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[Reflection] #30: Democracy, Autocracy, and the “Three Principles”
Here’s a translation of a text written on January 1, 2026, by my favorite contemporary Vietnamese philosopher, Dang Than. This text echoes what I wrote about the novel Brave new world. You’ll find the text original in Vietnamese & the English text here. [Best wishes for 2026] Democracy, Autocracy, and the “Three Principles” Democracy, in theory, grants rights to everyone. In practice, it’s often hijacked by a small elite that deceives subtly oppresses the masses through the art of “soft governance.” Autocracy is “hard governance.” A handful of rulers need only a few managerial tricks and an iron fist. The people may suffer more, but they see the brutal reality…
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2025 Review: First Year of Career Change
2025 marks our return to a settled life. In 10 days, we went from “feet in the water” under the Jordanian heat to “snow in the North.” After 8 and a half years of wandering, we decided to come back to France so JB could start his new career in cybersecurity (I talked about JB’s career change here). A job search was launched across the country, but it was finally in Lille that we chose to settle down. Fortunately, the conditions are still favorable because JB has unlimited remote work. Braving the cold and wind to go to work every day would have been hard for a former nomad. In…
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[Reflection] #29: Combining “Momentum” and “Moment” – The Art of War
In the Art of War, Sun Tzu writes: “The potential of troops led with skill in battle can be compared to that of round boulders rolling down from the top of a mountain” and “If a falcon strikes its prey in one blow, it is because it strikes at exactly the right moment”. How to apply this in daily life? Today, we will study how to combine “momentum” (placing round boulders atop a mountain) with the opportune “moment” (to strike like a falcon). This post was written by Vietnamese writer and philosopher Dang Than. I will also copy/paste the Vietnamese text below and add my own comments. Here is the…
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My Current Favorites – [December 2025]: Clothing, Broken Window Theory
Today, let’s talk a bit about winter clothing. Since I’ve switched to only wearing natural materials, I no longer get unpleasant static shocks in winter. I sewed a wool tailored trouser myself (which I talked about here). Before, I didn’t wear wool trousers because I couldn’t be bothered to take them to the dry cleaner. I really liked this pair because I feel the cold easily (jeans aren’t warm enough for me right now). I decided to get two more, brand new on Vinted: a Bernard Zins, the Voyage model, and one from the brand Suistudio. I got them for next to nothing because they’re quite niche. Bernard Zins was…
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[Reflection] #28: Finding Time to Elevate Yourself
I’m currently reading the Tao Te King, the reference book of Taoists. When we talk about Taoists, we immediately picture hermits who live very long lives and are completely unattached to the material world. They live apart from civilization. They survive thanks to the vital energy of nature called “qi”. Their reasoning is as follows: to elevate ourselves spiritually, we need time, so we must live as long as possible. However, we must be able to dedicate all that time to spiritual elevation. Since most of our existence is consumed by survival—eating, sleeping, working—the radical solution is to free ourselves from the need to eat and therefore to work. However,…
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How to return or replace your reMarkable?
While scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post from a man who was very unhappy with his reMarkable Paper Pro. He had just bought a Paper Pro for his wife, and the screen was all yellow compared to his. I looked at mine and thought, “Oh yeah, mine is yellow too,” and for a while now, there’s been more and more ghosting. I’m filled with doubt, I take several photos and contact reMarkable support via chat. They tell me to do a hard reset, which I did, but the screen is still a bit yellow. I send the photos. I ask them if they don’t think my screen is…
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My Illumination & Calligraphy Projects, Sacred Geometry
Illumination & calligraphy There are two illumination projects that took me several months because I can only work on them when I’m inspired (and therefore motivated enough to overcome the obstacles). The first project is a facsimile of the “Genesis” page from the 42-line Gutenberg Bible. The sheet was printed at the press at the Gutenberg Museum in black, blue, and red. However, the designs are not colored; I added the gilding and colors myself. I didn’t realize the beauty of this document because it was a difficult project due to the poor quality of the paper (too thin). The project didn’t bring me much joy. The half-illuminated/painted sheet sat…
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[Reflection] #27: From the Gucci Logo to Inner Freedom – The Evolution of the Luxury Consumer
I came across these two slides from a marketing course for luxury brands in Vietnam. I find them really interesting, and after mulling them over for a few days, here are some thoughts and explanations of the slides. Contemporary luxury as we know it is largely a construct of the LVMH conglomerate and Bernard Arnault, who industrialized and democratized what was once a niche artisanal market. Historically, access to exceptional products came through direct relationships with artisans and family-run workshops. The shift to mass production created a hierarchy: the first three levels (Entry, Aspirational, Mature) mainly target the middle classes and the nouveau riche through volume and relative accessibility. The…
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[story time] The meeting that changed my life
When I look in the rearview mirror, I realize that my professional career is full of “butterfly effect” moments where a stroke of luck, a proactive move, an unexpected encounter, or a seemingly insignificant event had a huge impact on my career and my life. Let me tell you about one of those moments. It’s January 2012, I’m 24 and working as a consultant at a SEO agency (search engine optimization in French, which consists of optimizing a website’s visibility on search engines like Google). I’m sent on-site with a client (meaning I’ll work directly at the client’s premises). I’m excited. The client runs one of the biggest French websites.…
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[Reflection] #26: The Market for Meaning, the Consolation Economy
I read a text written in Vietnamese by a communication expert that I really enjoyed. Here’s my summary of it: He describes a crisis of meaning in the modern world: individuals, lost and without bearings, desperately seek to feel useful and recognized. From this thirst for importance is born a market of emotional comfort, where one can “buy” meaning through seminars, training, and products promising to “awaken your potential” or “find your life’s mission.” Two groups fuel this market: Around them hover the meaning entrepreneurs, who turn collective distress into a commercial opportunity. The most emblematic are life coaches, those “life guides” who, often in crisis themselves, sell their own…
