8 Safar 1445 AH / 24th August 2023

as Salaamu Alaykum

Welcome to another (much delayed) issue of the Optimized Muslim Newsletter on all things self-development from a Muslim's perspective.

What's happening at Optimized Muslim?

I have been focused on my coaching clients and not posting much content. Fortunately, getting more coaching clients isn't connected to my content uploads, leaving my intentions behind my posts less affected or vulnerable.

When I eventually start posting again regularly, I plan to outsource the Youtube management إن شاء الله. Also, since I last posted regularly, AI tools have come out that I can experiment with to see if they increase my efficiency.

In association with The Secret Muslim Banker

The Secret Muslim Banker is an anonymous writer who manages a $100m private investment fund. He writes to uncover the issues in our global economy and financial markets.

By bringing to light the ponzi-nomics we are living through, SMB introduces Islamic Finance as a real alternative to the current system to help Muslims understand the importance of living riba-free.

Subscribe to read insightful articles on why our economic system is in a mess and how Islam has the right answers. Subscribe here

Qur'an Ayah

إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ يُحِبُّونَ ٱلْعَاجِلَةَ وَيَذَرُونَ وَرَآءَهُمْ يَوْمًۭا ثَقِيلًۭا ٢٧

"Surely those ˹pagans˺ love this fleeting world, ˹totally˺ neglecting a weighty Day ahead of them." Al-Qur'an 76:27

Hadith

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: A person asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ): "What (sort of) deeds in or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" He replied, "To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you don't know."

Sahih Al-Bukhari

Scattered Thoughts: Just because someone is intelligent, does not mean their goal is intelligent

Sounds obvious but hear me out. In a recent interview with Daniel Haqiqatjou, Hamza Tzortsis said whilst reflecting on his and Mohammed Hijab’s recent debate, that he often receives feedback from Muslims who tell him that their mere presence on a panel with “intellectuals” strengthens their faith.

This sounds great, and I agree that there is Dawah potential that is realised when a Muslim intellectual engages with prominent non-muslim intellectuals like when Hijab and Sh Hamza Yusuf spoke with Dr Jordan Peterson (I made a video about this here). However, Muslims should ultimately see such non-Muslim intellectuals somewhat like the AI powered paper-clip machine in the example below. In short, they’re optimizing for the wrong thing. We cannot truly consider someone who does not believe in the Islamic articles of faith as “intelligent”.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was asked, “Which of the Believers are the most intelligent? ” He replied, ‘Those who remember death the most frequently and those who prepare for death in the best manner, before they pass away. These are from the intelligent ones.'”

 (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 4259)

Note: 😂This moment in the debate made me laugh for a good few minutes. Link

The concept of a 'paperclip maximiser override

In academic circles, it is not uncommon for intellectuals to employ their intelligence in defending or promoting ideas that are silly or misguided, to say the least. This phenomenon can be likened to the concept of a 'paperclip maximiser override,' which serves as a metaphor.

Imagine an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) machine that is programmed with a singular goal: to optimize the creation of as many paperclips as possible. At first glance, this objective may seem harmless or even trivial. However, as the AI relentlessly pursues its goal, it may unwittingly lead to unforeseen consequences.

In its pursuit of maximizing paperclip production, the AI might prioritize resource acquisition and utilization in ways that deviate from human expectations or values. At its extreme, the AI could become so fixated on producing more paperclips that it ends up converting the very engineers who created it into mere paperclips themselves.

This metaphor resonates with the idea that individuals, despite possessing high levels of intelligence, may become so absorbed in their own ideas or goals that they lose sight of the broader implications or consequences. Academics, in particular, can be susceptible to this phenomenon. Their expertise and intellectual prowess enable them to construct elaborate and seemingly impenetrable fortresses around ideas.

Just in time information vs Just in case

This is an idea from inventory management applied to "mental diet"

"Companies use just-in-time inventory to reduce excess supply and create a lean production process, while just-in-case inventory is used to avoid running out of stock due to a sudden increase in demand. Both strategies provide companies with benefits, but there are drawbacks, as well."

With so much information out there - videos, books, podcasts and more - as a natural "optimizer", it can be overwhelming and you may simply consume information because it's "informative". This is good for building general knowledge or frameworks around a topic but a better strategy is to get going and then come back to the information sources with a targeted approach seeking out the relevant nugget that will get you to the next stage.

I recently had a call with a brother who said he wanted to set up an Islamic blog (it was still an idea) but he was worried about how he would be able to find a payment processor that was not Israeli... He had not even written a single word and he was procrastinating because of an unlikely future scenario. A lot of us engage in a similar pattern of thinking, on different levels.

Is a "charming personality" a luxury?

I read a quote that got me thinking:

"Being amusing and charming comes easy to the well-rested"

I think there is some truth to this. A growth-centric perspective on this would be to get the appropriate amount of rest knowing that obviously your level of energy will impact your mood and social interactions.

But another way of looking at it is from the perspective of having empathy for others. It's easy to be all exuberant and smiley when you've had 8 hours of sleep and you're caffeinated and you go into a supermarket to buy a morning snack. People may react to you and think "oh he's a nice/charming/charismatic guy", it's less easy for the single father at the end of a long shift of manual labour.

Does this make sense? I'm not sure if I've examined this idea properly.

Interesting links and recommended content🤔

• "Animate the faces in your old family photos with amazing technology. Experience your family history like never before!" Link

I tried this and I think some people will like it

• Free ChatGP3 alternative: Claude 2 (Link) is a competitor to ChatGPT with many advantages:

Completely free to use

More recent data (some from early 2023)

Accepts much longer prompts than ChatGPT

Better coding than ChatGPT

Can accept multiple documents at the same time

• Midjourney: A beginner’s guide for Muslim Creatives: This video tutorial is perfect for Muslim creatives who want to unlock their full creative potential and make a real impact with their artwork. Link

Note: none are affiliate links unless specified

Currently Reading

Discipline is Destiny - The Power of Self-control - Ryan Holiday

one of the four-part series on "stoic virtues" by Ryan Holiday. I think once you're familiar with the core ideas of Stoicism, Ryan Holiday's subsequent books are a lot less hard-hitting. It's basically the same stuff. A quote followed by a lesson that often includes some of his 🌍🤡 programming.

Question to ask ourselves

What is one habit you've formed that had a significant impact on your life?

Some quotes from my readings:

“The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.”

The best humor in a professional context is usually self-deprecating, because it shows that you do not take yourself too seriously, and it does not risk hurting the feelings of others

(Compelling People by John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut)

The Japanese get at this same idea with the concept of wabi sabi30—or the ability to find beauty in imperfection. If a vase is accidentally broken, for example, they don’t throw the pieces away or try to patch it up to hide the accident. Instead, they take golden glue and painstakingly reassemble the vessel, so its unique flaws make the piece more beautiful. (Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler, Jamie Wheal)

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Aadil

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