Hi. I’m Stepa Mitaki. Morning Walk is a personal weekly newsletter where I share some musings on tech, working on startups, productivity and some nerdy stuff.
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📝 Achieving full independence
I’ve been thinking a lot about independence lately. I realized that most of the things that I’m doing in my life I’m doing to become as independent as possible. But is that even possible to become truly independent?
When you are a child, you depend on your parents. Not just in everyday things like buying food, clothing, or providing shelter. But emotionally and educationally as well. The views that your parents hold on this world would likely affect your life as well somehow.
Later on, you grow up and go to work. At this point, many people depend on their employer and the government of their country. Depending on the employer would probably be the most straightforward example. You can’t lose your job; otherwise, you’re screwed. So you have to keep that in mind and make sacrifices accordingly constantly. If your employer makes terrible decisions that would immediately directly impact your life. It might not be the end of your life, but that would be noticeable.
The same goes for the government. The decisions your government makes and their politics affects you directly. Most of us think it’s not significant, but it’s a lie. You depend on your government even if you’re not noticing this in everyday life. Even if you think you can carry on without them long enough, if you’re not receiving any benefits or most policies do not significantly affect you. Still, the is a chance they would make a decision that’s inescapable for you. It would help if you kept that in mind.
In some cases, you even depend significantly on the government of another country if that country has a big influence on yours. Or have tools for that influence. Ukraine getting under attack from Russia is the most sorrowful example, but there are many others. Many countries from Sub-Saharan Africa depend on international aid, for instance.
Then there are individuals. Many people are still dependent on their parents (both financially and emotionally), but the example I like the most is investors. Suppose you’re running a company that relies on venture capital to succeed. In that case, you become dependent on specific individuals—their own decisions, taste, way of thinking, and views all impact your own life.
Heck, you even depend on companies whose products you buy. I’m a great Apple fan, and if tomorrow Apple died as a company, that wouldn’t be the end of my life, but that would impact it vastly.
I’ve seen firsthand how many people are dependent on their possessions. Be it a business, money, or real estate. If you have those, you can’t leave the country in an instant. You can’t do certain things or sometimes even say anything you’d like.
I wonder if there is a way to be truly 100% independent. And it seems like it’s more of a philosophical question. You can’t become fully independent in this global world. The only way is to change the perception of independence in your mind.
👓 Things I've been reading/watching/enjoying
Video Blog Of A Russian Soldier In Ukraine
A 25-year-old Russian soldier has posted a video blog of his time in Ukraine, showing him and his comrades firing at Ukrainian positions and cavorting in occupied apartments. This devastating. I couldn't stop thinking about this video blog for days. This guy is an excellent example of the kind of young people fighting for Putin in this hideous war. And I know that kind of young people. I went to school with some of them, played football, and met them on the streets.
Zelensky. The President of the Future
Maxim Katz, a famous Russian opposition political figure and blogger, published a video on the Ukrainian president. The story is phenomenal, but this video is more about Putin than Zelensky. To be precise, it's more about why Putin hates Zelensky so much that he wants him dead. The most important part starts at 13:36. This explains a lot, not just about Putin but about the whole generation in Russia that supports him. I highly recommend you to watch this.
Zelensky is the symbol of generational change of politician in the post-Soviet space, literally the symbol of the future. The future that cannot be allowed to prevail, for it will otherwise destroy the past in which Putin lives.
How Switzerland Stayed Neutral
An old one from Johnny Harris but so relevant right now. The fascinating story of how Switzerland managed to stay neutral during WWII. It involved three steps: 1) bombing their borders; 2) using mountains; 3) pandering to bad people.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Until next week 👋🏻
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