THE INFINITE LOOPS PODCAST + TINKERED THINKING

November 10th, 2022

The Infinite Loops podcast, hosted by Jim O’Shaughnessy just released an episode where I had the very great pleasure of being a guest.

The occasion of the appearance was on account of the White Mirror writing contest - a challenge released by Infinite Loops for writers to come up with a story completely counter to the Black Mirror TV series in order to present a more hopeful technological future. Tinkered Thinking had the great honor of being selected as the winner for this contest, and the story and the ideas surrounding it formed a delightful foundation for a conversation between Jim and I.

You can check out the episode here:

Jim and I cover a range of topics from writing, The Lucilius Parables, stoicism, curiosity, and the disappearance of positive poetry, to what levers exist in the human OS that are most accessible for raising the chances of a positive future.

It was an incredible honor to be welcomed on the podcast by Jim, and for The Lucilius Parables to be recognized as an effective picture of a better future. These little parables have certainly grown beyond anything I initially imagined and this contest and podcast only add to my stupefied awe. 

As an additional note, it’s worth mentioning just how good social media can be. It was with great reluctance that I initially got on Twitter at the urging of a wise friend. How surprised I have been to find a community and make real friends on the little bird app. Of course, this is where Jim and I first connected when a mutual suggested I submit the stories of Tinkered Thinking to the White Mirror contest. Truly, the internet is much like any tool: it’s danger is inherent in how you wield it. Daily, I am amazed at how most people seem to use the incredible technological tools at our disposal the way a drunk toddler would handle a knife. I’ll sincerely admit that Twitter adds greatly to my life in terms of community, friendship, and the most reliable daily laugh I’ve been able to find, not to mention the endless interesting rabbit holes it provides. Is it perfect? Well certainly not, but most tools are far from perfect...

Great craftsmanship might be described as a combination of excellent tools and abundant skill, but in contrast, I’m more attracted to a juxtaposed definition of resourcefulness: the ability to have great effect with tools and materials that are far from ideal. Great craftsmanship certainly deserves respect, but we can’t all be great craftsmen in all areas of our life. For most situations we are are left with a choice to be resourceful or not: to try and use imperfect tools ingeniously, and to our benefit… or not.