Being Human, Tall Poppy Syndrome, and Debunking Body Language Experts

Sharing 7 things I've enjoyed this week

Hey Friends,

I’m down with the sniffles.

I don’t have the cognitive ability to focus, and editing the latest substack is a job my brain refuses to do right now.

In front of me is a post-it note stuck to my Dell 30” monitor that says, “It doesn’t have to be perfect, just good enough!” While I could take my own advice and publish the latest newsletter, a part of me wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I think I didn’t do the best job possible.

Instead, while I rest, recover, and read a good book, I thought I’d share 7 things I enjoyed in the past week.

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7 Things I Enjoyed This Week

1. What If Boys And Men Aren’t Suffering Through A Crisis?

What does it mean to be a man in the 21st century? For the last year, I’ve been exploring this question and trying to come up with an answer myself (which I will write about). This article is a great piece countering the point that perhaps men are not struggling — we all are. Being human is hard.

2. In praise of ambition

My friend Andrew Lynch wrote this. He writes about one of the most harmful mentalities that pervades UK society — tall poppy syndrome. It stops people from trying and being ambitious. I always praise anyone who tries to do something ambitious. But after reading this, I will, too, start calling people out for their shitty behaviour.

3. I Debunked Every "Body Language Expert" on Youtube

When I meet someone new and they find out I have a degree in Psychology and was a professional poker player, they often ask, “can you read me right now?” The answer is no. It will take more than a two-minute conversation for me to develop an idea of who you are. There’s been a lot of these body language experts sprouting up ever since the Heard-Depp case. It’s quite fun to have the field of body language get criticised.

4. Almost Didn’t Happen

Life is random. You can never predict the future. Sure, you can have a few correct guesses, but odds are you’ll be more wrong than you are right. That’s why the path to success is never clear, and anyone else telling you otherwise is a snake oil salesman. Jack Raines's story explains how there were a million small, seemingly inconsequential steps that would have prevented him from meeting one of his idols — Morgan Housel.

5. Creativity and Community: A Love Story

This year I’ve been struggling a lot to stay online. However, Foster is one of the few online communities I still participate in (albeit not so much recently). One of the ways I stay connected is by reading the Foster blog. Here’s a great piece on how the Foster community comes together to help people but can also hinder the creative process.

6. Evolutionary Ideas For Modern Problems

A few months ago, I finished Sam Tatam’s Evolutionary Ideas. This podcast is a condensed version of the book. This philosophy is something I’ve been trying to implement in my life. Instead of trying to invent new ways to solve a problem, look at nature and evolution to find a way to solve our problems.

7. Thanos Was Right, By The Way

Jessica Wildfire has been causing a bit of a storm lately on Medium with her doom-bait articles. Generally, I’m quite an optimistic person, but it’s always good to see what the other side is writing about. I thought this was an excellent take on why the Avengers — yep, those Marvel Superheroes — are not really heroes.

— Jason Vu Nguyen