The philosophical questions concerning self-control, well-being, and growth map directly onto my upbringing, as well as to the wider situation we are living in as a society these days. I grew up a forced Catholic who rebelled against beliefs that felt dated and constraining—and that disabled my true self. Self-control nowadays needs recalibration, as the ability to affect people (including oneself) has a tremendous asymmetry (I do a little bit, but I may affect millions).

This bleeds into the second philosophical question: well-being. It’s a paradox that so many people have access to means, information, and education, yet the numbers of those suffering from mental-health issues are unprecedented and devastating. There is a [pursuit of the] satisfaction of our needs in the short term, without a clear connection to the trade-offs in the long term for the individual or society, that [is extremely detrimental to so many of us].

Third, the growth-and-change narrative is mostly shaped by zero-sum dynamics, alpha-leadership, and shallow influencers. [As well,] the evolution of parenting in the USA to becoming highly tactical and fear-based is shaping our new generations in a skewed way (just as the beliefs I had growing up skewed me).

I want to be a change agent to help people go through the journey of the hungry caterpillar.