Culture

Can You Life-Hack Your Way To Love

Published

7 months ago

September 29, 2023

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There’s never been a shortage of dating advice from family, friends and self-help authors. Yet in the digital age, people are also turning to nerdy hacker-types as guides.

At first, they might seem like an odd source of romantic advice, but think again: Computer programmers created the systems of quizzes, swipes and algorithms that millions rely on for matchmaking. Who better to explain how to make the most of these digital tools?

This new approach to dating takes advantage of the power of data. “Quantitative futurist” Amy Webb, for instance, created a handful of fake accounts depicting the types of men she wanted to marry and learned what her highly-rated competitors’ profiles looked like. After applying these insights to her own profile, she became the most popular woman on JDate, an online dating site for Jewish people. Mathematician Christopher McKinlay similarly hacked his profile on OkCupid and crawled thousands of profiles to identify the clusters of women he most wanted to target.

With hundreds of candidates in hand, both had to then filter the field: Webb created a sophisticated spreadsheet, and McKinlay went on 88 dates. In the end, each found a spouse.

All of this is part of a new approach to life, as a thing to be hacked and optimized by way of a quantified self.

People track what they eat, the hours they work, the items they own and countless other details, hoping to experience better health, improved productivity and greater contentment. However, in my forthcoming book, “Hacking Life: Systematized Living and its Discontents,” I reveal how the quest for the optimum path can lead you astray. In the case of dating, trying to optimize can be foolishly naive and misunderstand the nature of the task.

Counting on love

Consider the case of former software engineer Valerie Aurora, who in 2015 returned to the dispiriting task of online dating. This time, she hoped she might make the experience palatable, fun even, by hacking dating. Inspired by Webb, Aurora developed a spreadsheet for ranking candidates with positive and negative attributes, including flaws that were so bad they were “dealbreakers.”

However, with experience, Aurora realized that she had been too inflexible about dealbreakers. She wrote, “I am now in a happy relationship with someone who had six of what I labeled ‘dealbreakers’ when we met. And if he hadn’t been interested in working those issues out with me, we would not be dating today. But he was, and working together we managed to resolve all six of them to our mutual satisfaction.”

It is a mistake to believe that an ideal match is somewhere out there, just waiting to be rated and ranked. Instead, people invest and grow in their relationship. A good match can be found, but psychology research suggests a good relationship is made.

Searching far and wide

Taking a data-centric approach can also lead to a never-ending search. Technology entrepreneur Sebastian Stadil went on 150 dates in four months – more than one a day! At the end, he wrote, “I still believe technology can hack love, though that belief is likely irrational.” He confessed that “having more matches increased my odds of finding someone interesting, but it also became an addiction. The possibility of meeting that many people made me want to meet every one of them, to make sure I wouldn’t miss the One.”

It’s a paradox of choice in the digital age: A better match could be just one more date – and data-point – away. Hackers who know their computer science recognize this as the puzzle of “optimal stopping,” which seeks to determine how long someone should hold out for a better option.

There is no perfect solution, but there is a reasonable formula: Figure out your parameters, like how soon you want to be in a relationship and how many dates you want to go on in search of the right person. Say you’ve given yourself a year and 100 dates – two a week. The math says you should go on dates with 37 percent of them without committing, and then – after the 37th person and about four and a half months – pursue the first person who’s better than all the others you’ve met.

Of course, this still assumes that the problem of starting a relationship is a matter of quantity, measurement and optimization. Aurora’s experience suggests that making a match is as much about interpersonal negotiation as it is about data and analysis.

Joseph Reagle is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University.

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Cannabis

The Benefits Of Consuming Marijuana Alone

Published

6 hours ago

April 30, 2024

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Some times you want to relax and just chill in your own head – and that is 100% ok

Trivia night, parties, hanging with friends, sporting events…all group activities when you might imbibe in something to add to the fun atmosphere. Heading to a bar, going out to eat, or family events might including a bit of booze or a small toke. Both can put you in the right mood. But here are the benefits of consuming marijuana alone.

Drinking alone can cause issues as alcohol can have different effects. A big difference between marijuana and alcohol is the latter is a depressant. Cannabis, in the right dosage, tends to reduce anxiety and can help battle depression. Also, overindulges with weed leads to falling asleep, where overdoing it with cocktails can lead to blackout and serious help issues.

13 songs to add to your smoke sesh playlist — Photo by Matthew Henry via Burst

Marijuana is surprisingly effective and malleable when consumed alone. If you challenge yourself, it can be used for different activities including creative, social and physical. When getting the dosage right, weed can act as a stimulant for your brain, helping you journal and doodle, or for your body, pushing you to workout or clean and sort through your closet.

Another benefit is you can enjoy the wonder of being in a high state of mine. Experts express they love watching a movie on a large screen as it makes them feel they are in the movie (probably not a good idea to watch horror films). It can almost make you feel like you meld with music. when you’re high because cannabis affects your sense of timing. When you smoke weed, your brain slows down and becomes more sensitive to the rhythms in music. It makes it easier to appreciate the subtleties in the music

Personal reflection and growth are other prime reasons for solo cannabis consuming. It allows individuals to immerse themselves in a deep journey into their own being, stripped of the distractions and outside influences that often cloud our understanding. For introverts, this can be time to balance and recharge.

The best part about marijuana is you can enjoy it without ahangover allowing you the next day to be productive. Before diving in to your solo marijuana journey and all of the perks it can result in, here are the best & safest practices.

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Cannabis

THE DEA DECIDES TO RESCHEDULE MARIJUANA

Published

7 hours ago

April 30, 2024

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In a historic move the Drug Enforcement Agency announced it plans to reschedule cannabis. Monumental shift in the marijuana industry.

After three years of waiting for President Biden to fulfill his promise of doing something about legal cannabis, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced its plan to reschedule cannabis. This follows the recommendations from Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Agency (FDA). They are sending their recommendation to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review of the impact on the budget. The shifts acknowledged the medical benefits of cannabis and can pave the way for PTSD treatment for veterans, something the President and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).

“Moving to Schedule III is the single biggest thing that can happen to the US cannabis industry. It removes the 280E tax burden, increases medical research, and opens the investor base. Today is truly a tipping point for this burgeoning industry.” declared Jesse Redmond, Managing Director at Water Tower Research.

DEA

“This historic move from the Biden Administration to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III reflects changes in the scientific and medical understanding of cannabis. It echoes moves in other countries around the world. Domestically, it lays the groundwork for federal tax benefits for the cannabis industry, as cannabis businesses will be treated like other businesses with regard to deductions and credits. It will also lower the costs and hurdles of conducting research on the plant and its products. Despite skeptics arguing that this spells the beginning of the end of the cannabis industry as we know, those doomsday scenarios fail to answer a basic question: why would the Biden Administration want to crack down on a substance that it classifies as “less dangerous” when it refused to crack down on the substance when it was a Schedule I substance? Little, if anything, will change at the state regulatory level, but that should not take away from the historic nature of this decision. Cannabis has been a Schedule I substance for 54 years, and despite multiple opportunities to reclassify it in decades’ past, today is the first time the US Government has been willing to say otherwise” shares John Hudak, Director, Maine Office of Cannabis.

Hudak is widely respected in the industry and has been a thought leader for the growing industry. The move reclassifies cannabis from Schedule 1 of dangerous drug with zero medical benefits to to Schedule III such as ketamine, Tylenol with codeine, and anabolic steroids. The timing is still unsettled, but there is hope it will have an impact in 2024. The industry as been struggling under schedule III despite a huge growth of consumers. This will also open the door more for mainstream companies to become involved in the market.

“While this is great news for the cannabis industry, it’s too early to break out the Champagne,” said Lonnie Rosenwald, Partner at Zuber Lawler, LLP. “We don’t know yet when rescheduling will occur, or, perhaps more important, when the tax changes will take effect. For companies and entrepreneurs considering entering the industry, rescheduling alone shoudl provide an incentive to launch their businesses. But existing cannabis businesses will have to wait to see whether they’ll be able to deduct business expenses on their 2024 or 2025 returns. We expect answers to these questions in the coming weeks.” says Lonnie Rosenwald, an attorney for Zuber Lawler, a national law firm which covers the cannabis industry.

This is a historic shift for the federal government and puts in more in line with the American Medical Association, most medical professionals, Canada and the general public.

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Culture

The Best Small Ways To Improve Work Productivity

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2024

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Work productivity fluctuates on a daily basis. Here are some simple things you can do to get off the hamster wheel.

Five days a week 8-9 hours a day and productivity sometimes comes and goes. Some days you feel like you’re on fire, getting everything done on time, while others feel like a completely different story. And just because you are working longer hours, doesn’t mean you are more productive. It is better to make use of day and stay as focused as possible.

While you should always treat yourself with some compassion, it is possible to get out of work ruts by making some changes. Big changes like buying new work desks and switching up your work schedule can work, but small and consistent changes can also add up and make a difference. Here are the best small ways to improve work productivity.

Know what works and what doesn’t about your work setup

How To Defuse Political Conversations With Work And Family — Photo by Brooke Cagle via Unsplash

If you want to know what’s not working about your work setup, write down a list of your routines every day. If you have a particularly productive day, write down what you did, whether you worked on a couch, with headphones, made all the calls in the morning, or only took meetings in the afternoon. Small patterns can help you come up with a better work routine and can help you avoid certain situations that are not your most productive.

Start by completing one task

Shocking Number Of Doctors On Board With New York Marijuana — Photo via rawpixel.com

The best habit is to get one task done and at a time. Usually, the first task is the most difficult, and once you’re past the biggest hurdle you feel like you’ve accomplished more. Make a to-do list and slowly go through the items on your list or write down all of your plans on a calendar. These small activities can help you get out of your slump and feel more productive.

Clean your desk

Dressing Up To Work From Home Has Surprising Effects On Your Mental Health — Photo by Yasmina H via Unsplash

Work desks are very some of the fastest household items to get messed up, especially when working from home. If you find yourself procrastinating, organize it. Clean and dispose of all your coffee cups, organize your pens, stow away extra notebooks, etc. Switching up the positioning of your desk can also work, reinvigorating your work space and perhaps giving you a better view.

Clean your emails

Checking emails during commute should count as part of the working day — Photo by rawpixel.com

Another simple and mindless task you can do is to clean up your emails. Organize them according to their purpose and delete all of the junk. Unsubscribing from websites you don’t visit and stores you’re not interested in is also a great use of your time, giving you something to do and the feeling like you’re getting your life together. You have to start somewhere.

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