“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone," - Blaise Pascal
If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with this quote (written in the 1600s, I wonder what was so distracting back then?). It’s more relevant today than ever. You might (ironically) see it plastered across self-help profiles, as you doom scroll your IG feed to kill an hour alone at home, unable to sit with the empty space (or at least I have).
I agree with Pascal, that our stir craziness, our inability to embrace stillness, often leads to our suffering. I’d like to take it a step further and add that most of us find it difficult to do basically anything alone.
Humans are social animals.
The fear of abandonment from the tribe is strong. It begins at birth, if a baby mammal is separated from its mother, it is a death sentence. Our fear of isolation is deeply integrated into our humanity. Emotions like FOMO and loneliness are defense mechanisms programmed to save us from death.
Facing this unconscious code can lead to breakthroughs and broaden your horizons. It can help you to expand your network and build new nodal connections to different tribes. It can also help you better define that which inspires you vs. that which you do to conform. Though the fear is real, its impact on our lives creeps into even the most innocuous situations.
Let’s say Friday night is around the corner and your favorite band is back in town. You haven’t seen them perform in over two years because of COVID. You message all of your closest friends, some acquaintances, and 1 or 2 Hinge connections, but everyone already has plans or dislikes the band. Friday night comes, you have two tickets, but only one person to go with - yourself. What do you do?
I would not fault you for selling the tickets or pivoting your plans to be with your friends. After all, “Happiness [is] only real when shared.” – John Krakauer, Into the Wild.
But if your desire to be with this band live is so strong that it overrides your inner programming, and decide to go it alone, I think you might find something special there. You might meet a new friend who shares your love for this music or even a new romantic partner. You might hear a new track that inspires change in your life. Or your might bump into an old friend who time had separated from you.
But honestly, you might not. You might spend the night with your eyes closed, humming your favorite tunes. It could actually turn out to be a lonely affair. But if it is, even that is a fresh data point - an opportunity to remind you how special the friendships you have really are - more special even, than your favorite band.
Doing things alone helps us to recalibrate our identity. From the smallest action - like taking a walk - to the largest action – like taking a stand – aloneness brings us in a deeper connection to our true selves.
We live in a time when disconnecting from others is a radical act. In the rare moments of aloneness, we begin to discern that which is truly our own – and to me, that is worth the occasional wrestling match with loneliness.
What I’m Reading
Ideas
Emotions & Brain Function - Impact of High Dose of Psyolosibin
Proof of Plant, a New Theory for Crypto, Ben Hunt
Markets
Dalio Believes Fed Can’t Tighten without Major Negative Impact
Metaverse, NFTs, and Digital Collectibles
Artists Launch NFT + Music Experiment - The Song That Owns Itself
Beeple Launches WeNew, a Platform that let’s users own Iconic Moments
Why Creator Tokens Will Proceed Community Tokens, Alex Masmej for A16z
Crypto
Bitcoin, Currencies, and Bubbles by Nassim Nicolas Taleb
Placeholder VC’s Element Investment Thesis
Ark Invest, Square, & Paradigm Launch the “B Word” For Institutions to Learn About Bitcoin
Thank you for reading this edition of the Look Up! Weekly. If you like this newsletter, please share it with your friend:
If you haven’t signed up yet and would like to receive Look Up! Weekly directly to your inbox, you can subscribe here:
Or follow me on Twitter:
As always, feel free to reach out with feedback, guest recommendations, and ideas for future posts and episodes.