July 28, 2025
Welcome back to Low Two Pair, where each day brings a new Thought of the Day and Question of the Day two little nudges to get your brain moving, your heart beating a little differently, or at least your eyebrow raised skeptically. Today we’re diving into personal autonomy, politeness toward robots, and why I sometimes treat my AI better than my Wi-Fi provider. Let’s explore what it means to be true to ourselves… and oddly courteous to the machines.
Thought of the Day: To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s. — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Dostoyevsky wasn’t afraid to get a little messy and neither am I. This quote hits home because it reminds me that messing up while being myself still beats winning while wearing someone else’s mask. You ever follow “the right advice” only to feel like you’ve just handed over the wheel of your own life to a stranger in a suit? Yeah. That.
I’ve made my fair share of weird decisions. Like starting a blog called Low Two Pair instead of doing something sensible, like investing in index funds or becoming a Life Coach. And you know what? Some of those decisions have backfired. Spectacularly. But they were mine. And I’ve never regretted doing something my way nearly as much as I’ve regretted following someone else’s path just because it was freshly paved.
This reminds me of a past reflection: Before You Worry About How to Win the Game, Figure Out Whether the Game Is Worth Winning. There’s power in choosing your own direction, even if the map was drawn in crayon.
And hey, if you’re feeling like you’re flailing while everyone else is gliding remember: swans look elegant on the surface but underneath, they’re paddling like crazy too. So paddle on, in your own weird, beautiful way.
Question of the Day: Do you say thank you to your AI after it performs a task for you?
All the time. “Thank you, Siri.” “Good job, Alexa.” Sometimes I even say “please.” And occasionally, I feel a little embarrassed about it… but only until I realize I’ve also apologized to a table I bumped into. So at least I’m consistent?
There’s something oddly human about wanting to be polite, even to non-human things. And maybe, deep down, we hope the machines will remember our kindness during the inevitable robot uprising. (Call it emotional insurance.)
But on a more sincere note, saying thank you—even to AI—is a small act of mindfulness. It’s a way of acknowledging help, pausing for a breath, and treating the world (real or virtual) with a touch more grace.
It makes me wonder: are we practicing kindness so automatically that it becomes a reflex? Or have are you is your lack of kindness towards your electronics spill over to how you treat people every day?
This question reminds me of another one we asked: What’s the kindest thing you, in particular, can do for someone? FYI, sometimes it’s as small as two words. Thank you.
Let’s Talk About It:
Do you thank your AI? Ever argued with one? Or maybe, like me, you’ve discovered that being yourself—even when you’re a little wrong—is better than being someone else’s version of right. Drop a comment below or join the daily email for more reflections like this every morning. No bots harmed in the making of this post.