On my mind - May 2026
Here is what occupied my mind in May:
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The rise of content generators. I have observed a significant proliferation of content creators within my broader, observable circle. Podcasts, Substacks, and YouTube channels seem to be springing up everywhere. What is driving this? Perhaps it is a deep-seated desire to reclaim our time and agency, a cultural pivot away from passive consumption and toward active production.
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Terms and conditions. It is absolutely absurd that society universally accepts ignoring the contents of terms and conditions. One could easily assume these documents were explicitly designed to go unread. It makes me wonder why authors refrain from slipping in genuinely dangerous clauses. Is this blind acceptance a profound sign of trust among our species, or simply collective fatigue?
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The desire for twists. Until late last year, I had never sponged my hair. Suddenly, the practice became highly desirable to me, and it has left me wondering why. What invisible cultural shifts or internal changes triggered this sudden appeal?
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The self-delusion of singing. For the longest time, I held a genuine, unironic belief that I was a decent singer, formed entirely from hearing my own voice resonate in my head. It is always a shock when others hear me and swear otherwise. Have we simply become so accustomed to our own vocal frequencies that we filter out the “badness”? It is a fascinating reflection on personal bias and the sheer difficulty of objective self-critique.
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BODMAS. I always assumed the mathematical principle of BODMAS was derived from observing natural phenomena, complete with empirical proof for its ordering. To my profound disappointment, it turns out we simply agreed on a convention. This realisation brings a level of betrayal almost on par with opening an ice-cream bowl only to find blended peppers inside.
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Animations. I am actively rekindling my love for animated films, particularly classics like Madagascar, Despicable Me, and Kung Fu Panda. The sheer ridiculousness, boundless creativity, and absurdity of the medium does something vital: it exercises the brain, stretching our own capacity for creative thought.
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The photographer. Whenever I picture a professional photographer, the default mental image that forms is male. Given that photography is inherently a creative discipline, I find this ingrained assumption strange. It begs a reflection on history: what past social or industry dynamics shaped this specific professional archetype?
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The defensiveness of opinions. At what exact moment do opinions form, and is this invisible genesis the reason we become so defensive when they are challenged? They embed themselves deeply, becoming a core part of our identity. It makes me reflect on my own biases: once an opinion takes root, how much of my defence is based on logic, and how much is simply protecting a new piece of myself?
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Speculative society. When faced with a completely novel, greenfield topic, take AI policy, for example, how do we decide what to do? We naturally attempt to stand on historical shoulders to launch ourselves forward, but we must question the flight path. Are we relying on historical data, or are we inevitably forced into the realm of speculation? We may very well be building modern society on highly speculative ideas. Perhaps that is acceptable, provided we observe in real time and rapidly correct whatever begins to buckle.
Share what is on your mind. I read everything. No promises I will reply to all of them, but if something hooks me, I will reach out.
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