It has been a restorative, engaging, and productive summer. I pursued existing hobbies and started new ones. I hung out with friends, old and new. And most importantly, I learned about my interests through continual self-questioning and analysis of my own behavior. Here is what I did, in somewhat chronological order: Photographed waterfalls near Mount Shasta Internship at Google/Nest, which…
Existential Confusion
For the past eight months, I have been feeling extremely lost. Part of this confusion is due to my disillusionment regarding the tech industry. Since going to college, I have reflected a lot about technology and where it’s heading. I am still as optimistic as ever, but I am becoming increasingly skeptical. Not all progress is good, and some of…
Do Systems Enslave or Empower Us?
“The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It’s the monster. Men made it, but they can’t control it.” — The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The stock market crash and the subsequent collapse of banks across America heavily contributed to the Great Depression, causing thousands of families to be driven out of their homes. In The…
On the Pursuit of Excellence
Almost a decade ago, I memorized the following paragraph for the written portion of my black belt test: “Mastery in one’s career and consciousness growth simply requires that we constantly produce results beyond and out of the ordinary. Mastery is a product of consistently going beyond our limits. For most people, it starts with technical excellence in a chosen field…
On Priorities
This semester, it became more apparent to me that I cannot have everything I want. I have always had an idealistic view of my life—I would have an amazing career, take photographs of amazing places and get my work in prominent art shows, read and write and travel and expand my mind, have friends who I deeply care about and…
What Would I Do If I Weren’t Afraid?
My greatest fear is not of failure, or being a social outcast, or even a financial disaster—rather, it is that one day, I will wake up and realize that the life I have is a result of being sucked into the beliefs of the people around me. Ever since I was a child, I have always been cautious. I was…
First Semester of College Reflections
My first semester has already gone by! College has been intense, stressful, stimulating, and incredibly fun—and for the most part, I love it. Over the past few month, I’ve been constantly thinking about what I want out of my life and the kind of person I want to become. Here are some questions I’m asking: Why am I at school?…
