Praise takes little effort to create, is risk free to distribute and rewards those who dispense it. Valuing praise at its cost of production, praise is worthless. Yet, most people love being praised and pay handsomely those who praise them, who often appear in the role of salespeople. Criticism takes thought, effort and is a thankless job; often received as umbrage. I feel those who criticize me love me and my criticism of others is given out of love. Maybe that's why I was never much of a salesman....

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” -- Friedrich Nietzsche...

Fake artworks are real, but real artworks are often fake. Fake artworks are forgeries or facsimiles of real artworks. For most, the experience provided by a fake or real artwork is the same. As the prices of real artworks often more than 100x the price of fakes, the prices of real artworks are fake....

The now is the everything, yet contains no things. The now is eternal, yet ever-changing. The now is real, yet an illusion as what is now is now no longer. The now is unpredictable. The now is overwhelming. We are the now, yet don't know the now. All we know is our reactions to the now. When we observe the now from before and after the now we can we know the now....

"Questioning the fabric of reality can led you to either madness or the truth and the funny thing is that you won't know which is which." -- Lex Fridman...

Life is a play; at times a drama, a tragedy, a comedy. Upon realizing it's a play, the dramas and tragedies are funnier than comedies....

A maze puzzle is a metaphor of our approach to life; focusing on achieving specific goals or a journey to freedom. The conventional approach to solving a maze puzzle is starting from the edge until we find our way to the middle. This is a goal-oriented approach. Upon realizing our goal, we find ourselves surrounded by the puzzle. Alternatively, we can start from the middle to find our way out of the maze. Once out, we are "free;" we find ourselves beyond the puzzle, though where we are cannot be described. Going into the maze puzzle is descending into a rabbit hole. Coming out is arising to the light. Google Bard describes mindset of those who start at the edge vs those who start at the middle: Starting from the edge: Methodical thinkers: Those who prefer a step-by-step approach and logically navigate through challenges might start from the edge to follow a systematic path. Safety-conscious individuals: People who prefer to avoid dead ends and deadlocks might start at the edge to ensure a clear path forward. Traditionalists: Those who follow established norms and conventional methods might start from the edge as it's the most common approach. Pragmatists: Individuals who focus on the most efficient solution might start from the edge as it offers a clear path to reach the destination. Starting from the middle: Independent thinkers: People who prefer to forge their own path and explore the unknown might start in the middle to avoid any preconceived notions of direction. Risk-takers: Those who enjoy a challenge and are comfortable with uncertainty might find the middle a more exciting starting point. Holistic thinkers: People who prefer to see the big picture and analyze all options at once might start in the center to get a sense of the maze's overall layout. Creative problem solvers: Individuals who enjoy unconventional approaches might find the middle a unique way to tackle the puzzle. ...