I am because of what I consume

I think I consciously chose always to read the every-few-times a year book recommendations from Adam Grant. Adam's thoughts and ideas make me feel positive and uplifted. Thus I feel inclined to think that I want to hear what he has to say.

Because I am exposed to only a dozen of books every trimester or so, that is what I become during that period of time, and nothing else. Instead of algorithmic decision book recommendations, I chose to follow human-decided book recommendations from a person with that I have positive emotions towards to. I think nothing else because first, I am emotions, then reasoning.

The last of his recommendations I picked was Selfless, and the book goes beyond the few sentences to describe that we all are interactions. Funny description since I did my Ph.D. in many-body physics; thus, I keep finding it even at the human scale.

Many years ago, I wrote a tens-of-pages pdf telling a narrative about applying to graduate programs. Initially, I wrote that I am because of who surrounded me. Where did the idea come from? I don't know but as in a boomerang fashion, Selfless, comes back as a strong reminder.