Arman's Antics (#054)

The latest from invisible mentee Arman Khodadoost

Hey everyone!

Coming to you live from Austin, Texas. Here’s your weekly dose of Arman’s Antics. Five things I’ve been pondering and exploring that will make you think, laugh, cry (or a nasty combination of the three).

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Essay I wrote last week

Ever heard of The Five Chimps Theory? It says that in zoology you can predict the mood and behavior of one chimp by observing which five chimps they hang out with the most.

Humans are no different. But you and I don’t have to hang out with the people who shape us. In fact, it’s not necessary for them to even know we exist.

Here’s the five chimps I’d like to hang out with the most:

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Fiction book I’m reading and loving

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia: A Novel.

I’ll admit it, I’ve been a self-help book junkie for years. But now I’m convinced most of them aren’t worth reading. They are filled with platitudes and often written by writers who don’t seem to internalize their own words.

That’s why I’m loving this book. It’s a parody of a self-help book. And it’s written in the second person so it feels like you are the main character which is just brilliant.

Here’s a description: “…a striking slice of contemporary life at a time of crushing upheaval. Romantic without being sentimental, political without being didactic, and spiritual without being religious, it brings an unflinching gaze to the violence and hope it depicts. And it creates two unforgettable characters who find moments of transcendent intimacy in the midst of shattering change.”

Please share other books like this if you know of any.

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Blog artilce I’m reading and revisiting often

The Tail End — Wait But Why.

I first read this about five years ago and it got me to start paying closer attention to our one and only nonrenewable resource — time. With a twist.

It also got me to buy a life calendar that shows the number of weeks contained in a 90 year lifespan. I have a reminder set on my phone to put an “X” in each circle at the end of another week. My wife thinks it’s morbid, so she forced me to take it out of our office and hang it up in the closet where it’s hidden from our guests.

Tim Urban does a magnificent job of visualizing how short life is by measuring it in terms of how many times you’ll get to stuff your face with your favorite food (chicken wings), the number of times you have left to swim in the ocean, or how many more visits you’ll realistically get with your parents.

It’s short so if you read nothing else today, check it out.

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My one addiction

Have you picked up any of your parents less-than-glamorous addictions that you swore you’d never partake in? Alcohol? Cigarettes? Nightly pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream?

I have. But thankfully it’s of the slightly more socially acceptable type.

Caffeine. More specifically, coffee.

I never touched the stuff until my senior year of college. But now hardly a day has passed without my tongue being singed by a cup of joe (or three).

I can still remember how the mere scent of coffee-flavored-anything made me want to sprint in the opposite direction. I couldn’t fathom how my parents were willing to consume such a disgusting looking mug of murky bean water. But now I get it.

There’s few things in life that bring me more pleasure than my ritualistic morning cup of coffee.

PS - I don’t trust anyone that doesn’t have at least one addiction.

Photo by Ante Samarzija on Unsplash

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Random thought

Everyone who cares about you wants you to do well, just not better than them.

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That’s it for the 54th edition of Arman’s Antics. Thank you for spending a few of your attention points with me today. Now back to your regularly scheduled nonstop scrolling.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Cheers,

Arman

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