Conversations with Man - Rethink
Newsletter #010
“That whenever I felt like helping someone who was short of money, or otherwise in need, I never had to be told that I had no resources to do it with.” - Marcus Aurelius
(exert from the book I am currently reading, Meditations p13)
This good quote reminds me why working to earn, can be purposeful and valuable.
Underpopulation Crisis
I had my mind blown when listening to this podcast with Stephen J. Shaw. He suggests, with a strong argument, that the number 1 crisis humanity faces is the collapse of society due to the decline in birthrates, and the roll-on effects of a rapidly declining human population.
Shaw argues that no countries or civilisations in the past have ever gone down with such a low birth rate as we are seeing now, and managed to rebalance themselves both economically and demographically. The shrinking of a population is not a slow gradual decline as you might think, it is a sharp nosedive with turbulence and uncertainty. In this podcast, Williamson and Shaw also study the ramification of China’s one-child policy and Japan’s alarming economic collapse as a result of its incredibly low birthrate and ageing population. Although bleak in nature, this podcast is a fascinating listen.
Mind over matter.
Approximately 85 per cent of back pain in patients don’t have an identifiable trigger. Moreover, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, and ‘slip’ discs are often diagnosed as the cause of chronic back pain. But what if this wasn’t the cause?
A recent study on 1,211 healthy adults from the ages of 20’s to 70’s used MRI imaging and CT to examine disc ageing. The study revealed that most people have disc degeneration, disc bulging, or disc protrusion without pain, with the percentage of disc abnormality increasing with age.
I have suffered from debilitating back pain that forced retirement from sports back in 2017. I did the typical MRI scan, invasive back surgery and 12-month rehabilitation program with little to no consolation. However, what truly did miracles and ‘cured’ me is when I picked up Dr. John E. Sarno’s book on The Mindbody Prescription. It changed my life. I then went down the rabbit hole of how the mind can evoke changes in the physical body (just think of when you blush in embarrassment or feel sick when nervous). Long story short, with conscious effort and journaling, I healed my back pain with nothing more than knowledge and understanding. Stress evokes pain, that is what the body can do.
The sauna at my gym has opened back up and I’ve been loving it. Besides cold showers, heat exposure also demonstrates some remarkable health benefits. Some mornings before work, when I feel fatigued and tired, I replace my workout with a hop in the sauna after a light stretch. The heat-shock proteins and the sweat-induced suffering start my day like no other. Highly recommend it, just make sure you bring deodorant with you in your gym bag as the continuous sweating afterwards makes for a self-conscious workday otherwise.
Sunshine and Sincerities,
Daniel
Great Work!