I recently discovered hubski on a reddit thread (where I post under a different name), and thought I'd check the place out. I admit I haven't been part of any discussions yet, and am definitely still getting a hang of how the site works. But I like the philosophy behind it.

I tend towards more substantive discussions on reddit (or at least try to), but that's becoming increasingly hard to find. There's a lot of meta unhappiness that I just don't care about very much, and I don't feel much of a sense of community over there (if I ever did). I'd rather have a smaller circle of people that I enjoy talking with.

So a little lot about me. I'm in my early 30s. I'm a martial artist (Ving Tsun kung fu, specifically). I work as a lawyer employed by a large government bureaucracy. I don't really think lawyering is my calling, although there are aspects of it that I like from an intellectual side. But I'm far more interested in the philosophy of law and good governance than I am with the ins and outs of the Uniform Commercial Code. Kung fu is my passion, and I hope to be able to teach full-time down the road.

I still consider myself a gamer somewhat, although I don't do that as much as I used to. I have a hard time getting lost in a game compared to when I was younger. I read a lot, and usually bounce between several books at once.

This bouncing is a pretty common theme. I was actually tested for ADHD earlier this year, but don't meet the diagnostic criteria. I still have a lot of the relevant symptoms, though, particularly needing a lot of stimulation, bored easily, and difficulties with forming a self image (which is distinct from having poor self-esteem). I crave input (hence the name).

Reading-wise, I tend to prefer more idea-centric things. Sci-fi is my primary interest in fiction, and even then I prefer books with Big Ideas most of the time (although sometimes I do enjoy a good military or space opera). I like finding ideas from all over. I also believe that knowledge can be a weapon in the wrong hands; politicians especially try to use history as a source of legitimacy, and are often distorting things when they do so. Being informed is an important shield.

My approach to religion is similar. I would consider myself a devout monotheist, but I don't fall under a traditionally Christian outlook: I believe we all have a spark of the divine in us, and Christ did not do so more or less than the rest of us. I mostly identify as Quaker, but am still trying to figure out if that's truly where I belong. The little I've read of Kierkegaard has resonated with me (I like his idea of the absurd, and the idea of faith being an end rather than a means) and I also really enjoy the joyousness found in Sufi or Sufi-inspired works. But then I'll turn around and resonate with something in the Dao or Zen traditions. Most of my more autobiographical writing (particularly on matters of faith) is over on Medium.

So, this is a little bit of what I'm about. May we have interesting discussions.