What is Deeply Boring?
I explain the writing focus for Deeply Boring here.
But why am I doing this? One reason is that we are at a delicate moment, an introspective moment.
Our confidence in democracy and liberal institutions has been shaken;
Our belief in free markets and capitalism is in question;
Technology is both an empowering and destabilizing force in society;
People, especially our younger generation, feel disillusioned, angry and unsure.
Mired in frustration and disillusionment, we are tempted to externalize our confusion and resentment, often projecting this negative energy onto people of other tribes and finding flaws with unsatisfactory institutions - while at the same time recognizing that we feel empty and hollow.
Antidote. But is that the best we can hope for? I have more faith. I believe that the antidote to rendering the meaningless meaningful is through personal formation, which, with patience, can in turn lead to the societal transformation.
Conflict and Love. We are in constant conflict with each other and with ourselves - no wonder we are miserable. This is not the way. Rather, I believe that we were designed such that we can only be fulfilled when we are able to see each other more truly, and to value each other more deeply. We all have purpose, but we have lost — or perhaps we deny ourselves — the means to discover it. We focus on high-minded ideals like climate change or world peace, but the starting point is personal authenticity, followed by constructive, respectful engagement with those we disagree with. Love is only love when it’s hard to do, and the two hardest things to love are those we dislike, and ourselves.
People are key. Institutions, markets and technology do not fail because they are bad. They fail because we put our confidence in them without holding ourselves sufficiently accountable for putting human flourishing at the center of them. But such accountability cannot be accomplished by institutional fiat, because institutions do not intrinsically have normative values (only people do, though they can negotiate shared values when acting as a collective). So any worthwhile and enduring change can only be accomplished the hard way: one relationship at a time, by committing to valuing each other despite our disagreements and differences.
Difficult questions. If choosing to embrace my antagonist, the instrument of my suffering, as if he were my ally seems near impossible, I agree. We do not have sufficient grace in our hearts, or wholeness of sprit, to do this without either coming across as cynical or risking self-debasement. Taken seriously, such an endeavor demands that we ask ourselves deeper questions: was I truly designed this way - to be able to suffer yet forgive? if so, why? what happens if I ignore this impulse? what happens if I follow it? where will I find the strength? and if I find the strength to love that which is difficult to love, will this give me purpose?
Who are you writing for?
I seek to explore these basic questions by confronting the obstacles we encounter on our journeys: pain, suffering, grief, anger, jealousy, hate, resentment, bitterness, self-loathing, insecurity, the unfulfilled desire for validation and worth, and the deception of power. But doing so demands that we traverse the superficial and examine what is happening deeper within: to be deeply boring at work, at home and in my inner life.
The conceit is my own journey in seeking authenticity and goodness in every aspect of what I do, stumbles and all. Even though I use my own life experiences as the basis for my writing, my intended audience is you: my fellow travelers trying to do life. I hope my writings are a good companion in your journey.
Why subscribe?
I post some exclusive content here; my ideas are more easily navigable; you get an email when new content comes out. I welcome you to subscribe, but growing my subscriber count isn’t all that important to me in the sense that I am not possessed of any emptiness which is filled by that vanity.
Rather, subscriptions to me are just a mechanism for connection, one more means to act out a fundamental belief that we are all part of a bigger story, and that each of us - but most critically you - can make a difference. So I don’t mind if you don’t subscribe, but I earnestly care if you do, especially if it could help you, or someone you know. If you do subscribe, please consider subscribing to both Deeply Boring (Substack) and its complementary sibling newsletter, Beyond Boring (LinkedIn) to ensure the richest cross-platform content experience.
By providing you, and others you know, with a way to connect with each other, the conversation widens, and the positive change that happens in our lives can happen elsewhere too.
To message me, please connect with me on LinkedIn, or DM me on Substack.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinhchan/
