High Five Tuesday - November 14, 2023
Pixar’s Soul, Patrick Bet-David in conversation with Chris Williamson, Ted Chiang’s ‘Division by Zero’, architecture video I’m watching, and a quote from Warren Buffet.
Hello friends 👋
I'm Igor, and welcome to my weekly newsletter where I highlight the five coolest things I've discovered this week.
Each week I explore questions about building a business, personal growth, philosophy, movies, music, gadgets, books, working with humans, and anything else that piques my curiosity. If you like what you read, don’t hesitate to pass it along to your friends and consider subscribing.
Modern Wisdom podcast I’m listening
Patrick Bet-David immigrated to America at twelve years old, when his parents fled Iran as refugees during the Iranian Revolution. This shaped his world’s view and in this conversation with Chris Williamson, you can get a glimpse into his thinking about power, choosing your enemies, and much more. It’s a long podcast, so if you don’t have the time here are my key takeaways:
The worst enemy that many people have is the voice inside their own heads.
When you are on the way up everyone is rooting for you because you remind them of their dreams, when you are on the top everyone tries to tear you down because you remind them of what they gave up on.
Just because something is hard to obtain doesn’t mean it’s valuable.
When you are winning you are not as good as you are, when you are losing you are not as bad as you are.
Do not attribute to malice that can be explained by stupidity. Do not attribute to coordination that can be explained by coincidence.
Responsibility isn’t sexy.
Pixar movie I’m watching
Life doesn’t have meaning unless you create one. This is my takeaway from the cinematic journey that is ‘Soul’.
This film follows Joe Gardner, a middle school teacher who due to an unfortunate misstep finds himself in The Great Before – “a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to return to his life, Joe teams up with a special soul named 22 who has never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s great about living, he may just discover the answers to some of life’s most important questions.”
Ted Chiang's short story I’m reading
I just recently discovered Ted Chiang and I have been absolutely blown away by his writing. It’s well crafted and thought-out, leaving you wanting more after each story.
One of his stories, 'Division by Zero', is a great read. It is a captivating story about two people who, due to certain events, get challenged in their knowledge about the world and themselves.
Architecture video I’m watching
Architectural Digest takes us on a tour of the newly unveiled Perelman Performing Arts Center in Lower Manhattan. Nestled within the new World Trade Center site, architects Joshua Ramus and David Rockwell have crafted a dynamic "mystery box" of a building.
Quote I’m pondering
Warren Buffett says on being informed of bad news: "We only give a couple of instructions to people when they go to work for us: One is to think like an owner. And the second is to tell us bad news immediately - because good news takes care of itself. We can take bad news, but we don't like it late.”
Until we meet again next week Here's to a week filled with purpose and joy!
If you find this newsletter valuable, don’t hesitate to pass it along to your friends, follow me on Linkedin, and consider subscribing.
Yours,
Igor