Creation Vs. Consumption Paradox – We create to consume but ironically consumption leads to more consumption, eventually depletion and despair.

Why you should create something you enjoy without expectation to experience joy and fulfillment.

Human civilizations across time and around the world have followed a familiar pattern. The patterns and themes have repeated themselves for the past 5000+ years.

Birth of Civilization

1. Settlement: People settle and develop complex networks of urban settlements.

2. Food security: The rise of agriculture leads to surplus food.

3. Division of labour: 1 and 2 leads to a complex division of labour and social and economic classes.

4. Economic Security: Trading within and with other settlements leads to economic security.


Peak Civilization – Indulgence in human creativity:

1. Self-expression and creativity flourish with significant development of arts, culture, intellectual curiosity, and rapid economic growth.

2. All civilizations work to preserve their legacy through arts and culture, and by building large monuments and structures.

Fall of Civilization

1. Advanced civilization leads to population growth and increased consumption.

2. Environmental collapse: The fight for natural resources leads to environmental collapse.

3. Population collapse: Earthquakes, Volconic eruptions, flooding, waterborne diseases, and wars eventually result in the fall of civilization.

What are the lessons?

Focus on creation, not consumption

1. Creation is peak civilization, create something you enjoy without expectation to experience joy and fulfillment

Play musical instrument
Write poetry, blogs, short story, novel
Sing, Dance, Paint
Record commentary – play sports broadcaster
Code – create games, digital art
Embrace creativity and share your unique creations with the world.

2. Minimize consumption of both digital and physical

Watch out, creation by machines is a sign of machine civilization peaking.

That is it for today, see you next time.

Read all my “Notes to Self” at view all blogs.

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Why did people across the world hoard toilet paper during the pandemic? Why hoard toilet paper rather than food or medicine? What are the lessons?