Brian Wiesner
@brianwiesner
Brian Wiesner
101 ways to make and maintain friendships
101 Ways to Make and Maintain Friendships
There’s a famous—to urbanists—story about Amsterdam in the 1970s. Today, Amsterdam is the poster child, almost the byword, for a quiet, clean European city that makes lots of room for pedestrians and bike riders. When people talk about “Europe” in terms of land use, they often mean, or you imagine, Amsterdam.
To the extent that the average person... See more
To the extent that the average person... See more
The U-Turn Not Taken
I am very affected by place. Actually I think everyone is. Probably more than they realize.
Our surroundings act on us. Some foster chaos, others encourage enchantment. Broad landscapes, beautiful artwork, and ancient architecture fill people with awe. Office buildings with drop ceilings and an unimaginative palette of gray, screeching subways, and... See more
Our surroundings act on us. Some foster chaos, others encourage enchantment. Broad landscapes, beautiful artwork, and ancient architecture fill people with awe. Office buildings with drop ceilings and an unimaginative palette of gray, screeching subways, and... See more
Tommy Dixon • surroundings that speak of enchantment
There is a commonplace opinion that technology and the natural world, or that technological pursuits and natural pursuits, are at odds. An example:
“The longer you spend in tech, the stronger the urge to buy a farm and never touch a computer again in your life”
“The longer you spend in tech, the stronger the urge to buy a farm and never touch a computer again in your life”
Simon Sarris • Careful Technology
Myself and people my age have been trained under the illusion that we can effectively eliminate any and all friction from our lives. We can work from home, Amazon prime everything we need, swipe through a limitless array of mediocre dates, text our therapist, and have a person go to the grocery store for us when we don’t feel like it, all while
... See moreYou Want a Social Life, with Friends
by Kenneth Koch
You want a social life, with friends.
A passionate love life and as well
To work hard every day. What’s true
Is of these three you may have two
And two can pay you dividends
But never may have three.
There isn’t time enough, my friends–
Though dawn begins, yet midnight ends–
To find the time to have... See more
by Kenneth Koch
You want a social life, with friends.
A passionate love life and as well
To work hard every day. What’s true
Is of these three you may have two
And two can pay you dividends
But never may have three.
There isn’t time enough, my friends–
Though dawn begins, yet midnight ends–
To find the time to have... See more
Madeleine Dore • You want a social life, with friends
The Cultural Tutor perfectly sums up why beauty matters: “what’s the danger of a world without beauty?” they ask. “If everything is simply functional, simply useful, then life becomes a mere conveyor belt. It turn humans into machines of consumption, labour, & reproduction. Aren’t we more than that?”
Cultivating a Vibe
Feeling part of a community helps us to feel seen and gives us confidence and identity, and reaching other steps on the hierarchy of needs becomes much easier with a social support system. A strong social network may help in times of crisis, support with job search or with moving houses. It may also be instrumental in inspiring us to reach our full... See more
Being happy or unhappy in life comes down to this one thing
But what makes us
HAPPY
?
While this is likely a bit different for everyone, I believe that once we have reached the “love and belonging” step on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we have already achieved a lot of happiness.
Human connection is absolutely key to wellbeing as found by many scientific studies. And conversely, social isolation has been... See more
HAPPY
?
While this is likely a bit different for everyone, I believe that once we have reached the “love and belonging” step on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we have already achieved a lot of happiness.
Human connection is absolutely key to wellbeing as found by many scientific studies. And conversely, social isolation has been... See more