Stephanie Lepp

ChatGPT is us.

Perhaps human civilization can be an *interface* whereby — by virtue of fulfilling our greatest potential — we simultaneously fulfill our basic needs.

Want a few minutes of pure joy?

Watch yours truly perform a dance to TLC's Ain't Too Proud To Beg in my high school dance show. Circa 1995! I'm the one in the green baseball cap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSE0bu70XDE

Why do I fight most with the people I love most?

Sometimes I feel like I can't fully connect with people who have big beards, because I can't totally see their face. Horrible question: is there an app for that? 'Allow me just a quick scan of my phone...'

Once when my husband and I were in a fight, I had us choose songs with lyrics we needed to say to each other. We got all dressed up and sang our hearts out. It was epic.

If you can't find the words, choose the right script.

A few years ago, my husband made me an infinite lunchbox for my birthday. That's me in the pic below.

Someday I'll make infinite lunchboxes for my kids. And maybe even make them as swag. You send me a photo of yourself, and I'll send you an infinite lunchbox.

In 1st grade, I had a lunchbox with Bert and Ernie on it. On ​the lunchbox, Bert was carrying a lunchbox with Bert and Ernie on it. On that lunchbox, Bert was carrying a lunchbox...and I was like: how far do the lunchboxes go? Am I in a lunchbox too??

At 6 years old, I was grocking infinity.

To what extent do you have the capacity to consciously change your goals?

Little did I know how formative these observations would be.

They led to Reckonings: https://twitter.com/stephlepp/status/1498351935434280962

And attempts to redraw the lines: https://twitter.com/stephlepp/status/1475859017708670980

He was going on and on about the endangered spotted owl and the giant salamander, and the City Council members' eyes were glazing over. They'd obviously heard this all before. And I thought: 'this is not changing their minds. How DO people change their hearts and minds?'

I thought: 'I want to be on the same side as the trees AND the people. The way these lines are drawn doesn't make sense to me.'

The other thing I noticed was the response from the City Council members. Our representative from the Redwood Action Team was testifying before them.

First, I noticed that the people who we were protesting against looked like very humble people. They were the loggers and their families. They looked like migrant workers. And I thought to myself: 'I don’t want to be on the opposite side from these people.'

At the time, an activist named Julia Butterfly Hill (@juliabfly) was living in a nearby redwood tree. We called her from the protest. She gave us a pep talk, ON SPEAKER, from her redwood tree.

It was all very exciting, but I noticed something strange.

Two things, actually:

My first experience with activism was completely alienating, but ultimately transformative.

It was my first week of freshman year in college. I went with the Redwood Action Team to a City Council meeting in Mendocino, to protest the logging of the Northern California redwoods.

Frisco Bay friends: I'm speaking at a Good People Dinner at Manny's on June 4th!

If you've been to GPD or Manny's, you need no convincing. If not, delish food, good vibes, and food for thought: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reversing-polarization-break-bread-sunday-2-at-mannys-tickets-594125905577

What's the nature of the relationship between goodness, truth, and beauty? Are they all on the same level, or is there some kind of a hierarchy?

When I fight with someone I love, and I don't know what to say, I've learned to connect with my love for that person. Then the right words will simply flow from my mouth 💗

Last week I was on a Zoom call with someone who's kind of a big deal. 99% chance you know who he is. Great guy. The meeting was running over, so he just stood up and walked away from his screen. No clicking, just walking. Now I like him even more.

Is it the fact that we're becoming cyborgs that's abhorrent? Or is there a way we could become cyborgs that we'd see as evolution?

It probably took me one or two more years to realize: I still don't totally know what's up. My mind is in a process of expanding. WHOA 🤩🤯

It was my first day of 2nd grade. I was waiting for the school bus. And I thought to myself: last year, I didn't know anything! That was 1st grade. But THIS year, I know what's up.

Then waiting for the school bus on my first day of 3rd grade: last year?! Nothin. This year, I'm legit.

In the Greek philosophy of Stoicism, "apatheia" refers to a state of mind where we're not disturbed by the passions. In that spirit.....perhaps apathy can be a gateway to equanimity?

Is it okay to post the same thing to Bluesky and Twitter?

I don't just post whatever. I'm pretty judicious. So I'd rather feed two birds with one scone — unless it's not cool to post the same content to both platforms. In that spirit, I just posted this to Twitter...and here I am 🤓