KY

I believe every person has to be aware of himself, his identity, religion, history, culture, interests, politics, markets, music, art, and many more. Our schools prioritize exactly that - the diversity of experience - and I cannot be grateful enough.

But the problem is many can't because of the responsibilities that limit their attention to only the things that either make them happy or bring them money. And I don't think there is anything wrong with either of them, yet how great it is to know many things, know what problems we are having, what tools there are to solve them, and aspire higher and further to extend humanity's reach.

History, geography, maths, physics, music, art, languages, all of them are so interesting to study and learn. I wish I had another lifetime to dedicate to doing exactly that.

#thoughts

I compiled a database of 58 of the most authentic practice tests for IELTS.

The link is in the quoted post.

Share with anyone who needs this!

#yeah

Socratic method.

How did I use it to ace the SAT (98th percentile) and IELTS (8.5)?

Here's a brief breakdown of three questions you must ask:

1) What?

Identify your underlying mistakes. "What" is it that I am getting wrong? Many have problems even understanding what mistakes they are making, although that may sound tad ridiculous. Your foremost mission therefore is to distinguish your lapse.

2) Why?

After you understand the mistakes you are making, you need to ask yourself "Why" you are making them. Remember your thoughts, actions, and decisions that led you to getting that question wrong. Maybe you didn't have enough sleep a day prior, or didn't read the question carefully, or maybe you don't know the concept entirely. Regardless of the reasons, be bitterly honest with yourself, as your future is in your own hands.

3) How?

Once done with Whats and Whys, you must find a way to not make the same mistake again. To do that, ask yourself "How" do I not make that same mistake ever again. Should I be in a certain condition, following a certain set of habits, practicing something more, reading more books, or learning more words, etc.

I believe, given your utter honesty with yourself and diligent work ethic, you can get anywhere you want.

If you liked the post, do let me know to make sure I know what to post more!

#thoughts

Check out my first post in Uzbek ever. ✍️

Rate it in the comments below the post.

Thanks.

#inuzbek

284 + 222 + 174 + 196 + 148 = 1024 words, 5 essays, 3 days.

While we wait for the outcome, check out this article.

#cheers

1. To a rational creature, only what is contrary to reason is unendurable: but everything rational he can endure.

2. Blows are not by nature unendurable.
- 'How so?'
- See how the Spartans bear a whipping, after they have learned that it is a reasonable thing.

3. 'But to be hanged - is that not unendurable?'
- Even so, when a man feels that it is reasonable, he goes off and hangs himself.

4. In short, we shall find by observation, that by nothing is the rational creature so distressed as by the irrational, and, conversely, to nothing is he so drawn as to the rational.

- The Discourses, Chapter 2

#stoicism #philosophy

- "Dostoevsky is a gloomy man, just like Camus and Kafka. he's good, but i don't find their philosophies very practical."

- "But does philosophy have to be practical? Isn't it enough if it resonates with us?"

absolutely! I believe that's exactly what the purpose of philosophy is. it doesn't have to be practical. the thing is, philosophy is practical if it's leading you closer to truth, of course depending on your definition of what truth is, yet even that is illusive, as humans are innately fallible.

i believe, philosophy doesn't necessarily have to resonate with our pre-established beliefs and ideals, as our purpose is to come as close to truth as possible, despite the fact that it can be at odds with what we believe as true.

if life's meaning is in seeking the highest truth, I believe that the highest truth lies in achieving complete harmony with nature, and we attain this harmony through our reasoning faculties.

to act in accordance with nature presupposes that a human must act rationally at all times. acting rationally implies doing what is good to you and humanity. self-harm, extraneous drama, lying, complaining, laziness, sadness, frustration, anxiety, etc. are irrational and therefore further you from achieving the highest truth.

it's true that human beings in themselves are emotional and many claim that emotions are inseparable part of what makes us human. stoics argue that emotions are indeed integral to human nature, but it's the governing force in human nature to reason of what is right and wrong, so it's in one's hands to filter those emotions to places they are most fitting. though from stoic point of view one cannot have anything that is worth being emotional about. therefore, the truth we are aspiring to attain snatches emotions from us, or rather as we seek the highest truth, we realize that emotions are not rational and therefore obstruct our path to reality.

#thoughts #stoicism #philosophy

On Writing

Fareed Zakaria put it very concisely:

"When I begin to write, I realize that my “thoughts” are usually a jumble of half-formed ideas strung together, with gaping holes between them. It is the act of writing that forces me to sort them out."

Without the necessary introspection, our thoughts are just a random "jumble of half-formed ideas strung together". That's largely the reason why many aren't as eloquent and concise when talking or writing. Think of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Rhetoric was a part of their education. While that was mainly reserved for the elite in the past, now, you have access to all the resources that emperors, statesmen, and princes could ever dream of having to hone their linguistic faculties.

Having the clarity of thoughts is, I believe, prerequisite to a blissful life. Knowing where your priorities lie and recognizing your limitations are key to achieving tranquility both within and without. Writing helps you peer into your thoughts and evaluate those that are relevant and those that you are better off discarding, helping you understand yourself better.

Writing is not just a skill you use once when writing your college essays - the ability to write concisely and elaborately is, as I see it, fundamental to succeeding in any area of human endeavor. Be it STEM, Business, or Arts, having the capacity to deliver concrete well-backed and articulate arguments will always give you an upper hand.

It's worth pointing out that many struggle to identify their role in society because many find it painful to look into themselves and embrace their own self-perception. Your openness to reflect and think through your pre-established ideas will therefore give you an edge in any realm.

As the Uzbek proverb goes, "Erkak kishiga mingta xunar ham kam." So, being able to write well will never be extra.

#thoughts

Today marks my 18th year on Earth.

Since my very early age, I always tried to tie meaning to everything. Every event, every person, every action had to make sense; otherwise, my mind would always fall into this state of unremitting agony that would slash my brain until I either somehow managed to force myself to forget it or make the matters clear.

With time, I learned that not everything has to make sense, sometimes you just have to embrace it however uncertain it may not seem.

Our life is full of ambiguity and inadvertence. Every turn of event can either make or break us, and us recovering or rising higher is what makes this life fun.

Let me unveil the secret to a happy life: You can choose to be happy right now, right where you are.

My wish to you on this important day is to feel happy right now. Not to wish to feel happy when you get something. Nor to think that you were happier in the past when someone or something was around.

Cheers 🥂

Yours sincerely,
KY.

"Love something, and let it kill you."

#yeah

What English really gave me?

Besides the ease of communication I have in pretty much every part of the world, knowing English enabled me to access the best quality of information in the world, and I want to stress that I am very freaking happy from this.

Every time I sit down to learn something new which is not available in Uzbek or Russian (mb available but not of the best quality possible), I thank God for facilitating all the conditions that led me to this level of English proficiency.

So, the other day, I was learning about digitizing consciousness. Obviously, people haven't been smart enough in Uzbekistan to come up with a content on securing human civilization from the possible existential threats (obviously not judging).

But I am lucky enough to know English, so I went straight to YouTube and searched up the topic, and boom, I have all the content I wished for at my fingertips.

Not only that, but think of philosophy. While we do have "philosophy" professors here in Uzbekistan and access to a limited range of resources on the subject, we still lack so much more. Think of stoicism, beyond Stoic Haven, we don't have any specific material to learn about this incredible school of thought. Or epicureanism for that matter. Give me books in Uzbek about Epicureanism. None. I haven't seen any of Camus' work on the shelves either.

So, yeah. English gave me a big upper hand in life.

#thoughts

"....By envisioning these extraordinary possibilities, we can inspire innovation that not only protects us from existential threats but also empowers us to thrive in the face of uncertainty. In this pursuit, we may discover that our greatest strength lies not in our invincibility, but in our unyielding desire to survive and adapt."

Rate the conclusion in the comments!

#thoughts

On Classical Music

The thing that makes classical music so fine and exquisite is the fact that very few people are capable of genuinely fathoming and feeling its beauty. The scarcity confers the value.

Something casual and simple conduces a lot of hype that quickly fades away, but classics never perish - it's eternal. Be it 100 years back, today, or 200 years later, Chopin's soul-stirring Nocturnes will always be a soothing liniment for the severity of life; Beethoven's Moonlight sonata will remain the hymn for the evening's gloom; Mozart - a good study companion.

#thoughts