philosophy &mdash; One Thomas Alan https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/tag:philosophy Reflections and photos from life in Japan and abroad. Fri, 08 May 2026 17:07:27 +0000 On Losing to Win https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-losing-to-win?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ Sometimes losing reveals what winning doesn’t— perspective you can only see from the other side. As always, your mileage may vary, so use what's helpful. Discard the rest. #thinkingoutloud #philosophy hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> Sometimes losing reveals what winning doesn’t— perspective you can only see from the other side.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what's helpful. Discard the rest.

#thinkingoutloud #philosophy

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-losing-to-win Wed, 22 Oct 2025 03:36:50 +0000 On Complexity https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-complexity?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[I don’t struggle with complexity itself. I struggle with irrelevant or poorly explained complexity. On Complexity As always, your mileage may vary, So use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️ #philosophy #thinkingoutloud hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> I don’t struggle with complexity itself. I struggle with irrelevant or poorly explained complexity.

On Complexity

As always, your mileage may vary, So use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️

#philosophy #thinkingoutloud

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-complexity Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:01:15 +0000 On What Matters Most https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-what-matters-most?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Some of the most important things in life are the ones you choose freely, not the ones you do out of pressure or obligation. As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️ #philosophy #thinkingoutloud hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> Some of the most important things in life are the ones you choose freely, not the ones you do out of pressure or obligation.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️

#philosophy #thinkingoutloud

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-what-matters-most Mon, 28 Apr 2025 20:01:58 +0000 On Becoming Who We Are https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-becoming-who-we-are?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[!--more-- Most of our life is spent chasing the person we think we’re supposed to become, until one day, we wake up and realize who we are. Did the billion little choices it’s estimated we make in a life guide us there? Or was it always meant to be? As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s useful. Discard the rest. #quotes #philosophy hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> Most of our life is spent chasing the person we think we’re supposed to become, until one day, we wake up and realize who we are.

Did the billion little choices it’s estimated we make in a life guide us there?

Or was it always meant to be?

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s useful. Discard the rest.

#quotes #philosophy

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-becoming-who-we-are Thu, 24 Apr 2025 22:03:31 +0000 On Faith https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-faith?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[blockquote“I have faith in humanity. I just don’t trust people. :)” &mdash; citeMe (but I’m sure I’m not the first)/cite/blockquote As always, you may view it differently, so take what works, discard the rest. #quotes #philosophy hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> “I have faith in humanity. I just don’t trust people. :)” — Me (but I’m sure I’m not the first)

As always, you may view it differently, so take what works, discard the rest.

#quotes #philosophy

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-faith Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:58:58 +0000 On Order and Chaos https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/blockquoteplan-for-order-and-youll-be-destroyed-by-chaos?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[blockquotePlan for order and you’ll be destroyed by chaos. Prepare for chaos and you’ll thrive in any condition. &mdash; citeSahil Bloom, The Curiosity Chronicle, Jan 7, 2025/cite/blockquote From: 34 Life Lessons from 34 Years – Sahil Bloom As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. #quotes #philosophy hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> Plan for order and you’ll be destroyed by chaos. Prepare for chaos and you’ll thrive in any condition. — Sahil Bloom, *The Curiosity Chronicle*, Jan 7, 2025

From: 34 Life Lessons from 34 Years – Sahil Bloom

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.

#quotes #philosophy

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/blockquoteplan-for-order-and-youll-be-destroyed-by-chaos Mon, 21 Apr 2025 20:31:13 +0000 Hold on to the fire that fuels your passion—​even when the demons of doubt tug... https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/hold-on-to-the-fire-that-fuels-your-passion-even-when-the-demons-of-doubt-tug?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Hold on to the fire that fuels your passion—​even when the demons of doubt tug to pull you back. As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. #aigeneratedillustration #philosophy hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> Hold on to the fire that fuels your passion—​even when the demons of doubt tug to pull you back.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.

#aigeneratedillustration #philosophy

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/hold-on-to-the-fire-that-fuels-your-passion-even-when-the-demons-of-doubt-tug Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:21:27 +0000 On The Accumulation of Time https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-the-accumulation-of-time?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[!--more-- I love this quote from a recent documentary I watched: https://youtu.be/8qdCNE0dHGQ?si=lFXiD_yr4QtQFnu1 --- To good light and moments that matter. ✌️ #quotes #photography #philosophy hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> I love this quote from a recent documentary I watched:

To good light and moments that matter. ✌️

#quotes #photography #philosophy

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/on-the-accumulation-of-time Sun, 13 Apr 2025 03:23:05 +0000 On Finding Peace in the Storm https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/turning-to-art?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[When the world feels like it's going crazy, art and music bring beauty inside the storm. --- As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.✌️ #philosophy #creativity #thinkingoutloud hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> When the world feels like it's going crazy, art and music bring beauty inside the storm.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest.✌️

#philosophy #creativity #thinkingoutloud

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/turning-to-art Sat, 08 Mar 2025 23:14:52 +0000 On Life Balance https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/thought-life-priorities-mind-body-and-soul?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[blockquote "Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control." &mdash; citeEpictetus/cite /blockquote Your priorities, when clear and thoughtfully managed, become your freedom. As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️ #philosophy #thinkingoutloud hr pstrongWritten by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology./strong/p !--emailsub--]]> "Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control." — Epictetus

Your priorities, when clear and thoughtfully managed, become your freedom.

As always, your mileage may vary, so use what’s helpful. Discard the rest. ✌️

#philosophy #thinkingoutloud

Written by a creative technologist, photographer, and an evolving human living in Japan—enhanced (and tangled) by technology.

]]> https://1thomasalan.writeas.com/thought-life-priorities-mind-body-and-soul Tue, 25 Feb 2025 04:44:47 +0000