The Monday Mix (18/10/2021)
Hey friends,
I’ve spent the majority of the past week in Italy meeting friends and travelling around a country I haven’t seen enough of. It’s been fun and I have two full days remaining until I return to England and much colder weather!
I’m going to share some thoughts as well as articles this week, as I haven’t had as much time to read as I normally do.
Invisible compliments
This is a concept I came across recently, which is simple to understand. Every day we have lots of thoughts and some of those thoughts involve compliments we never actually give. One I’ve had a lot this week is ‘your English is really good.’ How many times have I actually said to the person in question? Not as many as I should have. I can probably count the times on one hand.
While it might not seem like much, to the person receiving the compliment it could mean a lot. A lack of belief in speaking another language is common, as a former teacher of English as a foreign language, I saw this all the time. Even a statement as simple as praising someone’s language abilities can have more impact than you think.
If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from my trip so far, it’s to make those invisible compliments visible.
Human History Gets a Rewrite
Just when you think you have enough books on your list waiting to be read, another one comes along that piques your attention.
David Graeber is one of my favourite thinkers and this posthumous collaboration with the archaeologist David Wengrow is one I can’t wait to get my hands on. This article looks at what you can expect in the book and why it’s worth reading.
If you thought you had read the definitive history of humankind in Sapiens, you might want to think again. Graeber and Wengrow have upended a lot of what was in Harari’s book and provide many new perspectives.
A question they ask is, “How did we get stuck?” in a world of “war, greed, exploitation [and] systematic indifference to others’ suffering?” It’s a question worth asking ourselves over and over.
Train travel
I’ve spent a lot of time on trains the past week. One thing I can’t shake is how much better they are in Europe than in the UK. Clean, affordable and fast trains are commonplace in most countries on the continent. Why the trains are better on the continent than the UK is a question for another day. I want to look at whether travelling by train is the best option for a low carbon future.
With high-speed rail, we have the opportunity to cut distances between cities to the point where it might not be as fast as a plane, but it starts to represent a decent alternative. Trains don’t require tedious check-in procedures, getting to the airport two hours beforehand and they’re much more comfortable than planes.
If we’re serious about reducing emissions, an efficient and interconnected high-speed rail network is essential in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa. Yes, they still produce carbon, but getting people out of cars and planes is a net positive. Fewer cars on the road allows space given over to polluting vehicles to be turned into public amenities that serve the local population rather than fill their lungs with fumes.
A lot of what I’m writing is slowly coming to fruition in Europe with several high-speed rail links linking major cities in the continent due to be completed this decade. Whether it convinces people to ditch planes and their cars is another matter, but there’s no doubt trains represent a viable alternative we need to make more of.
Travelling Solo Has Its Limits
I wrote about this topic after my last trip to Spain, and it’s only been confirmed during this trip. As much as I enjoy travelling by myself, there’s no doubt in my mind travelling is better with people.
The enjoyment comes from their company, the perspective they lend on the places you visit and the ability to have fun with people instead of being preoccupied with your own thoughts.
The paradox of this is, I never would have made half the friends I did travelling without going by myself all those years ago. That’s the plus of travelling by yourself, you’re more open to meeting new people due to the fact you’re by yourself. But it was by making those friends and having those experiences that made those trips worthwhile and much more fun.
I would not have had as much fun as I did in those years in Australia, New Zealand and Spain if I hadn’t made friends. Travelling solo is ok for a while, but the experience isn’t as rich as it is with others. Travelling is a microcosm of life in many ways. You can do almost everything by yourself, but it’s much more fun when you’re around like-minded people.
Book I’m reading - This Is Not Propaganda
I read this book on the plane to Italy and it was an interesting one. The book looks at how democracies are being subverted around the world via social media and other forms of communication which the author dubs ‘not propaganda.’ If you want to try and understand why the world of politics is so topsy-turvy right now, this book will help.
Quote I’m pondering: “Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.” - Frida Kahlo
That’s all for this week.
Until next time,
Tom
Glad to hear that you are enjoying Italy and lovely photos! Italy is such a beautiful country - I love Italy. I hope to one day explore the whole country. It is not too bad in London - 20 degrees today - but when you arrive back to the UK - it will be somewhat colder. I think travelling by train is the way to go for a better future - I just hope people see it that way too. "You can do almost everything by yourself, but it’s much more fun when you’re around like-minded people" - this is true, in a way one should be with people who magnify their life experience and bring out the best in eachother.