Containers for thought - I've been doing experiments with book logging and album-focused music players. Partly because coding agents make dealing with spotify integration or a book database easier for me. Partly I think because in time where everything is changing it's nice to spend some time engaging with works of art that sustained attention and stay constant.

Of course circumstances change your relationship to a work of art, but at least the work of art remains a stable point for you to gauge those changes. There's something even more to it being a physical object. Knowing those pages contain that information.

I think having stable containers for thought will become even more important as things continue to change - information becomes even more abundant. They're touchstones to organize conversations around. Of course the downside of having thoughts inducted into being special objects is the gatekeeping - who decides on the special status. And that downside still seems real.

I wonder if it's better in some sense to spend time engaged with one specific or album or book then it is to be exposed to a bunch of similarly interesting ideas but on a more surface level. Saying that doesn't even seem controversial, actually. But what do you do knowing that? Do you make yourself power through a book you're not enjoying that much rather than switch to a new one? I guess it's just an 'optionality' thing. Probably no good way to really optimize it, better to pursue where you curiosity takes you. But good to think about the overall balance of social feeds to books you're taking in.