New ritual: my local comedy club

Companies like Crossfit and Soulcycle create a sense of consistent space and ritual that inculcate deep loyalty and community among their participants. Reimagine, an organization that describes itself as “the world’s leading end-of-life events platform,” hosts paid gatherings and festivals related to death and healing. Casper ter Kuille and Angie T

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On their podcast “Poog,” comedians Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak often refer to secular things as “godly” and “godless.” As in: liking a friend’s Instagram, godless; running into a friend on the street, godly. I think about this bifurcation all the time. Kate and Jacqueline are forever fixated on finding a new wellness routine that might change... See more

5) Fun is rocket fuel . If my hazy memory stands, Perry Marshall said this in the context of biz—as in, if you can genuinely have fun while doing whatever you’re doing professionally, the energy you tap could well launch you to Mars. Maybe this sounds obvious, but to me it was a revelation. I survived graduate school in contemporary art, a niche wh... See more

To DIY your own world of life signifiers, you have to think you can improve on a

bar mitzvah

as a coming-of-age ritual, on shabbat as a form of digital detox, and as

teshuvah

as a way to grapple with your guilt (or analogs in other religious traditions). Many do of course, and every trendy San Franciscan has their personal regimen of special diets, ... See more

it’s a signal of what’s desired all throughout culture today: like-minded communities, decreased hostility, and just some simple good vibes.