Hi, I'm Ben Skinner. My greatest interests are finding ways to make myself a better person and using code to build things that I think are cool.
My Life Principles
I believe that it is critical to have a well-defined set of values and to live based on those values. My brain works by defining my values in terms of a few key words, and then defining those words in detail. The main influences on my values are Stoicism, Buddhism, Objectivism, and Non-violent communication (NVC). Here is a brief description of how I try to live my life:
- Authenticity: Don’t let society or others tell you what to think, do, or feel. You are your primary concern, so take responsibility for your life. Above all, always be authentic. Never be fake or trade an ounce of your soul for anything.
- Compassion: Remember that everyone on the planet is suffering in their own way. Be understanding and compassionate.
- Experience: Have a good time. Live in the present moment, remembering that every day or moment could be your last.
- Competence: Always do the best you can in whatever you're doing. Whether as a student, as a friend, or as a business partner, be clear on what your responsibilities are and make sure to live up to them.
- Courage: Have courage. Be willing to suffer and make sacrifices to be the person you want to be.
A Few Random Things
- Everybody has the same 24 hours in a day: If Michelangelo could paint the Sistine Chapel, Thomas Edison could patent over 1,000 inventions, and Alexander the Great could conquer 2 million square miles, just think what you could accomplish.
- A rich person is nothing but a poor person with money
- Check out my hacker news UI
- When you think of something funny today, know that it was me telepathically telling you a joke. You're welcome.
- This, too, shall pass
- “You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.” – Winston Churchill
- If you think about it, every time you paint a room it gets a little smaller.
- Here's the meaning of life
- Et in Arcadia ego
- “Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.” – Alan Watts
- Interested in AI Art? Check out this digital AI-assisted art installation that I created
Some of My Favorite Articles
Top 3 Books
These are my three favorite books. They all play a significant role in how I view the world. Here's a list of of all the books I've read recently.
My Ideal Day
One of my favorite questions to ask people is what their ideal day would look like, from start to finish. Most days aren't like this, but here's my hypothetical ideal day. You can see some things I value: health, connecting with others, coding.
| Time | Activity | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 7 – 7:45 am | Workout | Lifting, sprints |
| 7:45 – 8 | Yoga + meditate | My mom taught me to love morning yoga as a tool to improve physical and mental health. |
| 8 – 8:30 | Breakfast | Egg, avocado, oatmeal, banana, coffee |
| 9 am – 1 pm | Code | I want to build something cool with code |
| 1 – 2 | Lunch | Meet a friend for lunch |
| 2 – 4 | Work more | Hopefully more coding (and I'll be watching baseball in the background) |
| 4 – 6 | Write | Find a café, order a decaf cappucino, and write |
| 6 – 7:30 | Jiu Jitsu training | Maybe some Muay Thai too |
| 7:30 – 9 | Dinner | Cook a nice, healthy dinner, and eat with someone I care about. Have some interesting conversation and finish with a chai tea. |
| 9 – 10 | Learn | Intentional learning time |
| 10 – 10:20 | Reflect | I love the Stoic practice of daily reflection journaling to figure out how I can be better the next day. |
| 10:20 – 11 | Read, hang out | Find a good book, talk to someone, or watch baseball highlights. |
| 11 pm | Sleep |
Two-word Q & A
Worst fear?
Living forever
Role model?
Marcus Aurelius
Pitch clock?
It's alright
Starbucks order?
Chai Latte
Favorite dessert?
Carrot cake
Who's GOAT?
Khabib Nurmogomedov
Favorite director?
Christopher Nolan
Political beliefs?
It's complicated
Alternate-timeline career?
MMA Fighter
Favorite team?
Philadelphia Phillies
Skip leg-day?
Not ever.
A Meme
3 Things that make me feel alive
- Walking through the city at night
- Coding something I'm passionate about
- Submitting someone in Jiu Jitsu
One Last Thing
“Never regret a day in your life. Good days give happiness, bad days give experience, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories.”