Finite Bliss
Great things come to an end
I remember a time when you could actually come to the end of Instagram. In the early days of the platform, before there were ads or hundreds of millions of users, there were just photos from the people you followed, and the number of those people tended to be measured in the tens, not thousands. There was no “for you” style content, so when you saw all the new pics that people you followed had posted, you would quite literally reach the end of the line.
And then you moved onto something else. I’m not going to engage in some idyllic revisionist history and say that “something else” involved getting outside and engaging with the world IRL. The “something else” was probably also on your phone, too. But the fact that the platform, because of its breadth at the time, limited the amount of time you could engage with it was, in hindsight at least, a feature and not a bug.
I’ve been thinking a lot about finite experiences like the old Instagram recently. The catalyst was re-upping my subscription to New York magazine. All the best articles whose headlines had crossed my path in one way or another were packaged in this tidy, user-friendly package. And when I was done, I was done. There was no infinite scrolling or refreshing for updates. Instead, there was that tried-and-true narrative arc of a beginning, middle, and end. And with that end came a sense of accomplishment, of completion.
That has become an increasingly rare thing, and I’m realizing how much I value it. While I wholeheartedly believe that there is no finish line in life, and that we should continually strive to improve and grow, I also recognize that approach makes it difficult to recognize the accomplishments along the way.
And the attention economy doesn’t have a vested interest in making it any easier. It’s geared toward always keeping you curious about what’s behind the next door. But with a finite experience like reading a magazine or a book, you’re able to be much more present where you are.
When I ran the New York City Marathon one year, there was a person that I coincidentally saw multiple times over the course of the 26.2 miles. He had a sign that read, “You’re only option is to fucking finish.” What I’m now understanding—and not just as it relates to running—is that that option is actually a beautiful gift.
Existential risk, AI, and the inevitable turn in human history
In some areas of my life, I am the most tech-adjacent person. This can be annoying (being asked to change settings on someone’s phone and then figuring out how to do it by Googling whatever they need fixed) but usually it just pushes me refine my opinions about ubiquitous tech news. Of course, in most areas of my life, my tech-adjacency is on-par with the group. All of the group(chat)s for the last couple weeks have been discussing potential impacts on AI. This piece by Tyler Cowen, first shared with me by Jackson Dahl, has probably been the most influential on my POV about the state of AI.
—Andrew
Look How Hard I’m Into You [Ariana Grande Bootleg]
Last month, Rachel and I went to perhaps the best party (one-night “festival”) I’ve ever been to: Silencio Umbra. At midnight, underneath a significant fireworks show, Bonobo played this Ariana Grande remix that made me smile big and dance a lot. I shared this in Oh Fire and JAT superfriend / killer sletter writer, Michael Thorson, immediately requested channel to share bootlegs of the following iconic tracks: Fergie’s “Glamorous,” Avril Lavigne’s “Bite Me,” Kid Cudi’s “Day N Night.” Join us in the new Bootlegs channel to dance in a new way to a track you’ve danced to in all the old ways.
—Andrew
Gramicci Loose Tapered Pants
There’s a new clubhouse leader in my quest for the ideal pair of pants. I just copped my second pair of these from the longtime rock climbing brand that seems to be enjoying a bit of a streetwear resurgence. As pants have shifted roomier, these fit the bill without being comical, and the off-the-rack length of the inseam is perfect for me. They’re not too pricey and, owing to their climbing heritage, are built tough.
—Justin