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Love for data & the analysis of the mind


Mathematics is beautiful, as it helps make sense of the universe. The beauty of computer science is problem-solving at scale. Art is what we are alive for, it expands our thinking, by making us feel the world from other person's senses. It expands your mind in some way. New and unprecedented forms of looking at things. Helps us explore the unknown.

Data science is an amalgam of all three art, mathematics, and computer sciences, you're discovering something new about the world. Which can help solve a problem for someone and it can be a creative process, as your approach can be one which was never anticipated by anyone.

What I discovered about myself is, if I like something, I develop a hunger for it, and that hunger grows over time, and it gives me great pleasure to feed this hunger. And I gradually excel in the field. I feel life is all about this hunger, what you'd like to have it totally depends on your taste. For example, I love pizza, and you might like the burger, we have our own taste for food, and it will give us pleasure when we eat it. Love towards a field is the same, the good thing about education is we don't get fat by learning more about our area of interest.

Like when I fell in love with physics after watching Richard Feynman interview on how he explained his passion and curiosity for science, this single event had a profound effect on me. Though I had always been curious about the world. The love and excitement Richard Feynman had in his eyes while explaining the workings of the world in the most straightforward and comprehensible way moved me.

Looking at the fragile and unpredictable nature of life, my purpose in life is simple, and it's to understand this world to the best of my potential before I die. Humans are born with natural curiosity and creativity. I sometimes feel we have assimilated a lot of knowledge but still are not able to see the connection between them. By learning how a computer learns, maybe I can understand how our mind works.

What you just read is what I wrote three years ago. Still, it holds true to this date. In three years, I have got a bit wiser and now understand this phenomenon from a neurological level. We do what we do because of dopamine. The one hormone which plays a significant role in the motivational component of reward-motivated behaviour.

It only makes sense now why the cliché of "Follow your passion" is so popular. Well, when you're pursuing what you like, there will be an endless supply of dopamine in your brain, and you will continuously make progress in that field. This insight is more profound and has effects on everything we do, ultimately defining who we are. You are a doctor because you love treating people, or you are a scientist because you enjoy problem-solving, or you are a teacher because you love shaping the future of young people. Whatever you are or whatever you are chasing is because you are chasing dopamine. 

Today, where a dopamine hit is just one click away, our brains have lost the drive to perceiver towards delayed gratification. Or engage in high effort and steady reward activities. We are all getting wired for instant gratification, yes, we can blame the internet or the technology for that. But it's like blaming the chocolate for your diabetes. We fail to recognise our own agency, our own decisions which let us to that outcome. Everything in life is cause and effect. And it's hard to engage in activities which don't associate with instant gratification. Believe me, it's much harder for me with an ADD mind, which is always novelty-seeking.

I recently discovered the importance of abstinence and meditation. Self-control is difficult, it's been one month of regular meditation which has helped me slow down and realise my own faults. And I want to share these life-changing insights with you. Maybe someone is there where I was a few months ago. Perhaps someone will find solace in realising they are not alone and can understand what's wrong with them.

The answer is there's nothing wrong with you. It's just the choices you have been taking in life which has engrained into your habits and behavioural trails. It's just a wake-up call, it’s just time for a massive overhaul so that your dopamine secretion gets under control. And you start enjoying life again.

My advice will be to abstain for high stimulus activities which are not valuable in life and choose a self-restraint life which has significant rewards in simpler things. This will reignite the hunger you once felt towards the things you were passionate about. If you are low on motivation, this is the ideal solution for you.


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