the comfort of non-belonging, a call-to-curiosity, and why we’ve reached the limits with the brain-computer metaphor
066 | ANEWWITHHUE: A monthly Saturday listicle to spark joy, creativity, and curiosity.
We all fall short of ideal brain care. This month’s unexpected theme: the brain and mind—two pillars I consider essential to life.
Soon you’ll learn why context and environment is everything, but so is being comfortable with non-belonging. How, sometimes, what we once thought ‘right’ can become outdated, so prepare for a call-to-curiosity and say goodbye to computer-brain metaphors, because what you’ll gain is an appreciation for the mesmerizing intelligence that’s sitting in the dark within your skulls.
A reminder, to you fellow mortals, there’s no such thing as the perfect practice. But, as knowledge is power, at the very least we can try our best, whether intentional or unintentionally, limit the abuse we often self-inflict to our brains by learning to construct more favorable narratives in an attempt to make better lifestyle choices.
Podcast. The Next Big Idea Daily. Most of us crave belonging, yet many of us (myself included) often feel stuck performing or watching from the sidelines. Psychiatrist Dr. Rami Kaminski introduces “ortrovert” as natural observers who feel comfortable one-on-one but who feel like outsiders in groups. Unlike introverts (who need solitude) or extroverts (who thrive in groups), otroverts experience that nagging sense that group dynamics feel limiting—not due to social anxiety, but because their brains refuse to conform to “hive behavior.” Kaminsky’s key insight: connection is different from belonging. You can build deep, authentic relationships without melting into group identity or collective thinking. When otroverts stop burning energy trying to fit in and embrace their role as observers, they’ll become artists, innovators, and independent thinkers who is comfortable in seeing the world differently to notice what others miss. If you’re a chameleon mastering blending in but who still feels like “this doesn’t feel like me,” you’re likely an otrovert. Like me (as a self-identified otrovert) the beauty is how sometimes not fitting in can mean something in me is also awake. You can find a thorough breakdown of the concepts here, on Book of the Day from The Next Big Idea Club.
Audiobook. The Gift Of Not Belonging: How Outsiders Thrive In a World of Joiners by Rami Kaminski, MD. Do you yearn to feel seen? If you’re human, you likely are. Nudged in this new direction and enticed by a new way to identify, I couldn’t resist a listen. “When you have no affinity for a particular group, your self-worth is not conditioned on the group’s approval. You can enjoy deep connection in individual relationships without the obligation to follow the rules the group follows, or care about what the group cares about.” To say the insights from the book sparked a mini renaissance within myself, on valuing self-assuredness, is an understatement.
Podcast. The Next Big Idea Daily. Did you know your brain would rather fabricate elaborate stories than admit it doesn’t know something? Neurologist Dr. Pria Anand says this is a feature of evolution. Anand shares cases of amnesia patients whose minds spontaneously invents entire life stories through “confabulation”—a process happening outside of conscious control, where storytelling is the driving force. Like how many cultures worldwide have created myths to explain sleep paralysis, even doctors unconsciously reshape patient narratives due to biases. Anand reveals that we exist in a gray area where our strangest neurological quirks expose universal truths about the reality of consciousness. When your brain creates meaning from chaos or fills gaps with stories, you’re witnessing evolutions most sophisticated survival tool—turning raw experience, into meaning, one story at a time. It’s the same cognitive superpower that’s helped humans navigate the complexity of our universe for millennia. Your brain isn’t broken, it’s brilliantly adaptive. It puts into question, the stories I tell myself. You can find a full breakdown of the ideas here. Book of the Day from The Next Big Idea Club is also a wealth of information worth spending your attention on.
Podcast. TED Talks Daily. TED. Actor and producer Yara Shahidi refused to choose between her passions. Her call-to-curiosity is a rallying invitation to move beyond specialization, to follow curiosity instead. What we do is only a fraction of who we are, so instead of asking “what do you do?” why not ask “who are you right now?” instead. Her message: curiosities aren’t distractions—they fuel imagination to help us see beyond current limitations to bridge gaps to create new possibilities. Using her own life as an example, she shows how leaning on curiosity helped her create a life between unlikely passions. If you need a dose of inspiration, Shahidi is a master at injecting hope, brilliantly delivered by an a-typical curiosity crusader.
“In being forced to look at the world as it is, I was missing on the opportunity to look at the world as it could be. Now, more than ever, we live in a world that requires of us an imagination so that we can envision what could be different.”
“If tradition is this results of repetition, then rupture is the introduction of something fresh, it’s bridging together two spaces often kept separate for the sake of achieving new ends—and it’s of insisting there are possibilities outside of the ones we’ve been presented with.”
