Volūmen is a personal repository where I occasionally post my notes. However, I mainly use notebooks and write by hand to process my thoughts. The term volūmen is Latin for “scroll” referring to a rolled manuscript. In ancient Rome, a volūmen (plural: volūmina) was the standard format for written texts before the codex, or bound book, became common.
2025-08-17
Practice with discipline, but without friction, maintaining a calm and steady approach. Take each step deliberately to enter the flow state where progress unfolds. Though progress is not the goal, it arises as a consequence of unintended outcomes. This is the ultimate state of mind, the one that brings true contentment.
2025-08-16
Chinese economist Keyu Jin talks about the quick, flat, fast motto of Chinese, although that motto is considered to be transitory. Short-termism is giving priority to immediate profit or reward, quickly executed projects, and short-term results over long-term results and far-seeing action.
2025-08-16
When we travel, there is almost no downtime as we hop from one place to another. Exploration is wonderful. Seeing extraordinary places, nature, and culture often leaves us in overwhelming awe, yet these moments tend to slip away with time, leaving only fragments in our long-term memory. What is almost permanently stored in the mind, however, are some ordinary parts of experiences and the sensations they evoked: a quiet street with rundown houses, yet somehow charming, or a walk on flat terrain by the rice paddies, bringing truly remarkable emotions despite seemingly unremarkable perceptions for most people. I find this hard to grasp and somewhat bizarre, but I must accept it. Ordinary sights, extraordinary memories.
2025-08-08
Thought experiments are mental exercises that explore scenarios and analyze concepts without physical action. They are commonly used in philosophy, science, and ethics to challenge assumptions and clarify ideas. For example, Maxwell’s Demon: A hypothetical demon that seemingly violates thermodynamic laws. The thought experiments enhance imagination and logical reasoning.
Thought exercises, akin to thought experiments, focus on brain training to enhance problem-solving and creativity. For example “What Would X Do?”: Considering how a famous thinker would approach a problem. These exercises foster broader thinking and creativity.
The key difference is that thought experiments often involve hypothetical scenarios with specific parameters, while thought exercises are more open-ended and encourage creative thinking. Both thought experiments and thought exercises are valuable tools for intellectual exploration.
2025-08-08
Learn to stop at 80% mark in eating, talking, and working to stay sharp, leave space for others, and keep your energy for what matters. The idea of stopping at 80% comes from the Japanese concept hara hachi bu, which means eating until you’re about 80% full. This idea can also be applied to other areas of life, like conversations and work, to help improve communication and productivity.
In conversations: Refrain from over-explaining or dominating the conversation. This creates space for others to share and encourages active listening, leading to more meaningful exchanges. For example, in a meeting, share your thoughts clearly but leave room for others to add their ideas. Even if you’re passionate about the topic, resist the urge to ramble.
In work: Know when you’ve hit the point of diminishing returns, when extra effort won’t produce much more progress. Stopping before burnout helps you recharge and stay productive. For instance, if you’ve made good progress on a report but feel mentally drained, take a break instead of forcing yourself to finish. You’ll return with fresh energy and clearer thinking.
2025-08-04
Ultimate satisfaction arises from performing small rituals, regardless of success or failure. Rather than fixating on large goals, Mogi (Mogi, 2018) encourages us to focus on small, relatable tasks we can engage in daily. Practice for the sake of practice, following Suzuki’s (Suzuki, 2020) teaching. Pause and reflect: what is truly wonderful is the act of practice itself. Then begin again and continue practicing. When you follow this simple rule, you may gain unexpected powers. Before you attain them, they seem extraordinary; afterward, they feel like nothing special. And that is the ultimate satisfaction.
2025-08-04
I find myself increasingly drawn to a “one-and-done” philosophy when it comes to worldly possessions. There’s a quiet realization that I don’t have enough time to truly experience or make good use of the things I have, like pens, guitars, and other tools. It seems that to understand something deeply, to let it reveal its full functionality over time, one must live with it for years. Multiplicity divides attention; depth asks for commitment.
2025-08-03
As Donald Knuth wrote in 1974, programmers often waste effort optimizing too early; “premature optimization is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming” (Knuth, 1974). This sentiment applies beyond code. We often fall into the trap of optimization too early, whether in programming, designing a template, or starting an exercise routine. Instead of putting a functional version to use, we start tweaking it, reshaping it until we barely recognize it. As a result, we lose the value of the original. The code ends up doing things we do not need, the template produces excessive output, and the workout becomes so complicated that it discourages us from following through.
It is often better to stick with the raw idea, no matter how rough or unrefined it may be. If you follow it long enough, perhaps for a year or even a month, you may start to notice natural patterns emerge. Haruki Murakami describes a similar experience in Novelist as a Vocation (Murakami, 2022). Early in his career, feeling constrained by traditional Japanese prose, he began writing in English and then translating the text back into Japanese. The process was not optimal, but it helped him discover a personal voice. Rather than optimizing the method, he committed to it, letting clarity and style emerge over time through repeated practice.
2025-08-14
Daniel Kahneman said most people make quick judgments and then try to prove themselves right. The wisest wait, gather facts, and trust their intuition last.
I recently learned that Kahneman passed away on March 27, 2024, though his death wasn’t announced until March 2025. He was best known for his work on System 1 and System 2 thinking. System 1 is fast and automatic but prone to errors. System 2 is slower and more deliberate, used for careful thinking and problem-solving.
2025-07-27
We build tools to create objects, ideas, and dreams. These tools and their creations slip quietly into our souls, remaking us into strangers to our former selves. As they can do good or harm, we must carefully design them. This can be a vicious cycle; thus, we must strive for a virtuous one.
2025-07-24
Borges wrote and lectured extensively on the art of translation, holding that a translation may improve upon the original, may even be unfaithful to it, and that alternative and potentially contradictory renderings of the same work can be equally valid.
2025-05-31
A Turkish proverb says, “A fool may throw a stone into a well that a hundred wise men cannot pull out.” Inspired by this, one observation is, “One lie cannot be undone by forty truths.” Both express that a single careless act can have severe consequences, even with effort and truth. They highlight the asymmetry between destruction and repair, deception and truth.
The first proverb suggests reckless actions can create problems even the wisest struggle to fix. The metaphor of the stone in the well emphasizes permanence and unintended consequences.
The second saying shifts the focus to honesty and deception. A single lie, once spoken, alters perception and trust, making it difficult to correct with numerous truths. Like the stone in the well, the damage lingers.
Both reflect human nature: words and actions, especially careless ones, can have a greater impact than we anticipate. Even wisdom and truth have limits in undoing past mistakes.
The wise are powerless against certain forms of foolishness. The assumption that knowledge and truth can always correct falsehoods is an illusion. Wisdom can only mitigate consequences, not erase them. True wisdom may lie in recognizing that some things, once done, can’t be undone. Ultimately, responsibility lies in preventing harm before it occurs. Once the stone is in the well or the lie is spoken, the damage is done.
A single lie lingers, no matter how many truths try to wash it away. - Unknown
2025-08-14
Reflect on what you’ve read and written. Information becomes knowledge by reflection. Reflection cultivates intuition. Abundant intuition makes up for the lack of information, thereby enabling you to operate where your knowledge is limited.
This principle aligns with learning theory, cognitive science, and decision-making.
In short, reflection turns raw data into actionable knowledge, making this principle sound and useful.
2025-05-31
Concision is to mind what cleanliness is to the body. Concision, like cleanliness, plays a crucial role in personal and professional life. Just as cleanliness eliminates dirt and clutter from the body, concision eliminates unnecessary words and ideas from communication, leaving behind clear, precise, and effective messages.
A concise mind expresses ideas efficiently, avoiding redundancy or overcomplication—just as a clean body is free from excess grime. In both cases, the result is clarity, ease, and refinement.
2025-02-02
Always be truthful in your actions, even when the truth is inconvenient. However, never tell the truth when dealing with a fool, for only a fool is capable of distorting and destroying the truth.
This rule presents a nuanced view of truthfulness, balancing moral integrity with practical wisdom.
Underlying Principle:
This aligns with ancient wisdom, like in Proverbs:
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.” (Proverbs 26:4)
2024-05-07
Who should have the burden of proof?
In the end, do justly, the best you can—and keep course correcting. Remember what Dylan said: “All the truth in the world adds up to one big lie.”
2025-05-31
Focus on a select group of techniques and internalize them until the mind perceives them in tremendous detail. After training in this manner we can see more frames in an equal amount of time so things feel slowed down. Waitzkin (2007)
2024-01-05
To the beginner: practice without effort is not true practice; the practice needs great effort.
Practice little by little. When walking in a fog, you don’t realize you’re getting wet, but as you keep walking, you get wet little by little. When you get in a fog, it’s very difficult to dry yourself. Practicing slowly is the same; true progress is the result of slow practice, little by little.
When you keep this simple practice, you will obtain some wonderful powers. Before you attain it, it’s something wonderful, but after you attain it, it’s nothing special.
Stop and think: what is wonderful is the act of practice itself. Now you can restart and keep practicing.
When there’s no gaining idea in what you do, then you do something.
Forget all gaining ideas, all dualistic ideas. Just practice zazen in a certain posture.
Source: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. (Suzuki, 2020)
2023-10-31
It is more feasible to play and potentially win a game of chess when competing against an opponent who is also adhering to the rules of chess. It is inconceivable to assume otherwise, as an opponent playing a different game would fundamentally undermine the contest. Nevertheless, it is entirely possible for individuals to engage in games without adhering to established rules. A prudent individual must pause and consider whether both parties are indeed playing the same game.
People frequently disregard or bend rules and conventions. Therefore, one should never assume that an opponent is fully aware of the rules or will adhere to the intended structure of the game.
Competent chess players often find it challenging to compete against complete novices, as they are frequently surprised by the unconventional moves novices make.
This principle extends beyond chess to any rule-based interaction, where mutual understanding of conventions is critical.
2025-04-21
The objective is to make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler. (Albert Einstein is known to have said that). Self-imposed constraints facilitate the simplification of concepts and processes. However, the risk of oversimplification must be considered, as it may compromise the desired outcome. Thus, self-imposed constraints can be regarded as an art form, enabling the effective achievement of goals.
When a task involves numerous steps or requires substantial resources, its completion becomes increasingly challenging. Self-imposed constraints help minimize or eliminate distractions and foster creativity. Creativity, in turn, is the key to originality.
2023-09-05
Continuous improvement is more valuable than striving for perfection.
2025-05-19
In Japanese esthetics pathos of things played a major role in the world’s first novel, Murasaki Shikibu’s Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji), going back to the early eleventh century.
The meaning of the phrase mono no aware, simply put, is awareness of impermanence. This brings about some degree of melancholy but mono no aware teaches us the realities of life.
2024-10-01
The word Gemba means “the actual place” in Japanese; it refers to the location where value is created. Kaizen relates to improvements, however the concept of Gemba Kaizen refers to a strategy employed by companies to enhance their manufacturing performance.
It stands for sort, remove all unnecessary items from the work environment.
The second S means set things in order or organize.
The third S means clean or shine, keep work space neat.
Seiketsu means standardize, systematizing the first three steps to make sure they are being properly practiced in the workplace everyday.
This last S means sustain. Sustaining the changes will lead to the desired results.
2023-August-11
Many jobs are pointless or most jobs have elements of pointless activities. Pay attention to the people and the positions they hold. If you identify any of the five types, do not waste your precious time. Most importantly if you discover your job is nothing but bs, you must find ways to deal with its latent consequences. Many people suffered from bs jobs and others occupied themselves with learning other skills (e.g. languages, programming, etc.) while holding bs jobs.
David Graeber lists five different categories of job types Graeber (2018):
A bullshit job is one that even the person doing it secretly believes need not, or should not, exist. That if the job, or even the whole industry, were to vanish, either it would make no difference to anyone, or the world might even be a slightly better place. - David Graeber
2025-05-31
Some problems come from life itself—they shape us, test us, make us stronger. Struggling with them gives the soul weight and meaning. But other problems are man-made—born of fear, control, and small minds. They do not lift us up; they drain us. In places ruled by politics and pretense, effort leads nowhere. Spirit fades. It is better to face real storms than to rot in still air. Better a hard truth than a quiet, comfortable lie.
2023-07-21
I recall Nassim Taleb’s advice to avoid reading newspapers. If one must engage with them, he suggests reading editions from a year prior, allowing you to assess the news with the benefit of hindsight and a clearer perspective.
News can shape our perceptions in distinct ways:
In our workplaces, communities, or neighborhoods, whether a high-rise building, a city block, or a small town, news circulates constantly, influencing our decisions. To maintain clarity, we must discern what is truly valuable from what is mere noise. Often, this means turning off the news or avoiding newspapers altogether.
2025-05-04
The basic laws assert that (Cipolla (2019))
Intelligence and stupidity are not the opposite of one another, nor is stupidity the lack of intelligence, but intelligence is the product, more or less unsuccessful, of a continuous series of attempts to dominate, or escape, the stupidity that constitutes everything that is human — Matthijs Van Boxsel.
2025-04-22
To begin, you require only a book, a pen, and time. While additional tools may appear beneficial, they can be counterproductive, resulting in negative utility. These tools do not accelerate your work; rather, they consume as much time as you are willing to expend on them. The essence of productivity lies in performing the work itself.
Work expands to fill the time available for its completion (Parkinson’s law)
You could divert your attention to numerous optimizations, such as managing email, scheduling meetings, organizing notes, maintaining calendars, tracking time, setting goals, creating to-do lists, estimating time requirements, applying prioritization frameworks, using quantified self-sensors, analyzing data, adopting apps, managing documents, or journaling.
However, it is critical to resist the temptation to become mired in these optimizations. Instead, prioritize executing the work. When you focus on the work, all other aspects will naturally optimize themselves.
2022-12-19
Trying hard doesn’t always bring results. Effort can be wasted if other parts don’t match—like bad eating or poor balance. Success grows slowly but can be lost quickly. Don’t undo what you’re working for.
2025-02-17
Willpower, like a muscle, can tire. The only question is when.
Rules, like guidelines, help us navigate life. We’ve been taught to follow them since childhood. Think about speed limits, hallway running, and instructions. Rules are everywhere, but we haven’t used them to our advantage. They shape our behaviour and can help us achieve our goals.
Make good choices the default choice.
When you use willpower to make your future self’s choices, create an automatic rule.
Source unknown.
2022-08-11
Some memory lapses occur because we become self-conscious. Let go of self-consciousness and allow the energy of the music, and of the fear and excitement of performing, to flow freely through our body and mind. Bruser & Menuhin (1999, p. 216).
We have one lifetime in which to express ourselves and to connect to others. A performance in that sense a microcosm of life: We have one one chance, and we want to give it everything we have. Bruser & Menuhin (1999, p. 227).
2022-08-07
The Art of Practicing by (Bruser & Menuhin, 1999) contains wisdom and practical advise. Performance as a practice see page 216.
2025-05-26
Considering current times, the number of books and mass media, the situation is a lot worse today. Also, no country has fallen as Roman Empire did… So it’s a lot worse but global dynamics also evolved. Untruth existed for a long time and there’s nothing new about mind boggling nonsense that affected (negatively) the history of mankind. From Phillips (2020)
It is impossible for someone to lie unless he thinks he knows the truth. Producing bullshit requires no such conviction. - Harry G Frankfurt Truth had ever one father but lies a 1000 men’s bastards. - Montaigne We have reason to fear that multitude of books which grows everyday will make the following centuries fall into a state as barbarous as that of the centuries that followed the fall of Roman Empire. - Written in 1685 by French Scholar Adrien Baillet There’s an extremely limited number of ways of being right and an almost infinite number of ways to be wrong.
Volūmen is built with Pandoc, Python, and the Courier monospace typeface.