What I Read This Week (1/26/25)
Wisdom from Jean-Paul Sartre, Open AI Releases Operator, Trump's Tariffs, Entering the Stan Dare To Dream Challenge
Every week, I like to share what caught my attention. This is from 1/19/25 to 1/26/25.
Old IdeađĄ
Wisdom from Jean-Paul Sartre: A Toothless Life
ââI have led a toothless life,â he thought. âA toothless life. I have never bitten into anything. I was waiting. I was reserving myself for later onâand I have just noticed that my teeth have gone.â - Jean-Paul Sartre (Nausea)
In Nausea, the protagonist, Antoine Roquentin, experiences a profound (and relatable) existential crisis. He realized he never took any risks or followed any of his passions.
His life lacked real engagement and was passive and reserved. This kept him from genuinely experiencing or committing to something, and he always waited for the âlaterâ that never came. Now is a good a time as any.
This reminds me that ânowâ is all we have; âlaterâ will never come, and we must be courageous enough to pursue what interests us. Courage is the foundational virtue; nothing good can come without it.
One of my biggest fears is looking back on my life and regretting that I never indulged in anything as much as I wanted. Being present to that fear gives me the fuel to take bold action. Although there are risks, everything worthwhile in my life has come from bold action.
New Idea đ
Open AI Releases Operator
Open AI released its newest product, Operator. It is designed to perform tasks autonomously on behalf of users.
It can navigate and interact with web interfaces as a human would, executing tasks like booking travel, ordering groceries, or even writing code.
It can interact with websites without needing custom APIs. It can also do simple things like make online purchases or book reservations for you, combine PDFs, and manage PDFs or spreadsheets.
Although there is more work to be done, this is game-changing technology, and within a few iterations, it will be unbelievably powerful. Eventually, I want to try to use it to do all of my administrative tasks on my laptop. That would be incredible.
You can learn more about it here!
Operator is only available to ChatGPT Pro users for now.
What I See In Markets đ
Trumpâs Tariffs
Trump has proposed imposing 10% to 20% tariffs on all imports, aiming to protect U.S. industries and generate revenue to offset tax cuts. The two main tariffs are:
China: Additional tariffs of 60% or more on Chinese imports continue to be a central part of Trump's strategy, targeting sectors like technology, defense, and energy.
I think this will affect the price of sneakers, furniture, and toys.
Canada and Mexico: Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on imports from these countries, ostensibly to pressure them to address migration and drug trafficking issues.
I think this will affect the prices of avocados, beer, and cars.
Both of these policies are inflationary. The consumer, not the businesses, will bear the cost of these tariffs.
The anticipation of these tariffs has led to fluctuations in the stock market, with investors concerned about the potential for a trade war or increased inflation.
You can read more about it here and here!
Personal Update đ
Entering the Stan Dare To Dream Challenge
This week, I did something bold: I entered a contest that will give one person about $120,000+ to follow their dreams. To enter, you must post a video on Instagram explaining what you would do if you won.
I chose to share my vision for an online academy I want to start: BrightStar Academy.
You can check out my video here!
I recommend you enter too, if you have a dream you want to pursue. The contest ends on 1/31. Look up Stan Dare to Dream to learn more.
I was nervous about filming and posting for this contest. I kept procrastinating, but a voice in my head told me to do it, even if I worried about judgment. Despite all my growth last year, I still have to cope with the fear of judgment, but it is less overbearing than it used to be.
Despite my fears, my video was better received than I expected. Many students told me they were excited to join my academy and hoped I would win the contest so they could be the first set of students.
I almost didnât post the video, but a coworker sent me a video that said, âYouâre cringe until it works.â I wonât let being âcringeâ stop me from pursuing what I want, especially now that I see many people in my corner. Iâm pleased that I did not let my fears get in the way, and even if I donât win, Iâm happy that I gave it the best shot I could.