paulo. Every airport works the same way, every unknown language sounds like the same gibberish. Well, not exactly the same, but it's blurred out of focus in the same way. People's faces and reactions are blurred out of focus in the same way.
The same behavioral strategy worked well enough for me everywhere: smile, be nice, carry this foreigner's helplessness and cluelessness around yourself wherever you go. Show off that you're not from here. Not from anywhere, perhaps. You're a stranger, but you believe in the kindness of strangers (they must be kind if they aren't from where you're from, right?), and so they are kind to you. Until they're not, but what are the odds of that as long as you keep to your familiar patterns? You're just someone passing by. You're a welcome guest, but you'll never really belong. And all the local problems have nothing to do with you. Ignorance is bliss and you feel entitled to stay ignorant. You aren't a part of this system. So if you never stick around for long enough anywhere, it might seem like you aren't a part of any system. Now isn't that a delightful thought?
I'm saying you instead of I again. Maybe in hopes that it's relatable.
I'm realizing that I permanently identify as a stranger passing by. Even at home. The very word home sounds off. I sometimes get the feeling of it - when I am taken care of, but can't tie it to a place. My whole life in Russia I felt like a foreigner who's not going to stay. I didn't want to understand our culture, too look at it and admit I'm a part of it. I'm not a faith person. Perhaps not a faithful one either. And I don't just mean God. The leap of faith itself has always been hard for me. But one thing I did have faith in was that I'd grow up and leave.
And now that I have left (for now) and I don't really have to go back - I feel like I do. My friend asked me why I need to return to Russia. One would think it's cause I miss my friends and family. But it's not that - not for the most part. It's so that I get to stay nothing more than a passing traveler here. Even the most delightful place imaginable is scary to belong to.
I suspect it's about the fact that any system has a tyrannical element to it. Every family, institution, state. The degree of tyranny varies, but it's always there. The limitation is there. Understanding where you are in this somewhat tyrannical hierarchy, looking at your position in it with eyes wide open - is something I never had the courage to do. I'd rather pretend I'm not a part of any hierarchy and jump ship every time I feel the slightest strain. Maybe people choosing life on the road have that in common.
And yet there is this idea again: being able to function in an ordered hierarchy aimed at unity is the essence of sanity.
It's a long post in 3 parts, with my reflections on traveling and relocation. You're very welcome to share your experience, if you feel like it🔮
I'm finally starting to ask myself where I am. To notice where I am. To notice that the land is strange. That it has history - a bloody one, because every history is that way. But I don't know their story.
I wonder if it's about being in a new place. If every person going through immigration discovers that they are in a strange land at some point. I'm not talking about stumbling upon inconveniences of shopping, dealing with unexpected bureaucracy or hearing a new language. I'm talking about this realization, deep in your bones, that you've no idea where you are. In which system, what your place in this system is, how deep and into what darkness its roots go.
I'm used to traveling alone. Since a relatively early age. I remember finding myself in an unfamiliar airport when I was 14, having to navigate my way without any idea of what my destination would be like. So my started creating a map with familiar patterns. Looking for sameness. Starbucks, KFC, McDonald's, Forever 21, Zara, H&M, music in my headphones, the logic of navigating another tangled metro. They are the same in Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Sao Paulo. Every airport works the same way, every unknown language sounds like the same gibberish. Well, not exactly the same, but it's blurred out of focus in the same way. People's faces and reactions are blurred out of focus in the same way.
The same behavioral strategy worked well enough for me everywhere: smile, be nice, carry this foreigner's helplessness and cluelessness around yourself wherever you go. Show off that you're not from here. Not from anywhere, perhaps. You're a stranger, but you believe in the kindness of strangers (they must be kind if they aren't from where you're from, right?), and so they are kind to you. Until they're not, but what are the odds of that as long as you keep to your familiar patterns? You're just someone passing by. You're a welcome guest, but you'll never really belong. And all the local problems have nothing to do with you. Ignorance is bliss and you feel entitled to stay ignorant. You aren't a part of this system. So if you never stick around for long enough anywhere, it might seem like you aren't a part of any system. Now isn't that a delightful thought?
I'm saying you instead of I again. Maybe in hopes that it's relatable.
I'm realizing that I permanently identify as a stranger passing by. Even at home. The very word home sounds off. I sometimes get the feeling of it - when I am taken care of, but can't tie it to a place. My whole life in Russia I felt like a foreigner who's not going to stay. I didn't want to understand our culture, too look at it and admit I'm a part of it. I'm not a faith person. Perhaps not a faithful one either. And I don't just mean God. The leap of faith itself has always been hard for me. But one thing I did have faith in was that I'd grow up and leave.
And now that I have left (for now) and I don't really have to go back - I feel like I do. My friend asked me why I need to return to Russia. One would think it's cause I miss my friends and family. But it's not that - not for the most part. It's so that I get to stay nothing more than a passing traveler here. Even the most delightful place imaginable is scary to belong to.
I suspect it's about the fact that any system has a tyrannical element to it. Every family, institution, state. The degree of tyranny varies, but it's always there. The limitation is there. Understanding where you are in this somewhat tyrannical hierarchy, looking at your position in it with eyes wide open - is something I never had the courage to do. I'd rather pretend I'm not a part of any hierarchy and jump ship every time I feel the slightest strain. Maybe people choosing life on the road have that in common.
And yet there is this idea again: being able to function in an ordered hierarchy aimed at unity is the essence of sanity.
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...
Lately it has become trendy to say 'Escape the matrix!'. But matrix means matter. The structure of being. And it's not like Neo woke up to a paradise free of constraints. The underlying structure turned out to be much harder and more painful to understand and accept than the software for a convenient layer of perception. Much more demanding and openly hostile too.
Lately it has become trendy to say 'Escape the matrix!'. But matrix means matter. The structure of being. And it's not like Neo woke up to a paradise free of constraints. The underlying structure turned out to be much harder and more painful to understand and accept than the software for a convenient layer of perception. Much more demanding and openly hostile too.