You can't cheat the universe. This is a moral realisation that unfolds before me in new ways every day.

Chernobyl is an interesting example. They wanted to break the fast/cheap/good rule to beat the west, so they pretended fast & cheap was also good when they cut safety costs. The attempt to gain something without paying the cost is an escapist fantasy with many forms. Everything must be earned & if you aren't earning it, you can only gain it by theft, sacrifice, or convincing yourself that something worse is just as good.

Nonlinear frameworks & concepts seem to come up more & more as I consider & understand things in deeper ways.

There's something fascinating about a circle that gets you to the same place once you tap into it, whatever your entry point is. We often see this as the trap of the "vicious cycle" that's obviously negative, but it's worth looking out for the positive variations too since they're just as powerful in their structure.

e.g. I think contentment can work a lot like depression.