Coming from the tech industry, I recently learned about the idea of staying above the algorithm versus below it. Without linking to references that are too business-oriented, I’ll put it this way: staying above an algorithm gives you the freedom to choose. If you scroll an algorithmic feed on Facebook or Instagram, the content gets chosen for you, not by you. If you just gobble up AI-generated text instead of doing your own research, you rely too much on a probabilistic intellect.

It’s almost impossible to stay connected and always remain above the algorithm. It can even feel exhausting. Still, my belief is that the only thing that really matters is awareness. So, be aware.

Joy of Using Tools

There is a particular joy in hobbies that don’t involve anything digital these days. That’s not a new idea, but today it feels more present in our minds and is even reinforced by the demands of social media and AI. While governments around the world try to steer children away from algorithmic feeds, we adults are often more vulnerable because we already carry the baggage of being pulled into them. We need extra effort here. A mental push, or some kind of nudge from our environment.

To reduce the effort, I tend to use better-than-average tools. I apply this principle in my kitchen, to my everyday carry (EDC), and, of course, to anything related to journaling.
Journaling is a way for me to escape digital engagement loops. I chose it because it has a low barrier to start but a big impact on my mental state. To feel more physically involved, I write on good paper with a good pen. Using something well-made—something that shows craftsmanship just by existing—can pull you forward, intentionally or not. It doesn’t even matter toward what exactly: stability, self-expression, your own craft, skill-building, or calmness. Good tools can support all of those. You like it because you like it. You want to use it, or at least try it, and who knows where you’ll end up. That’s the push good tools can give you.

Reader Thoughts

I’ve been getting a grip on Nathan Hill’s Wellness, and while I see how comparable it is to Jonathan Franzen, it’s a book that’s much harder for me to get into and follow its flow. It’s a story after story, connected by the overall motif that family isn’t easy to maintain. But when I read a Franzen novel, I read it like I live in it. Reading Wellness, for me, feels more like being too closely related to the issues it raises. It ends up feeling more like a bunch of articles in The Guardian or The New York Times than a fiction book I want to be immersed in, like another universe.

Nevertheless, I still recommend it as light—though long—reading material, just because it’s very entertaining at its peak moments scattered throuhg pages.

Reading List

What we've been reading recently:

• The Readers by Ben Lerner is one of those great examples of (self) reflection on what is it like to a be in a writer’s head. It is brilliantly written and shaped. It’s called The Reader but it is actually about the writer and how he sees a reader as a therapists he talks to. One similar in discussed topics book I can remember is a small novel Checkout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett.
• Relationships with travel might be complicated for both tourists and hosts. But despite a lot of ifs and buts popping up in the head reading this piece, it is still a good read on what authenticity tourists always seek: The Myth of Authentic Travel.
• This mental exercise is good, even though a typical influencer wrote it: The year is 2063 and you were never interesting.