The Ancient Search for Self: Why Do We Ask "Who Am I?" The deepest questions in philosophy and spirituality boil down to three inquiries: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? These aren't just academic—they're the engine of human existence. This thread breaks down these core questions and where they've led us. #Philosophy #Spirituality #SelfInquiry Category 1: The Self & Identity (Who Am I?) 🧘 This is the fundamental question explored by every wisdom tradition. - The Nature of Self: Am I my thoughts, my body, my memories, or something deeper (a soul, an Atman)? - The Fixed "I": Does a permanent, unchanging core self exist, or is the self an illusion (Anatta, "no-self," in Buddhism)? - Consciousness: Who or what is the observer of my thoughts? Can we truly experience "pure awareness?" Category 2: Existence & Origin (Where Do I Come From?) 🌍 This category deals with source, purpose, and reality outside of the individual. - Ultimate Purpose: Why am I here? Was my life a random event, or was I created with an inherent, intentional purpose? - The Source of Being: What existed before my birth, and how does that reality relate to my current existence? Category 3: Purpose & Direction (Where Am I Going?) 🧭 These are the practical, ethical, and existential concerns that define our actions. - The Meaning of Life: What is the overarching meaning, and how do I translate that into a meaningful, fulfilling life now? - Ethical Duty: What is the best use of my limited time and energy? - The Final State: What happens after death? Do I reincarnate, is there an afterlife (heaven/hell), or does the self simply dissolve? Historical Roots: Eastern Traditions (Vedic & Buddhist) These questions are ancient, not modern. - Hinduism (Upanishads): The core query is “Ko aham?” (Who am I?). This fueled Self-Inquiry (Atma Vichara), famously taught by Ramana Maharshi, as the direct path to liberation (moksha). - Buddhism: Encourages questioning the fixed self by examining the Five Aggregates (Skandhas) (form, feeling, etc.), leading to the doctrine of Anatta (no-self). Historical Roots: Western Philosophy The pursuit of self-knowledge is just as central in the West. - Socrates: Gave us the ultimate command: “Know thyself”—the foundation of all wisdom. - Descartes: Shifted the focus to conscious thought: “I think, therefore I am” (Cogito, ergo sum). The Modern Existential Crisis The 20th century re-asked these questions in a more stark context. Existentialism (Sartre, Camus): In a world stripped of presumed divine purpose, humans are left with radical freedom and total responsibility for creating their own meaning—leading to both profound angst and authenticity. The Artistic Expression Even art grapples with this deep inquiry. The profound questions were immortalized by Paul Gauguin in his painting, where the title asks: “D'où venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Où allons-nous?” (Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?) Conclusion: The Practical Value These aren't just abstract ideas. Exploring them is the foundation of: - Transformation: Challenging your assumptions about who you are. - Wisdom: Understanding the universal human condition. - Meaning: Aligning your actions with your deepest values. Which of the three core questions (Who, Where from, Where to) do you struggle with most? Let me know below! 👇 #SelfHelp #Existentialism #MeaningOfLife

The Puppet Master Within? 🤔 Are you truly you, or merely a puppet of your senses, emotions, and memes? This is the ultimate existential double-check. We feel like autonomous agents, but philosophy and science suggest our sense of "self" might be a highly compelling illusion. Let's research the evidence. #Self #Consciousness #FreeWill The Sensory Overload: Your brain receives ~11 million bits of sensory information per second. Yet, studies show we only consciously process about 40-50 bits. Your senses aren't giving you reality; they're giving you a highly edited, low-resolution summary designed for survival. Is the "you" making choices based on this limited input truly free? Emotions: The Chemical Puppeteer. Decisions we label "rational" are often post-hoc justifications for reactions driven by neurochemicals (dopamine, cortisol, etc.). Research in behavioral economics shows emotional state drastically shifts risk assessment—anxiety makes us risk-averse, joy makes us reckless. Your internal state, not "you," seems to set the rules. The Power of the "Meme" (Cultural Virus): Richard Dawkins defined a meme as a unit of cultural transmission. These include ideas, behaviors, and styles. From your political views to your morning routine, you've internalized thousands of these cultural viruses. Are your deeply held beliefs yours, or are you just a successful host for a potent meme? The Libet Experiment's Shadow: In the 1980s, Benjamin Libet showed that a specific brain activity (the "readiness potential") precedes the conscious decision to act by up to a half-second. This suggests the action is initiated unconsciously before "you" consciously assent to it. Your brain decides; "you" only execute. 🤯 The Social Self: Psychology emphasizes that the self is relational. We constantly adjust our identity based on social context (parent, colleague, friend). If your "self" requires continuous external validation and calibration to exist, how stable, or independent, is it truly? It's a responsive mask, not a fixed entity. The evidence is overwhelming: a vast majority of our reality construction, decision-making, and identity formation is done beneath the surface of consciousness, driven by biology, environment, and culture. We are complex response mechanisms, exquisitely tuned by evolution. What now? If the "Self" is an illusion, does that reduce our accountability or power? Or does understanding our mechanisms give us the first true chance to pause, reflect, and choose a less programmed response? What do YOU think? Are we puppets or programmers? 👇 Let me know.

Create a life so good you don't need a vacation anymore 🥰

Just picked up Fernleaf Full Cream Milk Powder with #MyKasih 🇲🇾 — perfect for hot milk at night after fasting 🌙 ✅ No seed oils ✅ Simple ingredients (milk solids + soy lecithin) ✅ 6.3g protein & 276mg calcium ⚠️ Contains soy Why milk helps sleep (esp. during #fasting): - Tryptophan promotes melatonin & serotonin - Full-fat keeps you satiated longer - Warm milk has a calming, sleep-inducing effect Tips for better sleep while fasting: 1. Hydrate well before suhoor 2. Avoid caffeine 6–8h before bed 3. Don’t overeat at iftar 4. Drink warm milk before sleep 5. Create a low-stimulation wind-down routine 6. Nap briefly in the day if needed #Ramadan #SleepTips #Foodstr

#OMAD: Instant noodle + lamb shoulder + latte #MindfulEating #CheatDay #FiatDiet #FiatFood #Foodstr

Why Your 1000 Sats Might Be Useless in the Future 👉 Rising #Bitcoin transaction fees might render any balance under ~1 Million sats economically worthless. 🧠 The Scarcity You Missed Everyone obsesses over Bitcoin's supply limit (21 Million BTC). But the true squeeze is on Bitcoin blockspace—the finite room for transactions in each 10-minute block. This scarcity creates a fee market, and that market determines the fate of your small balances. 💡 Your Balance is Not a Bank Account In Bitcoin, your total balance is NOT a single number. It’s a collection of individual chunks of BTC called #UTXOs (Unspent Transaction Outputs). Think of them like physical bills/coins in your wallet: - You get 100,000 sats (1 UTXO). - You get 300,000 sats (1 more UTXO). - Your wallet shows 400,000 sats total, but it’s stored as 2 separate UTXOs. 🔑 The Key: Fees are Based on #UTXO Count, Not Value When you spend your 400,000 sats, your wallet must bundle BOTH UTXOs into a single transaction. 🚨 Here is the crucial point: Each UTXO you include adds more data to your transaction. More Data Size (vbytes) = Higher Transaction Fee. 📉 The Problem: Economic Dust As demand for blockspace rises (driven by bull runs, Ordinals, Runes, etc.), the price of data (the fee per vbyte) spikes. In a high-fee environment, a single UTXO of 100,000 sats (worth ~$90 today) could cost more than 100,000 sats just to move. This is called UTXO Dust: outputs so small they are economically unspendable, trapping the funds. We’ve already seen fees north of $50-$100 during peak congestion. This is a real risk. 🧨 The Timebomb of Tiny DCA Many #newbie beginners are told to: - Stack small amounts daily via #DCA. - Collect sats from faucets or tips. In theory, this is great. In practice, this creates a wallet full of dozens of tiny UTXOs. You are setting yourself up for Fee Exhaustion, where the cumulative cost of combining all those small outputs outweighs the value of the Bitcoin you hold. ⚠️ Real-World Example (The Cost of Combining) User holds 5 UTXOs of 50,000 sats each (Total: 250,000 sats). The issue: To spend the total, the wallet is forced to include all five inputs, making the transaction data huge. In a high-demand 500 sat/vbyte fee environment: - Combining 5 UTXOs creates a large transaction (e.g., ~750 vbytes). - Fee Calculation: 750 vbytes x 500 sats/vbyte = 375,000 sats. 💸 The fee (375,000 sats) is HIGHER than the value being spent (250,000 sats). The BTC is effectively unspendable. 🛠 Practical Solutions: How to Stack Wisely Don’t give up on stacking, just stack smarter: Use Lightning Network (LN) for Small/Frequent Transactions: LN is perfect for DCA, tips, and purchases. It keeps the UTXO dust off the highly contested main chain. Consolidate UTXOs During Downtime: If you have small UTXOs, wait for low-fee periods (weekends, bear markets) and spend the fee to merge multiple small UTXOs into a single, large one. This is key maintenance. Favor Fewer, Larger On-Chain Buys: Avoid DCA amounts below $100 on-chain. Larger, less frequent buys create healthier UTXOs. 🧭 Final Thought Bitcoin is self-sovereign money, and with sovereignty comes responsibility. It's not enough to stack sats; you must stack spendable sats. Understand UTXOs, manage your blockspace footprint, and ensure that 10,000 sats you received isn't an expensive lesson in network economics.

The Power of Active Breathing You're doing it wrong... and you do it 20,000 times a day. We spend most of our lives in 'Passive #Breathing Mode.' It's unconscious, shallow, and often driven by stress. Shallow chest breathing keeps our nervous system in a low-grade state of 'fight or flight' (sympathetic activation). It's why you feel 'wired but tired.' Enter 'Active Breathing' (a.k.a. Diaphragmatic or #Conscious Breathing). It's about taking the autopilot off and deliberately engaging the primary breathing muscle: the diaphragm. Inhale: Gently expand the belly first, then the rib cage. Inhale fully through the nose (filters air, increases nitric oxide). Exhale: Let the breath out, allowing the belly to draw in slightly. Exhale fully through the mouth. Try this right now: Place one hand on your chest, one on your belly. The belly hand should move first and the most. This is where it gets interesting. Conscious, slow breathing is the fastest way to activate your Parasympathetic Nervous System (our 'Rest and Digest' mode). Focus on Exhale: The key to calming down is making the exhale longer than the inhale. Why? The vagus nerve (a key highway to the nervous system) is more stimulated during the exhale, slowing the heart. Introducing Heart Rate Variability (#HRV). HRV is the tiny, healthy variation in the time between your heartbeats. High HRV = a flexible, resilient nervous system. Low HRV = stress/fatigue. Specific breathing patterns, like Coherent Breathing (5-6 breaths per minute), have been shown in studies to rapidly increase HRV, improving stress resilience, sleep, and focus. The Daily Prescription: You don't need hours. Try a simple 4-7-8 pattern (Inhale 4, Hold 7, Exhale 8) for just 2-5 minutes before bed or during a stressful moment. Breathing isn't just about oxygen; it's a remote control for your nervous system. Master your breath, master your stress. #Mindfulness What's your favorite breathing exercise? Drop it below! 👇

I realize that my lack of enjoyment when eating this Crispy Whole Chicken. This is a deep dive into the food chemistry that compromises palatability and health. 1. The Problematic Oil Chemistry: Lipid Oxidation The biggest health concern is the oxidative stability of the commercial cooking oil, typically a Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA)-rich seed/vegetable oil (e.g., palm oil), which is highly susceptible to degradation when heated repeatedly. Thermal Oxidation: High-temperature frying (above 170°C) rapidly accelerates the non-enzymatic oxidation of PUFAs. This generates free radicals and various cytotoxic compounds. Toxic Byproducts: The oil breaks down into harmful secondary lipid oxidation products (LOPs), notably aldehydes (like Malondialdehyde and 4-Hydroxynonenal, or 4-HNE). These are highly reactive, genotoxic molecules that contribute to cellular damage and are associated with increased oxidative stress in the body. The Omega-6 Imbalance: This massive absorption of oil introduces a high load of Linoleic Acid (omega-6), further skewing the critical omega-6 / omega-3 ratio (which is ideally 4:1) far toward a pro-inflammatory state, linked to chronic metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. 2. The High-Heat Byproducts: Maillard Reaction Hazards The coating itself introduces compounds formed by the intense heat interacting with starches and proteins. Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs): Deep-frying is an accelerator of the Maillard Reaction between amino acids (from the chicken protein) and reducing sugars. This process generates high levels of AGEs, which are linked to chronic inflammation, vascular damage (endothelial dysfunction), and accelerated aging. Acrylamide Formation: The starch in the crispy batter, when cooked above 120°C, can form Acrylamide, specifically through the reaction of the amino acid asparagine with carbonyl groups. Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen (IARC Group 2A). 3. The Physiological Effect (Why I Felt Heavy) My physical discomfort is the body's reaction to this chemical complexity: Gastric Load: The excessive concentration of saturated and oxidized fats dramatically slows gastric emptying, leading to the feeling of "heaviness" and indigestion. High Sodium Load: Commercial brining and seasoning deliver a high dosage of Sodium Chloride (salt), which contributes to acute fluid retention and can exacerbate underlying hypertension. Conclusion The meal wasn't just "unhealthy"—it was a delivery system for high caloric density, thermally oxidized lipids, genotoxic aldehydes, and pro-inflammatory AGEs. Recognizing this science makes it easier to respect my body's signal to stop eating what I was not enjoying. My Takeaway ​I stopped eating. And that's okay. It’s better to skip the extra calories and sodium than force down food I don't like. Stop Wasting Hunger: Save the super-heavy, fried, high-sodium indulgence for a time when the craving is specific and intense. ​Acknowledge The Cost: The temporary rush of "crispy" is not worth the heavy, sluggish feeling that follows, or the health impact of high sodium and oxidized fats. ​Next time I'm peckish, I'm finding something light and fresh that truly tastes good. #MindfulEating #CheatDay #FiatDiet #FiatFood