Category: Uncategorized

  • On starting and stopping hobbies and interests

    Over the last few years, I have done little explorations through podcasts and YouTube and books into: baseball analytics then baseball scientific training, basketball coaching philosophy, investing in stocks, marathon running, and weightlifting.

    Reflections on hobbies:

    1. It is fascinating how these are all little circumscribed worlds. They have their experts and heroes. But 95% of people know almost nothing about the topic. Normal people can have a happy life and know nothing about this topic.

    2. There is a mix of genuine fascinating new insights and artificial hyping of the same old things in these hobby worlds. When I am new to the topic, I'm astounded at how much I didn't know. But as time goes on, I hear the same assertions repeated over and over.

    3. Honest moments eventually pop up in podcasts where the host admits their disillusionment or boredom with the absurd repetitive focus on this topic. "We always talk about this and let's face it, it's a waste of time." Even the expert admits this topic is not that important.

    4. Other friends get into other hobbies and interests: cooking, interior design, knitting, fantasy football, golf, biking, travel. Others watch many TV shows. (When you have young kids, they often take that hobby time until they're in middle school and want their own time).

    5. Morally,
    (a) I think there is learning here in hobbies and it can be used for good, to help others, children, etc. Some of these within moderation can be defended as prudent (financial stewardship, physical health) but often the pursuit is far beyond minimal responsibleness.

    Or (b) it may be mostly harmless, a balm, relaxing, healthy. Most businesses and hobbies are not altruistic but are on net a positive outgrowth of human curiosity and physicality and creativity. I don't think we should be overly critical of humans being human.

    But (c) there is also some line at which an interest has the effect of being a destructive addiction, harmful to loved ones. Not just wine and gambling but any of these pursuits can be pursued to the extent that there is not time or money for those who need us.

    6. For me, I've thoroughly enjoyed these jaunts into these areas of human culture and learning and practice. I'm amazed at the learning and ingenuity. But eventually I come to see that at some point it is unwise to spend more time on this relatively insignificant area.

    I realize I need to grow and learn in other areas or use my time and money in ways that are more useful and loving. So I stop listening to those podcasts and those YouTube videos and read some more books of substance or pursue things of more benefit to those around me.

    But I still take pleasure in those old areas when they come across my path because I now know something about them. It is a joy when I can comprehend something because I delved into the area a bit in the past. And I may even dip my toe back in to see if there's something new.

    I don't view it as having had too many interests that I somehow couldn't follow through with. But rather that I intentionally stepped back from that interest because it was not worth so much time and money. Hopefully the learning from that pursuit spills over into other areas.

    In conclusion, I think hobbies, interests, things that strike your fancy, areas you get fascinated by, are a wonderful part of life. You're human and it is healthy to have interests. But is also wise and good to change course and say "that has taken enough money and time."

    Final thought: The good life is not just discipline and perseverance and grit and deliberate practice but also curiosity, exploration, learning, and moving on to other things richer than you were before because you learned something about that esoteric topic.

    Originally tweeted by Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) on January 4, 2022.

  • Suffering across the globe remains

    As I feel more optimistic about many getting the vaccine and the covid relief bill helping the poor in the US, I am reminded that there is injustice, suffering, and danger elsewhere: Myanmar, Belarus, Yemen, Ukraine, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and North Korea. God help us.

    1. I'm reminded to pray because it is overwhelming.
    2. I appreciate experts keeping us up to date about their sense of horror about these matters.
    3. May the US leadership be wise.
    4. Long-term, let's encourage people to live in other countries with generosity and curiosity.

    And Brazil with poor leadership and a terrible tragic crisis.

    https://twitter.com/AmyEricaSmith/status/1379541650716950528

    Taiwan and Ukraine
    https://twitter.com/anders_aslund/status/1378851904109821960,
    https://twitter.com/ulrichspeck/status/1377515337676099585,

    Belarus
    https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1377640832396787713,
    https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1379230510837166080,

    Yemen
    https://twitter.com/hxhassan/status/1375470298946998278,

    Ethiopia
    https://twitter.com/Noahpinion/status/1374588927143645197,
    https://twitter.com/sarasidnerCNN/status/1378175939021049857,

    Myanmar
    https://twitter.com/Simondlewis/status/1379068349653598215,
    https://twitter.com/AlexMorrisNY/status/1379064851444740105,
    https://twitter.com/NickKristof/status/1378061915851616257,
    https://twitter.com/mcbelz/status/1378037760053940226,
    https://twitter.com/JonahFisherBBC/status/1377884267603226624,

    Originally tweeted by Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) on April 6, 2021.

  • The use of humor by leaders, professors, and pastors

    In my class sessions this week, there was a lot of laughter. Surely that helps students wanting to attend. But online and offline, I have tried not to use sarcasm. With humor, we can easily confuse and hurt. Self-deprecating humor (about mistakes I've made) is usually safe.

    But as a professor or as a pastor or as a leader of a meeting, you are NOT a comedian. The point is not to get laughs. If you start trying for that, you waste people's time and skew the focus.
    But sincerely saying how you learned a lesson in the past is useful (and sometimes🤣).

    See:

    For example, I told stories about how I was a pastor and seminary student but was told I needed to develop relationships with non-Christians so I tried with the barber but it did not really work (and now I'm bald!) and talking to women at the gym who thought I was creepy.

    I also told about how when I was a pastor and we had lots of homeless people visit our church for handouts and we worked hard on comprehensive solutions. But also I found the people especially loved cookies and lemonade.

    Originally tweeted by Andy Rowell (@AndyRowell) on January 15, 2021.