07. Ideas, thoughts and behaviours that set my foundation in 2026

 I would like to preface this rather short list with a thought.

A few days ago, it occured to me that it is rather hard to come up with a novel thought in the 21st century. A thought that came through your mind while in a shower is rarely novel. Philosophers centuries before have probably written extensively or delivered a lecture on every possible idea that affects the human condition and the universe. I think that my personality, beliefs and opinions are in some sort of an almagation of all the conversations I've had with people, the books and essays I've read, the films I've watched and the music I've listened to. Even this idea that my individuality is a collection of everything I have consumed is an unoriginal thought. For example, Kamala Harris was infamously ridiculed for saying 'You think you just fell out of a coconut tree, you exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.' A popular comment that frequently appears in videos of creators sharing rather bizzare thoughts and behaviours is 'Wow I've never had an original thought!' They seem to be saying that we humans are alike in our thoughts such that everything we have ever thought or experienced are suprisingly common. Maybe we can seek refuge in that our struggle as a human being need not be something we have to face alone. All this is to say that the ideas, thoughts and behaviours that I would be writing about will be unoriginal and in some way co-opted from articles, books and possibly tiktok/reels.

1. The world is better off with matcha-drinking, feminist literature-reading and tote-bag-carrying men than podcast-listening, red-pilled MAGA men.

In 2025, I kept coming across videos about performative males who read in cafes and in the subway. They are often reading something like Pride and Prejudice, or some Virginia Woolf novel. In these videos, the men are often protrayed as performative attention seekers who barely got past the first chapter of the book they're carrying around. It is as if they are reading for the sole purpose of seeking some sort of female validation - hoping that their behaviours would attract women of similar interests. I think that if they are deliberately trying to get a conversation with a girl by reading in public, I'd understand that it is kinda weird.

However, due to this trend, we might hinder more men from reading due to not wanting to be perceived as performative. As a casual reader myself and a man, I really think that more people should be reading. I also think that men should be reading more fiction written by diverse people; women, people of colour and people with disabilities. Through stories, I am able to put myself in the mindset of the author and see how they view life. I think it is also a great service to society when men start to read feminist literature and stop consuming red-pilled media spouted by influencers in the 'manosphere'. It feels weird for me to write this as a man, and writing and publishing this honestly feels performative too. But I think that in the current age of social media, everything is kinda performative in some sense. Although I think I am being authentic, it is difficult for me to post this on my story and come of as authentic. I notice some kind of irony here, I am a man talking about performative males in relation to feminism?

To continue to further the irony, a sub-idea under this category that I want to pursue in 2026 is that I would want to further understand feminist theory and concepts. In December 2025, I had a lot of conversations with my cousin and, rightfully so, she would call out some things that I have said in passing that is misogynistic in nature or generally laced with patriachial undertones. So that is something I want to look out for in my everyday speech.

2. In an ultra-consumerist society, I should narrow the gap between what I consume and what I produce.

It is highly impossible to produce more than you consume, but I want to narrow the gap this year. In 2025, like many others, I doomscrolled almost everyday of my life, without making online content apart from some stories I had put on instagram (ughhh performative alert!). I definitely ate more than I cooked, read more than I wrote and listened to more music than I have ever made. Sure, I was producing in school, wrote many reports and presented a lot of ideas too. However, I want to produce more in non-academic scenarios. I have come up with two rather simple ways to narrow this gap.

Firstly, I want to write more. I'd be the first to admit that my writings are amateurish and often filled with cliches, elementary vocabulary and questionable grammar. However, I consider writing to be my creative outlet, something that I can always do and improve on. In all the essays of my blog, I did not and will never use AI in any type of way. It diminishes my entire purpose of writing - to create, and to formulate my personal thoughts into words. I think that using AI for creative writing is pointless writing (which is why I hate the concept of AI-written/enhanced books) and in a time when a novel idea is rare, it really hurts the advancement of literature in the contemporary scene. Though I know that AI can be used to improve the human condition in industries like medicine and statistics, I think I will be doing my cognitive abilities a disservice if I were to rely on it to come up with ideas. This year, I plan to write and publish something every month, probably about books and articles I come across or just general life stuff.

Secondly, I want to cook more. In 2025, I have cooked considerably more than previous years but I also ordered in/ate out a lot. Cooking is a skill and an activity that I genuinely enjoy. I love looking into my fridge and cupboards to come with a meal on the spot. I enjoy bordeline dangerous cooking, where I intentionally put more than enough oil to try getting the fire on the pan. I like plating my dishes as though I'm some French chef who works in a Michelin restaurant. I also love cooking something new for my family (though I had once overcooked some beef that was impossible to bite into). Something that I would like to try this year is mixing spices and hoping it all works out.

3. Philosophising 2026

I want to delve deeper into philosophy this year. Since I was 16, I have been interested in it. I started with the philosophy of religion, theology and morality. Philosophy is something I hold dearly in my heart, I view myself as a thinker (sometimes overthinker) and I really love delving into the abstract. For instance, I like to ponder whether the mind and body are separate or if they are interconnected in some biological/physical way. Or if there is a soul. This year, I would like to explore metaphysics (is everything caused in someway?), epistemology (I think, therefore I am?!?!?) and maybe some aesthethics (beauty is in whose eyes?). Philosophy is something that takes my mind off school and allows me to think deeper, logically and critically (Aristotle who??). I also want to be mindful of my biases and try reading/watching something that does not align with my views, which would be rather tough.

4. Politicising 2026.

A concept that influenced me to be more politically literate is that even if you feel that you cannot affect change in the political climate as an individual, politicians will mess with your life. I used to think that since I am not able to vote, I do not need to care about politics. In recent years, I have learned that it is definitely not so. With tyrants entering government, there is an urgent need to understand what is really going on in the world. This year, I would want to learn more about local and international politics and keep up with the news. I would also want to learn more about economic systems, like how capitalism is probably not the best system. I want to understand liberalism, democracies, fascism, socialism, marxism and communism and other political/economic systems.

5. Read deeper, fiction and non-fiction.

Underlying all the above thoughts and behaviours I've listed above is my need and desire to read more in 2026, less about quantity and more about quality. I have been reading a lot of fiction in 2025, but I want to read more non-fiction, in mediums of books and articles (I recently found substack to be filled with insightful commentary on life). I will also continue to read fiction though, I think it helps with my imagination and creativity. By reading 'deeper', I want to start putting into words my analyses of what I read, in line with my goal to write more. In case you want to know, I am currently reading 'The Testaments' by Margaret Atwood (seriously? performative much?). I love reading as it just pulls me down to being human, reading the thoughts of people who I will probably never meet. I feel connected and intimate with the author, even if it is in some parasocial way.

This is the end of my list for now, I have more thoughts to carry with in 2026 but these will do for now. Thanks for reading and do reach out for a convo!

With much love from a fellow human,

Xiang Yu

P.S. on a light-hearted note, honestly I just want to love being a human and show more love in the things I do this year.

xoxo