I don’t know what my name is but I can feel it.

— Ocean Vuong, Theology

“ I thought gravity was a law, which meant it could be broken. But it’s more like a language. Once you’re in it you never get out.”

— Ocean Vuong, Theology (the New Yorker)

One of the most intelligent case studies in design is the Chinese tea cup. They’re made without handles simply because if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to drink.

Humans naturally want to add more. Add a cardboard sleeve, add a warning on the outside of the cup, add a handle. The result of all these things never cools down the actual contents.