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Josh Knox

Just Joshin' #117 (Liking)

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

1 Family Photo:
Liking

"This is the wrong Trader Joe's."
"How do you know?"
"The one we like has mini-shopping carts," Calvin explains. "This one only has regular shopping carts and baskets."

Oh.

"This yogurt is my favorite."
"How do you know?"
"Because this one is my favorite." Lawrence swipes four apricot-mango yogurts into his basket.

Oh.

I don't think we ever bought that flavor before.

--

Why do you like what you like?

I know why Calvin and Lawrence like yogurt—sugar.

I know why they like trains: when Calvin was 18-months, a friend gifted us her son's neglected wooden train set. One day he races vovó in a loop around the coffee table. A small interest, encouraged, turns into a larger interest. Now Calvin likes trains.

So we do more train things. We plan train museum visits in different states. We ride steam trains in different countries. Now Calvin likes trains more.

Because Calvin likes trains, Lawrence likes trains. We're caught in a feedback loop.

--

As creation becomes easier—as the generative AI becomes more abundant, as the endless content streams become more and more endless—taste will become more important. Taste demands we search ourselves, examine what we like and why we like it. Consider how it aligns with our aspirations.

When some optimization algorithm tries spoon-feeding you strawberry and blueberry yogurts, grab an apricot-mango and put it in your basket.

1 Dad Joke:
Maybe More Than Like

How do you get a country girl's attention?
​A tractor.

​*image by Dad[AI]Base​

Highlights:
Like Editing

​Notes on “Taste” by Brie Wolfson​

I’ve found a taste-filled life to be a richer one. To pursue it is to appreciate ourselves, each other, and the stuff we’re surrounded by a whole lot more.
​
Though taste may appear effortless, you can’t have taste by mistake. It requires intention, focus, and care. Taste is a commitment to a state of attention.
​
The process of cultivating taste is a lot like the writing and editing process.

​Ezra Klein Klein Interviews Adam Moss (Podcast)​

Ezra Klein:
What does it mean to edit?
Adam Moss:
I think any editing is just a heightened level of sensitivity to reaction. I think you’re just being super sensitive to the way in which your mind is reacting or your heart is reacting. And it’s not just an intellectual thing — it’s also very much an emotional thing. Bob Gottlieb in that Caro documentary described editing as reacting. And that is a pretty good definition, I think.
Ezra Klein:
But it’s not just reacting, right? It’s trusting the reaction.
Adam Moss:
Yeah, it’s trusting the reaction. And then there’s another part, which is kind of separate, which is figuring out what to do about it.
--
​Adam Moss:
It’s like trusting yourself in any context, which is that you get a little courageous, and you venture out, and you try something.

​Cultivating a state of mind where new ideas are born by Henrik Karlsson​

Kristian Mattsson, who performs under the moniker Tallest Man on Earth, says he pays close attention to his emotions as he’s writing new songs. If he gets excited, purely, he immediately puts the guitar down—excitement means what he is playing something he knows others will like, something that retreads paths he has already explored and been socially validated for. The songs he’s looking for are the ones that he’s ashamed of liking.

iamJoshKnox Highlight:

Some night-time songs I like: BedtimeMedley | IamJoshKnox​

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​Let's Chat!​

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Until next week,
​iamJoshKnox​​

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Josh Knox

Hi! I am Josh Knox. Read more of me here: 👇

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