Arman's Antics (#043)
The latest from curious contrarian Arman Khodadoost
Hey everyone!
Coming to you live from Austin, Texas. Here’s your weekly dose of Arman’s Antics.
A choose-your-own-adventure newsletter that attempts to make you think, laugh, cry (or a nasty combination of the three).
Welcome to the four new subscribers receiving this for the first time (285 total). I don’t take your time or attention lightly.
Essay I wrote last week
New is sexy but fallible.
That’s true for technology, beliefs, and even transportation.
We laugh at our ancestors traditions because we’re civilized now.
Or are we?
The ancients have plenty to teach us for one simple reason — it worked.
How can we be so sure?
They survived.
So, let’s not fall for the all too common trap of:
Mistaking the old for the outdated
I was struck by something profound, yet simple, the other day. It hit me like a sack of potatoes while on my morning walk (where most insights tend to originate). We mistake the ancestral for the antiquated. The thought whirled around my mind and refused to go away even after (politely) asking it to. Much like this rash I’ve been battling for ten years or…
New gadget I’m enjoying
Speaking of new, fallible technology, I bought this little guy the other day and he hasn’t failed me yet.
I guess it’s not really new.
Timers have been around for millennia (roughly).
But it’s new for me and it’s been a blast.
I use it to time my meditation and writing sessions in the morning.
I also use it in my job for work sprints when I need to bust out a project.
The most unexpected yet satisfying part about it is the gliding motion when you turn the dial. I could do that for hours.
Easily the best $12 I’ve spent in recent memory.
Money saving tip
But let’s say you don’t even have $12 to splurge on a new gadget.
That’s ok.
I’ve been there.
There’s a simple tactic you can use to start saving money immediately.
I’ve never heard this mentioned by any of the personal finance gurus out there.
It’s easy to do.
And it requires zero training.
Ready?
Fasting.
Yep.
Stop eating if you need to save money.
But it doesn’t feel right giving advice without some skin in the game, so I tested this myself.
I fasted for 36 hours this weekend and the results are in.
I didn’t spend a penny.
Your wallet and your body will thank you for depriving them.
Practicing poverty
Part of the reason I decided to fast was because I’m rereading Letters from a Stoic by Seneca.
Who were the Stoics?
Nassim Taleb has the perfect description — Buddhists with an attitude.
This is my 4th or 5th time reading it so I’d read the following line several times, but I never internalized it til now.
“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: 'Is this the condition that I feared?”
Modern comfort makes us weak.
So why not practice a little pinch of poverty every once in a while to prove that we can handle it?
Random thought
Why do we furiously clean before guests arrive in the hopes of tricking them to believe we live in a clean and orderly home?
That’s it for this 43rd edition of Arman’s Antics.
Thanks for stopping by while sipping that hot beverage of choice.
Now back to your regularly scheduled nonstop scrolling.
Have a terrific Tuesday!
Cheers,
Arman
Likes and comments below.
Love the practicing poverty segment. I'm trying to practice this more often in more areas of my life.