So it seems and appears that a lot of people seek getting really really rich, really really fast, in order to buy a bunch of stuff. For example, I think the general idea is that you want to make a ton of money, feel good, buy a Lamborghini or whatever… And then what?

Crypto, cryptocurrency, crypto technology to me is fascinating because it is new, sexy, unorthodox, and interesting.

It seems that a lot of people are interested in crypto, bitcoin etc because they want to get really rich. But the tricky thing with crypto is that essentially you are really rich on paper, but typically most crypto speculators never actually dilute or convert their crypto to US dollars, which means that crypto money is not liquid, it is locked.

Crypto is intrinsically optimistic?

Crypto to me is interesting because it is edgy, optimistic, radical, and bold. Also a bit reckless.

The general idea is that with crypto, people are seeking a new revolution, something to up and the old system. Definitely a lot of anarchy vibes here, and a lot of people who are typically distrustful of big organizations, big government, etc.

Honestly I have nothing against the government, I am very happy paying my taxes, I still consider myself a bay area, liberal, open minded, at heart. I love democracy, democratic thinking. Why? It was mostly about how I was raised, how I was supported. If I did not get all of these government aided resources, like going to UCLA as an undergraduate, I would have never been able to become who I am today.

Also, simple organizations that I am grateful for include the Boy Scouts, Boy Scouts of America. I am forever grateful to my troop, my troop leaders, who helped me become an Eagle Scout, and helped me become the citizen that I am today.

Growing up, I grew up thinking that conservatives, Republicans were the devil. Why were they so greedy, if they had so much money, why don’t they help more poor people or people in need?

Irregardless, I think the promise of crypto is a more brilliant future. A lot of people seem to disdain the volatility of crypto, but I love it. With traditional stocks, you will never see a 10X gain, a 100X gain, or even a 1000x gain. Also with crypto, you could win it all, or you could lose it all. My general strategy towards crypto and cryptocurrency speculation is this:

Only put money into crypto, assuming that it will go to zero.

Perhaps the best piece of advice that I got from Nassim Taleb in his antifragile book is the idea that to maximize your gains, better to put 90% of your money in maximally boring funds, like bonds, yield savings account etc.… it is pretty crazy even now Cindy and I have a bunch of money just locked in a simple 5% APR savings account, and we get close to $2000 a month in “passive income” interest. Then, what I did was I put 10% of our savings into crypto, maximally speculative bets, initially investing in digibyte and bitcoin, later swapping it all to chainlink, along the way getting some Dogecoin, later transferring it all 100% back into Bitcoin.

All of the gains were mental. And along the way more recently, I’ve been drawing out some money from bitcoin, $5000 USD here US$5000 there… Simply to cover up moving expenses to LA.

The zen of crypto?

Ultimately what I find interesting is that crypto, people who speculate in crypto all tend to live kind of a more monastic Zen monk lifestyle. Even this one guy that I met who first got me into chainlink, revealed to me that he was a crypto whale in chainlink; apparently he first put his life savings in it, maybe $10,000 USD or so when it was worth about $.70, and then he saw it rise all the way up to $50 USD. It was funny, because I would just see him at the local LA fitness working out, thinking and meditating, we engage in some lively conversation, and he just drove his mom‘s old Honda Accord, I think he later told me that he was moving to Puerto Rico or something in order to avoid taxes on his crypto or some other regulatory aspects. Apparently even Sam Bankman Fried moved his corporation to the Bahamas, in order to avoid US regulation.

So what do you want to do with your wealth?

So once you are worth $20 billion, or $150 billion or whatever … then what?

Ironically the best use of money is simply peace of mind. That means money is not really a tool or a mechanism to buy a bunch of stuff that you like, but rather, being able to live a more zen, tranquil, more focused life.

For example, I think the reason why people are so addicted to email is that people are always desiring new “opportunities”, it is predicated on the fact that somehow other people will give you an afford you new opportunities and also, does predicated on the fact that somehow new opportunities will rise in which other people give you money.

But… assuming that no human being who messages you in your email inbox will give you money… would you still be interested in working with them?

For myself personally, I have close to zero interest in money. I am more interested in new opportunities, fun, new novel experiences. The things that I am proud of, or interested in, or grateful for is all of the cool interesting and sexy opportunities that I’ve had and done. Some of the people that I met, etc.

But ultimately, is there a human being more interesting than you?

Future trends

I’m currently reading the book “Going Infinite” by Michael Lewis, which chronicles is the life of Sam Bankman Fried and FTX and I find it insanely fascinating read. It seems that the same guy isn’t really the super evil guy that a lot of people in the media make him to be; the kid seems to be like a prodigy genius, mathematical minded, who really didn’t care for money or wealth. My personal theory is that he got suckered too much into this utilitarian “effective altruism“, concept… that he misused customer funds in order to “maximize“ his abilities for effective altruism.

I think effective altruism is a bad idea. Why? First of all, I think the general idea of altruism is bad; I think it puts other people in an inferior position, which I personally find is disrespectful. I think a better thing to do instead is on a day-to-day basis, instead of donating money to charities or whatever, to help empower other human beings on a one-to-one basis.

A simple thing; whenever I go to the park with Sen, and I see all these kids running around, who don’t really seem like they get much attention or love from their parents, I try to give them a little bit of that love and attention by talking to them, entertaining them etc. Perhaps this is a more effective way to “change the world“, than anything else.

The future of crypto?

Try to think about things on a 30 year basis. That means, the simple question; in 30 years, are people going to be using crypto more or less? Or, in 30 years, is the price of bitcoin going to go up or down? It seems pretty obvious that it will go up.

Also, the notion of a “digital wallet”. The general idea is that for the future, we ain’t gonna use cash money anymore. Why? I see more and more restaurants in institutions not except paper cash money. Why not? Because it is difficult to track, and I think there are also issues with employees at restaurants stealing money it etc. Even at my mom‘s old sushi restaurant where she worked at for a long time, she later found out that one of the head managers, a guy that we thought was a super good guy… Was secretly stealing money the whole time.

I think into the future, we will see less and less of “under the table“ payments; why? Because it is not trackable.

What else?

Some personal thoughts:

First, I don’t really like Ethereum. Why? It is kind of like android; maybe it is the better technology, but it isn’t sexy, only nerds know about it and use it, it ain’t mainstream and sexy like bitcoin. Bitcoin is like Apple, having the newest iPhone, iPhone Pro etc.… Ethereum is more like android, having an ugly Google pixel or some sort of generic Samsung smartphone.

Another analogy, bitcoin is like having the Lamborghini Countach, with the scissor doors, whereas Ethereum is like having the Toyota Corolla?

Altcoins?

Don’t trust old coins, or alternative coins. Why? Everyone just wants to become the next bitcoin, but ultimately… There is too much meme culture behind alt coins, like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu.

I am very dubious that the price of these Altcoins will ever go up; it seems that a lot of people in the crypto world simply over hype certain crypto technologies and coins, in order to pump it up, sell it, and make money.

Chainlink

Besides bitcoin, only other crypto I find interesting is chain-link. I’ve read all the white papers, and been following the chain-link blog for a long time. Currently the only reason that I’m still committed to bitcoin is that my gut feeling is that even though chain-link is really great, the issue is that it is going to be difficult for it to become mainstream.

First and foremost, it is difficult to explain what it is. The technology is good and great, but I don’t think the general market will understand it.

Also, the fact that there was a chain-link version two is not a good sign. Anything with a version two is probably a bad sign; same thing with Ethereum.

Also, the logo in blue is not very attractive. And the name isn’t that catchy.

Bitcoin Art

The Philosophy of Bitcoin

The general idea … anti fiat currency; the idea that true currency needs a hard cap. Hard cap of 21 million coins.

Why does this matter? The US government and FED can essentially print unlimited money; my belief a lot of inflation is triggered by when during COVID, too much “free money” was circulated into the system.

Digital gold

Is bitcoin “digital gold”? I think so.

Consider real gold … you don’t ever really touch it or use it. And there seems to be a hard cap.

Why does bitcoin matter?

I think it’s just a really fascinating concept … insanely innovative, sexy and interesting.

The icon?

Simply put I think Bitcoin is the best because the icon is orange. A very simple idea — the Bitcoin icon pops super hard compared to all of the other random coins and crypto assets.

The future?

BRC-20, ERC-20; wrapping Bitcoin with other assets and the blockchain… transforming Bitcoin into a viable NFT option.

Why does it all matter?

Philosophically speaking … it makes me ponder and meditate the notion of wealth, money etc. That all this money stuff is simply smoke and mirrors.

My interest in Bitcoin?

Via ChatGPT:

Eric Kim, known for his work in photography, has also shown a notable interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. His involvement and thoughts on this topic are reflected in various ways:

Personal Investment and Trading: Kim shared his experiences with Bitcoin investment and trading. He mentioned re-entering the Bitcoin market when its price dropped from $50,000 to $35,000 and then riding it back up to $50,000 oai_citation:1,How I Made Money with Crypto – ERIC KIM – EK.

Philosophical Perspective: He has discussed the broader implications of cryptocurrency and its potential future impact. For example, he has speculated about the future of global currencies and the role of military power in their dominance, suggesting a deep interest in the geopolitical and economic aspects of cryptocurrency oai_citation:2,Why I Bought More Bitcoin (Again) – EK – ERIC KIM PHOTOGRAPHY.

Cryptocurrency Advocacy: Kim has expressed a strong belief in the longevity and importance of Bitcoin, predicting that it will be the “last crypto standing.” This shows his advocacy for Bitcoin and his confidence in its future oai_citation:3,Crypto – ERIC KIM – EK.

Reflection on Wealth and Cryptocurrency: He has also pondered the broader implications of wealth accumulation through cryptocurrency, questioning what comes after achieving financial success in this arena oai_citation:4,Once You Become a Crypto Billionaire, Then What? – ERIC KIM.

Professional Intersection with Photography: Kim has explored the intersection of cryptocurrency and photography, discussing why he believes digital currencies like Bitcoin and Digibyte are the future for photographers in the digital economy oai_citation:5,BITCOIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS – ERIC KIM – Podtail.

Through these various avenues, it’s evident that Eric Kim’s interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency goes beyond mere financial investment. He integrates this interest with his professional field, reflects on its broader societal implications, and engages with the philosophical aspects of this innovative technology.

Bitcoin hard cap

Bitcoin’s hard cap is set at 21 million coins. This limit is an integral part of its design and philosophy, reflecting a commitment to scarcity and anti-inflationary principles. Unlike fiat currencies, which can be printed in unlimited quantities by governments, Bitcoin’s finite supply resembles gold and other precious metals. This limit is expected to be reached around the year 2140. The hard cap is also seen as a way to mimic the diminishing returns of mining precious resources, with the rewards for mining new blocks halving approximately every four years, in events known as “halvings.” This scarcity principle has been a key factor in Bitcoin’s narrative and value proposition as “digital gold.”

The Future of Photography and AI

What is the future of photography and AI? The question at hand.

First, my personal creative vision is that the future of AI and photography should be a hybrid of using AI to actually motivate you to be more creative. No no no, AI is not going to “take your job“, or “take over the world“. is going to take your job? Is Google search going to take your job? No.

What is AI good for?

AI, ChatGPT, DALL-E, DALL-E 3 is like a personal echo chamber; you could use it to flesh out your ideas, to think more critically, and just ask yourself the question… why?

My first take and attempt at creating my own artificial intelligence chat bot was the WHY APP? Essentially the idea was motivated by the notion; if you just ask yourself the question “why?” five times… you gain a deeper truth or insight about something.

The difference between human feedback and machine feedback

Arsbeta.com is all about human feedback. You upload a photo, and you randomly get a real human being giving you feedback on your photos, in a constructive and critical way.

My next vision is to integrate AI into it; which means you upload a photo to the AI, and then it could give you some sort of interesting critical feedback on your photos.

What you could do right now is subscribe to ChatGPT plus, only 20 bucks a month, and upload a photo to it, and ask it for feedback on your photos, how you can improve etc. Some of the feedback is interesting… it makes you think more.

AI as a mirror

AI is a mirror. A white mirror.

AI can only think as deeply as you do; there’s no real right or wrong here. Typically the questions you ask it is simply a reflection of what you’re personally interested in.

Also with DALL-E, DALL-E 3… the name of the game is how funny and aberrant are your ideas?

Creative ideas

Once you got the paid ChatGPT subscription, you can upload up to three or four images, and then just ask ChatGPT to help you choose your best photo.

AI can help you give photography tips. For example, ask ERIC KIM BOT, or ERIC KIM AI for photography tips, photography assignment ideas, street photography tips etc. It is very smart because what it essentially does is just scrape my blog, and gives you interesting ideas in a conversational way.

The integration between camera and AI

Rather than upgrading your iPhone, just use the iPhone you already got, and pay for the ChatGPT subscription, and finally… your smartphone actually becomes smart.

For example what you could do is open up the ChatGPT app, click the camera icon, take a photo of something, and help you analyze the scene. Also, you could even take a photo of a collage that you’ve made in real life and ask it to analyze the image. Recently Cindy and I printed out a bunch of photos, and framed them nicely, and I’ve been having fun asking it to analyze the collages and making sense of it.

AI ART?

Is AI art “real“ art? Of course! The better question is whether you like the photo and the image or not.

What is art? Art is anything that you create. Art can be manifested however you interpret it.

My thought is now with AI, and it being so easy to generate images… What is more critical is actually your ability to filter. The art of choosing your favorite photos is a really important thing here.

Why photographers should use DALL-E

DALL-E is the specific component of ChatGPT which creates images from scratch, purely based on your own imagination.

It is phenomenal. For example, once you subscribe to the Chi PT plus, open up DALL-E on the sidebar, and things you could ask it to design you:

Bitcoin babe driving a Lamborghini Countach in ancient Sparta
Peter Pan with samurai sword in zombie apocalypse
Spartan stoic philosopher lifting bitcoin weights
Beautiful Korean woman at Met Gala in bitcoin dress

DALL-E truly becomes magical the more ridiculous and ostentatious you make it. Make it as ridiculous silly and random as possible; the more ridiculous, the better.

Where should I post all of my images?

Your own blog.

Ionos.com and WordPress.org or bluehost.com

Why? The reason is you’re going to create lots of AI generated images and artwork, and also your photos.

I like the idea of artistic and creative double dipping; the idea is that now that you’re a visual artist, you’re not constrained to just one medium. It is not mutually exclusive; you could do both! You could shoot photos and make AI art!

Make yourself laugh

Cindy has been enjoying watching me how much fun I have been having with ChatGPT and DALL-E. For example a recent thing that I did which made me laugh out loud was asking DALLE to make me a hardcore Spartan image, and then I keep asking it “more muscular”. There is a certain point in which it becomes hilarious and I laugh out loud where the limits of muscularity just become preposterous. It makes the incredible Hulk look like a twig.

Content moderation

One good thing that ChatGPT has integrated is the notion of content policies to prevent bad behavior. The fun thing to do is actually see how you could work around it; rather than asking DALL-E to make you a picture of a “sexy Korean girl“, which it will refuse… use the word “babe” instead, and instead of calling it “sexy”, you can say “beautiful” or “gorgeous”.

The word babe is funny… I got the word from Calvin and Hobbes, because Hobbes was always so fascinated by the babes.

So I think the real fun thing about ChatGPT is actually finding creative ways to subvert the content moderation policies. See how far you could push it and nudge it.

Brave New World of AI

I made a ChatGPT bot called “Bitcoin Babe”. My personal creative vision was in the spirit of fun; how you could use an AI chat but to help you be more zen, stoic, and calm about crypto… given how volatile it is.

For example, I never checked the price of bitcoin or any of my crypto acids. I only ever know the price if I stumble upon it on accident, if it is in the headlines of a newspaper, on the television at airports, in magazines at the airport etc. I never seek it out.

Why, why not and why am I glad that I didn’t do this? Because I know myself and how sensitive I am… I used to actually daytrade when I was in college as a sophomore, and I realize that I was too emotional. Essentially what I did was I thought a long time about my decision, went 100% into bitcoin, and I just never looked at it or touched it, did other stuff instead. The hilarious thing is that I actually avoided and I actually didn’t even know about the whole FTX meltdown and the Sam Bankman-Fried guy. And I’m glad that I intentionally made myself ignorant of all the modern day news… Bitcoin is bouncing back, and since the last time I bought more bitcoin for the third time, everything is totally in the green.

But anyways, I think 99% of crypto, cryptocurrency speculation is all about having a zen and stoic mindset. Essentially not to let emotions perturb you.

I specifically programmed Bitcoin Babe in such a way that it tries to help you think more critically about things, and not get suckered by hype.

Also, ZEN OF ERIC and also ERIC KIM BOT— zen of ERIC is all about stoicism and philosophy, and ERIC KIM bot is all about photography.

No more Google

I am starting to think that Google is the bad guy; this whole system we got which is predicated on advertising is a positively bad one. Why? The more sensational and crazy the news, the more advertisements get viewed or clicked on. As a consequence, the nature of the news and media is becoming too outlandish.

Also my critical analysis is that a lot of this stuff on racism, race riots, anti-Jewish sentiment etc.… the real bad guy here is Google and Facebook. Why? Google which owns YouTube, makes money off of these hot button topics. Not only that but Facebook owns Instagram, and once again… the more sexual, overt, and loud something is… the more attention and advertising money is made.

Actually one thing that made me very anti-Instagram… I don’t even have a daughter but I’m starting to realize… When I watched the Kanye West interview on info wars, Kanye West commenting that Instagram is essentially like pornography; a lot of these “fitness influencers”, or women… are essentially selling their bodies for attention and money.

But now that ChatGPT and DALLE can make you your own beautiful women, photo realistic, all which are virtual… There is really no more need for these models or “influencers“.

Short Google and Facebook/Meta/Instagram.

Now what?

The other days when I was at Philz coffee, I saw a guy order a croissant and a coffee and spend $17 on it. Do yourself a favor and just buy the ChatGPT premium subscription, and spend the best $20 of your life.

Play with it, have fun, create your own ChatGPT bots, and also, see how far you can push it.

Think with EK

ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS FOR LIFE!

STACK IT WITH HAPTIC

HAPTIC TOOLS — create your own visual jewels!

Bitcoin for Kids

Haha omg.

Sure, imagine you have a special kind of money that you can only use on computers and the internet, called Bitcoin. Unlike the money you use to buy toys and snacks, you can’t touch Bitcoin because it’s digital, just like the games you play on a phone or computer.

Now, imagine you have a piggy bank at home where you keep your coins and notes. In the world of Bitcoin, you have a digital piggy bank called a ‘wallet’. You can’t see this wallet because it’s on the internet, but it’s where your Bitcoins are kept safe.

When you want to buy something with Bitcoin, you don’t hand over cash or swipe a card. Instead, you send Bitcoins from your digital wallet to someone else’s wallet on the computer. It’s like sending an email, but instead of sending a message, you’re sending money.

And just like your secret diary that has a lock, your Bitcoin wallet has a very special key, called a ‘password’, to make sure only you can open it and no one else can take your Bitcoins.

One last thing, just like how you and your friends might trade toys, people can trade Bitcoins too. The price can go up and down, like when some toys become really popular or not so popular anymore. That’s why grown-ups sometimes talk a lot about Bitcoin!

Explain bitcoin like I’m 5 years old

Haha so good:

Okay! Imagine you have a special kind of money called Bitcoin. But unlike the coins and notes you see, you can’t touch Bitcoin because it’s like invisible, magic money that lives in computers and the internet.

Think of Bitcoin like the gold stars you get in school. You can’t hold these stars in your hand, but you know how many you have, and they’re special. Just like those stars, people can send and receive Bitcoins on their computers.

Now, you know how you keep your toys in a toybox? For Bitcoin, there’s a special digital toybox called a ‘wallet’. It’s not a real wallet you can hold, but it’s a safe place on the internet where you keep your Bitcoins so they don’t get lost.

When someone wants to send or receive Bitcoins, it’s like sending secret, magic letters over the internet. Only the person with the right magic word (which is like a super-secret password) can open their wallet and see their Bitcoins.

And just like when you trade toys with your friends, people can trade Bitcoins with each other. Sometimes, more people want Bitcoins, and sometimes less, which makes it kind of like a game where the number of gold stars you need to trade for a toy can change. That’s what makes Bitcoin seem so exciting to grown-ups!

Like I’m 3 years old

Okay! Imagine Bitcoin is like invisible, magic internet money. You can’t hold it in your hands like toys or cookies, but you can use it to buy things on the computer. It’s stored in a special magic internet box that only you can open with a secret word, like a magic spell. Just like in a game, people can exchange this invisible money, but you can’t see it or touch it, it’s just for computer games for grown-ups! 🌟✨

Like I’m 2 years old

Bitcoin is like invisible play money. You can’t touch it or see it, but it’s there in the computer! Just like pretend play, but for grown-ups on their computers. 🌈💻✨

ChatGPT AI ART

ERIC KIM BITCOIN

Eric Kim, known for his work in photography, has also shown a notable interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. His involvement and thoughts on this topic are reflected in various ways:

Personal Investment and Trading: Kim shared his experiences with Bitcoin investment and trading. He mentioned re-entering the Bitcoin market when its price dropped from $50,000 to $35,000 and then riding it back up to $50,000 oai_citation:1,How I Made Money with Crypto – ERIC KIM – EK.
Philosophical Perspective: He has discussed the broader implications of cryptocurrency and its potential future impact. For example, he has speculated about the future of global currencies and the role of military power in their dominance, suggesting a deep interest in the geopolitical and economic aspects of cryptocurrency oai_citation:2,Why I Bought More Bitcoin (Again) – EK – ERIC KIM PHOTOGRAPHY.
Cryptocurrency Advocacy: Kim has expressed a strong belief in the longevity and importance of Bitcoin, predicting that it will be the “last crypto standing.” This shows his advocacy for Bitcoin and his confidence in its future oai_citation:3,Crypto – ERIC KIM – EK.
Reflection on Wealth and Cryptocurrency: He has also pondered the broader implications of wealth accumulation through cryptocurrency, questioning what comes after achieving financial success in this arena oai_citation:4,Once You Become a Crypto Billionaire, Then What? – ERIC KIM.
Professional Intersection with Photography: Kim has explored the intersection of cryptocurrency and photography, discussing why he believes digital currencies like Bitcoin and Digibyte are the future for photographers in the digital economy oai_citation:5,BITCOIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCY FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS – ERIC KIM – Podtail.

Through these various avenues, it’s evident that Eric Kim’s interest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency goes beyond mere financial investment. He integrates this interest with his professional field, reflects on its broader societal implications, and engages with the philosophical aspects of this innovative technology.

THE 50 BITCOIN CLUB?

My new vision?

BREAK THE SIMULATION.

Obviously we are not living in a simulation, but if you think about the MATRIX, one of the most interesting things to consider is the interesting metaphor towards life.

First, I think everyone is running on the same social scripts. As a consequence, people just tend to be very boring. I’ve actually found that the reason why most people are so boring is that they either lack exposure, or courage.

Second, we are conditioned by fear. Lot of what holds us back is fear; and also ethics.

Even one thing I was considering, why is it that sex, erotic matters, nudity etc.… is seen as so bad, taboo and evil? Technically if we can go from purely biologic perspective, it doesn’t really matter. Do we shame animals for being naked all the time or doing it in public, not really.

Or horses; let us consider stallions in heat, and their behavior.

I think when I consider my behavior, my thinking and worldview, being raised Catholic, Roman Catholic, and also being born and raised in America, notions of Catholic guilt, and also Confucian guilt… and also Korean Korean American culture… not the most open-minded worldview.

I am very happy fortunate and blessed that my mom was very contrarian, very unorthodox, even for being a Korean mom. I would definitely say her ethos was very unique; very independent, solo, self-reliant etc.

In fact, how did I become who I am? I think 90% of it was the socialization of my mom. She is the one who taught me social skills and not to fear people. Funny enough, sometimes she is too naïve to a fault; but ultimately I would prefer my mom— better to be happy joyful and naïve than to be like a scarecrow, overly suspicious and cold towards the world.

“Better to be a gay monster than a sentimental bore.” – Galiani

Suggestions

First, become more loud ostentatious, more “ratchet“. Be the big swinging dick (Michael Lewis, Flash Boys).

Second, throw politically correct vocabulary into the trash, and be maximally suspicious of any “woke” talk. My heuristic:

“Don’t trust any woke people who toke!”

Haha. Toke means smoke weed.

Also, the critical of anybody who has too strong of a political affiliation to any side, spends too much time on Facebook and social media etc. Anybody who consumes media, or gossip, has un-unique thinking. Ultimately my thoughts about people and thoughts is simple; there are interesting people and boring people. No good or bad people. In fact, most good people are insanely boring. A lot of bad people also tend to be boring.

Just be the real life troll

Trolling on the internet is bad. However I think trolling in real life is good.

After becoming a ChatGPT master, I’m starting to understand that we should literally put 0% faith of anything we see or read on the Internet. Why? It is truly impossible to tell whether something was written by ChatGPT or not, or if the original text was written by ChatGPT, and then a human just edited it afterwards.

For example for fun, I made two ChatGPT bots, in the spirit of ERIC KIM. It is actually both hilarious and scary how good they are —

Stoic philosophy: ZEN OF ERIC
Photography: ERIC KIM BOT](https://chat.openai.com/g/g-6UuzfnRjq-eric-kim-bot)

How do you troll people in real life? Joke around, laugh, have fun, talk like a seven-year-old or five-year-old child, never give people a straight answer. Lie about funny things in a playful gist.

For example, a lot of people try to be friendly by asking me how old Seneca is. Sometimes I will joke and say “He is six months old!” (He is 2 years, 9 months old). Some people become shocked and their eyes go really wide, and then I just joke that he is on steroids.

Also, everybody loves a good compliment. Doesn’t matter if man or women etc. I love people, and so whenever I see people having a certain outfit or look that I like, I always try to make it a point to compliment them.

Just try this out as an experiment: for a whole day: whenever you see somebody that you like, compliment them. Compliment their hair their outfit their look etc. Or inquire about their outfit, where they got it, etc.

Second, throw your AirPods and airbuds pros into the trash. I think one of the most terrible things for modern day society, which atrophies our social skills is everyone always having AirPods on. Real men don’t use headphones or AirPods or whatever. If you’re going to listen to music, use a Bluetooth speaker or play it off your phone speaker and blast it like a person from the hood.

In fact, I’m starting to hypothesize that in fact, it might be music, Spotify, and noise canceling headphones which is the driving cause to have people become more antisocial. Not phones and social media, the headphones.

Also as an experiment, the next time you go to the gym and lift weights, do it without any music or headphones on. You will actually benefit by naturally trying to block out all the annoying elevator music, and annoying chitchat of other people. Ultimately it makes you more interesting to NOT wear headphones than to wear them.

Also, how do you know if somebody is actually really interesting or not? When you go to the gym, filter people into two categories:

People who work out without headphones, and people who do.

I only trust people who work out without headphones on.

Other assignments

Street portrait assignment: start a street portrait project in which you’re just trying to capture interesting faces of people in your own city or locale. You can complement people by telling them that they have a beautiful face, or great skin, or if they’re older… You could tell them that they have an elegant face and look. PDF
If people ask you what you’re doing, say that you’re starting a personal photography project of the people of the city, and you consider them as integral to your project.
Download some ERIC KIM books, or attend an ERIC KIM workshop.

Now what?

The sun is out, the sun is bright! Your future awaits you.

And also, when in doubt, smile.

ERIC

Some more turbo thoughts:

HOW SHOULD WE LIVE OUR LIVES?

First, unshackle yourself from superficial ethics, morality, uncritical religious edicts, etc.

The more I think about it… honestly all these modern day “ethics”, “rules”, are bad.

Especially in America, which is a strange chimera of thinking.

Why do people try to superimpose how we should or how we should not live our lives?

For example, when we think and consider the difference between shared, co-living spaces and places, versus communal things, versus the common.

For example, let us say that I am living with you, and you prefer things a certain way, and I prefer things a certain way. Who should have the ultimate say?

A simple heuristic: If I am by myself, you should not intrude on my space and do things differently, tell me what to do or what not to do.

Second, if we are sharing the space and you prefer things a certain way, and your request seems reasonable enough, I will acquiesce to you, and I will simply leave the space.

I think the big issue is when we try to superimpose our will upon others.

For example, let us say that I love to eat meat. That I am 100%, unabashed carnivore. That it is against my beliefs to eat vegetables or plants or fruit or grains or anything which reeks of a “plant-based diet“. Funny enough, nowadays it is 100% fine to show up to a party and tell people that “I don’t eat meat“, and low-key expect to be served vegetarian or vegan food… but it isn’t mainstream to show up to a party saying “I don’t eat vegetables“, and low-key expect to be fed meat.

Also, I kind of get the low-key feeling that a lot of vegetarians or zealous vegans are trying to get everyone to stop eating meat, to become like them, become vegan etc. That they try to guilt or shame meat eaters like myself that what we do is bad evil and is “bad for the planet“.

However, I haven’t really seen the opposite; when I shame a vegan for being cruel to immigrant farm workers who have to pick almonds all day, and how almonds, their almond butter, their cashews, cashew nut butters etc. is “bad for the planet“, because of how water hungry these plants are.

Why don’t we just leave other people alone?

For example, I think one thing I have discovered about myself is that I am a little bit of a tyrant. I attribute this to my upbringing; I was the oldest son of the oldest son of the oldest son, and as a consequence, being raised, I was treated like the king. Whenever I would go to my grandma, she would always acquiesce to my needs and desires and shower me with endless praise, brag about how handsome and successful I was in front of all of her friends, etc.

King’s Disease

So the big issue that I have is that myself, I see myself as king, emperor, and I expect other people to treat me a certain way. I expect and demand and find a critical that other people greet me, when I enter, when I leave, and to treat me with High respect and royalty. When they do not do this, it infumes my anger.

But the biggest issue is that you cannot force other people to treat you a certain way, or to greet you a certain way. For example, if I show up, I cannot demand other people to address me a certain way, or to greet me, etc. Similarly speaking, When I leave, I cannot demand other people say goodbye to me or greet me goodbye. That is tyranny.

This is where I think modern day stuff is little bit bad; you cannot force me to talk to you a certain way, to greet you a certain way, to address you a certain way, etc. If you don’t like the way I talk to you or about you… You just walk away or don’t interact with me. Doesn’t this make more sense?

Who tells us what to do what not to do?

First and foremost, who was Confucius? Essentially he was a petty governmental official, and I believe it was later the scholar bureaucrat Mencius who codified his belief system, just kind of like how Paul did for Jesus… and they create this new pseudo, strange, hydra of a world view and order.

For example, Confucianism, the state mandarin examinations, and all of these pseudo religious rules that Confucius put forth, like philial piety, respect for elders, etc.… The main purpose was a form of social control and order and harmony. It was a useful tool for the king emperor or the aristocracy to keep the commoners in check.

Similarly speaking, St. Paul, was a very strange case. Just read about him from Nietzsche and his book “The Antichrist”. The general gist is that Saint Paul was a tormented soul, and he was seeking salvation somewhere else. He discovered Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, and bastardized them in a strange, miss mashed way. He almost escaped coated Jesus for his own downings and faults, and could not come to ends why things happened a certain way they did.

The chosen people

A concept I came upon recently, which is very interesting and fascinating to me, is this notion of “the chosen people“. I’m curious… is this zero sum? That some people are chosen, and some are not? Are they chosen based on their blood, their lineage, their parents, their family heritage and background, or something else?

And also, if I am chosen, does it mean that you’re not chosen? That, somehow I take up your spot? The notion that in the afterlife, there is only a limited number of spots, let us say 5000 or something, and that only a select number of people are allowed entrance?

You control you

So there are certain things I have learned and observed about life, the world, etc.

First, certainly there are certain people and individuals who are born with a leg up in life. For example, if I was born, and my dad was worth $20 billion, and from a young age I knew that I had a trust fund, which would not be able to be unlocked until I am 65 years old, maybe a part of $100 million… certainly this would change how I live my life.

Also, let us say that I am born and my family is very well-connected. Let us say that my father or mother is a famous Hollywood actor or producer or director… certainly if my passion is cinema film and media, I will also be given better connections and privileges.

But… Does this matter? I don’t think so.

My favorite example is thinking about Jay Z. Would Jay Z have become a Jay Z if he were born to a nice, middle-class family in the suburbs? Highly dubious.

Also, something that I learned is that not always, but often… people entrepreneurs etc. who are born to very difficult childhood situations are the ones who become interesting.

For example, Jeff Bezos, just read his book “invent and wander,” hearing his family story, I think his dad was essentially a Cuban refugee, is insanely fascinating. I think the best thing that Jeff Bezos said, which actually emotionally moved me so much is that when he talks about his father, his “my real father, not my biological one”— it was so beautiful I almost teared up!

Also, read the new Walter Isaacson biography on Elon Musk; I think Elon Musk probably had one of the most traumatic childhood of all time… Somehow those experiences forged him into what he is today.

Same thing with Kanye West; more or less having a single mom, an absentee father, and also, the tragic early passing of his mother Donda… Certainly this shapes your psyche in a certain way.

I don’t wish trauma on nobody

Just because you have suffered more trauma in your life doesn’t make you more virtuous than me, and vice versa. However, I don’t think we should either use it as a crutch nor a motivator… We should just pause it our desired life path, and proceed boldly.

Obstacles are your boost?

Whenever you witness or experience a certain setback, obstacle, “downside“… Think about Mario kart; these “setbacks“ are like your temporary speed boost!

In fact, even though not having things a certain way is insanely annoying, I think this is the root of all innovation. For example, my insane frustration with trying to find a good gym… Essentially resulted in me innovating and doing my funny “off the grid” workouts.

Similar speaking, starting off in photography, 18-19 years old, not being able to find any good information on the Internet on how to do photography and Street photography and composition is actually what motivated my pursuits to create the information I wish to see manifested in the world.