Quite a few of the blogs and newsletters I read have made repeated references to this book for a while now. It turned out to be a mixed bag for me. The ‘Life’ section, I enjoyed, though there could be some confirmation bias at play. The ‘Work’ section, though a rendition of the same principles as the earlier section, were reasonably off-putting when applied to a group of people. But it’s still worth a read for insights, framing, and perspectives.
In life, and in work, there is a balance that can theoretically be achieved between popularity and prestige. But as time passes, one is more often than not, bound to follow one of these tracks. To the extent that it almost becomes output vs outcome. In a world of signals and perceptions, is one path better than the other, contexts aside?
Imagine, in about 4.5 sq km in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, there are around 30 communities! An absolute melting pot of different religions and socio-cultural customs and practices. Communities that can trace their origins from Portugal and Yemen to Kutch and the Indus Valley. I am a little biased because Kochi is my hometown, but even beyond that, it’s a fascinating read.
An excellent comment from my previous post on self image, signals and the future, made me think deeper on the specifics of my plans. While a large part of this was about how and where one spends one’s time, I realised there is at least one more layer to this. That was a broader definition of freedom, and it comes with its own set of challenges.