“Man, I see in Fight Club the strongest and smartest men who’ve ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables, slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War, no Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars, but we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.”

Tyler Durden

Just keep it simple and fast paced.

Don’t let your archive pile up and become a degenerate photographer.

Make selections, edit in the photos app built into the iPad with speed, back everything up to google photos, and move onto the next one. We should become efficient with our practice both on the streets and off. By making daily selections and staying on top of your archive, you will save yourself a headache further down the line.

By trying to be different, or an individual, you actually just wind up following trends.

We must remember that photography is both a physical pleasure and a visual game. This means, increasing our power and focusing on the human body is critical to reach your fullest potential.

Why?

I believe weightlifting is critical to becoming a better photographer. You may wonder how these things correlate and why I believe this? Honestly it’s simple and related to the kaizen Japanese philosophy.

The word “Kaizen” is derived from Japanese. It is composed of two characters: “改” (kai) meaning “change” or “to correct,” and “善” (zen) meaning “good” or “for the better.” Thus, Kaizen translates to “change for the better” or “improvement.” This concept is widely used in business and manufacturing contexts to denote continuous improvement involving everyone from executives to workers.

Essentially, in order to improve your photography for the better, you must work on it every single day. Similar to weightlifting, photography requires a a lot of time working in order to see any results.

My thought is that consistent weightlifting and physical training everyday not only will increase your power and courage to continuously throw yourself onto the frontlines of life and embrace chaos, but it will also teach you to enjoy the process. The more you find joy in putting the reps in, whether in the gym or on the street, the more successful you will be with your photography.

Strong Photographer, Strong Photographs

Let us put aside these basic notions of what makes a “good” or “bad” photograph. Instead, I like to consider notions of strength and weakness.

Surely, a strong photographer will have more power and courage to make more photographs, get closer to life itself, and be the “good” photographer. A weak photographer will be shy, intimidated by the streets, and might find themselves on the sidelines of life, ultimately making “bad” work.

These binary ideas of good or bad are basic at best. Let us reframe our perspective to the physical, the real, the tangible human bodies that we possess. By increasing your power each and every day, it is inevitable that you will become a stronger photographer. Forget about the books, forget about the cameras, the lenses, the technical, and the history of photography. Become the strongest version of yourself, and throw yourself onto the frontlines of life.

When you’re walking through the world, don’t just be a passive observer. Pick things up, move things around, pluck the flowers from the trees, throw sticks into the water, and throw rocks around.

Please your senses by touching things and embrace the physical world around you.

We just fear the pain associated with it

The intelligence of the microbiome within your physical gut is godlike

The idea that the microbiome in our gut possesses a kind of “intelligence” is a fascinating concept. While the term “godlike” is metaphorical, there’s growing evidence to suggest that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in various aspects of our health and well-being, influencing everything from our digestion and immune system to our mood and cognitive functions.

The gut microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other life forms. These microorganisms interact with each other and with our bodies in complex ways. Some of the ways in which the gut microbiome can be considered “intelligent” include:

1. Communication with the Brain: The gut-brain axis is a well-studied phenomenon where the gut and the brain communicate via neural, hormonal, and immunological pathways. This communication can affect mood, cognition, and decision-making.
2. Influence on the Immune System: The gut microbiome plays a critical role in the development and function of the immune system. It helps in the differentiation of immune cells and can influence how the body responds to infections and diseases.
3. Metabolic Regulation: The microbiome assists in the digestion of food, the absorption of nutrients, and the production of essential vitamins. It also plays a role in the regulation of metabolism and has been linked to conditions like obesity and diabetes.
4. Adaptation and Evolution: The microbiome is dynamic and can adapt to changes in diet, environment, and health status. This adaptability is a form of intelligence, as it shows the microbiome’s ability to respond to and interact with its environment in complex ways.

While the term “godlike” is subjective and philosophical, it’s clear that the gut microbiome is incredibly complex and influential, impacting many aspects of our health and behavior in profound ways.

Pleasure and Pain

Without rain, there is no sunshine.

Why Pursue Pleasure?

Because pleasure is good! Pain is bad. Maybe we need to think more critically about physicality, physiology, and our human bodies.

Why do the depictions of saints in Caravaggio’s paintings look so ill, sickly, and diseased?
My thought is that they spent way too much time indoors, hunched over, reading books. The modern equivalent of this is sitting down inside at a computer or TV. We should not deny our body what it needs to become powerful.

What kind of things give you pleasure?
What kind of things cause you pain?

Sitting down causes me pain.
Therefore, as a consequence, I stand and walk all day long. I know what my physical body needs to thrive. I need to be outside, in the open spaces, without being told what to do, where to go, and how to live my life.

I simply listen to my physical body.

When I lift weights, I undergo a little bit of pain for a little bit of gain. The suffering becomes something meaningful, and the pain becomes pleasure and true happiness as I increase my power. I choose to seek pleasure through enjoying the pain.

Perhaps notions of GOOD pain are worth considering. Ultimately, seeking pleasure is a base-level goal; rather, seek to increase your POWER.

Pain is pleasure.