Casually dying at this bit “For instance, frequent gym-goers who fall for Joe Rogan's supplement advertisements (like myself) can distinguish between a whey protein isolate fart, hemp protein toots, rice protein air biscuits, soy protein gas, and pea protein isolate butt trumpets. The hardcore can even tell who is a vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, or gluten intolerant. However, this is simply observational data, and I have yet to receive funding to conduct double-blind procedures.” 😂😂
Thanks so much for the shoutout, Nolan! (For the record, sometimes politics creeps into my stuff from the side - https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/three-ways-that-kindness-can-save - but yes, it's not overt, because I don't have the ability of Mónica Guzmán from that piece to tackle it head-on - I'd much rather be sly/cowardly about it (unless someone wanders in spoiling for a fight rather than a conversation, in which case I'm very happy Substack lets me act like an autocrat)...
So much here. Thank you for those videos on the Greek language and blue, because - yes, I looked at that while researching my season on colour, and it's such a tangled issue now, possibly even bordering on a philosophical one. (William Gladstone of all people wrote a highly influential piece about it, and people have been chewing it over ever since.) I haven't chased that rabbit-hole deep enough to feel comfortable writing about it yet, so I appreciate the extra material here...
And yes - smells and language! It does seem like English at least is relatively barren of language concerning olfaction, so much so that popular wine tasters on TV regularly get mocked for shoehorning in non-smell metaphors to cover some of the gaps in their descriptions. That alone feels like such an interesting thing to study at length...
I just finished reading your article. So, yes, politics creeps in, but you pulled it off in a way I hope to do as well. You created an argument that unites people rather than divides people. I'd like to do something similar to Guzmán one day. Sometimes, I feel like I'm writing for people who already understand that who you vote for doesn't always define who you are or what you think. I'd love to bring people together who think they have nothing in common but actually agree on a lot more than they believe.
Also, now I need to go watch Apple TV's "For All Mankind."
I wonder how much of a role that plays in India’s flexible time culture. Now I’m also curious if it influenced how Deepti Kapoor uses the present and past tense in Age of Vice. I’ll have to check some interviews. Do you think this linguistic fact influences how people behave and approach certain situations?
I think it points to the cyclical over linear nature of time that Indian people believe. And I am sure it has profound psychological impact on perception of time, the past and the future.
Not aware of the book, but the mythological Age of Vice or Kalyug is supposed to be the fourth of four ages, each being destroyed by the god Shiva to make for the next, as the cycle repeats itself.
I was just talking yesterday about how interesting it is that what is a red onion in English is a blue onion in Ukrainian which is really a purple onion. Love this!
Great article Nolan. And a very appropriate title. Apologies for not being able to pay for a subscription, maybe next year. I am supporting a couple of people this year, and I will change it every year. Can't do everyone at the same time.
No nothing to report on English, Portuguese and French. But as a Buddhist and meditator, I have to add that the Buddha is correct when he points out that everything exists through imputation. I mean a mouse, until 30 years ago was just a little creature wondering about forest floors and people's attics and basements. Now it is something different. I even feel , that these days, people forgot about the little rodents and can only imagine a computer mouse. I am also learning mandarin which is a different way to look at language, characters are concepts rather than sounds that strung together form words with specific meaning. I think the true nature of the mind is best explored through Eastern teachings rather than Western ways. It is sad to say it, but I am still recovering from deep shock after learning this week - the majority of 15 years old children in the US can't read cursive writing. When did we stop showing children the magic of letters coming together to form words? I am Montessori trained and this is something that would never occur to me. Funnily enough I leaned about it because my children's book is not selling so I went to look for a second opinion on my cover, which I thought was so cute. As soon as the person looked at it, the first thing she said was: "you need to change the font.". Gosh! I though that it was a cool font, I love fountain pens, I still practice with them everyday. A real shock. Back to the coming into existence by imputation - could it be that for some reason it took us a long while to impute the word blue onto those shades? it seems plausible. And it really could be as simple as that. Yes, the explanation that the Greeks could not see blue, is outrageous and I am glad it has been set straight. Here is an article about time from a Chinese perspective based on their culture - influenced by Buddhist, Taoist and Confucious teachings. Much closer to what I call reality. Do you agree?
I’ll admit, my cursive writing is laughable. The loss of cursive writing as an art and the respect for putting effort into handwriting seemed to happen in Canada before Europe. I haven’t looked into it, but I’ve noticed the differences growing up, and now I notice it as a teacher. But I’ll be honest, and I’m part of the problem because I urge people to type their work just like what was done with me. As for Chinese calligraphy, I think people put more effort into holding onto it as an art form, but from talking to my students, it seems to have less importance there now as well.
I read the article, and “Taoism is a philosophy which takes life and hurls it into the limitlessness of time and space to be experienced to the fullest” stood out to me. I think that summarizes a way of thinking about time that would be healthy for us all to adopt. When you learn about flexible vs linear time cultures, it’s interesting to see China on the flexible side. From my experience, they are as punctual as those on the opposite side of the graph (Germans, for example), but they are so flexible and able to roll with the changes. I have loved working with Chinese people for this reason. However, I’m not sure if adopting their current way of using time is healthy. Many of my students spend 12 hours a day in academic activities, and the “time is money” and “time must be spent to achieve academic and financial goals” attitude is definitely strong there.
Casually dying at this bit “For instance, frequent gym-goers who fall for Joe Rogan's supplement advertisements (like myself) can distinguish between a whey protein isolate fart, hemp protein toots, rice protein air biscuits, soy protein gas, and pea protein isolate butt trumpets. The hardcore can even tell who is a vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, or gluten intolerant. However, this is simply observational data, and I have yet to receive funding to conduct double-blind procedures.” 😂😂
Thanks so much for the shoutout, Nolan! (For the record, sometimes politics creeps into my stuff from the side - https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/three-ways-that-kindness-can-save - but yes, it's not overt, because I don't have the ability of Mónica Guzmán from that piece to tackle it head-on - I'd much rather be sly/cowardly about it (unless someone wanders in spoiling for a fight rather than a conversation, in which case I'm very happy Substack lets me act like an autocrat)...
So much here. Thank you for those videos on the Greek language and blue, because - yes, I looked at that while researching my season on colour, and it's such a tangled issue now, possibly even bordering on a philosophical one. (William Gladstone of all people wrote a highly influential piece about it, and people have been chewing it over ever since.) I haven't chased that rabbit-hole deep enough to feel comfortable writing about it yet, so I appreciate the extra material here...
And yes - smells and language! It does seem like English at least is relatively barren of language concerning olfaction, so much so that popular wine tasters on TV regularly get mocked for shoehorning in non-smell metaphors to cover some of the gaps in their descriptions. That alone feels like such an interesting thing to study at length...
I just finished reading your article. So, yes, politics creeps in, but you pulled it off in a way I hope to do as well. You created an argument that unites people rather than divides people. I'd like to do something similar to Guzmán one day. Sometimes, I feel like I'm writing for people who already understand that who you vote for doesn't always define who you are or what you think. I'd love to bring people together who think they have nothing in common but actually agree on a lot more than they believe.
Also, now I need to go watch Apple TV's "For All Mankind."
On the subject of perception of time, across multiple languages in India the words for 'yesterday' and 'tomorrow' are the same word.
I wonder how much of a role that plays in India’s flexible time culture. Now I’m also curious if it influenced how Deepti Kapoor uses the present and past tense in Age of Vice. I’ll have to check some interviews. Do you think this linguistic fact influences how people behave and approach certain situations?
I think it points to the cyclical over linear nature of time that Indian people believe. And I am sure it has profound psychological impact on perception of time, the past and the future.
Not aware of the book, but the mythological Age of Vice or Kalyug is supposed to be the fourth of four ages, each being destroyed by the god Shiva to make for the next, as the cycle repeats itself.
Yes! A similar explanation comes into the book, too. All your comments give me ideas for new articles.
I'll check out that book!
I was just talking yesterday about how interesting it is that what is a red onion in English is a blue onion in Ukrainian which is really a purple onion. Love this!
Great article Nolan. And a very appropriate title. Apologies for not being able to pay for a subscription, maybe next year. I am supporting a couple of people this year, and I will change it every year. Can't do everyone at the same time.
No nothing to report on English, Portuguese and French. But as a Buddhist and meditator, I have to add that the Buddha is correct when he points out that everything exists through imputation. I mean a mouse, until 30 years ago was just a little creature wondering about forest floors and people's attics and basements. Now it is something different. I even feel , that these days, people forgot about the little rodents and can only imagine a computer mouse. I am also learning mandarin which is a different way to look at language, characters are concepts rather than sounds that strung together form words with specific meaning. I think the true nature of the mind is best explored through Eastern teachings rather than Western ways. It is sad to say it, but I am still recovering from deep shock after learning this week - the majority of 15 years old children in the US can't read cursive writing. When did we stop showing children the magic of letters coming together to form words? I am Montessori trained and this is something that would never occur to me. Funnily enough I leaned about it because my children's book is not selling so I went to look for a second opinion on my cover, which I thought was so cute. As soon as the person looked at it, the first thing she said was: "you need to change the font.". Gosh! I though that it was a cool font, I love fountain pens, I still practice with them everyday. A real shock. Back to the coming into existence by imputation - could it be that for some reason it took us a long while to impute the word blue onto those shades? it seems plausible. And it really could be as simple as that. Yes, the explanation that the Greeks could not see blue, is outrageous and I am glad it has been set straight. Here is an article about time from a Chinese perspective based on their culture - influenced by Buddhist, Taoist and Confucious teachings. Much closer to what I call reality. Do you agree?
https://www.chineasy.com/chinese-perspective-time/
I’ll admit, my cursive writing is laughable. The loss of cursive writing as an art and the respect for putting effort into handwriting seemed to happen in Canada before Europe. I haven’t looked into it, but I’ve noticed the differences growing up, and now I notice it as a teacher. But I’ll be honest, and I’m part of the problem because I urge people to type their work just like what was done with me. As for Chinese calligraphy, I think people put more effort into holding onto it as an art form, but from talking to my students, it seems to have less importance there now as well.
I read the article, and “Taoism is a philosophy which takes life and hurls it into the limitlessness of time and space to be experienced to the fullest” stood out to me. I think that summarizes a way of thinking about time that would be healthy for us all to adopt. When you learn about flexible vs linear time cultures, it’s interesting to see China on the flexible side. From my experience, they are as punctual as those on the opposite side of the graph (Germans, for example), but they are so flexible and able to roll with the changes. I have loved working with Chinese people for this reason. However, I’m not sure if adopting their current way of using time is healthy. Many of my students spend 12 hours a day in academic activities, and the “time is money” and “time must be spent to achieve academic and financial goals” attitude is definitely strong there.