Self-Improvement Hell, Higher Education Issues, Arthur C. Clarke's Genius
Three Point Thursday
A Sauna Story.
At my gym, I recently had a conversation with someone about journaling. I mentioned how I do it most days and find it valuable. They replied that they don’t do it as much anymore because they sometimes feel overly self-conscious and self-critical, since they’re always journaling about themselves. It made me realize that I’ve kept the habit because I’m not always writing about improving myself and my life. Rather, I’m often simply having fun with ideas. I’ll write down an idea from a Substack article that stuck with me, a cool perspective I heard on a podcast, or an outline of a creative project. People make the mistake of assuming journaling has to be strictly self-improvement-based. This assumption is best avoided because excessive introspection is a root cause of unhappiness.
Americans’ view of higher education is tanking.
The other day I was not surprised at all to read a report from Pew Research that said, “seven-in-ten Americans now say the higher education system in the United States is generally going in the wrong direction – up from 56% who said this in 2020.” It is because of this cultural moment, along with my own experiences, that I’ve been working on a campus satire novel.
Behold, the legendary Arthur C. Clarke.
To say that science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke had an incredible imagination would be a major understatement. I’ve recently been flying through his novels, which I would describe as inspiring, thought-provoking, and just so damn fun to read. Rendezvous with Rama, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Childhood’s End are all absolute bangers.
Really like your point on journaling. I’ve found the same mindset helpful. While much of my journalling is aimed at my own circumstance, it’s often more about interests rather than just self-improvement. Good stuff brother 👊🏻