💡🧐 Curiosities | Round 9
💡🧐 Curiosities | Round 9
On humanistic capitalism, the journey to more aliveness, catching excellence, healthy masculinity, and more
Welcome back to The Comma Project - a place for leaders and seekers, where I share the stories and insights that guide me along the way, in hopes that they might matter to you, too.
I’m back with round 9 of Curiosities - where I unearth and round up digestible gems of insight on the art of seeking, becoming, and building a life of significance.
I hope you enjoy - and if you do, I’d be grateful if you pressed the little ❤️ button at the top left corner of this piece, and shared it with a few people you think would also enjoy it.
Reply to this email and let me know what you think.
Cheers,
Devin
Brunello Cucinelli with Om Malik on “everything from Marcus Aurelius to Barack Obama to Steve Jobs to his father, a farmer”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a great enlightened man, but he was the first of the Romantic movement, too. I think that in the last 30 years, we have tried to govern mankind through enlightenment, through the use of reason, our mind. This is no good.
This century is where enlightenment and romanticism must blend. A great idea that is born out of the mind and then goes through the soul — there is no doubt that the outcome is marvelous. If this idea is true, fair, beautiful, there’s no doubt that it is also a good idea. I think this applies to everything.
I wanted the brand to have my face. I wanted the product to convey the culture, life, lifestyle, dignity of work. We are a listed company, and I wanted to manufacture a product with dignity. I wanted a profit with dignity. Because the press all talk about the moral ethics of profit. Why can’t we have a dignified profit then?
Our cashmere blazer costs $3,000 retail, but the profit must be dignified. It needs to respect the raw material producer, then the artisans, then those working for the company. The consumer also needs to be respected. Everything must be balanced.
We need a new form of capitalism, a contemporary form of capitalism. I would like to add “humanistic” to that equation.
Brunello Cucinelli is my muse.
I did include his book in the last Curiosities, but to be fair, I did warn you I’d be bringing him up again.
His book (in English) is nearly impossible to find, but thankfully we have this interview with Om.
[Podcast]
Boyd Varty on The Great Unlearn
A guide is anyone who can take you somewhere unknown.
Almost always, when we start talking about inner work, we're talking about the journey to more aliveness.
How can I feel fully alive in my own life?
The journey of the wild man is to feel yourself in deep relationship with an ever-changing, alive ecosystem.
If you put your attention on alive things, you become more alive. Literally feeling the aliveness of the plants, the rivers, the oceans - all of that, it flows into you, and you start to realize - all of this, I'm a part of it.
Another frequent mention of mine, Boyd always has such high-density, yet simple wisdom.
It was enough to inspire me to YOLO a trip to South Africa last year to spend a few days with him. (Notice a trend here? First Boyd, now Brunello later this summer…)
I also highly recommend these other conversations with Boyd for more, in addition to his book (the audiobook is included for free on Spotify).
[YouTube & AD feature]
Diplo’s Jamaican escape
Enough said.
BTS of The Blue Angels
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
— Vince Lombardi
This doc is a MUST watch. So badass.
It’s about dedication to a craft, a united team chasing a mission, and the pursuit of perfection.
Not to mention it has some absolutely incredible high-octane footage.
[Podcast]
Scott Galloway and Rich Roll on healthy masculinity
I think of [healthy masculinity] as:
Protector: Our job is to protect others…Real masculinity is purpose-driven and service-oriented.
Provider: When you become a man is when you’re doing enough for other people that you’re adding surplus value. You’re producing more than you’re taking. At some point, in the service of others, are you giving more than you’re taking?
Procreator
The idea that serving others serves us really resonates with me.
In the maelstrom of society’s frequently noisy yelling match about societal roles, this feels to me like a grounding, noble guiding principle.
Scott also models the possibility for an aligned, integrated life - where work and professional ambition can align with things that matter. He’s the first to say that he loves making money, yet he demonstrates that it can be done through fulfilling, impactful work in pursuit of helping people navigate struggles that are meaningful - to him and others.
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