Friday, May 12, 2023, Delray Beach, Florida


Notes From My Journal

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Exciting… and Disturbing

A subscriber sent in this “clipping” under the headline:

“Chat-GPT as Mark Ford telling you how to live your BEST life!” 

I wasn’t sure what to make of it because I don’t know how Chat-GPT works. I know that, as an AI machine, it doesn’t currently go out to the internet for resource material. And that its current database of knowledge is limited. I know, too, that one can feed data to the machine. Did this person scan in all my essays and books about living one’s best life?

I don’t know. But here’s what it produced:

“If you’re like me, you want to make the most out of life. You want to thrive, not just survive. Over the years, I’ve picked up a few keys to living your best life that I’d like to share with you. These are the things that have worked for me and countless others who have followed in my footsteps.

“First and foremost, you need to take care of your health. Without good health, you can’t do much of anything else. That means eating well, getting enough sleep, and staying active. Make it a priority to move your body every day, even if it’s just a brisk walk around the block.

“Next, you need to find your passion. What lights you up inside? What makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning? Whatever it is, pursue it with everything you’ve got. Life is too short to waste time on things that don’t matter to you.

“At the same time, you need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Growth happens when you challenge yourself, when you take risks and try new things. Don’t be afraid to fail; it’s part of the learning process.

“Another key to living your best life is to surround yourself with positive people who lift you up. These are the people who support you, who encourage you, and who share your values. And if there are toxic people in your life, who bring you down and hold you back, it’s time to cut ties and move on.

“Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the little things in life. Life is not just about achieving goals and hitting milestones. It’s about savoring the small moments of joy, like a cup of coffee in the morning, a sunset on the beach, or a good book on a rainy day.

“So there you have it, my keys to living your best life. Take care of your health, find your passion, challenge yourself, surround yourself with positive people, and enjoy the little things. It’s not a complicated formula, but it works. Try it for yourself and see what happens.”

At first glance, I was impressed. I’ve often said that health – mental health as well as physical health – is the basis of accomplishing anything. Okay, that could be me. But the examples of how to stay healthy – “eating well, getting enough sleep, and staying active… even if it’s just a brisk walk around the park.” That’s not what I’d say.

Next: “Find your passion.” Huh?! No. Sorry, Chat. Most of what I say about this maxim is derogatory. I don’t think finding one’s passion is a useful concept at all.

And “step out of your comfort zone” – though arguably good advice, is a cliché. I try not to use clichés.

The rest of it, to me, is intellectual drivel. (One of my personal rules is to never give advice that is generally considered sensible.)

So, no dice, Chat-GPT. That’s not me.

On the other hand, if a freshman student handed in this in response to an assignment like “Write a short essay on how to live a good life, citing one source,” I’m sure it would get a B. So long as the grader had never read anything I’ve actually written.

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News & Views

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Why You Can’t Trust Science Anymore

If you know how to search Google reasonably well, you can find studies to support just about any idea you favor. And some of those studies will be convincing. The problem is: Convincing does not = valid or true. So much has to do with how you connect the facts to the anecdotes and the correlations.

I learned this in college when I was able to pay for my tuition by writing essays for other students on any subject for $100 apiece ($200 “If you want a guaranteed B+). I was able to do that because I knew how to use the library.

This is also true for professional and scientific research, as is clear from the diversity of conclusions that come from “scientific” studies about any controversial subject, including everything that involves health and well-being. Peter Attia gives a good example of how that works here.

 

Show Me the Money! 

In America today, we are beset by millions of virtue vampires that don’t spend five minutes honestly considering whether their causes makes any sense at all. The objective is to be seen as a “good person” – even if all they give their causes is lip service.

Click here.

 

Like America 60 Years Ago… 

Many, if not most, Americans like to think that the US is the best country in the world. I get that. But if you look at the facts, verifiable facts, it’s obvious that the only activity the US leads the world in is mass shootings.

Take a look at this Barron’s article about San Juan del Sur, a little seaside city about an hour’s drive from Rancho Santana. If you are looking for a great place to raise a family, it’s not in New Jersey or California. It’s more likely to be in a small Central American town like San Juan del Sur. Kid safe and inexpensive – like it was in America 60 years ago.

By the way, San Juan del Sur is just one of many places you will want to explore during a visit to Rancho Santana. For information or to book a stay at the Ranch, click here.

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Worth Watching

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Chimp Empire 

A 4-part Netflix series

Season 1 released April 19, 2023

Directed by James Reed

Narrated by Mahershala Ali

It’s not for everyone. Some may find it a bit slow going. But Chimp Empire is a very good documentary about a very interesting subject: the lifestyle and behavior of Homo Sapiens’ closest relation. It explores the fascinating world of the largest chimpanzee society ever discovered as they navigate complex social politics, family dynamics, and dangerous territory disputes.

By a happy coincidence I’m reading (listening to) Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, in which Yuval Harari explores the past, present, and future development of man. Much of what he explores in Homo Deus (and his previous bestseller Sapiens) focuses on what separates Homo sapiens from other apes. Perhaps the most important thing, Harari argues, is man’s ability to enlist the cooperation of other members of his species. Not just a dozen or two but thousands and hundreds of thousands and sometimes even millions.

As I said, the movie moves slowly, at a pace that seems to replicate the pace of life that chimpanzees enjoy. But it is beautifully filmed and perfectly narrated. No explanations or guesses about what any particular behavior means. The narration simply states the facts and points out the details, which allows the viewer to form his own interpretation of what is going on. (How, for example, does what we’re seeing fit in with – or contradict – Harari’s argument?)

Some of what is depicted in Chimp Empire are behaviors that I was aware of, such as the grooming chimps do to form bonds and keep each other healthy. But there were so many other things I learned (and saw) that startled and stirred me.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the production was something the documentary didn’t address: how physically and emotionally close the film crew got to the chimps, and how long this relationship must have lasted for them to be able to document all they did.

You can watch the trailer here. But be aware that it’s overly dramatized, highlighting the aggressive side of chimpanzee behavior, whereas the documentary itself spends more time on how the chimps cooperate and care for each other.

And click here to read a “Behind the Scenes” account of how difficult it was to make the documentary. (The knowledge of the native guides was amazing! Something I’ve experienced myself on a safari.)

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Worth Considering

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The COVID Response: What We Got Wrong.

Another Validated Side Effect of the Vaccines 

JM, one of my trainers and physical therapists, sent me the link below on a study about the relationship between COVID vaccines and the incidence of retinal vascular occlusion (RVO).

RVO is basically what I had prior to my stroke. It is a malfunction of the retina due to a reduction in blood flow from a vein or artery that connects the heart to the eyes. Though it can be caused by many factors, health officials noted a significant rise in cases since the vaccine mandate for COVID.

Initially, the US government and the manufacturers of the vaccines denied the possibility of a connection. To determine the truth, NPJ Vaccines, a research and publishing group that studies vaccines, did an extensive review of all the available data. After looking at the results of several large studies and adjusting for variables, they calculated that vaccinated individuals have a “significantly” higher risk of experiencing RVO than unvaccinated people.”

Check out the full report here.

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Fun and/or Interesting

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Test Yourself: How Much Money Does the Federal Government Waste Each Year? 

I’m talking about overspending, duplicate spending, and improper spending. So, what do you think? A hundred million? Five hundred million? A billion?

Here’s a partial answer straight from the Government Accountability Office.

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Readers Write

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From JJ, re “China Is Winning This Battle Too!” in the May 9 issue: 

“Here in Ecuador (and likely other countries), China lends hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure projects, to be paid back in oil.

“Ecuador is entirely self-sufficient in electricity thanks to the construction of hydroelectric dams with Chinese money. Here’s the bad news though. China required that all construction be done by Chinese companies, using Chinese labor. So no Ecuadorians benefited, except for purchases.

“One dam was so poorly built, it developed a crack almost a foot wide. Ecuador insisted that the company that built it fix it. They refused. Ecuador sued the company, but since it was long done…

“So the dam was useless for years. I don’t know if it’s ever been fixed…”

My Response: As I’m sure you know, JJ, that quid-pro-quo system is hardly unique to China. It’s standard for many countries that give foreign aid to Africa, South America, and elsewhere. It’s standard policy for USAID, too.

But my point wasn’t that the Chinese do a better job in building than the US or other countries. It was that they seem to have been doing a better job on the diplomatic side, in terms of their reputation with the countries they aid. Despite the trillions of dollars that the US has given in foreign aid over the decades, it has not been able to shake off its widespread reputation as the “evil empire.”

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