We adjust to norms, and they become our reference.

Used to walking around streets with six foot tall fences? Try walking past a 7-foot tall fence. You might find yourself thinking “That’s a tall fence” or “I’m quite short than I thought”

Compared to what?

Used to working 70 hours per week? Try dropping to 50 hours per week for a month. You might find yourself thinking “I’m not getting anything done.”

Compared to what?

Used to living in a 180 square meter house with one other person? Try walking through an 80 square meter studio apartment. You might find yourself thinking “There’s no space in here”.

Compared to what?

When you next find yourself in a comparative mindset, or making judgement statements, try thinking about this:

What is my reference?
What is most important in this judgement?
What other reference points could there be?
What would be my conclusion if I used another reference point?

Welcome to my little corner of the internet.

I believe that place matters.

Our connection to whatever little corner of the planet we find ourselves in, or choose to place ourselves on, matters.

I'm relentlessly curious and continually learning.

My interests are scattered across topics including property, strategy, acoustics, psychology, theology, systems theory, quantum physics and leadership. I read, listen, watch, and learn about whatever grabs my attention in the moment.

This is a learning experiment.

I come here to try to make sense of something I’ve come across, by writing about it.

I’m immersing myself in a new language.

I’m learning to speak Te Reo Māori, the language of the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand and one of our official languages. After spending 2020 studying, I’m figuring out how to keep the journey going outside the classroom.

You’re welcome to follow along.