Graduation and other life updates

First, my apologies for going quiet these past couple of weeks. I've been away, and quite a bit has happened that I wanted to share with you.

Life Update #1: I'm officially a PhD graduate from the University of Oxford

I've completed my PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience, and the graduation ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre was... profound. [Insert photo of graduation ceremony/hat toss here]

What struck me most wasn't pride, but responsibility. Standing in that historic venue where countless Nobel Prize winners, prime ministers, heads of state, and great minds like Tolkien and C.S. Lewis once stood, I felt the weight of joining that lineage. It wasn't a burden in a negative sense, but rather like the responsibility you feel when leading someone who needs guidance—whether children or someone vulnerable.

The ceremony felt sobering rather than celebratory. It was a moment of realizing: now I'm responsible for creating good science, for advancing our understanding of psychology and the brain, for contributing meaningfully to how we understand the mind-brain connection. The history of Oxford demands nothing less.

Life Update #2: A whirlwind European adventure

After graduation, I embarked on a two-week journey across six European countries with my parents—England, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The sights were incredible: the Rhine Falls, Europe's highest railway station in Switzerland, and countless other beautiful places.

But travel, as always, offered unexpected lessons. When you're vulnerable—tired, eating unfamiliar food, sleeping irregularly—the people you're with can really influence your mental state. I found myself in an Indian tour group setting that transported me back to mindsets I thought I'd left behind years ago.

Being immersed again in collectivist cultural dynamics was challenging. The reduced respect for individual boundaries, the assumption that everyone should think and feel similarly, the tendency to bulldoze over personal differences—it all felt regressive. I've grown accustomed to environments where individual perspectives are valued, where communication includes genuine "please," "sorry," and "thank you" that actually serve their intended purpose.

Don't get me wrong—collectivist cultures have their strengths. But I was reminded how fundamentally different our minds can be, and how important it is to recognize and respect those differences rather than assuming uniformity.

This experience reinforced something important: growth isn't always linear, and sometimes we need these moments of contrast to appreciate how far we've come.

New Content: Second Brain Video

After months of delays, I've finally released my YouTube video on building your Second Brain—a note-taking system for developing your personal knowledge library. You can watch it here.

Looking Forward

I'm getting back into my regular rhythm and hope to be more consistent with updates. Also, I have a very exciting post-graduation announcement coming soon—it's going to be the biggest gift I've ever given this community. Stay tuned.

Thank you for your patience during this transition period, and I hope you're all doing well.