welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! āļø iām harsehaj ā always up to something in social good x tech. scroll to the end for a daily roundup of unique opportunities. :)
as adults we forget that joy is cheap š
iāve been in nyc for the past week, and allegedly it costs at least $50 every time you leave the house. i must say, itās a pretty expensive place. however, i believe itās largely because many people have attributed āhaving a good timeā with consumption.
and it costs to consume.
joy is cheaper than we think. we knew this as kids. our joys were going outside and asking the kids at the park if we could join their game of grounders (also just realized this is a canadian game⦠i thought this was universal). we didnāt spend much, because we didnāt have anything to spend. weād carry around our same set of crayons and sketchpad everywhere. we would roleplay knights and queens and perform for our parents later. we used to sit quietly in the corner of the room engrossed in geronimo stiltonās adventures.
we didnāt consume. we imagined, explored, and made memories.
what changed?
as adults, weāre often stuck on the hedonic treadmill: chasing the next dinner, rooftop bar, or workout class. but kids didnāt need upgrades to be happy. the sandbox didnāt need a subscription.
in buddhist thought, craving is the root of suffering. funny that craving is the entire business model of modern joy. joy isnāt scarce ā itās just mispriced. we overvalue what can be bought and undervalue what can be made. as kids, joy was abundant because we didnāt see it as a transaction.
the root of our cheap joy as kids was creativity. as adults, we outsource the art and imagination of planning an outing. thereās a magic to threading a plan across the city filled with excitement. even if itās expensive, itās easier to just default to the next spot you bookmarked for your beli account.
as someone who really enjoys doing fun things (i hate a coffee chat tbh), itās a sad twist of adulthood. where is the whimsy? the joy? itās so cheap.
itās a bike ride across williamsburg bridge, hopping around different free art galleries, finessing a rooftop view, a colouring book, an evening of meal prepping together, a zoom binge of love island, or so much more.
joy or social connection isnāt a checkbox. it needs to be intentionally cultivated.
itās pretty cheap to cultivate. you just have to escape consumption capitalās brainwashing.
todayās drops šļø
bouquet-making event tmrw in nyc for founders
software engineering internship @ copart
get $25k in aws credits at soma capitalās hackathon next weekend
i also write a bi-monthly update focused on my work and project updates if youād like to check that out here.
want to post an opportunity on my blog? shoot me a line at harsehajx@gmail.com.
teehee,
harsehaj
I love this, my version was the magical treehouse books and enjoying the ocean with friends for free!!