Archive
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.
“My chess rating has become my identity.”
I’m an avid chess player, and over the years, my chess rating has become more than just a number—it’s become a part of my identity. Whenever I win a game and see my rating go up, I feel on top of the world. But when I lose and my rating drops, it feels like a personal failure. These fluctuations have started to impact my mood, self-esteem, and even how I interact with others.
Lately, it’s been getting worse. I find myself obsessively checking my rating and replaying my losses in my head, wondering what I could have done differently. I compare myself to higher-rated players and feel inferior and stupid. This has led to anxiety and a lack of enjoyment in other areas of my life. I’m caught in a vicious cycle of self-doubt and pressure to perform, and I don’t know how to break free.
Why You Have Every Right to Cut Off Toxic Family Members
We’ve all heard the saying “blood is thicker than water.” It’s supposed to mean that family ties are the strongest bonds of all, that you should always put family first, no matter what.
Well, I call bullshit.
“What am I supposed to do at a bar?”
I went to a bar alone for the first time recently and I found it really boring. I brought a book in case I got anxious so I would have something to focus on but it pretty much came down to I either read, played on my phone, or stared at the wall. Everyone else there came with someone else and had someone to interact with but I just kinda… sat there.
Linkage
Tequila, Drugs and Torture: The Spending Binge of Two Crypto Bros That Ended Behind Bars – WSJ
A Damn Fine Collection of Fascinating Photos – Ned Hardy
If you want to save serious time and effort, this powered cleaning tool is hands-down the best purchase —it comes with multiple attachments, tackles everything from tile and grout to stove tops – Amazon
A Look Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan Lair – NY Times
Vast majority of U.S. adults stressed about grocery costs, AP-NORC poll finds – NBC
Tea encouraged its users to spill. Then the app’s data got leaked – NPR
How to Survive Encounters with Dangerous Animals – Outside
Feed Your Brain With These Fascinating Facts – Ned Hardy
You’ve got to try a sunrise alarm—it gently wakes you up with gradual light instead of a jarring sound, making mornings way more pleasant and helping you feel refreshed instead of startled – Amazon
Indigenous Runner Wins 63K Ultramarathon After Walking 14 Hours To Make It to the Starting Line – My Modern Met
The Best Spider-Man and Hulk Stories to Inspire Brand New Day – Den of Geek
Chevy Silverado EV smashes world record for longest drive on a single charge – The Verge
10 Essential Monster Movies from the 90s Every Horror Fan Should See – Listverse
Ranked: The Top 25 Universities Outside the U.S. – Visual Capitalist
The Dumping Grounds
“I feel like my boyfriend’s mother”
I’m 24F and have been dating my 23M boyfriend for almost 2.5 years. Things were great at first, but for the past 9 months, I’ve felt more like his mother than his partner. I end up cleaning his bathroom, bedroom, picking up his trash, doing his laundry, and even reminding him to brush his teeth. I’ve talked to him about it, but nothing really changes.
“My wife is trying to be a social media influlencer and its ruining our marriage”
I’m 27M, my wife is 25F, and we’ve been together for 6 years (2 married). I love her and I’m happy she’s found a passion for social media—she posts daily, is growing a following, and even makes a little money from it.
But here’s the issue: I can’t stand social media myself. I don’t want to be in her videos or pictures, and I’ve said I’ll support her from a distance—but it’s just not my thing. Despite that, she often sends me couple content and asks why I can’t be like those guys, and says I’m unsupportive because I don’t want to participate.
Parents, Let Your Children Struggle. Allow Them to Fail.
Hey, parents. I know you love your kids more than anything in the world, and you want to protect them from every scrape, bruise, and heartache. But today, I’m here to give you some tough love: you need to let your children struggle. You need to let them fail.
The Power of Honoring Your Commitments
Let’s talk about commitments. You know, those pesky things you agree to do and then immediately want to bail on? Yeah, those. We’ve all been there, staring at our calendar, wondering why on earth we said yes to that thing next Thursday. But here’s the kicker: how you handle your commitments says a lot about you. And not just to others, but to yourself.