The Curious Corner / Issue #5

A beautiful visit to Nagaland as part of my work with Rang De and some bad health later meant some delay for this issue of the newsletter. I thank you for your patience.

Let me take you through the reads that stayed with me this last week -

• Just before the pandemic, I stumbled upon my first real read around Stoicism - The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. And then a friend recommended a great podcast that talked about Stoicism. And then, I could see patterns related to this everywhere. Of course, as the pandemic progressed, the real value of Stoicism just came to the fore. And I am happy it's not only me but a considerable amount of people who have found solace and direction through the revival of Stoicism. I hope you give this read a go and try if Stoicism works for you. (It just might)

During the pandemic, Stoicism’s popularity has only grown. Print sales of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius went up 28% in the first part of 2020 compared to 2019, and print sales of Seneca's Letters from a Stoic increased 42%.

• One cultural aspect that has always intrigued me is how the average India's communal space has changed with the years. With coffee shops and malls, today we have a lot of places to choose from if we want to catch up with someone. But why is the Indian home bereft of a place designated to meet and relax? It wasn't always the case. If you're above 20 years of age and reading this, you might remember a time of Indian homes with well-planned verandahs. Places designed for this very purpose of socialising - a place that was an interface between the inside and the outside. What happened to the good ol' verandahs? And what does it mean for us? This read about Indian verandahs really got me thinking. We need a revival!

With varying climates, the veranda took on different forms and sizes throughout the country while maintaining the same function. Typologies generally denoted the transition of the street to the house with a change in material and elevation. "The thinnai of South Indian colonies, the otla of North Indian pol residences, and the Portuguese-inspired balcao vary in ornamentation and socio-cultural influences" shares Lester Silveira of The Balcao. Verandas were profusely decorated by residents to express their cultural values.

• I am a big promoter of work-life balance and the last couple of years have made me even more convinced of my views. Why do we have such limited and narrow definitions of ambition? These definitions make sure that a majority of people always feel miserable and inadequate. Thankfully, a lot of people are now questioning this. Some of them are redefining ambition and some are - refreshingly - acknowledging and even accepting they are not ambitious in the first place. Our relationship with work is changing. This read about whether ambition is dead was enjoyable for me. And I'd love to know what you think of ambition as well.

"No one can just go back as before, because we are all in some way profoundly changed.What people want less of now is pointless presenteeism, stress, toxic workplaces and the commute … People want autonomy and flexibility as much as they want promotion and professional careers, or more."

• Author Morgan Housel announced that his book The Psychology of Money crossed 2 million copies sold recently. I don't know if you've read the book but if even if you have, this read with book notes on the book was a great way to recap all the great points the book makes. Psychology and money - the intersection of these two things is fascinating. So many big and small factors make up our outlook towards money. I would recommend this book, especially to all women, since our relationship with money dictates many other things in our lives.

“Getting money requires taking risks, being optimistic, and putting yourself out there. But keeping money requires the opposite of taking risk. It requires humility, and fear that what you’ve made can be taken away from you just as fast. It requires frugality and an acceptance that at least some of what you’ve made is attributable to luck, so past success can’t be relied upon to repeat indefinitely.”

• And now for something really eye-catching. Weirdly tall benches in Copenhagen. They signify a grave issue we all face and they also are such a great visual reminder of things to come. Read on to why these tall benches make an excellent point. Way to go, Copenhagen!

I try to wrap up every newsletter with a book recommendation. The last week, I finished reading the very engrossing Mistakes Were Made (but not by me) by Carol Tavris. If you are fascinated by cognitive dissonance and human psychology, this book is for you. Why we continue to have some really disastrous beliefs and do some really stupid things as a result - this book clarified a lot of things for me. I hope you give it a go as well.

Until next week, see you!