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Author: Theodore Lee

Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity,  you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.
Life Advice

Pain is the Feature, Not the Bug

There is a hidden assumption that governs almost every decision you make. It’s the belief that if you just work hard enough, buy enough nice things, and organize your life perfectly enough, you will eventually reach a state of permanent, frictionless happiness.

We imagine this state as a sunny plateau where our anxiety evaporates, our insecurities vanish, and we never have to deal with an awkward conversation or a rejected credit card ever again. We treat pain—whether it’s physical discomfort, emotional heartbreak, or existential angst—as an intruder. We see it as a foreign invader that has breached the walls of our lives, something to be eradicated immediately.

Read the rest: Pain is the Feature, Not the Bug
Links

Linkage

Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI in Major Deal That Boosts Sora in Hollywood – Hollywood Reporter

A Damn Fine Collection of Fascinating Photos – Ned Hardy

This book teaches you how to stop living in your head, break out of endless stress-loops, and actually experience your life in the present moment instead of being dragged around by anxiety, regret, or future worries – Amazon

Why One Man Is Fighting for Our Right to Control Our Garage Door Openers – NYTimes

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gave $7.1 billion to nonprofits in 2025, a major increase – AP News

US seizes sanctioned oil tanker off coast of Venezuela, Trump says – Reuters

28 Nostalgic Photos That Will Help You Unlock a Core Memory – Ned Hardy

Awesome security devices to trick would-be burglars into thinking you are at home – Amazon

An OpenAI exec identifies 3 jobs on the cusp of being automated – Business Insider

The 25 Best Albums of 2025 – The Ringer

The 10 Best Metal Albums Of 2025 – Stereogum

South Carolina measles outbreak is ‘accelerating,’ driving hundreds into quarantine – NBC News

Education Dept. officially kills Biden-era student loan repayment plan – USA Today

Inside Cussac Cave: Over 150 Stunning Engravings from 25,000 Years Ago – Rare Historical Photos

The Thunder are 24-1. What are their odds of making NBA history? – Archive.ph

7 basic things you won’t believe you’re all doing wrong – Linkiest

Check out our new brain training game: Pattern Match! – Ned Hardy

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25 People Reveal the Worst Financial Decision They’ve Seen Someone Make

worst financial decision

1. I knew someone who got a loan for their wedding, but decided to blow it all at a casino. Now they have a loan for 20k to pay off and nothing to show for it.

2. A coworker I used to have worked every second of overtime he could for several years to save up for a house. When he applied for the house loan, he based his mortgage payment on all of the overtime he had been working. I tried to tell him that wasn’t a good idea but he didn’t want to hear it. He ended up divorced a few years later because his wife got tired of him always working.

Read the rest: 25 People Reveal the Worst Financial Decision They’ve Seen Someone Make
Advice Column

“My 31 year old boyfriend is getting kicked out of his parent’s house”

My boyfriend and I have only been together for three months, and now he’s getting kicked out of his parents’ house because they think he drinks too much. I feel like he’s hinting that he wants to move in with me, but we haven’t been together long enough for me to feel comfortable with that—especially since we’ve already had arguments about money.

I live alone, work multiple jobs, and go to school full-time just to cover my bills. I have to live very minimally and frugally. He says he’s frugal too, but he constantly spends money on things he “needs,” then complains about paying for my food when we go out.

Read the rest: “My 31 year old boyfriend is getting kicked out of his parent’s house”
Advice Column

“Found out my boyfriend is on Grindr and I don’t know what to do”

I’m a 23F and my boyfriend is 27M. A friend recently sent me a screenshot of his profile on Grindr — and it’s unmistakably him. My stomach dropped when I saw it. I’m shocked, hurt, and honestly have no idea what to make of it. We’ve been together almost two years, and this is the last thing I ever expected.

I haven’t confronted him yet because I don’t even know where to start. I don’t know if he’s cheating, experimenting, or if something else is going on. I just need advice on how to approach this and what to say when I finally talk to him.

Read the rest: “Found out my boyfriend is on Grindr and I don’t know what to do”
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The Universe Doesn’t Owe You Fairness

Let’s get something out of the way upfront: life doesn’t care about your plans, your dreams, or even your hard work. It’s not out to get you, but it’s also not sitting around plotting ways to hand you a gold star for being a good person. Fairness, at least the kind we all think we’re entitled to, isn’t a cosmic law. It’s a human invention—a set of rules we made up to help us get along and not rip each other’s faces off over who gets the last slice of pizza.

Read the rest: The Universe Doesn’t Owe You Fairness
Life Advice

Why Being “Nice” Is Actually Manipulative as Hell

We all know a “Nice Guy” (or a “Nice Girl”).

They are the people who will drop everything to help you move apartments on a rainy Sunday. They agree with your terrible taste in movies just to avoid an argument. They never complain, they never shout, and they are constantly asking you if you’re okay.

On paper, they sound like saints. They sound like the perfect friends, partners, and employees.

Read the rest: Why Being “Nice” Is Actually Manipulative as Hell
Links

Linkage

A Look at the Past, At The Way Things Used To Be – Ned Hardy

Cheap surge protectors cause thousands of house fires each year because their thin wiring, poor surge components, and non–fire-resistant housings easily overheat and ignite when overloaded. Get yourself a quality one today! – Amazon

Australia’s social media ban for children takes effect in world first – Reuters

Sam Altman’s Sprint to Correct OpenAI’s Direction and Fend Off Google – Archive.ph

Check out our new daily brain training game – Ned Hardy

The 25 Best Games Of 2025, Ranked – Inverse

Tech’s biggest losers of 2025 – Engadget

Sources: QB Philip Rivers unretiring to sign with Colts – ESPN

Many air-fryer aficionados agree that this is the best air-fryer out there right now – Amazon – Amazon

Edwin Díaz signs 3-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers – The Athletic / NYTimes

10 Tips to Help People Prone to Depression – Linkiest

10 Hacks Every Mac User Should Know – Lifehacker

America’s Biggest Bitcoin Miners Are Pivoting to AI – Archive.ph

Stop telling your kids ‘we can’t afford it’—what to say when they want to buy stuff – CNBC

Letting Go of the Life You Were Told to Want – Tiny Buddha