#22: What’s Real, Anyway?

☀️ Facing surface vs. substance

This summer, I finally took a trip I’d been planning for the past 10 months: Japan.

I had high hopes, as everyone I knew spoke of the kindness, hospitality, and beauty of Japanese culture. But once I got there, I found myself quietly disoriented. The politeness was there, yes. But underneath it? I felt a strange distance. Interactions felt scripted. The warmth I expected often felt… performative.

I don’t say this with judgment, just with genuine surprise. It made me confront a reality that I hadn’t prepared for: the social dance between honne and tatemae.

In Japanese culture, tatemae refers to the public face, the version of yourself you present to meet expectations, maintain harmony, or avoid conflict. Honne, on the other hand, is the private truth, your real thoughts and feelings, often kept hidden to protect group cohesion.

It’s not good or bad. Just different. And for someone who values emotional honesty and directness, it was a reminder that “real” can mean very different things depending on where you are, who you’re with, or how you’ve been taught to show up in the world.

This edition explores that blurry line between appearance and authenticity, performance and reality, illusion and truth. Let’s dig in.

📖 3 Articles to Spark Your Curiosity

1. Honne and Tatemae: When Real Feels Hidden
   Explore the enduring Japanese concepts of honne (our inner truth) and tatemae (the face we present publicly). It's a window into how culture shapes what we reveal and what we choose to keep private.
   → Read on Japan Dev 

2. Science Is the Belief in the Ignorance of Experts
   In his compelling essay, Derek Thompson argues that science isn’t about knowing the right answers, it’s a disciplined trust in questioning what experts claim. Knowledge surfaces through being repeatedly proven wrong.
   → Read on The Sunday Morning Post 

3. Cézanne’s Realism Reimagined
   Paul Cézanne didn’t just paint; he dismantled old rules of perspective to rebuild reality through structure, brushwork, and color. His art reminds us that "realism" can be a deeply thoughtful lens, not mere mimicry.
   → Read on Russell Collection

🗞️ 3 Headlines Worth Exploring

1. "Japanese-Style Interval Walking Isn’t Just Exercise, It’s a Reality Check"
   A Japanese walking method (3 minutes fast, 3 minutes slow) is getting rediscovered for its powerful benefits on blood pressure, fitness, sleep, and mood. A reminder that simple shifts in how we move can reshape what we thought was ordinary.
   → Read on The Washington Post

2. "Pain Is Personal and What Feels Like a Six to You Might Be a Ten for Someone Else"
   An exploration of why everyone feels pain so differently and how our brains, beliefs, and even social context influence the experience. It’s a humbling lesson in the limits of empathy and the mysteries of the human body.
   → Read on The Guardian

3. "The AI Bubble Might Pop and the Global Economy May Not Be Ready"
   A cautionary call from the author of the OpenAI biography: the rapid rise of AI poses economic risks, and not all of what we’re celebrating may hold up under pressure. A timely nudge to rethink which tech narratives are hype and which are real.
   → Read on NZZ

☀️ 3 Actions to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

1. Try a “No Default” Day
   Pick a day where you question every automatic decision. From what you wear, to how you commute, to what you eat for lunch, ditch your usual go-to’s and choose alternatives consciously. It’s a simple way to catch how much we run on autopilot, and to spot what might no longer serve us.

2. Ask One ‘What If the Opposite Were True?’ Question Daily
   Challenge your beliefs, one at a time. What if that “annoying coworker” is just anxious? What if rest is productive? What if you’re not behind, just on a different path? It’s not about being right or wrong, but about loosening rigid thinking.

3. Curate Your Own Mini-Exhibition
   Take 5 things from your home (a book, a piece of clothing, an object, etc.) and arrange them like a mini gallery. Write a label for each: why you chose it, what it says about you, or what it makes you feel. Then ask: is this the story I still want to tell?

⚡ 6 Quick Resources

🧠 To practice: TypingClub
Train your brain (and fingers) with a gamified tool that turns typing into a surprisingly skill-building ritual. Not everything real has to be tangible - this one builds invisible muscle.

🌿 To save: 10 Secret Gardens in Europe
Sometimes, the most real moments happen in the most hidden places. Bookmark these peaceful green escapes for your next city trip.

🌌 To ponder: 5 Big Questions About the Origin of Life
From chemicals to consciousness, where does it all begin? This short piece will gently melt your brain (in a good way).

🦝 To learn: The Shape-Shifting Tanuki Myth
A strange Japanese tale of deception, transformation, and unexpected kindness. The line between reality and illusion has always been a flexible one in folklore.

🔬 To watch: WIRED Pseudoscience Support Vol. 3
From lion’s mane supplements to late-night snacking myths, this video cuts through trendy “wellness truths” with scientific clarity and a dash of humor.

🧭 To check: Learn Anything
A mind-mapping tool that helps you explore any topic from first principles. Curiosity meets structure, and learning becomes a journey rather than a checklist.

🎲 This week’s wonderfully random corner of the internet 

🌐 Information is Beautiful
This site turns data and complexity into art. From elegant infographics to interactive visual stories, it distills information into visuals that are both mind-expanding and easy to grasp.

→ Dive in at informationisbeautiful.net

📝 Word of the Week

Ma 間 (Japanese) – The negative space between things; the pause or gap that gives shape to the whole.

In a culture where what’s left unsaid carries weight, ma reminds us that reality isn’t just in what’s visible, but in what’s held back.

🧘‍♀️ Question of the Week for Introspection

Where in your life do you need more space between the notes (not to add more, but to feel more)?

See you next Sunday! Until then, keep your eyes open, your questions big, and your sense of wonder alive.

Your curious internet friend,

Ruxandra