Chapter 1: Understanding the Microstruggle

This isn't an article about intimate matters for those who feel inadequate.

After dedicating four decades to mastering the harp, I received only four likes. Have you lost focus yet? Almost? Here’s a cat picture to reignite your interest.

Now that I’ve managed to divert your attention from your numerous microstruggles, let's get to the crux of the matter. The Digital Age, with social media at its core, has entrapped us in an unending cycle of clever, eye-catching, sensational, and uplifting posts—ideally all at once.

Ask any top comedian; no line is truly disposable. For instance, I just shared a seemingly trivial thought on Twitter. Given that I’m not a celebrity, I don’t expect any likes. I’ll keep you updated on that!

At this point, some social media expert will likely point out that without putting in effort, it’s unrealistic to expect engagement. Welcome to the realm of microstruggles. Cue the adorable dog image.

This isn't an entirely new phenomenon. Reflecting back on my youth, conversations at the pub with friends involved sharing witty remarks and tales without anyone aiming to be boring. Back then, we didn’t tally the number of likes or dislikes for each comment.

In some ways, I find it easier to recall those gatherings from 30 years ago than to remember a social media thread from just ten days prior. If you don't post on Medium for ten days, it’s as if you’ve vanished, or worse, been forgotten and “canceled.”

Consistency is the name of the game. I emphasize this because it reflects the challenges inherent in microstruggles. A significant amount of mental energy goes into crafting the right words, hitting the appropriate tone, ensuring the visuals are appealing, and timing your posts perfectly.

And if you fail to maintain that consistency, the algorithm relegates you to obscurity.

In today’s climate, should we criticize Pink Floyd for not releasing an album in 1974? A whole year! Surely that reflects a complete lack of consistency? However, that year bridged two of their masterpieces: "The Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wish You Were Here," giving us some perspective.

Ultimately, these microstruggles often lead to little significance. Even among my favorite Medium authors, many of whom are quite successful, I often sense a troubling repetition—a nagging feeling that I’ve encountered their ideas before.

The more accomplished ones manage to navigate through this exhaustion to some extent, yet the cycle of repetition seems unavoidable. Much like a monotonous job, the goal is to keep us engaged enough to remain within the system, yet not enough to liberate ourselves from it.

In pondering the purpose of humanity, I struggled to articulate something meaningful, engaging, or intriguing. This is what emerged:

The objective of all species is survival. Once that’s achieved, the next aim is to truly live. Life is merely preparation for when survival is once again at stake.

Music serves to express the rhythms of existence. On Twitter, this thought, now hours old, has all but faded into the digital abyss. Is this the essence of social media? That it’s merely ephemeral noise and our time might be better spent elsewhere?

Maybe I should carve those words into a stone and place it in my yard. Would that be a more worthwhile endeavor?

I’m not entirely convinced by that notion. After all, it offers a fresh way to connect with others—not just an audience, but potential friends and fellow travelers.

Then again, perhaps the local community would appreciate having that stone in my yard. It could even end up in a museum someday!

What I aim to convey is to remain conscious of the cycle of microstruggles that our digital overlords are attempting to ensnare us in, and ensure you allocate time for pursuits that may yield greater significance in the long run.

Please excuse my redundancy. The Killer Penguin Chronicles.

The Stardust Mutiny

The saga continues.

The Hotgoogie Saga. Silicon Valley losers snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Plug Fiasco. Aftermath. No publicity is bad publicity.

I’m thrilled! The all-new tales of Pademelon and his nameless hapless sidekick.

The Tree that is Free. I woke up this morning and stepped out into the lane.

I believe I’m meant to tag some people: Ann James, Kasey Sparks, Smillew, Rahcuef.

Threw it all away. I should have added a picture.

Chapter 2: The Impact of Digital Engagement

An intuitive guide on Kuhn-Tucker conditions explained in just 8 minutes, perfect for understanding optimization in economics.

A quick, 5-minute guided practice problem on utility maximization—ideal for grasping essential concepts in economic theory.