047: An Optimized Life

MiLo (“Abu”) welcomes a new grandson, and we talk about pregnancy and birth. Then we talk about discrimination and personal blind spots, “cooperative interruption,” daydreaming, optimizing yourself to perform better, lifehacks, material wealth and happiness, striving versus self-acceptance, envy, commute time as a predictor of school success, the power of intention, classical yoga versus kashmir shaivism on transcending versus ‘being’ the pile of dung, and gratitude as a practice. At the end we wonder about the optimal form of government and what that means for whom. Mentioned in this episode Brené Brown and Tim Ferris on the tension between striving and self-acceptance Dr. Gül Dölen on “critical periods” of brain development and the effects of psychedelics Hayek’s B******s (book) by Quinn Slobodian — “How neoliberals turned to nature to defend inequality after the end of the Cold War” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com