Hey there, I’m Vansh (pronounced like “lunch” with a v).
What I want to see in the world
Human thriving
Joy, emotional openness, authenticity, creativity, a feeling of doing your best work and being your best self; starting with my friends/family and eventually the world
Parks, walkability, beauty
More easy to get to green spaces and trees; beauty that invites you to stroll
Cultures that love learning
Wonder, patient open curiosity, and not-knowing as high status
Aligned connections (community)
A place for everyone, and everyone in their place
Subscribe to join my meandering path towards these.
What is “Don’t love the player, love the game”?
It is a reminder to myself to not fixate on specific players and instead love the infinite game that they are playing. To give a tennis example, don’t idolize Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, or Novak Djokovic – see them as pointers towards loving competition and the game of tennis. The joy of playing, competing, and doing the work is its own reward.
Also, I’m not a fan of the phrase “Don’t hate the player, hate the game” as it doesn’t acknowledge that you are often a player in “the game” with agency to change its rules. So I wanted to invert it. Inverting this phrase also fits with one of my favorite Nietzsche quotes:
I want to learn more and more to see as beautiful what is necessary in things; then I shall be one of those who make things beautiful. Amor fati: let that be my love henceforth! I do not want to wage war against what is ugly. I do not want to accuse; I do not even want to accuse those who accuse. Looking away shall be my only negation. And all in all and on the whole: some day I wish to be only a Yes-sayer.
Other stuff
