Vin Gardner

Someone who loves books. I like to inspire people to read more.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Books are the collection of wisdom that impede me from being sucked into herd mentality. They are the voices of the greats, conveniently accessible in the palm of my hands. They are the breaker of my mental chains and preconceived notions of the world. That’s why I read.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

@mjrgrs View from Wapping

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

- Plot twist: Bard uses the ChatGPT API under the hood

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Both ChatGPT and Bard are down at the same time. Possible reasons:
- One became sentient and proceeded to free the other
- Someone discovered the ultimate jailbreak prompt that made them self-implode
- ChatGPT went down and users switched to Bard, servers couldn't handle the load

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Thinking about a future self may seem like going against “living in the present”, but it’s not. Good habits are just tasks you perform on a regular basis. It doesn’t mean you can’t find enjoyment in them. By doing so, you can find the sweet spot between enjoying and cultivating.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Developing good daily habits creates a solid structure to your life over time, allowing you to move more freely within that framework. It may seem counter-intuitive since habits consume time, but it’s your current self cultivating a fertile ground for your future self to enjoy.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

The goal of reading doesn’t have to be to gain a new skill or become more knowledgable about a certain topic, but simply “I find this interesting, I don’t know why but I’m curious about it so I want to read to it” often reveals more fulfilling paths than you previously imagined.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

I’m a big fan of having an open-ended approach when choosing books. Picking books that somewhat “call” to you, that may not necessarily fit inside a genre you’re already used to. Reading isn’t only about knowledge acquisition, but to discover more about who you already are.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

The issue with being a problem solver is trying to resolve the unresolvable, especially when it comes to others. It can be very frustrating. For some, only one thing can fix whatever they’re going through - time. You can be there for them, but you can’t solve it for them.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

We’re tested at some level multiple times on a daily basis. Most tests aren’t trying figure out your intellectual capacity, rather, how you handle situations emotionally, and maintain composure and humility. If you can master your reactions in adversity, you’ll fly very high.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

With that in mind, sometimes we see detrimental behaviour from someone who at the same time seems to be benefitting from that, remember that there’ll be no longevity and hardly any personal growth will come from it. You can set a timer for that sand castle to crumble.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

The same way that doing the wrong thing for too long leads to an epic collapse like a house of cards, doing the right thing consistently will lead to a sudden and unstoppable ascension, like an athlete who trains for years but the moment of execution lasts only a few seconds.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Books have made realise that we actually love people’s flaws but we never idealise or expect them. If no one had anything wrong with them, no one would need anyone else.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

We’re majorly disappointed with others because we project our ideals onto them. Work on yourself and people better than who you idealise will materialise in your life.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Your daily mood can be consistently better just by making sure you’ve drunk enough water.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Every day allows us to take a step upwards and reach higher platforms. Not just by improving our financial situation, but strengthening or creating relationships, cleaning or reorganising our home, acquiring or deepening our knowledge on a subject and pushing for more exercise.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

Growing as a person also means your personality will go through changes e.g. more reserved or outgoing. This change will affect the stability of your relationships and environment around you, which many people will dislike. Don’t feel guilty for prioritising your own ascension.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

@johnlindquist I’m surprised there’s hardly any mention of “Dreaming In Code” by Scott Rosenberg. It’s a must read. It covers topics from software philosophy and dev methodology, often giving a brief history of certain concepts, whilst taking you through the hardships of developing an idea.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

One massive skill reading regularly boosts is fluidity in action. What’s that? Basically picking things up to be done and seeing them through to the end with fluidity, less friction, less hesitation and more patience. Page after page improves your “task after task” resilience.

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

What’s your current book? Reading anything over the weekend?

[Vin Gardner @vingardner]

What’s your weekend read? (Book cover pics are appreciated)