If 5% of the population contributed majority of the crime, would you execute all 5%?

death of the middle class

just as how it never existed in ancient times

[cc]

[BR]

finally finished ‘One Man’s View of the World’ by LKY

took me almost 3 months to finish this

over a decade since publication but still a great book and i have immense respect for the man

wish i was alive/ more conscious during his active years

3 more books to go by EOY!

3/5

[cc]

one of my goals for 2026 would probably to be more consistently intentional in going about life

being a more active participant in my own life

are you?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOCIVnlklDN/?igsh=MWl2cWJjbDRyZ3hweQ==

to want is also to lack

Sometimes if we fill that lack with something else the original want disappears entirely. Maybe you have a lack problem rather than a want problem.

“You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

— Jon Kabat-Zinn

[BR]

finished ‘The Midnight Library’ and thoroughly enjoyed it (~4h)

my first fiction book in years and never realised how easy it was to read once you’re into the story

main takeaways:
• there is never a perfect life or one that comes without pain or unhappiness. after the protagonist experienced multiple parallel lives, she found her root life to be the one worth living (even after her suicide attempt).
• love is essential in life. love and be loved.
• don’t get too hung up on the what ifs and regrets, because every small decision irreversibly changes your life for the better and/or worse.
• life happens for you, not to you.

fav quote:

…, how life sometimes simply gave you a whole new perspective by waiting around long enough for you to see it.

4.5/5
recommended read

[BR]

‘The Stranger in the Lifeboat’ by Mitch Albom (~4h)

picked this up in a bookstore overseas weeks back because i’ve always liked reading Mitch’s books, starting with Tuesdays with Morrie (shocker!) years ago

easy and light read, mostly revolving around faith and belief

main takeaways are more faith focused

fav quote:

Feeling loss is part of why you are on Earth. Through it, you appreciate the brief gift of human existence…

… When people leave this Earth, their loved ones always weep. But I promise you, those who leave do not.

4/5
recommended read

[BR]

also finished ‘The Wit & Wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew’

it’s just a compilation of his quotes so i don’t really consider it a book

didn’t think it was impactful or anything, not a recommended read/buy

just felt like a publisher farming LKY’s reputation

1/5
skip

another goal for 2026 would be to read more broadly

more breadth than depth

i’ve generally been very focused on nonfiction and self-help books, but am looking to change that

after all, what’s the point if reading isn’t broadening your perspectives

happy to take good book recommendations anytime

(all book reviews are tagged with BR)

this is pretty interesting to me

think and discuss probabilistically, similar to tuple-ising feelings (https://t.iss.one/humblespace/579)

thinking on a scale to introduce uncertainty -> increasing open-mindedness and leaving room for humility

avoiding motivated reasoning is the most important here (whether ego or just pure blind spot)

Zeno's Paradoxes

Paradoxes of Motion:
1. Dichotomy Paradox
2. Achilles and the Tortoise
3. Arrow Paradox

this is actually interesting to think about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno%27s_paradoxes

The Rashomon Effect

The Rashomon effect refers to an instance when the same event is described in significantly different (often contradictory) ways by different people who were involved.

common to see this phenomenon in life (conflicts, law, breakups, etc.) and i guess it shows our subjectiveness as humans.

birth rate collapse & economic utility of a birth

this is pretty novel regarding birth rates

https://x.com/object_zero_/status/1994562241299976222?s=46&t=