Araz Gholami – Notes from thoughts, memories, and events

Happy Nowruz 2023, I promise to watch the sky more

Published April 2, 2023 by Araz Gholami

The sunset of the last day of the year and the sunrise of the first day of the new year signify the end of another chapter of life and an excuse to renew everything we have or want to have. It’s like starting from Sunday, but at least it gives us a chance to think about refreshing the worn-out things in life and appreciate them.

As I write this post, I think about the past years. I think about the non-thirties who were almost climbing one of the surrounding mountains every week and looking for an opportunity to be in nature. He loved the mountains and wanted facilities for longer trips and to discover new things.

Now that these facilities are more or less available, I am unfortunately caught up in the routine of daily life and employment. The few remaining hours of the day are spent on relieving tiredness, cleaning, and driving (not walking). Five years ago, everything I have now was a wish for me, and today, the very things I own are the shackles and chains and the cause of my regret for not being able to return to the past [freedom of action]. Even writing this post causes the clamor of the worn-out part of me that has written 120 posts in a year.

It has been a long time since I have deviated from the semi-goals I had, and even if I don’t mention the destructive feeling of FOMO, I still have the feeling of being a soldier who all his peers have been discharged and I am left with months of extra service in an environment where I have the smallest sense of belonging.

Something that is clearly evident is my need for change. Something that is not clear is the power and ability I have to destroy anything I have created so far, and something that is not clear at all is whether it is really worth it or not. Recently, one of my closest friends, who shares a similar mindset to mine, asked me if it is really necessary to destroy everything we create. Is this a form of masochism and an inability to handle peace?

Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not.

However, I still want to be a hunter-gatherer. I still need the ability to stare into human eyes. I still cannot enjoy the habit of looking down. I need a change, and this change starts with a promise. I promise to watch the sky more.

Diaries Self-discovery

Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work

Published February 11, 2023 by Araz Gholami

Have you ever encountered someone in your workplace who seems charming and confident on the outside, but on the inside is manipulative, deceitful, and lacks empathy? This is the topic of “Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work,” a book written by Dr. Paul Babiak and Dr. Robert D. Hare. The authors examine the traits and behaviors of psychopaths in the workplace and how they can rise to positions of power.

The book starts by defining psychopathy and explaining how it is different from other mental disorders. It then goes on to describe the characteristics of a psychopath, including charm, manipulation, deceit, lack of empathy, and grandiosity. The authors explain that while these traits can be harmful in any environment, they can be especially dangerous in the workplace, where psychopaths can use their charisma and cunning to exploit others and manipulate situations to their advantage.

One of the most compelling parts of the book is the case studies that the authors present, showing how psychopaths can behave in the workplace. These examples serve to illustrate the different ways that psychopaths can use their abilities to deceive, manipulate, and control their colleagues and superiors. They also show how their actions can lead to significant harm for both the individuals they interact with and the organization as a whole.

The authors also provide practical advice for recognizing and dealing with psychopaths in the workplace. They emphasize the importance of understanding the signs and behaviors that indicate that someone may be a psychopath, and how to protect oneself from their influence. They also offer suggestions for organizations to prevent psychopaths from rising to positions of power, including implementing effective screening and selection processes, promoting a healthy workplace culture, and fostering open communication and transparency.

Books

Loungeia, a book summary with artificial intelligence flavor

Published February 8, 2023 by Araz Gholami

A few days ago, seeking tranquility and an unhealthy state of mind, I used an old trick of mine to jumpstart the frozen gears of my mind, and that trick is nothing but creating something new.

You might have heard of ChatGPT in recent times. It’s an AI system that resembles a human and talks with you, with unparalleled ability to respond. On one side, there’s you, and on the other, a quasi-human entity that understands you and generates content for you, with the best possible understanding.

With a small idea that came to my mind, I decided to have this system summarize a few books for me. But in a way that the main ideas of the book would be in the response, and by reading just the response, I could have an overall understanding of the book’s content. The result was something named Loungeia. It’s a platform that creates book summaries with artificial intelligence, and publishes them in a simple blog format.

Please check out the project, and if you have any suggestions for improvement, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Projects

8 Small Reminders in Crisis

Published January 18, 2023 by Araz Gholami

Overthinking: Write it down.
Anxiety: Practice meditation.
Stress: Take a walk.
Fatigue: Take a rest.
Unhappiness: Exercise.
Excitability: Listen to calming music.
Distraction: Turn off your phone.
Depression: Read a book.

Psychology Simple Reminders

Our way

Published January 17, 2017 by Araz Gholami

Our path, thoughts, and beliefs are things that we have created ourselves. We should use them to our advantage in facing challenges because they are our own wealth. We determine the way of life for the next generation. By understanding the new modern world and its challenges, and finding solutions for it, we are the bridge between the last traditional generation and the first modern generation. Like everyone who lived during the first and second world wars. We are the bridge between the last remaining generation from the First World War and the traditional life that was referred to as modern life at that time. We are the sad, excited generation, like every other event that each of us experiences in our lives.

Diaries

Working from Home vs. Working at the Office

Published January 24, 2015 by Araz Gholami

Someone once said that the reason Steve Jobs didn’t hire me was that my house doesn’t have a garage. He didn’t say it explicitly, but it was somewhat implied. The productivity that exists in a dedicated workspace is not even one percent present at home. At least not for me. And bad habits resulting from that. For example, being able to work in a place where there isn’t a bed or a couch to lie down on when my brain needs a break.

Diaries Efficiency

My blood donation story

Published December 10, 2014 by Araz Gholami

Following two issues, I decided to donate blood. One was that several people suggested that I undergo cupping therapy for my allergy treatment (which I don’t believe in, so I decided to donate blood, which is almost the same mechanism). The second reason is that life has been tough lately and I want to help those who need it while making myself feel better.

First attempt, December 10, 2014: I planned to go with my friend Vahid. He has been doing this for a long time and it was time for his next donation. This reduced some of my stress. However, after we arrived late, they told us that humanity currently does not deserve to use my blood. They asked us to come back on Sunday when they are open. So, it didn’t happen.

Second attempt, December 14, 2014: Finally, it happened, but not without a story. After Vahid finished his donation, I followed suit, but for a moment, I didn’t realize what was happening and fainted on the bed. Since I was almost unconscious at that moment, Vahid explained what happened:

“Araz said his head was dizzy. I said it was probably just a normal headache. I called the guy to take him to the bed. They took him to the bed and splashed water on his face and told him to cough. Suddenly, he said he couldn’t hear anything. My heart stopped. We splashed water on his face and shook him a few more times until he came back to his senses.”
– Vahid (@vahidrsj)

If you want, you can donate blood too. They are open from 10 am to 6 pm. The blood donation center is located across from the Kaboud Mosque.

Diaries

From introversion to extroversion

Published December 3, 2014 by Araz Gholami

From introversion to extroversion. Or more precisely, the skill of communicating with people is a long road. I was thinking about how grateful I am to anyone who has tolerated my behaviors during my difficult times, and of course, I am indebted to those who have pointed out my bad behavior in the most explicit way possible. Now that I face people similar to myself during those times, I realize how difficult it is for them to tolerate it, and how much better chance they lose in life just because no one listens to them, they remain rude.

The truth is, if you want to communicate with people, you have to think a lot about your words and behaviors. The idea that people are obliged to perceive everything passing through my mind without any effort to better understand it is foolish. And of course, you have to throw away your selfish brain. Being decisive and insisting on personal opinions is valuable when you at least have reasons (not just feelings) for being right.

Remember that we can learn anything related to work, thinking, social relationships, and anything else that exists. If we are rude, let’s learn how not to be rude. If we have problems in friendship, let’s learn why we have problems and how not to have them, and so on.

Self-discovery

A Day for Programmers

Published November 30, 2014 by Araz Gholami

Under the hood, most of the things we deal with on a daily basis as programmers leave a trace of the fusion of art, creativity, and logic. A trace that belongs to programmers. How good it is that one day of the year is dedicated to programmers so that their value and work can be recognized more than ever before. The 256th day of the year, which is the last power of 2 in the current calendar, is a very valuable day for programmers. In this regard, the Tabriz Open Source Sessions group has launched a campaign to register this day on the national calendar. If you are interested in participating and signing up, please visit this website and enter your details.

Update: The first celebration of the Iranian Programmer’s Day will be held simultaneously in Tabriz (Paradise Cafe) and Sari (Nava Cafe) at 5 pm on November 30, 2014 (Azar 10, 1393). Attendance is free for all interested parties and there will be a special discount on the cafe menu.

Update: Shargh newspaper has supported the registration of this day. We appreciate their support.

Events

Introducing Shelfinfo

Published November 27, 2014 by Araz Gholami

Shelfinfo is a shopping experience-sharing network. Our new service, Shelfinfo, is being launched to better connect with our users and optimize it based on their feedback. We have created a Subscription page to keep you informed of the launch date. We would appreciate it if you could subscribe to the service and share your feedback and suggestions with us.

Shelfinfo is a platform where you can share your experiences about a product or service you have purchased and used, for those who want to know more about it and it is important for them to share. You can also be aware of the opinions and experiences of others and your friends about the products and services they have purchased.

For more information: http://shar.es/1XKHJO
Access Shelfinfo at www.shelfinfo.com.

Projects

Araz Gholami Posts