Minimalism, broadside/ broadsheet, tiara, digital minimalism. This Artificially Intelligent Pin Wants to Free You From Your Phone

Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Music Review | 'Satyagraha'

Visions on the Mahatma’s Road to Truth

By ANTHONY TOMMASINI

This is a fitting time to revisit Philip Glass’s opera “Satyagraha,” a landmark work of Minimalism. I take Mr. Glass at his word that when “Satyagraha” was introduced, in Rotterdam in 1980, he was following his own voice and vision, not firing a broadside against the complex, cerebral modernist composers who claimed the intellectual high ground while alienating mainstream classical music audiences. Happily, that divisive period is finally past.

This Artificially Intelligent Pin Wants to Free You From Your Phone

The $700 Ai Pin, funded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Microsoft, can be helpful — until it struggles with tasks like doing math, our columnist writes.

6 MIN READ

British Museum

‪#‎onthisday‬ in 1517: Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church door, traditionally thought of as sparking the beginning of the Reformation. This broadsheet – published in 1617, on the centenary of the Reformation – depicts the early Reformation of the Christian Church as a prophetic dream of Friedrich III, a political protector of Martin Luther.

Luther is shown writing on a church door with an enormously long pen, referencing the moment he publicly posted his 95 Theses in the town of Wittenberg. The pen stretches across half of the picture to emphasise the importance of the written word to Protestants, as opposed to images which were popular in the Catholicism of the time. The end of the pen passes through the ears of a lion and knocks off the tiara, or crown, of the pope of the time, Leo X, hence the lion. This is a clear reference to Luther’s criticism of the authority of the Pope as head of the Catholic Church in Rome http://ow.ly/DBJC0

An elegant diamond and pearl tiara, previously owned by Lady Marguerite Allan, was saved from the Lusitania (Credit: Cartier)

"Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World" by Cal Newport presents a philosophy for technology use that focuses on quality over quantity, helping individuals to lead more focused and meaningful lives in the age of constant digital connectivity. 

Here are some key lessons from the book

1. Technology Overuse Can Diminish Life Quality: Newport argues that unchecked use of digital devices and platforms can lead to distraction, dissatisfaction, and a detachment from real-life experiences and relationships.

2. Principle of Digital Minimalism: The core idea is to use technology in a way that supports your values while eliminating everything else that distracts you. It's not about rejecting technology entirely but about adopting a more intentional approach to its use.

3. Perform a Digital Declutter: Newport suggests taking a 30-day break from optional technologies in your life, after which you carefully reintroduce only those tools that bring true value to you. This helps identify what is genuinely important and beneficial.

4. Spend Time Alone: Solitude is valuable for personal reflection and development. Digital minimalism encourages spending time away from digital distractions to engage in solitary activities, helping to process experiences and make better decisions.

5. Prioritize Leisure Activities That Support Your Values: Instead of defaulting to passive digital consumption, choose leisure activities that align with your values and contribute to your well-being, such as reading, crafting, or spending time in nature.

6. Cultivate High-Quality Leisure Skills: Engaging in activities that require skill and attention can be more fulfilling than passive digital consumption. Learning new skills or hobbies can lead to deeper satisfaction and personal growth.

7. Engage in Conversation over Connection: Newport emphasizes the importance of prioritizing face-to-face conversations over digital connections. Real-life interactions are richer and more meaningful than the often superficial connections made through social media.

8. Reclaim Leisure: Encourages finding non-digital activities that you find fulfilling and engaging. This can help reduce the time spent on screens and improve mental health and happiness.

9. Focus on Intentional Use of Technology: Make conscious choices about how you use technology, ensuring that each tool serves a specific, valuable purpose in your life without causing distraction or distress.

10. Simplify Your Digital Life: Continuously evaluate and streamline your digital tools and platforms to minimize clutter and distraction. This might mean unsubscribing from unnecessary emails, using fewer social media platforms, or consolidating digital tasks.

"Digital Minimalism" is not just about reducing screen time; it's a broader philosophy about making more room in your life for the things that matter. Newport's approach encourages a thoughtful, selective engagement with digital tools, ensuring that technology enhances rather than detracts from the quality of your life.

Book: https://amzn.to/4afCt6f

You can get the audiobook for FREE by using the same link above when you register on the Audible platform.

min・i・mal・ism　━━ n. （特に芸術分野での）ミニマリズム, 最小限表現主義 ((最小限の表現で最大の効果を上げようとする方法論)).
n.

1. A school of abstract painting and sculpture that emphasizes extreme simplification of form, as by the use of basic shapes and monochromatic palettes of primary colors, objectivity, and anonymity of style. Also called ABC art, minimal art; Also called reductivism, rejective art.
2. Use of the fewest and barest essentials or elements, as in the arts, literature, or design.
3. Music. A school or mode of contemporary music marked by extreme simplification of rhythms, patterns, and harmonies, prolonged chordal or melodic repetitions, and often a trancelike effect.

Literary Dictionary: minimalism

minimalism, a literary or dramatic style or principle based on the extreme restriction of a work's contents to a bare minimum of necessary elements, normally within a short form, e.g. a haiku, epigram, brief dramatic sketch, or monologue. Minimalism is often characterized by a bareness or starkness of vocabulary or of dramatic setting, and a reticence verging on or even becoming silence. The term has been borrowed from modern sculpture and painting, and applied especially to the later dramatic work of the Irish writer Samuel Beckett, whose 30‐second play Breath (1969), for example, has no characters and no words.

min・i・mal

━━ a. 最小（限度）の.
minimal art　【美】ミニマルアート.
minimal brain dysfunction　【医】微小脳機能不全.

min・i・mal・ist　━━ n., a. （芸術分野での）ミニマリスト, ミニマルアート［ミニマリズム，ミニマリスト］の; 必要最小限の, 目標達成について最小限の期待しかしない人.
min・i・mal・ly　━━ ad.
minimal tree　【コンピュータ】最適化木.

broad・side

━━ n., ad., vt. 全舷側; 片舷備砲; 片舷斉発; （非難などの）一斉攻撃; 片面または両面刷りの広告印刷物; （船が）舷側を向けて; 一斉射撃で; 側面に衝突する.
broadside on　（船が）舷側を向けて.n.

1. The side of a ship above the water line.
2. 1. All the guns on one side of a warship.
   2. The simultaneous discharge of these guns.
3. A forceful verbal attack, as in a speech or editorial.
4. 1. A large sheet of paper usually printed on one side.
   2. Something, such as an advertisement or public notice, that is printed on a broadside. Also called broadsheet.
5. A broad, unbroken surface.

adv.
With the side turned to a given point or object; sideways: The wave hit the canoe broadside and sank it.
tr.v., -sid·ed, -sid·ing, -sides.
To strike or collide with full on the side: lost control of the truck and broadsided the car.