Food For Thought // #14

Personal picture

I hope everything is well for you all. I have a few ideas in store for planned posts to scatter across the month of June as we prepare at work for the E3 event - in the meantime, here are some food for thought  links I gathered these past two months. Hopefully you'll find inspiration and sources for discussion in there.


On Youtube: The 2 Euro T-Shirt
I'm quite late on this one (but it shows when I was supposed to publish this post) - but here is a campaign made by Fashion Revolution about the price of clothing and the importance of awareness when it comes to how cheap clothes were made. The video was published around the anniversary of the tragic Rana Plaza incident, but this video is worth watching any time.

On Medium: Don't Just Want More, Expect More
This article touches on the interesting topic of expectations, and the quality standard we should expect from our lives. In a way, simplicity is about wanting less, be satisfied with our lives. However, it is also improving overall quality of life, and adopt a mindset of quality over quantity. I believe this short essay explains very efficiently what this "quality expectation" is really about.

On Fulfillment Daily: Why You are Buying Things you Don't Need (and how to Stop)
First, I really like this newly discovered site, touching on topics as vast as money, meditation, habits, all converging towards the idea of growth and fulfillment. This particular article is worth reading as it explains, backed by science, why all these expensive brands are so popular despite a sometimes low price/quality ratio (meaning you could get the same quality for cheaper, for instance). I touched on the subject of how we tend to view more expensive items more positively in my post-shopping fast recap, but this article goes deeper into the psychology of it.

On I Heart Intelligence: The Big Secret the Fashion Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
This article, written by a man, summarizes one of the biggest self esteem issues we can have in today's society: the impossible beauty standards and the social pressure women live every day regarding how they look. Even though he cites Dove's real beauty campaign, which truthfulness can be discussed, I think this article is a good reminder that most of our body issues are a social construction. Objectively, we are just the way we are meant to be, and we are all beautiful the way we are. He mentions that confidence gives more beauty than expensive clothes or elaborate make-up ever will. Although I would use a different word than "beauty", I totally agree that a person with a healthy self-esteem and confidence usually is much more radiant, in my personal experience.

On TED: How to be Good at Stress?
This article by Kelly McGonigal goes in-depth into the science of stress, and how it can be good for our growth - learning to cope with it, learn from it, and become better at managing our own stress by buidling strength from each stressful situation. I'd already seen Kelly McGonigal's TED talk a few months back, but my recent move made this all the more relevant. I also think it's a part of considering life difficulties, and negative emotions, as a natural part of life and an opportunity to learn more about ourselfs and strengthen our own self confidence and inner balance.

On Medium: Sweat & Tears
Introducing a new personal stylist service called sweat and tears. An amazing satirical article about today's clothing industry and consumption. I don't think there is anything else to add, definitely a worthwhile read.