Commonplace book

17 Jul, 2026

So it's Friday. Well it was Friday,

I feel a bit bittersweet.

I go back to the point where I walked away from organized religion and, what I would like to term as 'pseudo-spirituality' - the kind of moral parading amongst people that becomes a contest, not a goal nor a state to aspire to, rather a weapon to bludgeon other people with when they do not fit the mark.

Yeah that was the original plan of writing until work and life got in the way.

I'm trying to do a sort of digital commonplace book - those repositories of knowledge, aphorisms, and general life advice or stuff that make me think. The idea is, since I like reading a mix of long and shortform essays, do book sprints, etc., I'm giving myself an excuse to write what I learned down, in the hopes that someone might learn from it (or laugh at it).

Below is one entry of hopefully many. I'm making a separate one in Obsidian, hopefully I get a lot of ideas absorbed, sifted, thought on, challenged, etc. and distilled into this digital commonplace book of mine. It's a good thing to take note or make a mental scrapbook, if you will, of things that you've learned along the way in this journey called life.

Entry is below:

Entry 005

Title The Ledger and the Wager

Thread The Lover (Topics mostly revolve around the man as a lover and husband essentially)

Status budding (a planted idea in the book. I plan on coming back to it from time to time to improve on it/correct/challenge it based on what life did. some ideas never really 'settle' in that they're set, but some do stay the same)

Source Scott Galloway, "The Algebra of Wealth" (No Mercy / No Malice, Feb 2021)

Created 2026-07-23

Tags marriage, trust, relationships

Core Idea

Your choice of life partner, while framed here as a significant economic consideration, affects not just that aspect of your life. Do not treat them as an investment per se, or a retirement plan, or a slush fund. They are human too, and while this is not license to be abusive, it is not also a self-license to do the same. Choose them wisely, for they will make you not only materially rich, but rich in other aspects as well.

Source

Came across this entry from Scott Galloway's (Professor G) blog entitled "The Algebra of Wealth"¹

...the most important relationship is your spouse. The most impactful economic decision you make will be who you decide to partner with or, more specifically, who you decide to have kids with. Married people grow their net worth 77 percent² more than single people. Marry the right person, and then invest in that relationship every day. You’ve wagered 50 percent-plus of your net worth, and value in the marketplace, on that partnership.

I initially was going to write-off this entry as I didn't agree with that statement. It's not that it's not true, for it probably is, but more of the implications of it (treated as merchandise instead of as a person). Then the next part of the blog reminded me of the importance of reading through EVERYTHING first before even making a judgement call:

Don’t keep score, and bring forgiveness, generosity, and engagement. In sum, show up.

My Take

First of all: it is very true that your life partner is one of the most important decisions you can make in your adult life (choosing to not have one, or the nature of your romantic relationships i.e. Monogamy, etc.), because that affects the quality not just of your finances, but your life in general. Looking beyond the money, what profit to you is a partner who may fulfill you financially, but nothing beyond such things? Nor is it a good thing to have a passionate romance, but living day-by-day on the hope that the debt collectors won't collect? There has to be a balance, and I do believe in the principle or thought that we must look for partners that add to our lives - Adding happiness, peace, joy, comfort, or whatever good thing this world desperately needs in these times. To be self-sufficient is great, but isn't it nice to have someone who adds to that 100%? That is why whether you choose to be single or in a relationship, do so by choosing and considering wisely.

Now, this is not to say that we look for the perfect partner (keyword here is right), there will be some (heaven forbid all of our decisions) that will be 'irrational' but make perfect sense with the heart:

Oversimplifying: to some it might be those crooked teeth in their smile. Some people want it, some don't, but to you it's all thats good in him/her and in this world you both choose to live and grow in. to some it's the way they say words. The twang in their speech, the cheerful way they laugh, or the eye smile. It may be a little thing to some, but for others, they would challenge the world everyday for it.

To each their own, but at the very least, choose wisely, and enjoy their companionship while it lasts, and if ever things may need to come to an end, try your best to end things amicably. It's very much easier said than done, but we must try.

For potential partnerships, like business due dilligence is required, and vet mercilessly there, but for those that have been proven to be a good human AND a good partner, ironically, this is where the checklists slowly fade away. It no longer becomes a waiting game for your return on investment in a partner, it becomes something much, much greater: a gift that keeps on giving, a flower that keeps on blooming or insert whatever poetic thing one can muster to say about their partner in the given period of time.

For the One Who Finds This

To the reader hoping to find someone: in love, in money, in life, choose your partner with the utmost care. Explore if you must — responsibly. Don't let the libido do the thinking, and if it does, use protection. But the lifetime relationships deserve your full deliberation, and the spouse is one of the chief, if not chief, among them. Two heads are better than one — yet can two move forward, except they be agreed?³ Enjoy life. Enjoy relationships. Choose carefully the ones that are for life. And once you have chosen: stop counting, and show up.

However, there is no shame, nor should there be any fear in being happy with oneself - improve yourself, learn, travel, do things you've always wanted to do, learn to accept yourself, and improve on things about you you can improve, and be grateful and content, which makes you happy, and being (self-aware happy not ignorant happy) happy by yourself, know yourself, and you will find relationships to be easier to find (not manage. ALL relationships take work)

Connections

This is where I insert related blog posts or entries. This will populate as the writing continues.

Sources below: