Jun 1, 2020
Varia
MINDS
Their minds need tranquility; mine, wisdom.
TO ACHIEVE SUBTRACTION, ONE THING IS SUFFICIENT
One mistake is sufficient to defeat an army; Solomon.
One secret is sufficient to become untrustworthy (and lose your friends); Jesus, the son of Sirach.
One observation is sufficient to falsify a scientific theory; Sir Karl Popper.
One event is sufficient to lose everything; Nassim Taleb.
POPPERIAN VIEW
Once falsified, always falsified –a scientific theory.
What you discover by falsification is the truth, the absolute truth.[i]
NEUROSCIENCE AND JUDAISM
Neuroscience has discovered the truth that the mind (the soul) and the brain (the body) are one by falsification (here, Damasio’s Descartes’ Error is relevant); and that confirms Judaism[ii].
Descartes was half villain (the soul and the body are a duality), and half hero (the soul survives the death of the body).
LOVE
Just as death does not end life, separation does not end love.
Never fall in love with a woman unless you put her to the test (to see if you cannot trust her[iii]); otherwise, when separation follows love, she may hurt you –but it is not love you should blame for the suffering (and avoid in the future); only yourself (and your lack of wisdom).[iv]
ENTHUSISM
I never acted from enthusiasm.[v]
CONFIDENCE IN ONESELF IS FRAGILE
The traders I met (when I wanted to become one myself) had more confidence in oneself than the Catholics I met (randomly).
Confidence in oneself is lost in ruin; until then, it grows from gain to gain.[vi]
ENEMIES
Better to overestimate our enemies (and give them too much attention) than to underestimate them (and give them no or too little attention).
Who is a villain? He who turns a friend into an enemy.
CORRUPTION
If you read George Soros and see corruption as the unity in diversity, you will realize its benefit in different times, as Soros does: survival.
DECEPTION
What you falsely believe about me, will be your truth (made by my decisions).[vii]
To fool people who falsely believe you are mad that you are mad, always change your words when you talk to them.[viii]
Those who cannot deceit you will fear you.
OTHERS AND YOU
It is easier for them to fool others against you than you against yourself.
When people try to show you how smart they believe they are, they may succeed to show how stupid they are and also fail to realize the same thing.
MEMORY
I forget the good rather than the (equal) evil.
FEARS
I lose my fears since childhood.
To be so tough that people fear you even when there is nothing to fear.
Those who are less tough than you are will fear you and hurt you (so you will be afraid of them).
RISKS
People see risks everywhere; but some are insured against them more than others.
UNSURPRISED
When you take measures against an event and it happens, it is not a surprise.[ix]
“DOMAIN DEPENDENCE”
Some prefer a false religion to religion, but not a false music to music.
FIXED
When the situation changes, do the same thing and be the same man, like Job[x].
CONSCIOUSNESS
Jesus, the son of Sirach: Your face betrays your consciousness.
READING
Have no education, or need a better one? Study Jesus, the son of Sirach.[xi]
We read a long book with much to learn from; we read a long book with little to learn from; we read a short book with much to learn from; and we read a short book with little to learn from.
I hate to read a long book with little to learn from, but love to read a short one with much to learn from.
The books I read in high school made me realize I cannot change who I am by birth; only who I am by choice.
Those who believe everything they hear also believe everything they read.
WRITING
You were there and seen it; you know. And you write to not lose the truth.
In my 20s, I dreamt of becoming a philosopher and a writer. In my 30s, I live my dream.
The hardest book to write is the first one; after you finish it, the author is born.
OF LOVE AND SEPARATION
Sometimes, separation follows love,
and love follows separation;
the lovers are the same.
But they did not go back to where they were when it started.
Love is in vain,
when separation follows it;
separation, too, is in vain,
when love follows it.
LIFE
Life is not long or short; it is more or less intense.[xii]
FILMS
When you watch films, ask which of the villains you resemble.[xiii]
Cinematography
THE JACKAL
In Michael Caton-Jones’ The Jackal, the Venezuelan hit man Carlos did not fight himself and lost: they use against him his own methods and hunt him down successfully.[xiv]
GONE GIRL
Psychopaths have no empathy, but are smarter (than many who have empathy), a shrink told me (when I mentioned David Fincher’s Gone Girl).
FALSUL
Unii preferă religiei falsa religie,
alții filosofiei falsa filosofie,
iar alții artei falsa artă;
toți, însă, fără să o știe.
Every time you see an old picture of you, consider that “You can revisit the same places; never the same time.” That is inception.
[i] Absolute, scientific truths can confirm the same religion.
[ii] Science does not replace religion.
[iii] Jesus, the son of Sirach: One secret is sufficient to know that you cannot trust a person: the secret is told to others. Here, there is an asymmetry: It is easier to know if you cannot trust a person than if you can trust that person.
Here, also, is my contribution: One false secret is sufficient to do the same test.
[iv] My answer to Nassim Taleb, who believes love, separation and suffering are a triad (without a condition).
[v] Women are enthusiastic before they engage in sexual affairs.
[vi] George Soros inspired me.
[vii] The deception you see in Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum. I practiced it before I read the book.
[viii] Jesus, the son of Sirach, inspired me.
[ix] Turn it into a rule of thumb about rare events and you will understand Nassim Taleb.
[x] Job praised God not only when he had everything and was protected, but also when he lost everything (The Torah).
[xi] Sometimes, those who have the school of life read you falsely, and the educated do not read you at all. But your face, your eyes, and your words betray you to the wise: Jesus, the son of Sirach.
[xii] Outside Judaism, not many scholars know it.
[xiii] Aaron Haspel inspired me.
[xiv] David S. Goyer’s Da Vinci’s Demons and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy are variations on the same theme.
