Hey friends,
Socrates once said that envy is the ulcer of the soul. Frankly, he didn’t go far enough.
Envy is one of the great plagues of the human spirit, and it’s only getting worse. We now have endless opportunities to present the best version of ourselves, all while we only see the best of others as well. Our minds are largely unequipped to handle this, yet we silently suffer because no one wants to admit that envy is a problem.
Well, today’s long post is my attempt to break this taboo, and to dissect the crap out of this emotion. It’s a post you can revisit if you ever find yourself struggling with envy, or if you ever need a reminder of why it exists in the first place.
When you’re ready, let’s dive right in:
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A Book I've Been Enjoying
Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh — I love it when a creator does the text + drawings thing well, and Brosh is a true master of the medium. This book is a roller coaster ride through her life, taking you from the heights of hilarity to the lows of loss.
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I did something new recently and recorded a video of myself thinking out loud. It was initially just for patrons, but given that it resonated with the group, I've decided to share it with you all.
This video reflection is on the nature of burnout, inspired by the work of philosopher Byung-Chul Han. I go over the relationship between freedom and control, the incessant need to produce, the overemphasis on consistency, and how I've internalized all this in the context of More To That. Enjoy:
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A Thought I've Been Pondering
A while ago, I logged onto Facebook for the first time in months. And when I did, I actually laughed at how ridiculous everything looked. The red notification dots everywhere, the ads, the auto-playing videos. It was a circus of attention, organized in the least appealing way possible.
It’s interesting how taking a break from something can reorient your lens toward it entirely. You’re able to see the object in question without the familiarity that accompanies it, and the illusion is broken. You can see social media for the attention-hoarding zoo it is once you stop using it. You can see how alcohol has colored the nature of your friendships once you stop drinking.
Reality is often blurred by what we’re used to doing. To see things for what they are, disentangle yourself from the familiar.
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A Brief Parting Question
How would you describe your relationship with envy? What are some of the ways you manage its presence?
I outline my thoughts on these questions in today's post, but I’d love to learn how you think about it as well.
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As always, hit reply to share any thoughts, to respond to the parting question, or to simply say hello. I love hearing from you.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of your week!
-Lawrence
P.S. Thanks to Jen, Vijayanand, Ronald, Feza, Brent, Edith, and Wei for adding your support on Patreon! Become a part of the patron community to get access to exclusive reflections, AMAs, hangouts (coming soon!) and more.
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