This is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World.
In this video, I talk about hard work and how I’ve come to see it. I also offer what I hope is a balanced perspective on what it means to actually work hard in a world that seems increasingly unbalanced. I offer both these insights and perspectives free of charge, hoping it helps others as they navigate work and life moving forward. Enjoy!
Filed under human nature, Jack's World, philosophy, psychology, YouTube
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been hearing about the obesity epidemic in the United States. Every year, it seemed, the trends were getting worse. More and more people were becoming obese. As a result, many of those same people faced serious health issues. Those issues, in turn, put strain on families, health care systems, and numerous aspects of society.
It’s not unreasonable to call increasing rates of obesity a problem.
But calling it an epidemic? That may or may not be appropriate. The language often used to talk about obesity, and body image in general, is not very healthy. But the language used to talk about body positivity isn’t always health, either. Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but overall health is something that’s tangible and measurable. And by most measures, being obese is not good for your health.
Over the years, there have been plenty of efforts to raise awareness about obesity. There have been just as many efforts to encourage people to make healthier choices, either by eating healthy foods or exercising regularly. But the fact that obesity rates continued to increase year after year made clear that these efforts weren’t having much impact.
The reasons for that are many. But as someone who did not exercise or eat healthy for a good chunk of my adult life, I can attest that the primary reason is that it’s just hard. Eating right in a country where cheap, delicious, unhealthy fast food is available at every corner takes more than just will-power. Exercising regularly while being able to afford basic living costs can be fraught with challenges.
I was able to change my diet and my exercise habits to improve my overall health, but I was fortunate. My circumstances provided me the opportunities, the time, and the energy to pursue a healthier lifestyle. A lot of people don’t have that luxury. For them, obesity is almost impossible to avoid.
But recently, things might be changing in a profound way. According to new data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination, the obesity rate actually began to fall between 2020 and 2023. It’s the first time in my life that the rate has actually declined.
That, in and of itself, is remarkable. Obesity in America seemed like one of those things that would never decline, if only because unhealthy food will never stop being so delicious. But this data suggests that there is a limit to obesity within a population. It also has implications that may hint at new variables that we’ve never dealt with before.
That same data made clear that this decline was not directly linked to the rise of new weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, but it’s not unreasonable to assume they had some influence. These drugs are unique in that they don’t change the effects food has on our bodies. They simply change how your body processes food while also affecting your cravings for it.
I can attest that one of the hardest things I had to do when getting into shape was changing my diet. I had gotten so used to eating junk that if I went too long without it, I would crave and binge eat. But these new drugs effectively mute that response. That makes it a lot easier to eat less while ensuring what you do eat doesn’t trigger the mechanisms that lead to weight gain.
These drugs aren’t miracle drugs by any means. They just make eating less and managing your diet a lot easier. And that might very well be the most important ramification of this data.
For years, there has been a tendency for people to seek any alternative to diet and exercise when it comes to losing weight. I’ve seen many diet fads and fitness gimmicks that claim they’ll help you lose weight without relying entirely on changing certain habits. None of them succeeded in the long run. That’s why they’re fads and not medical remedies.
And most of the time, they failed for the same reason. People wanted a “magic pill” to make weight loss and fitness easier. Companies and fraudsters were always eager to oblige, even if it meant providing false promises and unsubstantiated claims. But at the end of the day, people still needed to burn off these calories and change what they put in. Anything that avoided that was doomed to fail, plain and simple.
Now, there are drugs that get to the actual root of obesity, namely our desire to overeat. That approach is very different from any fad or gimmick. And the massive, multi-billion-dollar success of Ozempic has officially set a precedent while creating a new market.
But how far will this effort go?
If we can make drugs that reduces peoples’ desire to eat, why not make drugs that will reduce other desires?
What does that mean for people with addiction?
What does that mean for people with behavioral disorders?
What does that mean for mental health, body image, or even sexuality?
It’s hard to say at this point. But I’ve seen enough health fads and exercise gimmicks to surmise what happens when something actually works. If a company finds a winning drug that makes hard efforts easier, then they will try to build on that success. They’ll try to make new drugs that utilize similar mechanisms. We saw it with erectile dysfunction medications. Now, we might see it this new crop of drugs.
They won’t just affect our bodies.
They’ll affect our desires, as well.
How will we manage this? Will the good outweigh the bad?
Only time will tell. But if the obesity epidemic is finally in decline, then that means we’ll have to answer these questions sooner rather than later.
Filed under biotechnology, Current Events, exercise, human nature, psychology
Sometimes, you find yourself having a bad day.
And when you have a bad day, you often find yourself doing dumb, irrational things to make it less bad.
And when you do too many dumb, irrational things, you find that it’s too late and you’ve somehow made your day worse.
I promise that what you just read was not a direct quote from an episode of “Bojack Horseman,” although when you read it again, it sure sound like it ought to be. These admittedly bleak musings are just a byproduct of anyone navigating life, in general. I guarantee that anyone who has lived past the age of 24 has experienced this sort of thing more than once.
We all have bad days. They’re unavoidable.
Even if you’re rich, beautiful, and well-connected, you’re just going to go through periods where you feel like the universe wants to throw your soul into an industrial furnace. But even if these kinds of days are unavoidable, there are ways we can deal with it. And not all of them have to involve potent drugs or expensive therapy.
As someone who has had his share of bad days, I’ve uncovered numerous little ways to make them better over the years. Some are simple, common sense that most people with functional brain cells can figure out. Others are more personal that I prefer not to share.
I also understand that what makes my day better isn’t going to be the same for everyone. I can immediately make myself feel better by simply getting fully naked, reading some of my favorite comic books, and putting on a playlist that’s loaded with every song by AC/DC and Nirvana. That does plenty to boost my spirits, but it’s not for everyone.
But as unique as we all are as human beings, I also believe we all share certain commonalities that bind us. I also believe that through those commonalities, we can all find ways to make our bad days feel a little less awful. And in that spirit, I’d like to share a video I discovered a while back that has had an uncanny ability to put me in a better mood, no matter what kind of day I’m having.
It involves the comedy of the late, great George Carlin.
It also involves the iconic and beloved children’s show, Thomas The Tank Engine.
I promise I’m being completely serious. This is real. This is not a product of AI. This is actually something George Carlin worked on while he was still with us. And while the kid-friendly version of Thomas The Tank Engine is beloved by generations of kids and adults, Carlin found a way to give it his own special/vulgar/hilarious twist.
And thanks to talented video editors and the wonders of YouTube, there’s a 45-minute video of George Carlin voicing numerous characters from Thomas The Tank Engine while mixing in the kind of brilliantly glorious comedy that still gives everyone who works at the FCC night terrors. I’ve made it a point to save this video and memorize the URL. Because it’s not just delightfully funny. It is the ultimate medicine for any and all jaded souls.
If you don’t believe me, watch for yourself. It may very well ruin your childhood to some degree if you’re a fan of Thomas The Tank Engine, but I promise you it’s worth it.
To this day, I still can’t get through this video without laughing so hard that my throat hurts. I’ve also watched this video, in part or in full, during some of the worst days I’ve ever had. It never fails to make me feel better. It’s like medicine for my mind, body, and soul.
It requires no prescription.
It has no side-effects.
You can even take it with alcohol and various other intoxicating drugs.
I don’t know how big the universe is or how vast the multiverse might be. I just know that I’m grateful to live in a plane of reality where a mash-up of George Carlin and Thomas The Tank Engine exist.
Filed under comedy, funny, health, philosophy, psychology
This is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World.
This video is about hatred and bigotry. I’ve witnessed it manifest in many forms over the course of my life. It is a dark, disturbing insight into humanity’s collective psyche. But in that same experience, I came to a number of realizations about hatred and bigotry that I wish to share. Hopefully, it broadens everyone’s perspective on the matter.
Filed under Current Events, human nature, Jack's World, psychology, rants, YouTube
This is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World.
This video is about cults and how to tell if you might be in one. It was a difficult video to make in that I tried to be sensitive to the difference between a cult and a religion. I also tried to be fair in discussing those who get roped into cults. These people are often victimized by these groups and it is important to keep that in mind when discussing this topic.
I also highlight the BITE model when determining the practices of cults. If you’d like to know more about this model, please see the link below.
Filed under history, Jack's World, philosophy, politics, psychology, religion, YouTube
Dreams are strange, mysterious things. Many of us have them, regardless of age, culture, language, or circumstances. Science has tried studying them, but even decades of medical research hasn’t shed much insight into what they are or why they happen.
For most of us, they these strange experiences that we struggle to remember once we wake up. They may leave us confused, restless, or anxious. But whenever they happen, it feels like our brain is trying to tell us something and we’re struggling to listen.
Trying to navigate them or just being able to remember them can be a challenge. For a time, when I was in college, I actually tried to keep a dream journal. I honestly don’t know where it is. But I did find that keeping a journal did help me remember my dreams more vividly. They were still rarely clear. They also weren’t very logical or revealing. But I did find it helpful, at least in terms of exploring the experience.
Over the course of my life, certain dreams have stood out more than others. Some have been pleasant. Some have been not-so-pleasant. Others just don’t make any sense and weren’t worth remembering. But one in particular, which occurred just a couple years ago, still stands out to me. For some reason, I can remember this dream more clearly than most. And I wasn’t even keeping a journal at the time.
I’d still like to share it because, in addition to actually remembering it, I found it funny. On top of that, it involves one of my adorable nephews, which is probably why it stands out more than others. It happened when one of them was still an infant who couldn’t walk. But to this day, I often find myself thinking about that dream whenever I visit him to get in some quality Uncle Jack time.
The dream played out in a strange, surreal sequence, as many dreams do. I found myself lying on a floor with soft white rug. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but I did recognize where I was. It was a room in my sister and her husband’s house. Specifically, it was my nephew’s room. I’d been there before whenever I visited them with my parents. It’s where he kept his toys and took his naps.
But for reasons I don’t fully understand, I somehow fell asleep in this room while lying on the floor. To be honest, that does sound like something I might do. If I ever get tired and groggy, I’ll fall asleep in strange situations. But what made this stand out even more was that my infant nephew was right there with me.
However, he wasn’t sleeping. He was sitting up right next to me. He had this big marker in his hand, not unlike the ones I’d seen him draw with before. And he was using it to write something on my face. I distinctly remember feeling it. I also remember looking up at him, seeing that distinct look in his face he got whenever he drew, and surmising what he was doing.
At this point in the dream, my sister and her husband show up. I become a bit more alert, so I’m able to get up slightly. But when I see them, they’re both laughing hysterically. They’re laughing so hard they’re holding onto each other to keep from keeling over. Then, my nephew begins laughing too. And I can still feel the marker on my face.
As the laughter escalates, I become urgently curious. I try to get up and find a mirror to see what my nephew drew on my face. The bathroom in my sister’s house just happens to be across from his room. So, I rush in. But before I can see what he drew on my face, I woke up.
It was a somewhat jarring feeling, waking up from a dream like that. On this particular morning, I distinctly remember it being around 4:30 a.m. I also remember just sitting up in my bed, shaking my head, and laughing to myself as well. I was honestly still very curious. I really did want to know what my nephew drew on my face that had my sister and her husband laughing so hard. Sadly, I’ll probably never know.
But to this day, I still remember that dream fondly. I’ve included it in the many other fond memories I’ve forged with my nephew, as well as my nieces. I’ve said before how much I love being an uncle. Maybe this dream was my brain’s way of telling me how much I’d embraced that role and how important my nieces and nephews are to me.
If that’s the case, then that just makes this dream more precious.
Filed under Jack Fisher's Insights, psychology, real stories
This is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World.
This video is another thought experiment about the nature of power and wielding it effectively. Whether in ancient times or during a modern day election season, people seek power and they seek to wield it. The extent to which they’re effective tends to vary wildly.
But that raises an important question. Just how much power can one person effectively wield?
The implications of this question are far-reaching. Our society needs people in power to run effectively. But what is the limit? And how do we navigate it? I welcome any additional insights or thoughts. Enjoy!
Filed under philosophy, psychology, Thought Experiment, YouTube
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