By Suraj Chaudhary On reference groups Read on my website Dear Reader, Suraj here – How does one determine one’s self-worth? How does one decide how to feel about oneself? One possible way of doing so could be: based on reference groups. Let me explain. As a kid in middle school, I only needed a Nokia 3310 to feel like I was on top of the world. However, with the introduction of newer phones and a new reference group (I had moved to the capital of Nepal), that didn’t feel enough. In the...
7 days ago • 2 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary On using AI in school Read on my website Hey Reader, Suraj here – I get this nagging feeling every time I use AI to solve problems. I’ve used it to get drafts for assignments, summarize large texts, solve difficult problems, and so on. This, on the surface, doesn’t seem that bad, but there is this uneasiness that compounds with every use. Almost all the students I’ve talked to, including myself, very rarely read a given material in its entirety. We mostly use AI or search...
14 days ago • 2 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary Impulse Read on my website Dear Reader, Suraj here – All of us have certain quirks. Some of those quirks we are willing to accept, and others we are not. My being impulsive is the latter, or at least it’s something that I haven’t accepted so far. Now, however, it is time that I do so. I am impulsive. It isn’t just one thing that I’m impulsive at, either. I make most of my plans for going out at the last moment. My best friends can attest to that. Most times, I’ve just shown...
21 days ago • 1 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary Eureka moment Read on my website Hey Reader, Suraj here – "I get my best ideas when I'm in the shower" is a very common experience. I've had similar experiences, but in my case, these eureka moments usually occur when I'm either commuting or cooking. Why is that, though? And, is there a way to take advantage of such a thing to maximize quality work? Turns out there indeed is. When we are doing something that isn't cognitively demanding, our mind is able to subconsciously...
28 days ago • 1 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary On sources of information Read on my website Hello Reader, Suraj here – Alongside Philosophy that I mentioned recently, I have also begun to take an introductory class in Journalism. One of the major things we do in class is that we go through news stories published across multiple media outlets. The reason I’m mentioning this here is that there is a concerning pattern I’ve noticed. The pattern is that every media outlet has chosen a side, and they tend to skew the facts to...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary My problem with friendships Read on my website Dear Reader, Suraj here – Friendship is often regarded as one of the most important human virtues. I am and have been aware of it for quite some time, yet I do not regard myself to possess this virtue to the extent I’d consider sufficient. It isn’t that I am incapable of it, for I have some very wonderful people as my best friends. My concern is that I have become almost incapable of making new friends. In regard to...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary But why? Read on my website Dear Reader, Suraj here – About a week ago, I started taking an introductory class in philosophy. While the readings for the class are dense, it has been phenomenal for sparking ideas, and at times, they have also helped make sense of things. There is one idea from the class, however, that I have not been able to stop thinking about. It is: Why do we do or not do certain things? We often seem to have obvious reasons for our actions and inactions,...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary On seeking conclusions Read on my website Hey Reader, Suraj here – I always look for conclusions, in everything. Regardless of what it is, I second it with a "so what?" My goal is always to only focus on things that make a direct difference in my life. If something doesn't directly affect me, I try to not pay much attention to the matter. But is this really a good approach? If everything had a conclusion, a point, how would there ever be questions? Without questions, how...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
By Suraj Chaudhary Things that we leave behind Read on my website Dear Reader, Suraj here – Am I the same person that I was in the past? Some part of me has remained, while a lot of me has evolved. With time, I've come to see more, experience more, and learn more. In doing so, I have let go of bits and pieces of me and embraced new ones. But how much of it has happened because it's good for me versus to accommodate expectations? More importantly, what parts of me should I have let go a long...
2 months ago • 2 min read